Fern Ostrich - how to grow correctly?

The beautiful forest fern is a worthy decoration of a shaded hill or area under the trees. Tall fronds, as its elongated branches are called, reach a height of 2 m. The fern does not require much attention to itself, this is an excellent solution for landscaping the site.

Fern ostrich - what is this flower

The ostrich is the most beautiful of its brethren. Its bush is distinguished by carved leaves, lush greenery. The bushes of the plant are the tallest and slendest among all fern species. The rosette of large dissected leaves retains its decorative effect from early spring to late autumn.

Tall slender bushes - the decoration of any garden

Another difference between the ostrich operator is the placement of spores. If all ferns have them on the lower part of the leaves, this shrub has separate fronds for spores. These branches are called sporophylls. They are short (up to 60 cm) and appear on the bushes in August. When the spores mature, the leaves turn burgundy. In spring, sporophylls bloom and sow around the bush.

A short description of what it looks like

The homeland of the ostrich is North America. He belongs to the Onokleev family. The shrub rhizome is bulbous. Its branches develop in a circle, growing at the top of the bulb. The shoots of the shrub are long, sometimes reaching 1.5-2 m. The leaf plates are pinnate, each feather is narrow and slightly curled inside the leaf. The branches of the fern open at the same time, and in the middle of the season, the bush looks like a vase with an empty core.

Ostrich in landscape design

Ferns are often used to decorate shady plantings and flower beds. Luscious greenery serves as a great backdrop for compositions with lower flowers on alpine slides or mixborders. Ferns decorate the shores of artificial reservoirs and small garden ponds. They are used to decorate the trunks of tall trees.

Green pond decoration

Varieties and varieties of ostrich

Varieties of this species include ferns that look very much like the ostrich. They are Pennsylvanian and fluffy varieties. The eastern ostrich has a more graceful appearance and care requirements.

Artificial varieties of common ostrich fern differ in the size of the bush and leaves. Royal, Jumbo, Erosa, and Tousled Feathers are all his hybrids.

Features of planting and caring for an ostrich fern in the garden

The fern has kept its growing habits in the forest - it loves a lot of moisture, diffused light, light deciduous soil. If the conditions are met, the shrubbery will riot in the flowerbed and fill its entire territory. This should be taken into account and the growth of the plant should be protected with restraints dug into the ground (pieces of slate, tin, rubber). If it is not possible to install them, from time to time you need to remove young shoots by digging them up.

Does fern need lighting

The plant needs sunlight, but it must be diffused.It is best if it is a shadow from a tree. Bushes can grow in open areas without shading. Even having provided him with a sufficient level of moisture, do not expect that the bush will grow tall and spreading.

Landing dates

The optimal time for planting and replanting ferns is early spring or late August. It takes time for a young seedling to grow a root system.

It often happens that during the sale, the roots of the delenka are for a long time without soil and moisture. Having bought a slightly wilted young bush, you should not hope that it will go away if you water it abundantly when planting. The salvation of such a seedling will be the removal of all its wai. You need to cut off all the branches, leaving a part of about 10 cm. A young bush may not release a single branch in the current season, but next spring there will be a strong and healthy ostrich bird at the planting site.

Site selection and soil preparation

The fern planting site should be in the shade or partial shade. The roots of the bush are superficial, therefore, under favorable conditions, they quickly build up children around them at a sufficient distance. The ostrich fills the flower bed very quickly. The place where the bush grows must be protected from the wind. Delicate fronds easily break from his impulses, losing their decorative effect.

If you prepare a good substrate for the bush and supplement it every season, it will not need fertilization. The soil should be like in a forest - light, leafy, breathable. If you plant a fern in the garden under the trees, the fallen leaves will only benefit the flower bed. Overripe leaves will be an excellent nourishment and renewal of the soil for a green bush.

How to water an ostrich bird

The watering regime depends on the place of plant growth. Due to its spreading wai, the fern retains moisture under the bush, but you should not wait for the soil around the bulb to dry out. Constant moisture will be optimal for the fern. On hot summer days, the bush should be given special attention.

How fern reproduces ostrich feather

In good conditions for growth, the bush quickly acquires children. It is important to wait until the young bush develops a good root system and can grow without feeding from the mother's roots. After releasing a few branches, the seedling is ready for jigging. It must be carefully dug up and separated from the mother plant. A small bush can be transplanted into a rooting pot, and then planted in a flower bed. It is advisable to transfer the earth from the pot to a new place for the growth of a young bush.

Young children can be obtained by thinning the flower bed from the overgrowth

Another way of reproduction is by spores. The bushes are taller, healthier and stronger. However, this procedure takes time and effort. Spores are collected on good fronds, on which soruses (a group of spores) are placed. As soon as the sori turn brownish brown, you can start collecting them. This usually happens in late August - early September. They are dried and sown on a mixture of peat and leafy soil.

A fern needs a greenhouse, warmth and constant moisture. When the sprouts are 5-6 cm long, you need to start preparing them for an open area. The greenhouse should be ventilated daily, starting at 15 minutes, each time increasing the time. The bushes planted in this way are moved into open ground after 1.5-2 years. They should be looked after as adults.

Pruning and sheltering for the winter

You do not need to trim the fern. Its leaves serve as an excellent root mulch and soil fertilizer. So the bush will winter better. In the spring, if the tail of dry leaves left on the bush will spoil the appearance of the bush, you can remove the old fronds.

A frost-hardy ostrich bird does not need shelter, if it is not about a young seedling.If the fern was planted in the fall, you can mulch the bulb with peat or dry leaves.

Diseases and pests

Ostriches practically do not get sick. They are resistant to rot and garden infections. The only problem that can arise during their growth is fungal infection. The marsupial fungus infects fern leaves, covering them with brown spots. The affected foliage is removed and burned, and the remaining greens are treated with a systemic fungicide.

The pests that infect young shoots of the bush include the dwarf butterfly. Its larvae eat the young greens on the plant. To preserve the decorative effect of the fern, you can simply collect the larvae (of which there are usually not many) and destroy them.

Thinworm butterfly larva

The ostrich fern is a wonderful green decorator of shaded areas of the garden. If you plant just one bush, after a few years you can get a bright green dense flower bed. The main advantage of the ostrich is that it does not require much time and attention during the growing process.