my dicksonia is one year old and about a foot high, would it be best to
protect with straw and string or to lift and bring inside for the winter,if
so, how do i care for it during this time,(watering feeding) and what medium
is best used when it is not in the ground. it is currently doing very well
in a part sheltered location with approx two foot long fronds many thanks
in advance, tony

my dicksonia is one year old and about a foot high, would it be best to
protect with straw and string or to lift and bring inside for the winter,if
so, how do i care for it during this time,(watering feeding) and what medium
is best used when it is not in the ground. it is currently doing very well
in a part sheltered location with approx two foot long fronds many thanks
in advance, tony


Personally I'd leave it where it is, otherwise you'll disturb any roots if it's
starting to put any down, which it will eventually.

For frost protection, take two lengths of chicken wire (or similar) and
sandwich several inches of straw in between them. Roll/wrap them round the
fern and wire together, then stuff handfulls of straw down the crown of the
fern and in the top of the roll made by the wire and straw 'sandwich'. All
this should be done after the fronds have died back.

Having said all that, I've seen them left totally unprotected and they seem to
do just fine. I guess it's all down to the micro-climate where the fern is
positioned. Some people just cut off the fronds after they die back and stuff
them in the crown to give a little protection until spring.

I guess you pays your money and takes your choice, as they say, but if you're
somewhere really cold in winter, I'd play safe. All the best.

Dave.

Hi all

I have a 50yr old disksonia (only had it a year though)
Its four foot high and gives about six fronds

Anyway last season the fronds died in the frost
and then came back this year

No protection needed for mine

The gardener who supplied it said
it will survive very cold extemes
as that is what it gets in its native country

HTH

Niall



"DaveDay34" wrote in message
...
my dicksonia is one year old and about a foot high, would it be best to
protect with straw and string or to lift and bring inside for the
winter,if
so, how do i care for it during this time,(watering feeding) and what
medium
is best used when it is not in the ground. it is currently doing very
well
in a part sheltered location with approx two foot long fronds many
thanks
in advance, tony


Personally I'd leave it where it is, otherwise you'll disturb any roots if
it's
starting to put any down, which it will eventually.

For frost protection, take two lengths of chicken wire (or similar) and
sandwich several inches of straw in between them. Roll/wrap them round
the
fern and wire together, then stuff handfulls of straw down the crown of
the
fern and in the top of the roll made by the wire and straw 'sandwich'.
All
this should be done after the fronds have died back.

Having said all that, I've seen them left totally unprotected and they
seem to
do just fine. I guess it's all down to the micro-climate where the fern
is
positioned. Some people just cut off the fronds after they die back and
stuff
them in the crown to give a little protection until spring.

I guess you pays your money and takes your choice, as they say, but if
you're
somewhere really cold in winter, I'd play safe. All the best.

Dave.


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.521 / Virus Database: 319 - Release Date: 23/09/2003

"Niall Smyth" wrote in message
...
Hi all

I have a 50yr old disksonia (only had it a year though)
Its four foot high and gives about six fronds

Anyway last season the fronds died in the frost
and then came back this year

No protection needed for mine

The gardener who supplied it said
it will survive very cold extemes
as that is what it gets in its native country

HTH

Niall



Yours, like mine, are probably Dickinsonia antartica which is more hardy
than D. squarrosa. I don't do anything to protect mine in my North London
garden but I used to have a D.squarrosa which didn't survive unprotected in
my garden.

Natalie

Yours, like mine, are probably Dickinsonia antartica which is more hardy
than D. squarrosa. I don't do anything to protect mine in my North London

I protect my D. Antartica in the winter, purely so that I don't lose the
fronds. This means there are some fronds early next spring, rather than
having to wait for them to sprout new ones from scratch.

- h

"H" wrote in message
...
Yours, like mine, are probably Dickinsonia antartica which is more hardy
than D. squarrosa. I don't do anything to protect mine in my North
London

I protect my D. Antartica in the winter, purely so that I don't lose the
fronds. This means there are some fronds early next spring, rather than
having to wait for them to sprout new ones from scratch.

- h



My fronds remain through the winter even unprotected :-)

The crown gets some protection from the leaves that fall into it ;-)

Natalie

"H" wrote in message
...
Yours, like mine, are probably Dickinsonia antartica which is more hardy
than D. squarrosa. I don't do anything to protect mine in my North
London

I protect my D. Antartica in the winter, purely so that I don't lose the
fronds. This means there are some fronds early next spring, rather than
having to wait for them to sprout new ones from scratch.

- h



My fronds remain through the winter even unprotected :-)

The crown gets some protection from the leaves that fall into it ;-)

Natalie