A client had an ailing Tree Fern, and when I asked Colin, a friend with a passion for Tree Ferns (see Colin’s guest blog), what to do, he came up with some great but drastic advice. Firstly, as with all plants, think of where the plant comes from and what are its original growing habits. Tree Ferns like humid, shady areas and hate their crowns (at the top of the trunk) to dry out. This ailing Tree Fern was in far too sunny a position and to create a more moist environment, Colin’s advice was to cut the trunk in half a so that the crown was nearer the soil and to replant the top part of the fern in a shadier part of the garden.
I felt like a bit of a vandal, but I followed Colin’s advice, and never having cut a Tree Fern in half before, was amazed to see such beautiful growth patterns inside the trunk. They look like a cross between prehistoric wall paintings and aboriginal art. I had to dash off and instantly find someone to share this momentous discovery with (in this case it was Eric who I garden with regularly, who was almost as impressed as I was).
Tree Fern now replanted, I’m intrigued to see how this plant will adapt to its new height and setting. Fingers crossed, its fronds will be flourishing next year in its new shady humid environment.
