Australian Tree Fern (Dicksonia Antarctica)

[boatbuilder]

Latest post of the previous page:

The three ferns on the plant have now slowed down their growth but I noticed this morning that there are two new shoots developing at the base of the plant.

[boatbuilder]

Three weeks on and the two new fern buds in the image above are now well and truly 'open'. There are now five ferns.

[seagull]

Approximately two weeks on and things are starting to 'move'

that lovely

[boatbuilder]

The five ferns is now six and a seventh is starting to develop at the top of the trunk. I thought a 'satellite' image would make a change from the norm as well.

[Suffolkboy]

The satellite photo looks like a ladder job or have you got a Drone? Seriously the fern is coming along nicely.

[boatbuilder]

I commissioned 'NASA' to take that one from one of their satellites SB. (only joking! ) The plant is currently about 24 to 30 inches high from the base of the pot so I was able to hold the camera over the plant and as it has an adjustable screen I can set at an angle I was able to stand away from it so my feet weren't in the shot and still see the screen. We're very pleased with the plant's progress so far.

[boatbuilder]

The seventh new fern shoot has been joined by an eighth as can be seen in these two pictures

[boatbuilder]

The two ferns in the above post are now unfurling.

[boatbuilder]

The growing season for the plant is May to October so I think the growing has now stopped for this year and here it is as of this morning.

The second picture is one I found online here: http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2003 ... ctica.html I wonder how long mine will take to get that big.

[funkychick]

You know BB an ex boyfriend planted a little eucalyptus sapling (another Australian tree) in my garden about 20 years ago it is now taller than my three storey house and I have got to pay through the nose to get it pollarded so I hope it is a slower grower that mine was

[boatbuilder]

Well it sure won't reach that height in my lifetime unless I live to be about 120.

Had a eucalyptus once in a garden when we lived somewhere else but wasn't too big. Had trouble trying to get hold of a Koala though to feed on it.

[boatbuilder]

The Australian Tree Fern survived its first winter outdoors so will be interesting to see what happens in its second year. This picture was taken today.

[frankiesays]

You're not going to tell us in a few years that it has undermined your foundations and your house has to be demolished will you?

[boatbuilder]

Hardly, considering it is not planted in the ground.

[boatbuilder]

Not long after the last picture was taken the pot was blown over off the feet it rested on in the high winds we had and smashed. Fortunately the plant was undamaged and is now in a similar sized plastic pot temporarily until I find a suitable alternative. No worse for its 'experience' it now has at least five new ferns developing in the middle.

[boatbuilder]

The early new shoots on the plant died off and I thought the plant had been affected by having to re-pot it as mentioned in the previous post and thought it was going to die completely. However, it has now developed new growth and these seem to be progressing as they should. The ferns from last year are now dying back which I understand is the norm, although they seemed to thrive through the winter.