Common tree fern which comes in a whole variety of sizes. These are so common because they can just walk into the forests of Australia and hack them down into the sizes they want to ship. Mostly found with no roots or fronds. If you are selecting one you really want one with fronds that are just beginning to show rather than established fronds shooting out all over the place. You should also splash out and get a big one as these guys are very very slow to produce trunk height.
The foliage will die back when Winter arrives, though with each year of exposure they seem to adjust and keep their foliage for longer. All you need for Winter protection is a fat fist full of straw stuffed into the crown to protect the late Summer fronds from being beaten up by frost. You can also tie a fleece around the trunk if you wish, but this is only necessary if you live in very cold areas (regular -10c).
With these (and all tree ferns) you need to keep them moist to get the best out of them. These like to be sprayed on the crown and foliage. If you do this religiously then you will be rewarded with huge fronds. They are pretty wind resistant too, but make sure the whole thing doesn’t fall down and crush something if you are placing it in a windy spot.
When digging a tall one in jam bricks around the whole you are putting it into. This will help keep moisture around its base and also add stability until it managed to re-root itself.
Dicksonia Antarctica look very nice in groups of 3, placed close together in a triangle with different heights. If you can afford it try and place them like this to get the best visual effect. Partially bury rocks around them to encourage moss to grow around their bases to give them that authentic forest look. A couple of ground ferns to finish the look off. Very nice :)
No comments:
Post a Comment