Musa

Frog Count - Weds 5:30 pm, 12C . . . 52 FROGS

2010-03-17T18:06:00.000Z

At least!

Frog Count - Mon 5:30 pm, 12C . . . 30 FROGS

2010-03-15T17:51:00.000Z

The best so far!

Brugmansia - The Late Show

2010-03-14T17:35:00.004Z

Brugmansia - the late show - 2
Originally uploaded by emagen

Brumansia flowering 12th December 2009. . . . Early winter gave no hint of what was to come! The photo shows a Brugmansia in full flower in mid December, above it are leaves of the banana Musa sikkimensis.
The reason why this plant is flowering so late is that I planted it out in very fertile ground and it spent most of the summer feeling very contented and thus only decided to flower very late in the year. I usually wedge these plants into small pockets of soil as I know this encourages flowering. In truth, this overwintered plant was so big that I could think of nowhere else to put it. It had 3 main stems each one about 2m tall..
As I said in an earlier post the late onset of winter caught me out. I had intended to dig it up, pot it and put it into the plastic greenhouse for winter. But it looked so good in full flower and the weather was so mild and by the time winter hit about 5 days later, I was about to drive to SW France for Christmas and New Year and had run out of time.
I did pot it up in January but I'm pretty certain that it was too late - it is quietly going mouldy in the greenhouse. I think it will sprout from the root and I will have to take long path of training it to produce tall stems.
It is worth training Brugmansias to grow as standard trees and it is quite easy. Their enormous fragrant flowers hang down so they are best seen from below or at least from the same level. To get extra height I cram one of the plants into the raised wall bed which gives it extra height and the lack of space for it to spread its roots encourage it to flower.

Frog Count - Sun 1:00 pm, 12C . . . 24 FROGS

2010-03-14T14:05:00.001Z

Going up!

Kingfisher visits the pond

2010-03-13T18:07:00.001Z

For some years a Kingfisher has occasionally been visiting the garden pond. I suppose it is attracted by the breeding herd of minnows that inhabit the pond. A few years ago the herd had become very large due to very successful breeding the previous Spring but was soon reduced by the attention of the Kingfisher. I watched from the kitchen window as it feasted on minnows! The minnow population needed reducing and I was happy that this was done to the benefit of this beautiful bird.

In September last year (2009) I saw the Kingfisher sitting on the post by the pond and tried to take some photos through the window, the result of this can be seen in the last photo below. When the bird flew away, I quickly set the camera on a tripod as close as possible to the post and attached a radio shutter release (only about £18 from eBay). The camera was not very disguised and I doubted the Kingfisher would return. But within 10 minutes of returning inside it appeared again and I was able to take a series of shots triggering the camera with the radio remote. The camera’s shutter makes quite a noise which the bird obviously noticed but must have decided offered no threat.

Frogs - A sign of Spring?

2010-03-13T11:49:00.002Z

If frogs are a sign of Spring then Spring has finally sprung. The frogs are late this year in starting their annual orgy in my pond, probably due to the very cold weather so far. But this morning with temperatures up to a scorching 7 degrees they have at last showed up. So far they are quite shy and dive for cover as soon as I approach. I think as time goes on they become quite weary and pretend to ignore me.

Anyway, if frogs are a measure of Spring, I shall count them on a regular basis. The rules are that the frog should be clearly visible, preferably with head above water.

So the record so far is:

Sat 13 March, 11:30 am, 7C . . . 14 FROGS

Colocasia - Summer / Autumn 2009 Catch Up

2010-03-12T18:23:00.001Z

Colocasia esculenta also known as Taro, its corms used as a root vegetable in tropical areas.

I must have been growing Colocasias for nearly 10 years now. I once had several different species / varieties but now, largely due to failure to overwinter, I just have the basic Colocasia esculenta form. (This year I shall try some different varieties.) A cold winter and late Spring in 2009 may be the reason that my plants did not achieve quite so large leaves as usual this year.

They are still one of my favourite plants, are easy to grow and their huge leaves give a tropical effect. I grow them in sun and shade but when growing in sunshine they need a lot of water.

Photo above: Colocasia esculenta growing with (left to right): Beschorneria yuccoides, Colocasia esculenta, Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' and Chamaerops humilis (European Fan Palm) – August 2009

The photographs above and below show Colocasia esculenta growing amongst other tropical type plants in sunny positions. The plants in both photos have overwintered in situ without protection. Indeed in the bed pictured above they have spread to a point where they become a bit of a nuisance. The main plant or corm puts out runners from which a new corm forms at the tip, this new corm will either produce new foliage the same summer or remain dormant through the winter to put up new leaves the following Spring.

Photo below: Colocasia esculenta growing with Ricinus communis and Melianthus major – November 2009

Bananas - Summer 2009 Catch Up

2010-03-12T09:57:00.002Z

Bit of an update on the bananas . . . .
Musa Sikkimensis
After the cold winter of 08/09 Musa sikkemensis was cut to the ground. It was not helped by my failure to give the stems some protection by wrapping them in fleece. Anyway, new shoots emerged from the ground and grew strongly through the summer reaching a height of about 2 metres. Had the previous year’s stems survived they would have reached probably 3 times that height which might not have been a good thing. I noticed in the summer of 08 when the stems stood very tall that the upper leaves were quite shredded by the wind. 08 might have been a very windy summer but I also think that the taller these plants grow the more susceptible they are from wind damage. The photograph below is taken looking up the stems at the underside of the leaves (part of my great ‘underplants’ series!).

Photograph above shows Musa Sikkimensis growing beyond the red leaves of Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'.

Photograph above shows Musa sikkimensis taken in the autumn. In font is a large flowering Brugmansia.
March 2010 – As I write this the bananas have suffered another very cold winter. The weather was good right through to quite late in December and I had not wrapped the stems. I went off to southwest France for Christmas and New Year leaving them unprotected in some very cold and snowy weather. I did wrap the stems on my return but words like ‘stable door’ and ‘bolted’ come to mind! From early January the weather has been very cold and I doubt if any above ground growth will survive. I am hopeful that it will generate new shoots from the roots. Actually – it is still very, very cold as I write this.

Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'
I bought 2 plants from B&Q in the spring and they grew well through the summer. I should have dug them up in the autumn and put them in the temporary plastic greenhouse . . . . . But I went off to France and by the time I returned it was too late (I am a lazy gardener). I will have to buy more plants from B&Q this spring.

Photo above shows the red leaves of Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' with Colocasia esculenta, Beschorneria yuccoides and Musa Sikkimensis beyond.

Photo above is taken from my dining room window and shows the red leaves of Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' in the company of a flowering Canna, Colocasia esculenta and Melianthus major.

Ensete ventricosum - green form
I bought 2 Ensete ventricosum seedlings from the interweb in the spring of 2009. I usually manage to overwinter these plants but had failed the year previously. Anyway both plants grew well through the summer and I now have one in my plastic greenhouse that I dug up in January and another wrapped in fleece outside, Here’s hoping!
The photo below shows Ensete ventricosum which is, of course, the basic green form, amongst other plants in late August 09.

August Catch Up

2010-03-11T10:07:00.003Z

It’s amazing how much stuff grows while you’re away on holiday. Despite employing a very good garden-sitter (Liz), there was a lot of stuff that needed cutting back etc. The photograph below shows the hard working gardener grappling with giant leaves of Tetrapanax papyrifera.

Succulents and Stones
As mentioned previously I seem to be having some success with growing succulents, things like Echeverias, Aloes etc. These plants look good in a surrounding of gravel / grit and I’ve found it quite fun to add interesting pebbles and shells that I’ve found on the beach etc. Some of these pebbles are, in fact, rocks and include stones that I’ve brought back from holidays. Some of the stones and shells I just throw onto the gravelled areas of the garden, they get lost in the gravel but become uncovered again and rediscovered again and bring back memories. I’ve now taken my stone gathering tendencies one stage further and request friends to bring me back stones and pebbles from their travels (at the time of writing this, I have stones from all over the world).
Below is an example of my ‘succulent stone area’. I won’t go into detail over where all the stones come from but the succulents include Echeveria, Aloe and Sempervivum:

and on the right: an Aloe and Kalanchoe thyrsiflora 'Bronze Sulpture'.

Ricinus communis - The true Castor Oil Plant
Early in the spring I bought a couple of young plants of Ricinus communis – the red leaf form which I think is ‘Carmentica’. I have grown them from seed before but as I only need a couple it is far easier to just get them from the local nursery. Their large red leaves mix very well with other foliage as shown in the photo below grown amongst Ensete 'Maurelii', Canna 'Striata', Melianthus major and others. The photo was taken at dusk:

The photo above shows the colour of the leaf and also the seed pods behind.

Above is a close-up of the seed pods – they are really quite striking and a little sinister. Castor oil is extracted from the seeds of Ricinus communis but so is also the poison ‘Ricin’.
Ricin is perhaps best known as the poison that killed Bulgarian dissident and BBC journalist Georgi Markov in 1978 in what became known as the ‘Umbrella Murder’. As Georgi Markov crossed London’s Waterloo Bridge he was jabbed in the calf by a man holding an umbrella The man apologized and walked away. That evening he developed a fever and was admitted to a hospital where he died three days later. The cause of death was poisoning from a ricin-filled pellet.Although the murderer was never identified, many believe KGB agents were responsible.

Summer Holiday Adrasan – Catch Up

2010-03-10T13:25:00.001Z

With the coming of the summer school holidays once again the Musa family packed their bags and headed for Adrasan on the Turkish Coast. I am embarrassed to write this as it must seem our family must lack initiative or gumption by continuing to go to the same place each summer. Perhaps the truth is that just as I am a lazy gardener, I am also a lazy traveller. It is just too easy to go back to the place where you know it will be warm; the natives are friendly and have got to know you; there are no ‘resort hotels’; the scenery is magnificent and once there, it is relatively inexpensive. The youngest Musa also demands to go back there as she has made many chums there which she keeps in touch with throughout the year on the interweb.

For all this I still feel that this once intrepid backpacker and hitch-hiker has settled too easily for the quiet life. I am comforted though by the fact that my good friend Dave the Puma has been taking his holidays in the same place on Crete for much longer than we’ve been going to Adrasan. (Perhaps I should say that as I write this (March 10) that yesterday I booked flights to Antalya and rooms at the Arikanda River Garden for a week over Easter! And . . . . . I have already booked flights for the summer!)

I mentioned that Adrasan was reasonably inexpensive, unfortunately this is not true of the air fares to Adrasan particularly during school holidays. We flew with British Airways and, in truth, they gave the best deal but they did succeed in losing our luggage. It is an intense feeling of dismay that one gets when one has landed in a foreign country to discover that one’s entire collection of underpants has flown off in a different direction and could be anywhere in the world! We survived quite well for the 2 days it took for my underpants and the rest of our luggage to find us. We bought basic supplies including a new pair of swimming shorts from the local shops. I learnt to say in Turkish “I have new swimming shorts” which goes something like: “Ben yeni mayo var”. I was very proud of my linguistic achievement and took every opportunity to use my new phrase of Turkish whenever I could. On reflection now I can understand the worried look of sometimes complete strangers who I practised this phrase upon.

We stayed at the Mithat Hotel which was very good thanks to Oner, his family and staff. We frequented the Chill House restaurant most lunchtimes (and had a few bottles of Efes) and as always got a warm welcome from Musti, Mustafa and Hussein. We had some great evenings and great food at The Arikanda River Garden where, as usual, Vahit, Felamos, Akif and Mehmet were excellent hosts. We enjoyed some boat trips aboard Captain Ali’s boat Dazler in the company of Ali, his son Mert and Sulyman.

Photos:

Efes at The Arikanda River Garden

Mithat Hotel at breakfast time

Efes, flowers and Panama hat – lunch Chill House

Captain Ali’s boat Dazler (taken in 2007 and photoshoped)

Ramasan’s Bar in the village, (Ramasan standing centre). Lazy Sunday! The best thing to do on Sunday is to take a Dolmus to the village market and then move on to Ramasan’s bar in the village for a few late morning Efes. Then take a dolmus to the Arikanda River Garden to relax in the shade with your feet in the cool river and have lunch. Afterwards return to the beach for a late afternoon swim.

July 09 Catch Up

2010-03-09T17:52:00.001Z

With summer in full swing, this gardener was busy keeping up with all the gardening tasks. The sign on the bamboo (pictured below) shows how seriously this gardener took the issue of health & safety.

I found this old metal enamelled sign on a stall at my local market and despite it costing 50p, I had to have it!

Opuntia Cactus

This Opuntia was left out all winter with no protection whatsoever! By the end of the winter its pads were flacid and I thought it was surely dead. But no! It recovered and grew well and as the photo shows – flowered well. As I write (March 10) this cactus is still outside covered with a piece of glass and despite the very cold weather, seems well.

Underplants

The following are some July shots of plants taken from a low angle.

They form part of the ‘Underplants’ set on my Flickr account.

Tetrapnanx papyrifera ‘Rex’

Tetrapnanx papyrifera ‘Rex’ (Who is that strange chap in the photo?)

Leucanthemum superbum – Easy and impressive hardy perenial to grow – it just smells so awful!

Ficus carica 'Brown turkey' or Fig to you and me.

Hydrangea aspera

Just had to include this photo of Hydrangea aspera because it is just such a wonderful shrub. The leaves are great big things and have an unusual texture, the flowers are amazing and long lasting.

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June 09 Catch Up

2010-03-09T15:06:00.002Z

During this month I enjoyed the better weather and worked hard in the garden, my famous gardening shoes were put to good use.

Tetrapanax papyrifera 'Rex'
The Tetrapanax gained many new and enormous leaves and I wish now that I had not planted it so close to a path. The underside of the leaves are coated with powdery brown down which easily transfers to the clothing of a passing gardener.

Beschorneria yuccoides
In a previous post I said that the Beschorneria was about to flower and this it did in June. The flower stem was 10ft tall with numerous flowers attached:

The flowers lasted right through summer and were quite spectacular. Of course, as mentioned previously, the plant will die after flowering but at the time of writing (March 10) there are many new offset plants to take its place. I will try to transplant some of these offsets as I enjoyed the plant grown as a single rosette rather than what I suspect will be a muddle of many plants.

Succulents
The wall bed of Echeverias, Agaves, Aloes etc was very successful throughout the year. I think I’ll experiment with growing more succulents and may even create an additional wall garden. It is quite remarkable how the Echeverias, Aloes etc seem to be able to survive grown outside. They seem able to withstand very hard frosts but don’t like being wet. A simple covering of glass or plastic is all that is required.

Campanula
I must admit I don’t know the precise name of the Campanula pictured below. Campanulas have the most complicated species names, many sounding the same.

Anyway, I’ve included this image mainly because it is one of my favorite corners of the garden. I think the flowers of the Campanula go well with the blue/grey of the hosta and both go well with the ferns and bamboo of this quite shady area. I also very much like the chair, though, of course, I seldom get time to sit in it!

Technorati Tags: Tetrapanax papyrifera,Beschorneria yuccoides

Technorati Tags: gardening shoes,Succulents,Agave,Campanula

Why am I back?

2010-03-08T00:14:00.001Z

For a number of reasons including:

I think my public need me. There have been over 4,000 hits on the blog.
Many people have requested that I re-start the blog. (this is a lie)
I’m a bit bored and the weather is so awful! See below!

The garden a few weeks ago but even today, 7th March, the pond is frozen.

A friend of mine, ‘Dave The Puma’, is talking of creating a blog and my interest has been renewed.

The next job is to post some updates of the exciting things that have happened since this blog has been off air.
More soon . . .

Technorati Tags: Spring 2010

The Great Musa Blog Is Back! (I think)

2010-03-07T13:00:00.000Z

After nearly a year this great blog is active again!

Watch this space for interesting news and views from the lazy gardener.
Marvel at his exploits.
Be amazed by his intrepid travels.

And yes! . . . The gardening shoes are still operational!

More soon . . . .

Farwell!

2009-06-14T23:45:00.003+01:00

This is the last post to this blog (there should be music).
It has been an experiment and one that has been enjoyable, to a point. But, I have learned a lot and will we back one day. Perhaps a blog on the subject of stoats or something more specific - I don't know. Certainly, there are far better and knowledgeable people than me on the subject of plants and gardens and I have failed to add the intended wit to make this blog interesting. 'Work' is bad enough without adding another burden and that is what it has become - "What shall I write" - "I should write something".
So, goodbye and thanks to anyone who found interest in my meanderings.
This blog will stay open for the next few weeks and then I will delete it.

Rob

Under Hostas towards Black Bamboo Canes

2009-06-08T21:18:00.002+01:00

Under Hostas towards Black Bamboo
Originally uploaded by emagen

Further to my previous post, I took this photograph with the camera underneath some hostas looking towards Phyllostachys nigra (Black Bamboo). I think the black canes show up well and you can see the emerging new shoots.
I've been experimenting with taking photographs from underneath plants. Some of the results can be seen on my Flickr photostream in my 'Underplants' set. (Follow the link next to the above photo.)

New Bamboo Shoots

2009-06-08T17:55:00.002+01:00

New Bamboo Shoots
Originally uploaded by emagen

The new shoots of Black Bamboo or Phyllostachys nigra are thrusting upwards from the ground.
This year it looks like the new canes are going to be up to 3/4 inch in diameter. The width of each new shoot will be the same as when it is fully grown (if that makes sense!). Last years new canes were not particularly thick or numerous. I'm not sure why this year should be a more productive year as I have not changed the way I cultivate the plant.
Every year, in the autumn, I put a thick layer of rotted compost from the heap all around the canes. In the spring I apply liquid feed and ensure the soil is kept moist. Throughout the year I cut out any small canes in order to keep the clump from becoming too chocked. I always remove the lower branches from each new cane as it grows (I call this 'shaving its legs'). Removing the lower branches makes the black canes more visible although it is important to note that the canes do not turn black until their second year. I'm not sure if removing the lower branches does the plant any harm but its canes are now over 12 feet high so it seems quite healthy.
I grow Phyllostachys nigra in dappled shade and I think this prevents it wandering too far although this year some of the new shoots seem to have travelled quite far.

Beschorneria yuccoides about to flower

2009-06-07T20:02:00.001+01:00

It is with a certain amount of sadness that I have to announce that my Beschorneria yuccoides plant is about to flower.

I’ve grown this plant for a number of years and I really, really like it. It looks a bit like a Yucca but despite its looks, it does not have sharp spikes on it hence it can be grown close to a path. I like its geometric shape and its blue/grey/green leaves.

The flower bud looks enormous and I’m surprised that there are another two buds developing.

The flower spike should reach 6ft and, I’ve read, should be quite spectacular. I’ll probably (almost certainly) post a picture when it actually flowers.

So, why am I so sad? Because, after flowering the main plant will die! OK, so there are now small baby plants around the base but it will take some time for these to grow and I will need to separate them – I think the plant looks best growing as a solitary specimen.

Its been a good plant and I will miss it.

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Garden, June 3rd 2009

2009-06-04T20:48:00.002+01:00

Garden, June 3rd 2009
Originally uploaded by emagen

Photograph of the top part of the garden taken late evening yesterday. Every day there is something coming into bloom. The garden is still in Spring mode with the 'big stuff' yet to make a mark. Mind you, my bananas are having to start from ground level this year.

Hosta - Sun and Shade

2009-06-03T18:44:00.002+01:00

Sun and Shade
Originally uploaded by emagen

I can't resist adding this photo to the blog. As I've said before, I'm hopeless at making notes of or remembering the names of all the different Hosta in the garden (about 40).
But this time of year is probably the best time for Hostas, they look fresh and, if you are lucky, not too full of slug holes.
The photograph was taken in the early evening with the sun shining through the blue-green leaves showing up the veining.

Campanula garganica 'Dickson's Gold'

2009-06-03T16:53:00.001+01:00

Campanula garganica 'Dickson's Gold' (Adriatic Bellflower) is just beginning to flower and I think the plant looks best when it is in bud. The emerging blue buds look really great amongst the almost yellow leaves and create a sort of haze effect. I can’t resist trying to get a decent photograph of it and my Flickr site has many attempts on it.

I grow this plant on a narrow wall bed in a fairly sunny site and the extra height plus it being just outside the glass back doors enable it to be seen. Of course, I have to admit, I didn’t think of this when I planted it 10 years ago – it just turned out to be a lucky placement.

Campanula garganica 'Dickson's Gold' is a low growing, rock garden, perennial type of Campanula. I have several other ‘rock garden’ types but they tend to be invasive as does garganica but this ‘Dickson’s Gold’ variety behaves itself very well. My plant now covers about 3 square feet and is about 3 inches high. This variety has the added advantage of its bright yellow-green leaves that give interest even when the plant is out of flower.

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Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'

2009-06-02T00:14:00.001+01:00

I am surprised to find that Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea' has made it through last winter unaided.

I’ve always thought of this plant as a houseplant and, therefore, tender. I originally bought the plant as part of my experiments of growing so called ‘houseplants’ as summer bedding. It is planted in a bed that houses bananas, a palm and Colocasias and has survived for the last 3 years but I was certain last winter’s cold would kill it.

I noticed, at the weekend, that it had survived and below is a photograph of new shoots rising from the soil.

I’ve since read that Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea' is actually supposed to be quite hardy so I have learnt something! I also now know that it is sometimes referred to as Setcreasea pallida ‘Purpurea’. I also now know that the plain green leaved form is an invasive weed in Australia.

Anyway, the plant looks tropical and most unlikely to survive the UK climate, hence it goes well in a tropical planting of bananas and the like.

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Pond May 2009

2009-05-31T17:52:00.002+01:00

Pond May 2009
Originally uploaded by emagen

The pond is now full of life. The big goldfish (Wattle), the breeding herd of minnows, the newts and the tadpoles are all competing for food and probably eating each other.
A wide selection of birds use the pond for drinking from and bathing in the shallow areas. The blackbirds behave more like 'waders', stalking tadpoles and fishing them out to eat.
The minnows are definitely breeding and I hope there will soon be baby minnows or perhaps they are called 'fry'. Last year there didn't seem to be any babies and I think this could either be due to the newts eating the eggs or me cutting back the rampant waterlily which may have had the eggs on. In previous years the minnow herd has reached vast numbers but a visiting kingfisher keeps the numbers down.
I dug the pond about 9 years ago and it is amazing how quickly frogs and newts have colonised it.
The plants and ferns around the edge are now in full leaf. The last plant to come into full leaf has been the Rodgersia (seen centre-right of the photo).
Maintaining the pond is quite time-consuming particularly in early spring when pond weed and algae grow quickly. It gets easier in the summer, I guess because the waterlily cuts down the amount of sunlight and inhibits the growth of pond weed.
I never intended to have goldfish preferring a more natural pond but my late father bought me a pair of them. I called them Wattle and Daub, sadly Daub died a couple of years ago leaving Wattle to get fat alone. My wife thinks I spoil Wattle! But I think she is just jealous. Wattle is a true friend.

Colocasia esculenta emerging

2009-05-26T00:11:00.002+01:00

Colocasia esculenta emerging
Originally uploaded by emagen

The photograph is of a leaf shoot of Colocasia esculenta emerging from the soil (taken today). I'm quite surprised how well these plants manage to overwinter without protection. I always keep some plants / tubers in my temporary plastic greenhouse but I lose most of them to rot. I think I will give-up over-protecting them and let them take their chances outdoors. If they can survive last winter then I need not worry.
Having said that - Was last winter really that bad? Sure, we had snow but not really that much and winter seemed to start earlier. But I'm sure my pond spent less time covered in ice than the year before and the year before that. Also the better Spring weather started earlier and we have not had any damaging late frosts.
I'm sure my bananas would disagree though. Where once stood mighty bananas to 12ft, now there are only new shoots emerging from the ground.

Is Your Tree Fern Dead?

2009-05-25T18:27:00.001+01:00

I know from my stats page that many people find their way to this blog to seek advice on their Tree Ferns and in particular Dicksonia antarctica. It seems that Tree Ferns all over the UK have suffered due to the very cold winter. The questions people are seeking an answer to include:

Is my Tree Fern Dead?
My Tree Fern has no fronds.
How do I know if my Tree Fern has died?
My Tree Fern has only a few fronds.
Why has my Tree Fern not got many fronds?
Should I cut off dead fronds?

I do not claim to be an expert on Tree Ferns (or anything else for that matter) – so I set off on the Interweb to see if I could find answers to the above questions. I found lots of expert advice on the cultivation of Tree Ferns including how to protect them over winter. But I could not find anything about cold-damaged Tree Ferns or any advice on how to nurture a frost damaged Tree Fern back to life, if indeed, that is possible. For myself, I would like to find advice on what to do about my smaller Tree Fern that has, so far, only put up 2 new fronds this year.

So if there is an expert out there who knows some of these answers please could you use the comments section at the bottom of this posting to share your wisdom.

I have 2 Tree Ferns (Dicksonia antarctica), one 6ft tall and the other 3ft tall. The tallest one is quite exposed to both wind and sunlight and despite losing all its fronds to frost has now put up 20+ new fronds. The shortest one is more sheltered from the wind and sunlight and even has a tall bamboo growing next to it giving increased shelter but this one has only put up 2 new fronds so far this year. Both had some dry leaves and fronds stuffed over their growing point. It seem then that size must be an important factor in getting through a cold winter.

My smallest tree fern, the one in trouble, seems to have either some dead coils of fronds at its heart or somehow the growing area is blocked by the stems of dead fronds. I wonder if some of the cause of my problem is that some of the fronds have been killed by the frost before that were able to naturally bend outwards and downwards away from the centre of the central well of the trunk? I wonder too if dead, embryonic fronds are similarly blocking the central well and stopping the development of new fronds?

I think my non-expert advice for anyone wondering if their Tree fern is dead is:

To not assume death and continue to keep the trunk moist. Perhaps there is a chance of recovery.
To not cut off dead fronds unless absolutely sure that there is no life in them.

Sorry that I can’t be of more help but perhaps an expert will give us

some advice.

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