Thank you, I will go get some good peat based potting compost and repot it.

Steve

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
...

"Steve Drake" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I just bought a tree fern, I ask the garden centre about potting it, they
told me that a good size pot would do and I don't need good soil as it
want get any nutrients from the soil, I then ask them if it would be ok
to use hard core instead of soil as I have a load left over, they said
this wood be fine.

so.... I put the tree fern in the pot, filled it with some hard core,
then put some decretive pebbles on the top.

Is this OK? I have read on some websites that you should put it in well
drained soil.

Hi Steve: I wanted to wait to see if anyone else who knows more about
tree ferns than me posted in but you have been unlucky here so you will
have to do with my less quality knowledge of these things. What you say
sounds correct up to a point in that they do indeed feed through the top
of the "stem". However, I have had 7 of them in my back garden for years
now that I grew from spores (if anyone else is tempted, it is rewarding in
the same kind of way that learning latin or making lace is; next time I
will just buy some). Despite what you were told and what seems to make
sense, teh ones that I potted on each year thrived and the ones that I
potted on less often did not. The size difference is three fold at this
stage.
I now have 4 nice big specimens (well after 7 years of growing the effing
things, they have trunks of about 8 inches and have maybe metre long
fronds if you will forgive the mixed measurement units) and three stunted
ones. Also every time I repot them, the "roots" have completely and
utterly crammed every available space in the pots. Next time I move them,
I will just plant the big ones in the ground where they will stay until I
die or they are stolen.

So, they do like good compost/feeding through the roots. If you are in a
hurry, just peat based potting compost will do; if you have the time and
materials, then add in any of garden compost, composted bark, charcoal
(one book I read said to do that; do not sue me if they die; I just
chucked in some barbecue charcoal (NOT the briquettes)) and some slow
release granular feed and or manure. I just guessed proportions and mixed
it all up as I found whatever I had. They seemed to love it.

The next thing to watch is to NEVER (EVER (EVER)) let the trunk dry out.
In Summer, in warm weather, water once a week at the very least from above
and move to teh shade if going away. In WInter watch it if the weather
has been dry.
I forgot all about mine a year ago during a dry spring (early 2004) and 3
of mine nearly died from drying out.

That is my take on them; there are web sites that will give much more
accurate information but if you take them too seriously, what I wrote
above will sound very slapdash and careless but you will end up a nervous
wreck.

Des



Cheers

Steve