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Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 10:03 pm
by fern Rob
Tom2006 wrote:None of mine have ever narrowed, but then again I lost all my older ones. I will always try to keep the fronds cut quite far down after they have died, but all mine currently seem to gradually push the dead frond bases outwards. icon_thumleft
Picture 3 looks like it is narrowing.

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 10:22 pm
by Dave Brown
The problem is when they chain saw the fronds off including those almost upright. As the stipes harden in the upright position they don't move out as the living stipes would have done. That is what restricts the new croziers from emerging properly. I pull the stipes sideways and cut off as close to the base as possible which allows mover emergence room :wink:

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 10:31 pm
by Tom2006
fern Rob wrote:
Tom2006 wrote:None of mine have ever narrowed, but then again I lost all my older ones. I will always try to keep the fronds cut quite far down after they have died, but all mine currently seem to gradually push the dead frond bases outwards. icon_thumleft
Picture 3 looks like it is narrowing.
I bought the fern in picture three in 2011. The bottom of the robin's feet was where the first flush came from so you can see its growth since then and how the old fronds are pushing out. That said, I will keep an eye on it. icon_thumleft

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 10:52 pm
by fern Rob
Dave Brown wrote:The problem is when they chain saw the fronds off including those almost upright. As the stipes harden in the upright position they don't move out as the living stipes would have done. That is what restricts the new croziers from emerging properly. I pull the stipes sideways and cut off as close to the base as possible which allows mover emergence room :wink:
I thought that may have been the case with Dicksonia antarctica.

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 10:54 pm
by fern Rob
Tom2006 wrote:
fern Rob wrote:
Tom2006 wrote:None of mine have ever narrowed, but then again I lost all my older ones. I will always try to keep the fronds cut quite far down after they have died, but all mine currently seem to gradually push the dead frond bases outwards. icon_thumleft
Picture 3 looks like it is narrowing.
I bought the fern in picture three in 2011. The bottom of the robin's feet was where the first flush came from so you can see its growth since then and how the old fronds are pushing out. That said, I will keep an eye on it. icon_thumleft
I think I have a problem with one of my old Dicksonia antarctica as the crown is nearly non exsistant, I think I will be working on the Dicksonia antarctica tomorrow.

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Sat May 18, 2013 7:40 am
by Dave Brown
Dave Brown wrote:The problem is when they chain saw the fronds off including those almost upright. As the stipes harden in the upright position they don't move out as the living stipes would have done. That is what restricts the new croziers from emerging properly. I pull the stipes sideways and cut off as close to the base as possible which allows mover emergence room :wink:
Of course it could be that having had all it's fronds and root system cut off it doesn't have the energy to push the old stipes open :wink: Either way, producing the dome shape with the emerging croziers at the top seemed to help on mine :wink:

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Sat May 18, 2013 8:32 am
by fern Rob
I wonder if I was to cut the Dicksonia antarctica from inside of the crown outwards if that would retain its shape better.

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Sat May 18, 2013 9:33 am
by Dave Brown
fern Rob wrote:I wonder if I was to cut the Dicksonia antarctica from inside of the crown outwards if that would retain its shape better.
I always do it from underneath. Pulling the frond down until as much of the stipe is visible, then snip at that point. :wink:

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Sat May 18, 2013 9:47 am
by fern Rob
Thanks for that, I will do that if the weather improves.

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 2:47 pm
by ourarka
I have a feeling this has probably already been explained, but can't quite get my head round the answer so a 'dummy's guide' might be needed! Each year my Dicksonia antarctica sends out fronds from a circle within last year's. Therefore will there not come a time when there physically isn't enough room for many/any fronds to emerge? How do you get it to start sending them up from the outer edge again?

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 3:32 pm
by Dave Brown
Think of it as a Yucca, Agave or Palm. It grows in exactly the same way :wink:

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 4:19 pm
by ourarka
..... go on .... ( oh dear, we are finding big gaps in my knowledge of how plants work!)

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 10:10 pm
by Tom2006
The new fronds push the old dead ones outwards.

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 10:17 pm
by fern Rob
In nature their crown would not be a sunken

Re: Mild late winter/early spring gets the Dicksonia antarct

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 9:48 am
by Dave Brown
fern Rob wrote:In nature their crown would not be a sunken
It is not sunken on ours either. it is the last flush of fronds were still almost upright when chainsawed off, and once cut the stipes don't move outward, just leaving a flat plate above the crown.