Ferns... And Keeping Them Small

Orion_metalhead

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Ive seen many accents with Ferns on them that were very small... how do you keep them so small?
 

WNC Bonsai

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Buy dwarf varieties. You cannot keep a royal fern, or a cinnamon fern, or an ostrich fern that smalll.
 

TomB

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The ferns I often use grow to 3 or 4 feet in the wild (I often collect seedlings). Containerisation keeps them small, for two or three years at least.
 

Orion_metalhead

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Once established in a pot I cut fronds that get too big. This generates new smaller fronds.

Is there a specific size at which you should remove a frond?

What soil mix do you use for your ferns? Same as your trees or with more organic matter?
 

RKatzin

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Is there a specific size at which you should remove a frond?

What soil mix do you use for your ferns? Same as your trees or with more organic matter?
I usually trim once in the spring removing the old as the new emerge. Usually 5-6" is about when I cut them during summer. I grow them in the same mix as my trees, mostly pumice and turface.
 

RKatzin

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I usually trim once in the spring removing the old as the new emerge. Usually 5-6" is about when I cut them during summer. I grow them in the same mix as my trees, mostly pumice and turface.
here you can see new fronds emerging where I removed an old frond. The frond to the right is about ready to be removed. It's about 6" now and won't get much bigger in this pot.
20190716_075649.jpg
 
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