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trunk thickness

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:55 am
by Mr List
looking at these tree ferns the trunks are massive!!
but also there are some bits where they go thin and then thick again.

what governs the thickness of a tree fern trunk, particularly of Dicksonia antarctica ?

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Re: trunk thickness

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:41 am
by Andy P
I would hazard a guess that the thinnest parts of the trunk were grown during years where the plant didn`t grow very well. Probably down to weather conditions. The thickest parts grown in better conditions. Baring in mind that the plants trunk is made up from the previous years growth year on year. The trunk can also appear bigger lower down by simply not being snipped off closer to the trunk.

Re: trunk thickness

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:49 am
by Dave Brown
The visible trunk ia a mass of fibre and roots surrounding the rhizome in the centre. I'm not sure if the thickness is governed by the rhizome, or if just the length of roots surrounding it.

Older ferns tend to have a swollen base and the swollen bit at the top is due to longer frond bases which disintegrate over a few years. This gives the appearance of thinner bit in the middle, although as Andy said, conditions may also play a part :wink:

The pic is of well manicured ferns with hundreds of fronds in the crown. Moist of these have been removed but leaving frond bases.

Re: trunk thickness

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:28 am
by Mr List
thanks for the info icon_thumleft

so there is no tricks to help it thicken up were all i was wondering icon_thumleft

Re: trunk thickness

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 2:13 pm
by Dave Brown
Mr List wrote:thanks for the info icon_thumleft

so there is no tricks to help it thicken up were all i was wondering icon_thumleft
You can by putting a tube around the trunk and filling the gap with peat and the roots grow into it, thickening the trunk. Never tried it myself but heard others have. :wink:

Re: trunk thickness

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:26 pm
by Mr List
mine looks to be a nice thickness but i was just wondering if there was anything i needed to know to make sure it didn't wither away a little.

i did mound up compost up against the base as much as i could though.

Re: trunk thickness

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:00 pm
by dino
Mr List wrote:mine looks to be a nice thickness but i was just wondering if there was anything i needed to know to make sure it didn't wither away a little.

i did mound up compost up against the base as much as i could though.
We are talking Dicksonia antarctica's aren't we? :lol:

Re: trunk thickness

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:18 pm
by Ian Mc1
The tree ferns in Christchurch, New Zealand Botanical gardens with the thickest trunks are Dicksonia Fibrosas which have been out in the open for many years.
They are next to the shaded fern garden which has a huge Marattia Salicina.
Cheers: Ian Mc

Re: trunk thickness

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:58 pm
by greendragon
They were in the same greenhouse as the massive Jubaea, the fronds were massive!

Here are more pictures of those Dicksonia antarctica. One way to make the trunks look really nice is to leave a few inches of the frond stem intact instead of cutting it right back in line like most people do.

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Re: trunk thickness

Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:05 pm
by Mr List
atm i have no plans to cut anything off at all.