🤣 The update is... they're still in the envelope!🤣 As soon as I get a bit more time after November is out and the gardening season is over I'll sow them and make a follow up. 😀
I haven't Duncan - but just Googled and can only find it for sale in Canada! Maybe you'll have to set up some Etsy and eBay searches to alert you when one turns up.
A great video thanks. I tried growing ferns from spores years ago when I was at University (and failed), but I'd like to give it another go now. I also remember trying to learn this topic at A level (and failed) so I enjoyed watching and learning. I think ferns, mosses and liverworts are the non-flowering plants (fungi are not in the plant kingdom, but also don't flower). Anyway, I have always liked ferns but have very few in the glasshouse - this needs to change now!!!
Thanks Nicholas. I wish I'd done botany at university - I did science and design technology, but it's hard to know what you want when you're young. I know we 'humans' like to group and categorise everything but I think nature resists as much as she can do by continually coming up with an example that breaks the 'rule'! 😂 I think once you learn how fascinating and ancient ferns are they're hard to resist. I began watching David Attenborough's 'The Private Life of Plants' again last night - shot at Kew. Well worth a watch or a rewatch!
White stripe T cretica fern will grow from spore, try them. Keep your older mature leaves if they have spore. I have had some success with with ladder brake (they're easy), black maiden hair and a few others. I am a beginner on growing spore. Failed on birds nest so far, but I believe they take longer (a year ) maybe I never gave them long enough. Please any tips on birds nest and staghorn from spore out there? ( I have 6 different asparagus ferns can you believe they are from the lilly family, I think probably something to do with the tubers (someone can correct me). Back on ferns : when the spores come off when you rub them with your finger they're ready for collection. I just collect in a folded piece of paper, staple, label Store in a in a brown paper bag. When Your first leaf gets a second leaf like flag you know it is fertile (crudely put). Misting helps fertilization. I am going to try peat moss, sand and vermiculite this time. I sterilize with hot water 💦 poured over container and medium. I am far from professional about it so far. I used the bottom of plastic bottles cut off to a 3" dish shape, big drainage holes. Cover with cling film and an elastic to hold it for first few months to keep dust off. Don't block drainage holes with the cling film. Mist when needed, don't dry out . Leave off cover later when they are bigger. Keep in warm place with reduced light. Keep moist.
Yeah I could really get into fern propagation from spore - but as you point out - they can take such a long time - so I decided to stick with growing from young plants. Hats off, though, to anyone with the time and patience. It's a fascinating area of botany.
Afraid not. If memory serves (this was nearly 4 years ago), there wasn’t much interest in the video. Additionally, not a single one of my spores germinated! However, they happily germinate all over the greenhouse in other pots! 🤣
Me too! I think my greenhouse might need to be a bit bigger! Truth time: I only included that rather long clip in there because my video froze for 20 seconds - so I wanted to hide it..🤣🤷🏻♂️
Very interesting! I want to get more into ferns - I have a couple of very happy Maidenhair ferns and a recovering Button fern. Time to branch out into some different ones though I think. Thanks for the info - I did not know ferns sort of have “sperm” - amazing!
Thanks Erica. Yeah me too - my only criteria is that they're tropical and not hardy, just to maintain the 'topical greenhouse' theme. I didn't know about the sperm thing either - plants really are fascinating.
The tall fronds on your Pteris cretia are fertile fronds. They have a simple indusium, just a folded over leaf edge. At least 1 frond has spores ready, look for the black, rough looking edge on the tall fronds. They are very easy to set and grow on. Sanitation is really important when setting spores. There are a host of slime molds & fungi that thrive in the high humidity and close conditions along with many little insects. Those insects will eat the sperm and ova, leaving bare gametophytes and severely reducing the number that can fertilize.
Thanks Lara - I'll take a closer look at my Pteris cretica. Sounds like you've quite a bit of experience with ferns. Can you suggest some tropical ferns that might be good for my greenhouse? The more unusual the better. (In Part 2 of the video I'm going to have a go at sowing the spores. I'll need to break the habit of a lifetime with plants and 'up' my hygiene game!)
@@Grow_Up_Man55 More exotic the better? Tree ferns-except they can span 2 meters. Staghorn ferns, Platycerium, grow on mounts and can get quite larger over time. Kangaroo paw, Microsorum diversifolium, epiphyte that takes well to a basket so long as it isn't over watered. The big leaf maidenhair ferns, Adiantum macrophyllum, and the Birds nest, Asplenium nidus. The Boston ferns, Nephrolepis, have gold, variegated and ruffled forms and can be hung high, we use then in the greenhouse rafters to provide shade.
@@lorapoynter9162 Thanks Lora I'll take a look at these - although I suspect I may need a bigger greenhouse than my 14 x 10 foot one! 🤣 I've got a Boston fern which I forgot to show in the video. I used to have a tree fern, but was ill one year so couldn't wrap it through the winter and it promptly perished. I've looked at Staghorn ferns in the past - I love them - but waaaaaay to big for my greenhouse. Now the others are more up my street. I really like the look of Adiantum macrophyllum with all those colours - and just about the right size too! Thanks again - plenty to go at there. Better get my poor wallet ready...
Thanks for your question Emma. To be honest I'm pretty new to ferns myself, and they're notoriously difficult to identify. A good option for fern IDs are Facebook groups where you can post a photo then people can all chip in to help. Try the AFS Fern Forum (American Fern Society) which seems pretty good at fern IDs. Another good resource is the British Pteridological Society (ebps.org.uk/) which gives you info on how to identify ferns. Good luck! 😁
Please do an update on the fern spores 😀
🤣 The update is... they're still in the envelope!🤣 As soon as I get a bit more time after November is out and the gardening season is over I'll sow them and make a follow up. 😀
@@Grow_Up_Man55 Looking forward to it. :-)
Hello Geoff have you seen a blue oil fern? So cool the color and thickness of the leaves. I want to find one. Thanks
I haven't Duncan - but just Googled and can only find it for sale in Canada! Maybe you'll have to set up some Etsy and eBay searches to alert you when one turns up.
A great video thanks. I tried growing ferns from spores years ago when I was at University (and failed), but I'd like to give it another go now. I also remember trying to learn this topic at A level (and failed) so I enjoyed watching and learning. I think ferns, mosses and liverworts are the non-flowering plants (fungi are not in the plant kingdom, but also don't flower). Anyway, I have always liked ferns but have very few in the glasshouse - this needs to change now!!!
Thanks Nicholas. I wish I'd done botany at university - I did science and design technology, but it's hard to know what you want when you're young. I know we 'humans' like to group and categorise everything but I think nature resists as much as she can do by continually coming up with an example that breaks the 'rule'! 😂 I think once you learn how fascinating and ancient ferns are they're hard to resist. I began watching David Attenborough's 'The Private Life of Plants' again last night - shot at Kew. Well worth a watch or a rewatch!
Tropical Plants at 53 Degrees That Attenborough programme is my favourite! And aren’t the exceptions those which prove the rule? 🤔
I've never understood that phrase! 😂🤷♂️
White stripe T cretica fern will grow from spore, try them. Keep your older mature leaves if they have spore. I have had some success with with ladder brake (they're easy), black maiden hair and a few others. I am a beginner on growing spore. Failed on birds nest so far, but I believe they take longer (a year ) maybe I never gave them long enough. Please any tips on birds nest and staghorn from spore out there? ( I have 6 different asparagus ferns can you believe they are from the lilly family, I think probably something to do with the tubers (someone can correct me). Back on ferns : when the spores come off when you rub them with your finger they're ready for collection. I just collect in a folded piece of paper, staple, label
Store in a in a brown paper bag. When Your first leaf gets a second leaf like flag you know it is fertile (crudely put). Misting helps fertilization. I am going to try peat moss, sand and vermiculite this time. I sterilize with hot water 💦 poured over container and medium. I am far from professional about it so far. I used the bottom of plastic bottles cut off to a 3" dish shape, big drainage holes. Cover with cling film and an elastic to hold it for first few months to keep dust off. Don't block drainage holes with the cling film. Mist when needed, don't dry out . Leave off cover later when they are bigger. Keep in warm place with reduced light. Keep moist.
Yeah I could really get into fern propagation from spore - but as you point out - they can take such a long time - so I decided to stick with growing from young plants. Hats off, though, to anyone with the time and patience. It's a fascinating area of botany.
@@Grow_Up_Man55 👍
Apart from that great video and I enjoyed it a lot
Glad you enjoyed it Luke. 😀
was there a part 2 recorded?
Afraid not. If memory serves (this was nearly 4 years ago), there wasn’t much interest in the video. Additionally, not a single one of my spores germinated! However, they happily germinate all over the greenhouse in other pots! 🤣
I wish you to achieve your dream greenhouse very soon 😂😂😂👍
Me too! I think my greenhouse might need to be a bit bigger! Truth time: I only included that rather long clip in there because my video froze for 20 seconds - so I wanted to hide it..🤣🤷🏻♂️
Hello. Great video! Do you know how old a blue star fern has to be to produce spores?
Thanks. I’m afraid I don’t. I guess it would depend very much on how ideal the growing conditions are.
@@Grow_Up_Man55 Okay, thank you! That is true, I guess I will see in a year or two.
Very interesting! I want to get more into ferns - I have a couple of very happy Maidenhair ferns and a recovering Button fern. Time to branch out into some different ones though I think.
Thanks for the info - I did not know ferns sort of have “sperm” - amazing!
Thanks Erica. Yeah me too - my only criteria is that they're tropical and not hardy, just to maintain the 'topical greenhouse' theme. I didn't know about the sperm thing either - plants really are fascinating.
The tall fronds on your Pteris cretia are fertile fronds. They have a simple indusium, just a folded over leaf edge. At least 1 frond has spores ready, look for the black, rough looking edge on the tall fronds. They are very easy to set and grow on.
Sanitation is really important when setting spores. There are a host of slime molds & fungi that thrive in the high humidity and close conditions along with many little insects. Those insects will eat the sperm and ova, leaving bare gametophytes and severely reducing the number that can fertilize.
Thanks Lara - I'll take a closer look at my Pteris cretica. Sounds like you've quite a bit of experience with ferns. Can you suggest some tropical ferns that might be good for my greenhouse? The more unusual the better. (In Part 2 of the video I'm going to have a go at sowing the spores. I'll need to break the habit of a lifetime with plants and 'up' my hygiene game!)
@@Grow_Up_Man55 More exotic the better? Tree ferns-except they can span 2 meters. Staghorn ferns, Platycerium, grow on mounts and can get quite larger over time. Kangaroo paw, Microsorum diversifolium, epiphyte that takes well to a basket so long as it isn't over watered. The big leaf maidenhair ferns, Adiantum macrophyllum, and the Birds nest, Asplenium nidus. The Boston ferns, Nephrolepis, have gold, variegated and ruffled forms and can be hung high, we use then in the greenhouse rafters to provide shade.
@@lorapoynter9162 Thanks Lora I'll take a look at these - although I suspect I may need a bigger greenhouse than my 14 x 10 foot one! 🤣 I've got a Boston fern which I forgot to show in the video. I used to have a tree fern, but was ill one year so couldn't wrap it through the winter and it promptly perished. I've looked at Staghorn ferns in the past - I love them - but waaaaaay to big for my greenhouse. Now the others are more up my street. I really like the look of Adiantum macrophyllum with all those colours - and just about the right size too! Thanks again - plenty to go at there. Better get my poor wallet ready...
Wouldn't you know it Lora, the one I want isn't to be found anywhere for sale in the UK! Typical! 😩
Seaweed don't have flowers although they are algae apparently so a bit of a grey area!
Haha! I don't think Mother Nature likes rules and groups. 🤣
Hi i have a fern I cannot identify and can't find online. Can you help ? Thanks 😊 🙏
Thanks for your question Emma. To be honest I'm pretty new to ferns myself, and they're notoriously difficult to identify. A good option for fern IDs are Facebook groups where you can post a photo then people can all chip in to help. Try the AFS Fern Forum (American Fern Society) which seems pretty good at fern IDs. Another good resource is the British Pteridological Society (ebps.org.uk/) which gives you info on how to identify ferns. Good luck! 😁
@@Grow_Up_Man55 hi thanks for the reply ... I think its the fern thats the thumbnail for this video , thanks for the tip tho :)
That’s easy then. It’s the one actually in the video: Phlebodium or Blue Star Fern.
I really don’t think you should bin that fern :) :) you could put it outside 🍀🌿🌿🌲🌲🌲🌳🌿🌿
Haha! The garden's already full of them! 😂 I'll send it to a home for retired ferns...
You're lovely
😊 thank you