How's your knuckles? (Tree Ferns)

[Dave Brown]

Irish Dave, You are at least a month ahead of the East coast. My first crozier is appearing now, but we have a traditionally colder spring near to the cold North Sea, but make up for it in summer and autumn.

My established 1ft Dicksonia antarctica still has knuckles, but the 3ft log I bought from UJ last May had 5 fronds last year,but has one crozier already and another 5 visible

[Cathy]

The knuckles in all 5 of our Dicksonia antarctica are still safely tucked up inside the crowns and will be a while yet before they appear.
This year, I am using them as a yardstick.
I have quite a lot of might-be-dead plants in the garden, CIDPs, potted Basjoo 'elephants feet' stumps etc. and have decided that when the Dicksonia antarctica coziers are up, unfurling and well on the way, anything which is still 'dead' will be heading for the wheelie.
Cathy.

[redsquirrel]

cathy,im going to take all my dead stuff to a quiet spot and bury/re-plant it. if anything pops up,i can dig it up and fetch it home again.i think this is referred to as rogue gardening.space is prime here,i dont have it for dead looking plants.im already borrowing another garden to house a lot of stuff,be nice to fetch the expensive ones home again. things like bananas and rotten agaves will go to the landfill,in the hope of accelerating decomposition of other stuff

[Barry]

All three of our Dicksonia antarctica's are pushing croziers up,they only had some old fronds stuffed in the crown with a bit of fleece on top this year;even last years fronds are still ok also.

[SteveP]

I'm pleased to say that despite being defoliated quite early in the winter mine are all pushing out new croziers (did I ever really doubt it!). I see, Barry, that yours stayed green through the winter, which again demonstrates that the further south you are the harder winter you've had.

Steve

[tony]

none of mine are moving yet which tbh i'm quite please about as all competely defoliated this winter and I would like as few as possible damaged. The new croziers in my experience are a little sensitve to frost and can be damaged or distorted as they emerge. The weather for the next couple of weeks is looking as if it could be particularly cool and frost is likely !

[bobbyd44]

i only have one starting to unfurl, but i wrapped it up over the winter and still have a few leaves left on so doesnt look too plain! although i cant see any more ready to pop out!

[keith]

I've been round today to see what ours are doing. The Dicksonia antarctica's are full but really moving yet. The C cunninghamii has a couple that are about 3" long.

The C australis is pushing up several 3" to 4" long.

The C medularis is also pushing out several.

The problem with this that if we get a late frost, we could lose these fronds as we did last year. So it's a case of "keep the fleece close at hand and watch the weather forcasts".

Keith.

[Barry]

I'm pleased to say that despite being defoliated quite early in the winter mine are all pushing out new croziers (did I ever really doubt it!). I see, Barry, that yours stayed green through the winter, which again demonstrates that the further south you are the harder winter you've had.

Steve

It also helped that they have a fair bit of protection from a laurel and other large shrubs nearby.

[Dave Brown]

My Cyathea cooperi (formerly australis) survived -4C in my unheated covered bit overwinter and retained all it's fronds. Then in March I let it dry out and they all died off. I thought I had killed it but now the croziers are starting to unfurl. It is still in the same pot as I got it from Akamba last year but looks pretty packed with roots. Do these appreciate a big pot

[lucienc]

Dave, my cooperi was kept in a small pot that it filled with roots, but it still sent out 4-5 foot in length fronds. I potted it up last year and it has now filled that pot. Whilst at trevena cross I spotted they sit their potted tree ferns in large drip trays, so I now do this with my cooperi, it seemed to enjoy that last summer, and this winter in the greenhouse.

Just been out to get some photos, first my 2 footer Dicksonia antarctica (well it was 2 foot in 2005, its now 17cm taller, who said they only grow 1" a year ?) Last year it had 2 dozen new fronds, looks like it is doing the same or better this year :

My baby Dicksonia antarctica :

A D.squarrosa crozier unfurls (this is a baby at the base of my 7 footer, hope the top starts doing this again soon) :

I've also noticed the small C.australis I got from Chief Trading Post is sending out a couple of new croziers, nice green unfurlings, couldn't get a pic though.

Lucien

[SteveW]

I noticed a couple of croziers are forming on the Dicksonia antarctica that got returned to me by USDA,not that strange you'd think huh?
Thing is they split the butter right down the middle before shipping it back to me
When it turned up I just dumped it down the bottom of the garden for want of something better to do and now I've discovered its still alive,thing is what should I do with it?Do I leave it where it is,cover part of it with soil,try and stick it back together again?any ideas people

[Melissa]

Have you got a pic of it Steve.

Melissa

[darran]

I have 3 C. cooperi's that have been outside all winter without any protection and all three are starting to push our new croziers. I'm not sure if I have a tougher strain but they have taken -9c in their stride and have taken winter temps of -7/-8c the previous winters too.

I will take some pics in the morning.

[SteveW]

Not yet,but will try and get the camera working tomorrow

Steve