Hardy Tropicals UK

I usually feed my tree ferns with a High nitrogen feed or a tree fern feed with seaweed extract. Has anyone just purchased pure seaweed exstract diluted it down to the recomended dilution rate and fed it to there tree ferns. Do they respond well to pure diluted seaweed extract.

I dilute seaweed feed by half and feed once every 3 weeks ish. I've never experimented with or without. The only noticeable improvement on one was by moving it next to my pond therefore improving the humidity.

Is there any other trace eliments in treefern feed that are not in pure seaweed exstract.

Feeding mine next season,

kata wrote:Feeding mine next season,

Why next season?

fern Rob wrote:Is there any other trace eliments in treefern feed that are not in pure seaweed exstract.

I have never looked Rob as I've never fed tree fern feed. I've spoken to quite a few people who supply/keep tree ferns and all have said they come from nutrient poor soils and just to feed dilute seaweed feed. I add chicken pellets in spring as well though.

Just wondered if there would be any difference buying pure seaweed feed compared to exspensive tree fern feeds.

fern Rob wrote:Just wondered if there would be any difference buying pure seaweed feed compared to exspensive tree fern feeds.

I very much doubt it Rob but honestly don't know for sure.

Why next season?

Because I read they do best if not fed in the first year, also new compost feeds for four months.

Its done great except for the missing leaves.

The compost will not be feeding the Dicksonia antarctica as it will not have any roots yet.
Dicksonia antarctica live off the central core for a while before whilst putting roots down, but for new trunks it helps to replace the nutrients that they are taking from the crown for better results in future.

I have no experience with tree ferns, as I have never planted one (yet)

however, I have planted many ground ferns such as dryopteris etc and I foliar feed regulary with 2 products (a mixture of algae and seaweed .... it's called Biobizz alg-a-mic), and the other is Biobizz fish mix (I alternate feeds, but they can be mixed together (2 ml of alg-amic and 2ml of fishmix per litre of water) ....

works out at just under a tenner a litre for each product, and you dilute it at 4-5ml per litre of water .... use a good pump sprayer such as one of these:



it allows you to spray under the leaves (it works when it's tilted upside down) and has a very fine mist .... I always spray the leaves when the sun is busy setting (not during the day when the sun is strong) .... the fishmix and alg-a-mic can also be used as a soil drench, and can be used on all plants .... you won't find these products in a garden centre or at B&Q etc, but if you google for you nearest hydroponic store, they should stock it .... it's also available on ebay and on the net

herewith the specs:
http://www.greensea-hydroponics.co.uk/s ... a-mic.html

http://www.3ch.co.uk/nutrient-additives ... _1325.html

I've been using these products for a while now, with very good results

Thanks for that, I wonder if it is ok to put in a Dicksonia antarctica crown?

fern Rob wrote:Thanks for that, I wonder if it is ok to put in a Dicksonia antarctica crown?

I'm guessing, but it should be ok .... some guys add chicken manure pellets to the crowns with no detremental effects ...

if you dilute at the correct dosage, you may be fine

Dim wrote:

fern Rob wrote:Thanks for that, I wonder if it is ok to put in a Dicksonia antarctica crown?

I'm guessing, but it should be ok .... some guys add chicken manure pellets to the crowns with no detremental effects ...

if you dilute at the correct dosage, you may be fine

I wouldn't risk it myself. Looks good stuff though. Dim, would you recommend Iguna juice for tree fern fronds?

Unless feeding the tree fern improves the fronds because of root intake then watering the fronds them self can not do anything as they have no way of displaceing the water/ feed.