Thanks to all of you for your advice and suggestions. In answer to some of your questions, the trunk is 2'6" (75cm) tall and it's in a pot approx 2'3" in diamater and 18" high. I've tried to keep it well watered but only discovered how best to feed it in recent years which I've done with home-made compost and plant food. It's in a shady place and partly protected by a high fence.
When I first got it tree ferns weren't quite so common nor was advice on how to look after them, so I think cutting off the fronds wasn't the best advice I was given though up til now it has been fine. I didn't do this last winter but still filled the crown, wrapped the fronds over it and covered the whole tree in protective fleece. I removed the fleece about a month or so ago and since then I have removed a few very tatty fronds. New ones are butsting through but as I said, as they unfurl they are very small and the crown looks cramped for room.
I did wonder if it didn't like its move from London 18 months ago but it has a slightly smaller companion tree fern sited close by which is thriving.
Many thanks to you all,
Meg
Anyway I shall investigate the possibility of planting it in the ground. A problem might be that the soil here is clay and not easy to dig deep for a root ball that might be as large as the pot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Hobden
"megsplot" wrote
I have problems with a tree fern that I've had for about 8-9 years.
Originally I was advised by a garden centre to cut the fronds off each
winter, fill the crown and protect the whole tree with garden fleece all
of which I did and each year more fronds came. But as new fronds come
from within the crown, it gradually got smaller and pointed. For the
last 2 years the fronds have got smaller and smaller as there is less
and less room so I'm now wondering what to do.
I wondered whether I should clip the crown down to create more internal
room for new fronds, but I'm scared I might kill it.
It's in a very large pot as I was originally told there was virtually no
root system (I've since learned that there is).
Can anyone offer suggestions please?
They also do that at Highgrove but I don't cut the fronds off ours until
they turn brown and are dead. A plant with green leaves is getting food from
them so why cut them off? At the moments ours is putting out nice new fronds
which are partly protected by the older fronds which will probably stay on
the plant for most of this year.
The fact yours is getting smaller each year means the plant has a problem,
not that it's too crowded, do not cut anything away. If the plant is treated
correctly and in the correct position it will grow big again in time. Have
you not got somewhere it could be planted out in the ground? Open aspect but
shaded from the sun and preferably next to a pond for humidity.
Do you feed your plant? The stem contains a lot of roots as does the pot and
they do need feeding like any other plant. I chuck a handful of chicken
manure pellets right on the top of ours each year. The stem also needs to be
kept moist so do remember to water it if it's dry. (like here the last
couple of months!)
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK
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