Basic gardening tip for thirsty ferns

Ferns are some of the thirstiest plants you can have in the garden and also some of the loveliest. They are sometimes small and delicate and other times large and majestic.

My particular favorite is the maidenhair fern, and my plant comes from the home I grew up in as a child.  It was my Nanna's pride and joy, she would carefully take out the tea pot each morning and pour the left over cold tea on to it. This morning ritual kept the fern lush and healthy even in the hush climate of South Australia.  My Mum still has the original trough of fern that has been continually growing for at least the last 60 years and the parent plant has produced many small ferns to share with family and friends.

As you can see in the picture there is a plastic drink bottle sticking out of the basket of my fern.  I placed it under the table in the antrum as it was a cool, shady spot.  I find by keeping a bottle of water in the plant it helps keep the soil moist throughout the summer and if you are away for a few days it keeps it watered.  Always keep your fern in a cool, shady spot in the garden.

Ferns grow all year round in the sub-tropics where I live, but in South Australia where my Mum lives they have hash winters and come August we have always cut the fern back, place a sheet of newspaper over the top of the stems and burn the paper.  This ensures that all old growth is taken away from the base and within days new shoots quickly appear.  Be careful when burning the paper, you only need a small piece, but always keep the hose on standby.





Happy gardening

Bronwyn