Maidenhair ferns

[Missi]

More specifically, Adiantum peruvianum. Anyone have the secret to keeping them happy? I'm on my 3rd and 4th. I'm also quite challenged with heart-leaf fern (Hemionitis arifolia), on my 3rd one of those currently.

I'm pretty sure my problem with the first 2 of each was that I let them even slightly dry out. I couldn't believe how unforgiving they were though!  

Let's chat diva ferns, please!

[Missi]

Awe, c'mon y'all!

[GeneAZ]

My experience with these is I've got to use only rain water -- not distilled -- and grow in a terrarium.  But I live in a desert.

[Silas_Sancona]

Would agree with Gene, tried both purchased and collected native Maidenhair sp. many years ago with the same results.. even under moderate, CA. conditions in moist, all day bright shade. Dryness, of any duration, day time temps above roughly 75f or so, and less than rain water quality water was instant death or serious damage. There's a reason the nicest ones id encounter hang out near year round water sources among the Redwoods.  

Had much better luck with Coffee Ferns ( Pellaea andromedifolia) I'd collect. These can handle drier/ warmer conditions.  Grow in almost desert- like conditions in places around the state.

 

[Missi]

I try to water my container plants with only rain water, and definitely follow suit with these ferns. I usually don't like to keep plants indoors permanently, but this latest group of ferns, I've kept in my bathroom where I can monitor them closely. It's the most humid place in the house (and my house never goes above 77 degrees) and I'm always in there to check on them  I have a bottle I keep rainwater in, and when the top of the soil gets hardly moist, I'll add more water. So far, so good, but I think they'd prefer more light, as there's only a small window in there.

[XYZ]

Missi:

Both of the two giant maidenhairs take a while to get established and are intolerant of cool weather when growing out. They are not especially water quality sensitive, IMO, and do better with supplemental Ca + Mg. Do not try and gas them up with ferts if they are "stopped". I like very dilute fish emulsion + CalMag as a drench every month for potted plants outdoors if raccoons, foxes and opossums are not a problem in your area.

While they can survive cold spells, I would say that 65-70 F would be a minimum temp if you want them to rip. Given my druthers, I would say 68-85 F range with a high background RH would be about right.

While there are indeed maidenhairs that thrive when kept wet (incl. a number of Asian spp), the vast majority like to dry out between waterings. I have grown a decent number of spp. (Guatemala alone has ~100 spp of Adiantum.) and have about 1,100 sq ft of mixed, established A. pedatum, A. hispidulum, A. jordanii and A. capillus-veneris in the ground in California under old growth oaks that were planted from 6" nursery stock early last fall. Somewhat counter intuitively for some, the excess rain last year required several applications of Banrot and Daconil to control fungal outbreaks that broke out in these ferns, yet not on agaves at the same location.

There are actually quite a few Mesoamerican spp, some very beautiful, that grow as lithophytes in marine limestone and have extended semi-dormancy during the dry season. These will die, chop-chop, if kept wet year-round.

[Missi]

On 10/13/2017, 1:05:41, stone jaguar said:

Missi:

Both of the two giant maidenhairs take a while to get established and are intolerant of cool weather when growing out. They are not especially water quality sensitive, IMO, and do better with supplemental Ca + Mg. Do not try and gas them up with ferts if they are "stopped". I like very dilute fish emulsion + CalMag as a drench every month for potted plants outdoors if raccoons, foxes and opossums are not a problem in your area.

While they can survive cold spells, I would say that 65-70 F would be a minimum temp if you want them to rip. Given my druthers, I would say 68-85 F range with a high background RH would be about right.

While there are indeed maidenhairs that thrive when kept wet (incl. a number of Asian spp), the vast majority like to dry out between waterings. I have grown a decent number of spp. (Guatemala alone has ~100 spp of Adiantum.) and have about 1,100 sq ft of mixed, established A. pedatum, A. hispidulum, A. jordanii and A. capillus-veneris in the ground in California under old growth oaks that were planted from 6" nursery stock early last fall. Somewhat counter intuitively for some, the excess rain last year required several applications of Banrot and Daconil to control fungal outbreaks that broke out in these ferns, yet not on agaves at the same location.

There are actually quite a few Mesoamerican spp, some very beautiful, that grow as lithophytes in marine limestone and have extended semi-dormancy during the dry season. These will die, chop-chop, if kept wet year-round.

I always love your detailed replies! I can only imagine how gorgeous your old growth oak area must be.

I believe my specimens to be Adiantum peruvianum. Any experience with this species? It quickly dies on me, starting with its newest growth, if allowed to dry out.

[XYZ]

Thanks, Missi.

???????

"Giant maidenhairs" = A. peruvianum and A. trapeziforme. See above...these are run of the mill young peruvianums and, "yes" I have grown many. Your conditions don't sound like a place they would thrive. You might want to move it outside to a warm, humid, semi-shady spot in the spring and leave them there until night temps start dipping into the low 50s. Also, you might want to check that e potting medium is still open/free-draining.

[tropicbreeze]

I've got A. hispidulum and A. philippense, both natives. In the dry season hispidulum looks a bit 'ratty'. Always have to keep giving it some water but it's still okay. Philippense goes dormant in the dry season and needs to be kept absolutely dry. Then wet season they flourish. But Adiantums I've bought from nurseries don't last long, just too temperamental.

 

[Missi]

Little winter maidenhair update. Strangely enough, with minor misting and even less watering, and plenty of neglect (busy doting on the uber tropical palms in containers), my maidenhair ferns are doing better this winter than they did in the summer when I actually did care for them. What gives?! Maybe they prefer cooler temps than the high summer temps?

[Palm crazy]

I love maidenhair ferns. I made the mistake of planting Evergreen Maidenhair (Adiantum venustum) it a spreader and very lacy and delicate looking but spreads too much for me.  There's one really tough one that is native here that has jet black stems and grow 2' tall that is a clumper, I just don't know the name off the top of my head, it is a real show stopper and looks tropical. 

I'm thinking about getting some of the more tropical ones and growing them in containers myself. They would look great around my water feature. 

Heres a picture of A. venustum, would not be hardy for you I am afraid. The pink one is called...Adiantum tenerum "Sexy Pink". The last one is called 'silver dollar pink' with warm orange tones. 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2018 by Palm crazy

[Missi]

2 hours ago, Palm crazy said:

I love maidenhair ferns. I made the mistake of planting Evergreen Maidenhair (Adiantum venustum) it a spreader and very lacy and delicate looking but spreads too much for me.  There's one really tough one that is native here that has jet black stems and grow 2' tall that is a clumper, I just don't know the name off the top of my head, it is a real show stopper and looks tropical. 

I'm thinking about getting some of the more tropical ones and growing them in containers myself. They would look great around my water feature. 

Heres a picture of A. venustum, would not be hardy for you I am afraid. The pink one is called...Adiantum tenerum "Sexy Pink". The last one is called 'silver dollar pink' with warm orange tones. 

 

 

I have the silver dollar cultivar! Love it! I find it enjoys sitting in a shallow dish of rain water.

[Palm crazy]

35 minutes ago, Missi said:

I have the silver dollar cultivar! Love it! I find it enjoys sitting in a shallow dish of rain water.

Nice!  Love the color and it's on my wish list. I did p/u a cool new fern last year called Jeweled Chain Fern (Woodwardia unigemata). It turned out to be a little tender for me in the ground, so my new one is in a wall planter. New growth is orangy bronze to red and leaves cascade down about 4'-6'. 

http://www.fancyfrondsnursery.com/ferns/jeweled-chain-fern-woodwardia-unigemata

Edited February 16, 2018 by Palm crazy

[Missi]

On 2/16/2018, 4:02:35, Palm crazy said:

Nice!  Love the color and it's on my wish list. I did p/u a cool new fern last year called Jeweled Chain Fern (Woodwardia unigemata). It turned out to be a little tender for me in the ground, so my new one is in a wall planter. New growth is orangy bronze to red and leaves cascade down about 4'-6'. 

http://www.fancyfrondsnursery.com/ferns/jeweled-chain-fern-woodwardia-unigemata

Wall planter? Pic if you have time please!

[Palm crazy]

2 hours ago, Missi said:

Wall planter? Pic if you have time please!

Wall planters come in all kinds of styles... here's a few I found off the net. The last one is a fern basket I took at the nursery. My wall planter is inside the greenhouse right now won't put it outside until spring. 

[Missi]

2 hours ago, Palm crazy said:

Wall planters come in all kinds of styles... here's a few I found off the net. The last one is a fern basket I took at the nursery. My wall planter is inside the greenhouse right now won't put it outside until spring.

I know what's wall planters are but I wanted to see yours! 

[Palm crazy]

4 minutes ago, Missi said:

I know what's wall planters are but I wanted to see yours! 

Ok, mine is just a black plastic type nothing special but will get a picture of it later today.... it snowing outside right now. lol. 

[Palm crazy]

Here's my fern in the wall planter... this will be its second year in this container. This is a large growing fern so at some point I will have to plant in a tall planter so the fern can get bigger.  Some new growth starting to take shape. 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2018 by Palm crazy

[Missi]

This is the one that is sitting in a shallow dish of water and gets the most sun. The other two aren't doing as well (no new pink growth from them).