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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Interestingly, the shorter, younger Dicksonia antarctica<\/em> tend to come from areas where trees such as Eucalyptus<\/em> are grown for commercial benefit. Once an area is cleared of both tree fern and Eucalyptus<\/em> the ground is burnt and the pioneer species are the first to grow through. The taller specimens are harvested from areas of hardwood production.<\/p>\n Jump to<\/strong><\/p>\n The trunk of a tree fern is all root, so it\u2019s possible to cut one down with a chainsaw, remove all the fronds, put it in a refrigerated and decontaminated container, send it halfway around the world, bung it in a pot and let it start a new life. The idea that this can be done with utter impunity is untrue, though. It will certainly notice but, given time and the right spot, it will regain its former majesty. Once planted and the base of the trunk comes into contact with moist compost<\/a>, it is stimulated to produce new roots. It\u2019ll often take 12 months to fill a standard pot with roots.<\/p>\n The taller the tree fern, the longer it takes for the fronds to unfurl following their journey. At first, the new fronds emerge looking a bit like the knuckle of a clenched index finger of an orangutan. Within six weeks they can be fully unfurled with an arching span of 6 to 8ft \u2013 very dramatic.<\/p>\n The rate of growth varies enormously, according to microclimate<\/a> and soil conditions. An okay Dicksonia<\/em> will produce a new rosette of fronds in the spring and then stop growing until the following spring. A happy Dicksonia<\/em> will do the same, but then just carry on chucking out new fronds at an extraordinary rate. They grow in profusion in well protected coastal gardens from west Dorset, around the Cornish peninsula and all the way to north west Scotland. Also, in central London they\u2019ve become common place, with the South East of England following close behind.<\/p>\n Given the cost of tree ferns, the challenge is to have as much of the plant out of the ground as possible. So, when it comes to planting, it\u2019s a question of stability. For the large ones, you can drill a hole into the centre of the trunk (yes, literally drill a hole) and insert a metal rebar to act as an anchor in the ground. You can also wire to guy them to the ground. For smaller trunks, digging a small hole to bury them in works well and the depth of that is dependent on how densely you compact the soil around them. If you have a new house and a new garden (especially in an area where clay predominates) grow them either in a pot or wait for a few years. Ferns are fuss pots and will only grow in good friable, well-drained soil with lots of organic content<\/a>.<\/p>\n More on<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> Much is spoken on the hardiness of these plants since their importation from Australia in the mid-1990s. This is a plant whose geographical distribution reaches from central Tasmania to southern Queensland. After a very cold winter, it would appear that this hardiness varies from plant to plant, but there\u2019s absolutely no way of anticipating which ones are hardy and which ones are not until it\u2019s too late. So, if your garden gets cold, wrap your tree fern up in the winter. The most important thing is to protect the crown. Wrap the crown in fleece<\/a> (you can add straw as well) to protect the future development of emerging new spring fronds. We never think there\u2019s much point tying up and fleecing the fronds as they always look so tatty when you unwrap them. We prefer to leave the unfurled fronds for additional winter theatre (you never know \u2013 it might snow). Frost damaged fronds can be snipped off in early March to make way for lovely new emerging knuckles and unfurling fronds. Short of a catastrophic winter you will be delighted to see hints of a new crown of fronds emerging when you remove the winter protection. If you have the means to build a stack of straw bales around each plant this also works well.<\/p>\n We would suggest you use an irrigation system and make sure the dripper stake is stuck securely into the crown. If using the garden hose<\/a> also water directly into the crown, dampening the trunk as well, remember this is part of the root system. When it\u2019s hot, daily watering<\/a> is required whether through an automatic system or manually with a hose. The key is to regularly look at your tree fern and assess their condition, gently rock the trunk slightly, it should feel sturdy but not too heavy. A dry, flaky and hollow sounding trunk or wilting and drying fronds can indicate stress from too little water. Too much water leads to rotting crowns. Feel the soil and trunk \u2013 the ground should not feel dry and pale or too dark and sodden. As you approach the winter you should turn off your irrigation system. As with all plants, the trick is to remain balanced and avoid any sudden dramatic changes to plant care \u2013 often human intervention is the biggest killer of plants.<\/p>\n Ideally, any tree fern with a trunk over 2 foot should be planted in the ground but they can grow in a pot as long as they are well stabilised. They like a bit of shade<\/a> (but not too much; they get thin and drawn), nice organic soil (which all ferns like) and humidity. People are often surprised that tree ferns grow happily in Los Angeles where it hardly ever rains. The answer is the Pacific Ocean. It might not rain much, but the ocean makes coastal areas humid enough to keep tree ferns happy. They also like space to show off their symmetrical loveliness.<\/p>\n When new fronds are emerging (this goes for Cycads<\/em> and one or two other plants) and they\u2019re in a pot, don\u2019t move the pot. The plant\u2019s internal command centre is organising its fronds in a way to gain the maximum light. To us, the result is beautiful symmetry. Move the plants while the fronds are unfurling and as far as it\u2019s concerned, the sun\u2019s changed position and the fronds will twist \u2013 resulting in a hopeless mess. Once all of the fronds are out and settled down, then you can move the plant if you need to.<\/p>\n During the spring growing season, feed weekly into the crown of the tree fern as the knuckles start to move and the fronds begin to unfurl. Use a specialist feed \u2013 HSK Tree Fern Feed<\/a> \u2013 it is by far the best. If they have suffered a particularly rough winter they will really benefit from this boost.<\/p>\n Topiarised evergreen balls<\/a> and pillows are a good architectural contrast to accompany tree ferns when underplanted. Taxus baccata<\/em><\/a>, Ilex crenata<\/em><\/a> \u2018dark green\u2019, Hebe<\/em><\/a> paviflora \u2018angustifolia\u2019 and Hebe sutherlandii<\/em> work well. Fatsia japonica<\/em><\/a> and other big tropical shade<\/a> loving plants balance the surrounding space and add additional textures along with, Pittosporum tobira<\/em><\/a> with its lovely rich green glossy leaves. Phormium tenax<\/em> \u2018Variegatum\u2019 provides an excellent colour contrast to the trunk of a tree fern as well as accentuating the vertical drama. We also love using the defined and structural, Mahonia<\/em><\/a> \u2018Soft Caress\u2019. You might want to consider developing a bigger fernery, underplanting with other smaller evergreen ferns such as, Pellaea rotundifolia<\/em>, Asplenium scolopendrium<\/em>, Blechnum chilense<\/em> and Polystichum munitum<\/em> or other ground cover<\/a> plants such as Luzula nivea<\/em> or Pachysandra terminalis.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n One of the many wonderful things about a tree fern is that there is very little creative maintenance required, short of cutting off old or damaged fronds after the last frost.<\/p>\n New fronds develop in the spring. The rate of growth varies enormously, according to microclimate and soil conditions. An okay Dicksonia antarctica<\/em> will produce a new rosette of fronds in the spring and then stop growing until the following spring. A happy Dicksonia antarctica will do the same, but then just carry on chucking out new fronds at an extraordinary rate. The idea that these grow very slowly \u2013 especially when young \u2013 is untrue. Give them the right conditions and they let rip. Back in 1990, we sent some tiny homegrown plants in a box to Philip Brown at Portmeirion<\/a>, to a spot very protected by trees, but right on the Atlantic coast in North Wales. We visited two years later and couldn\u2019t believe our eyes. They were all 12ft across with 1ft trunks. Quite a revelation.<\/p>\nEverything you need to know about tree ferns<\/h2>\n
A tree fern trunk<\/h3>\n
How long do tree fern fronds take to unfurl?<\/h4>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How fast does a tree fern grow?<\/h4>\n
How to plant a tree fern<\/h2>\n
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<\/div>How to grow and care for a tree fern<\/h2>\n
How to wrap a tree fern in winter<\/h3>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How often to water tree ferns<\/h3>\n
Where to plant tree ferns<\/h3>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How to feed tree ferns<\/h3>\n
What to plant with tree ferns<\/h3>\n
When to cut back tree ferns<\/h3>\n
When do tree fern fronds appear?<\/h3>\n