Thanks for inspiring me to grow lots of plants I've never grown before. My house is like a plant haven as it's still very frosty these nights.Thank you for all your helpful advice .
Cheers Steve, I’ll put a video up on them before I list anything. I’m sure I can find a bit of something else to throw in for anyone interested who I know from here!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden fantastic news thank you I'm just starting two build my garden up I'm I'm never more happy than when in in the garden and iv changed my gardening habits two tropical and love .
Looking forward to the ideas for sunny and shaded borders. I have three to plan - one almost full sun, one almost full shade and one that starts off shaded and moves to sun for the afternoon.
Can't wait for the vid on planting in sunny gardens. When will you do that video George. I've just taken my ensete out of dry store. Looks terrible. Little black sides on the paper bag. Not sure it has survived. Have you had this issue and how have you prevented it. Thank you. Really helpful.
@@brendapowis2050 Thank you Brenda, I’ll probably do it over the next week or so but the good news is that most tropical plants are OK in the sun as long as they’re watered well. Personally I never completely dry store my Ensetes but if it feels firm then you might have a good chance? Try chopping some off the top until you can see the white / green growing point and next leaf maybe?
There should be some tree ferns coming into stock at a local tropical garden centre start of May. Fingers crossed they haven’t all been reserved! , I did send an email...
Hi George, thank you for all the tree fern advice, I have just received a 6ft trunk earlier than I planned, I was going to plant it in a pot but have now decided to prepare the ground to plant it in the ground, can It hang around my garden for a little while or do I need to plant it asap? It's not in a pot just a trunk. I don't have a green house.
Hi and nice one on your new garden addition! Personally I'd pop it in a pot - nothing big, just a few inches of compost or soil in the bottom around the base. I'd keep it close to your house and give it a good soaking a couple of times a week when it hasn't rained - not that that's a problem currently! Popping some fleece in the crown will help protect from late frosts.
Great work George. Looking forward to seeing the tour. I fell for the cordyline indivisa mislabelling thing like everyone else. Hope your genuine one does well. Cheers 👍
Cheers! Treseders nursery sell the real deal online if it helps. Australis is still a great plant though and a lot more reliable plus as soon as they start trunking they do look exotic if you strip the old leaves away.
Fab and informative video again . I am looking forward to your How to put together a tropical border as I am attempting to do exactly this but am anxiuos about too many plants, too little, too small, not right size garden and i like my lawn too! Confused lol. Just cannot wait for that video
Haha thanks! Ultimately trial and error with the summer planting is the way forward but I’ll hopefully give you some tips I’ve learnt that might help you out 😃
Hi there. Its the first time I've seen your videos. I started a tropical garden last year with some success. This year I do fancy getting maybe a couple of tree ferns if I can afford them. Can you give a rough idea about how much various sizes should cost on average? I am certainly hoping to get one around 4ft & a smaller one of between 2-3ft. Thank you & i look forward to more of your videos 👍
Hi Stephen and thanks! I would probably say around £70-150 or so for those sizes would be a good price but I’ve seen some crazy prices out there this year and it makes a difference whether you buy it potted or not. Seagraves and The Palm Tree Company seem to be selling a lot this year going off the Facebook groups.
@@stephenandrews8419 No worries, like I said this year more than ever there’s a big supply / demand issue so you could end up paying more but I imagine they’ll cost even more next spring so if you see a nice one at a good price you can justify then go for it!
Good luck with the indivisa George, I tried one a few years ago, but it didn’t work out for me. They’re notoriously difficult to establish, but if you are successful then you will have one lovely plant.
Thanks, hopefully! In an ideal world I’d have got a few and tried them across several different spots but we’ll see. I almost wonder with some of these kinds of plants if the missing trick to getting them to grow well is some kind of fungi or microorganism in the soil that maybe only thrives in a narrow band of conditions and not most of our gardens! In theory I can give it a favourable shot anyway but I understand it’s far from certain...
Hi, yes, they're nice little plants and lovely for pots but personally as I rarely heat my polytunnel until the outdoor temperatures are forecast to be around or below freezing, they're maybe a touch on the tender side and would generally be happier kept frost free. I might get into them when I get a proper greenhouse setup in the future though!
Hi Caroline and thank you. I would, yes. With my larger potted ones I wedged them in with boulders but planting a 6ft in the ground I'd probably stake it to be on the safe side. Realistically I'd leave it in for a year, ideally a bit longer, so it's worth doing it in a way that looks OK. I believe they do a lot of their rooting over the cooler, wetter months of the year but once they're rooted they're definitely solid in the ground!
Hi George. Tree ferns in pots, do they need to be planted to the soil level in the pot? Also is it possible to bend the fresh green fronds to be transported in a vehicle or will they snap if bent ?
Hi, personally I’d sink them in maybe an inch or so then wedge the trunk with rocks. As long as you’re on top of the watering there’s not much benefit to planting them deeper but I’d definitely put them in a little bit for more contact with the soil. The fronds will bend to an extent, the more careful you are the more is possible but they’re unlikely to go completely back on themselves.
Thanks for all the valuable information George. Quick question regarding the crown, if you don't mind. You were saying that if the crown seems closed in and maybe narrower than the rest of the trunk, that means that the plant has not been thriving in the last season(s) and may be on it's last legs. In your experience, is this reversible? If given close to ideal conditions, can a closing crown open up again and the plant return to healthy growth? Or is it a case that it's all down hill from that point and the plant will decline further? Thanks a lot and happy growing!
Hi and thanks. Assuming the crown isn’t completely closed up then I definitely believe it’s reversible, yes. Sometimes you might need to remove some of the restrictive frond bases, sometimes you’re best off leaving them well alone but if you plant in a good spot and prioritise plenty of regular watering then your fern should definitely get better and better! Thanks and all the best with your garden projects this year 😃
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks mate, one more for you since you're kind enough to reply😄 In a different video you were showing the roots completely filling up a pot after a while, and you were saying that ideally it needs to be planted in the ground, which is fair enough. But if pots are the only option, is it viable to cut off most of the root ball every few years and 'restart' the trunk? Or would it be better for the plant to be left as is, undisturbed but pot bound? I'm thinking the trunk will resend roots as it did when it was first potted after being shipped over. Would this be a major setback for the fern or can this be considered a resonable process to be performed every few years?
@@finnkel Hey, no worries. Personally I wouldn't see chopping off the rootball and 'restarting' the trunk as good for the plant unless it literally can't be removed from the ground with a rootball after a few years (they get solid). The tree fern will never thrive with regular setbacks but equally won't grow well in a root bound pot situation when it's exhausted the compost either. So potentially, yes, you could rootprune and repot the tree fern every few years and you'll be able to keep it potted long term that way but if you're doing that I would start with a young trunkless plant in the first place rather than having a trunk that's only ever going to narrow in the less than ideal circumstances. Whatever you decide, I imagine keeping it well watered and cared in a suitable environment for will make more of a difference than how you treat the roots every few years.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks for that, your videos have inspired me, I got a potted one today, with a trunk of about a foot tall. Your tips have helped, as I managed to avoid narrowing trunks and dry crosiers, and now I'm looking forward to unpotting it when the weather turns nice again. I am going to place it in a tall pot, which should create the illusion of more height and also allow good room for roots and trap moisture. I hope it will do fine for a few years in this setting, with daily watering in the growing season and some occasional feeding, and a bigger garden in the future should see it planted in the ground. For now, I'm looking to create a canopy over a bench and will also add a M banjoo, for a lush tropical touch. Thanks for all the videos, you're a source of inspiration and valuable information!
@@finnkel Nice one, congratulations on the new tree fern and your exciting plans for it! I’m sure with that TLC it’ll thrive and look incredible soon enough. I appreciate your kind words, loads more videos planned for this year! Happy growing 😃
Hi amazing video, the bit on the cordys - I planted a cordy red star a few weeks ago during the heatwave. It’s since flopped and turned straw colour. Would you dig up bin, put on green house or cut back and leave? 🤷♂️ 😔
Haha thanks, it's lovely to know they all enjoy doing it! Our second dog Remi we got last year does it but he's a bit bigger than Max so it's a bit tricky haha but it's definitely funny to see them running around the garden together!
Good luck with the Cordyline Indivisa. Wonder if anyone has been trying to grow the Three Kings Cordyline obtecta as well? Another fantastic variant we don't really see over here.
Thanks! I couldn’t tell you to be honest. Personally I find the Indivisa more striking but I can see the appeal. There’s bound to be somebody trying it, there usually is with these plants on the edge of what we can grow well!
Hi George, I recently bought a 5ft tree fern as a present to myself. It’s potted and has very healthy frongs etc. Do I need to plant it in to soil etc or is it ok to be left in a pot for years to come?
Nice one! Since this video I’ve done a full video on tree fern care and one specifically on growing in pots, you should check those out. I’d personally recommend planting them in the ground where possible.
Thank you for interesting video.My Dhalias and Cannas doing well from seed but my Dinasaur tree hasn't germinated , any advice please about these.Thank you.
@@susanhoward47 Oh right, I haven’t grown them from seed unfortunately- I know it’s important for it to be fresh though. How long have they been sown for?
My 4ft tree fern came with 4-5ft fronds as delivered, its planted out over wither, quite mild less than a hand full of below zero nights, fleeced with straw, I've not watered it over winter, let the rain do what it does as i read it will die if it freezes while wet. this last month last years fronds have started to brown, i unwrapped it the other day and gave it a water, one of the new fronds still rolled has rotted and i can only feel 1 maybe two other fronds on the outer edge of the crown, the center of the crown a cant feel anything, is this a bad sign, could i have lost it for not watering it enough. It has been planted out since October, i moved it about a month ago, it hadnt set down any roots either. :( what are your thoughts, it does not sound good to me.
Hi Gareth, personally I water mine through dry spells in winter but not very often and I try to avoid filling the crown with water. It won't necessarily die if it freezes whilst wet, it's just more likely to damage the new croziers. I wouldn't worry too much about it not rooting well yet, it'll happen I'm sure. Seeing as it's a relatively new fern I'd really make a conscious effort to keep it well watered now, leave the straw on for the time being and I'd hope you'll see some movement soon.
Thats the thing george I'm really having to do my home work as where I live there's not really much shade .so I have to plant shrubs that look tropical but are not just to get that look some how .looking forward to your jungle garden video in the sun that will really be interesting and helpful thanks to you and max for all your great help paul .
No worries Paul, a lot of the plants I grow should be fine in UK sun as long as the soil is good and they're watered well. I'll have the video out soon though!
Thanks again for a great video, I've just planted a tree fern about 2 weeks ago and it's already got 1 crozier opening. I'm hoping to get 2 more delivered for when the weather warms up so this has been well worth watching for me. Thanks👍
Finally got a 5.5ft tree fern, but not much of a knuckle :( can i feed it with a tern fern food or liquid seaweed to give it a little more nourishment?? Do you use anything? thanks for the videos.
Hi and the best thing you can do is keep it well watered. It's hard to know at what stage they were harvested and it could be that water and spring sun are needed to encourage them to grow. Personally I don't feed mine much but a watered down liquid seaweed or tree fern feed would be perfect. I generally concentrate on the watering and improving the soil itself with a manure mulch at the back end of the season.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks Georges, do i water directly into the crown, we haven't put it into the ground yet, as still deciding where to put it, shall i put a manure in with the soil when we plant it, is chicken pellets ok to use for this, thanks for the advice.😁
Oh and I just bought two “Cordyline indivisa”. I thought they were australis when I bought them and still think they are, but their plant passport tags said indivisa. I’ll check for that stipe in the leaves. But 100000% sure the are just mislabelled :-P
And now I feel like Columbo “one more thing...” But I only noticed my plants were dying of thirst this evening when I saw some looked crispy. Sigh. I knew the containers needed water but I though the in ground ones were all fine. Ah well. I will make it a priority to get my irrigation system patched up and ready! I don’t have time to hand water everything 🤪😅.
Yes, it's certainly been dry and it creeps up on you, especially when we've had a lot of cold days where you'd assume it wouldn't dry out as much. Now is the important time to get the watering done though, just before it really gets warmer and the plants wake up!
The crown is small because it’s sunken in and restricted by the surrounding frond bases (they’d naturally lean over as they mature but they harden in place when they’re chopped off in their vertical position). I have done ‘surgery’ on the surrounding fronds to open one up before successfully but it’s not something I’d recommend!
Hi George - interesting what you say about the Butia. I have a B. odorata - 20cm trunk and 4 or 5 foot fronds. I have the option of a medium terracotta or medium plastic pot. Clearly one is better for summer and the other for winter, but which would you choose? Worried the terrocotta might become too dry in summer, but that the plastic might hold too much moisture in winter? What would you do? I'm in London (not central but not outer either - zone 4 out of 1-9). Thanks!
Hi Anthony, if it’s that size and you’re in London personally I wouldn’t worry too much, pots seem to be easier to keep dry during these longer colder spells we’re having. I’d go for a pot that suits the plant and one you really like! 😃
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thank you. Maybe I'm over worrying about how winter hardy they are. Also the first time to ever get a reply from an Internet celebrity! 😳
@@anthonyhollands8004 I don’t know about celebrity haha but I always try to reply! If it’s in a pot you could always move it to a garage etc during really cold spells so a lighter plastic one might work, but I’d mainly choose one you like that suits the plant ☺️
I’ve got a Medullaris and Brownii but as they’re not hardy in most of the UK they’re nowhere near as popular as DAs. I’ll do a video when I plant the Medullaris out though!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden lol go for it ! I live personally in Britain in France (cool climate) and I love the look of Cyathea (mostly cooperi and medullaris) with huge growth rate and gorgeous fronds ! I will plant one or maybe two cooperi (the less expensive )in the ground this year 😉
@@valougame3175 Nice one, they definitely have an incredible look to them, it’s the winter protection that’s the hard bit! I don’t mind having one or two plants wrapped up but not too many 😂
Hi, I know a fair few people have tried but in all honesty, even scooping out a fair amount of the trunk, it's far from the ideal environment for a young tree fern (too quick to dry, too cold etc.). Maybe you'll have better look trying with a tough ground fern better able to cope?
Great video as always. I just received a 6ft dicksonia trunk from an online seller, and the crown width is quite small. The old crozier bases are rock hard where they have been sawn off. What is the best way of trying to increase the crown width? I don't want it to keep getting smaller! Thanks
Thank you! Assuming it’s not small to the point of it being a problem then the best thing you can do is care for it well, lots of moisture to get it growing well and also don’t chop off the fronds that grow this year until they’re hanging down and the new fronds are growing next May - ideally if there’s still any green then don’t chop them at all. As the fronds start to hang down, this naturally opens the crown up more.
Thanks Paul! I’ve actually got a very small wildlife pond on the way but not a larger pond at this stage. I’d love it from a plant and design point of view but as the garden is quite narrow, the pond I want wouldn’t really be safe for Max and visiting kids. I’ll still try to include something for the sound of water though!
@@paulnickson4684 That’s definitely an option Paul, thanks. I was thinking a raised trough kind of feature in front of a greenhouse structure I’ll be building myself but it’ll be a while before I can afford to get it done. Obviously if we had a wider garden and the space I’d love to have a more natural pond surround by Gunneras and tree ferns but I’m happy to have a little piece of each of the gardens and garden styles I love.
I have a tree fern which I bought second hand , it has started to go narrow at the mouth end , can I cut it down to see if it can spread out ? I see when they are brought into this country they are just cut into sized logs
Hi Kevin, they can be chopped off at the bottom end but not at the crown end unfortunately, that’s where the growing point is. The best thing you can do is make sure it gets a lot of water going forwards!
Everywhere online is sold out for me for big tree ferns. Been looking for a 6ft but no luck My local nursery wants £500 for a 6ft which is too much for me.
Hi both George like your videos!,Bob Paramount nursery in Crewes Hill have large Tree Ferns in stock 6ft I have paid £340 Inc delivery(delivery mid May),cheers Paul
Lol it’s good to know I’m not the only one who gets tempted when at the garden centre 😂 looking forward to all the new videos and seeing how your garden progresses over the year. Keep up the good work and hope all goes well with the future wedding plans too👏
Thanks, that’s kind of you! Of course it isn’t just you 😂 It was a half preplanned one but I assumed they’d be a good bit more so I had to take advantage!
@@bobcharlie7982 Exactly, I completely agree, some garden centres do push things a bit far with their pricing of these! Think how many they could sell if they were a bit more sensible!
Hi Gearge, thanks for sharing and thumbs up from me every time x
Thank you very much Yvette, it is appreciated 😃
Can not wait for the tour and the big palm
Soon 😃😃😃
Thanks for inspiring me to grow lots of plants I've never grown before. My house is like a plant haven as it's still very frosty these nights.Thank you for all your helpful advice .
That’s great to hear, thank you! Mine is too, hopefully the next couple of weeks bring milder weather 🤞
I'd be vary interested in what plants you have for sale and keep up the good work
Cheers Steve, I’ll put a video up on them before I list anything. I’m sure I can find a bit of something else to throw in for anyone interested who I know from here!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden fantastic news thank you I'm just starting two build my garden up I'm I'm never more happy than when in in the garden and iv changed my gardening habits two tropical and love .
@@steverichardson4374 Excellent, that’s what it’s all about 😃
i looked up cordyline indivisa and, WOW. it looks so good
good luck with it, really. 😃
Thanks, definitely something a bit special! Fingers crossed 🤞😃
Great video, as always. Really looking forward to the garden updates etc.
Thanks, hopefully in the next few weeks! 😃
Looking forward to the ideas for sunny and shaded borders. I have three to plan - one almost full sun, one almost full shade and one that starts off shaded and moves to sun for the afternoon.
Nice one, hopefully over the next few weeks 😃
Can't wait for the vid on planting in sunny gardens. When will you do that video George. I've just taken my ensete out of dry store. Looks terrible. Little black sides on the paper bag. Not sure it has survived. Have you had this issue and how have you prevented it. Thank you. Really helpful.
Your bids are ready informative. Thank you.
@@brendapowis2050 Thank you Brenda, I’ll probably do it over the next week or so but the good news is that most tropical plants are OK in the sun as long as they’re watered well. Personally I never completely dry store my Ensetes but if it feels firm then you might have a good chance? Try chopping some off the top until you can see the white / green growing point and next leaf maybe?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden great helpful thank. So helpful👍👍
Do you keep ensete growing in the greenhouse then. What do you do
@@brendapowis2050 Thanks, that’s kind of you!
Thanks for yet another wonderfully informative video George. Can't wait to see more. Have a great weekend!
Thank you Emma, it’ll mostly be spent outside! I hope you have a great one too!
thanks for a great video and i cant wait for next video he dramatic music love it :)
Thanks, I’ll see what I can do! 😂
beatiful t-shirt,i wish that this year i can buy some tree ferns
That’s, it’s off Amazon! Hopefully you can 😃
There should be some tree ferns coming into stock at a local tropical garden centre start of May. Fingers crossed they haven’t all been reserved! , I did send an email...
Nice one, my fingers are crossed for you Jim, they’re beautiful plants!
Another great video George. Looking forward to seeing the progress you have made in the garden 👍
Thanks Glen! I’ve been cracking on in the sun this weekend!
Hope I can find your ebay shop before anyone else, will be interested to see what you will be selling.
Just a few bits and pieces and palms I haven’t got room for, some point in the next month but I’ll probably do a video looking at them first (maybe!).
Hi George, thank you for all the tree fern advice, I have just received a 6ft trunk earlier than I planned, I was going to plant it in a pot but have now decided to prepare the ground to plant it in the ground, can It hang around my garden for a little while or do I need to plant it asap? It's not in a pot just a trunk. I don't have a green house.
Hi and nice one on your new garden addition! Personally I'd pop it in a pot - nothing big, just a few inches of compost or soil in the bottom around the base. I'd keep it close to your house and give it a good soaking a couple of times a week when it hasn't rained - not that that's a problem currently! Popping some fleece in the crown will help protect from late frosts.
Great work George. Looking forward to seeing the tour. I fell for the cordyline indivisa mislabelling thing like everyone else. Hope your genuine one does well. Cheers 👍
Cheers! Treseders nursery sell the real deal online if it helps. Australis is still a great plant though and a lot more reliable plus as soon as they start trunking they do look exotic if you strip the old leaves away.
Hi. When you plant the tree fern would you show us how please? Thank you 🙏🏼 🌴
Hi Deborah, great idea, I will do. I’m not sure if it’s rooted in the pot or not but I’ll have a look! 😃
Great tips! Thank you for sharing. Good to see your new plants too. I look forward to the next videos :)
Thanks Danielle, great to know it’s appreciated 😃
Fab and informative video again . I am looking forward to your How to put together a tropical border as I am attempting to do exactly this but am anxiuos about too many plants, too little, too small, not right size garden and i like my lawn too! Confused lol. Just cannot wait for that video
Haha thanks! Ultimately trial and error with the summer planting is the way forward but I’ll hopefully give you some tips I’ve learnt that might help you out 😃
Hi there. Its the first time I've seen your videos. I started a tropical garden last year with some success. This year I do fancy getting maybe a couple of tree ferns if I can afford them. Can you give a rough idea about how much various sizes should cost on average? I am certainly hoping to get one around 4ft & a smaller one of between 2-3ft. Thank you & i look forward to more of your videos 👍
Hi Stephen and thanks! I would probably say around £70-150 or so for those sizes would be a good price but I’ve seen some crazy prices out there this year and it makes a difference whether you buy it potted or not. Seagraves and The Palm Tree Company seem to be selling a lot this year going off the Facebook groups.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thank you so much for that information George
@@stephenandrews8419 No worries, like I said this year more than ever there’s a big supply / demand issue so you could end up paying more but I imagine they’ll cost even more next spring so if you see a nice one at a good price you can justify then go for it!
Good luck with the indivisa George, I tried one a few years ago, but it didn’t work out for me. They’re notoriously difficult to establish, but if you are successful then you will have one lovely plant.
Thanks, hopefully! In an ideal world I’d have got a few and tried them across several different spots but we’ll see. I almost wonder with some of these kinds of plants if the missing trick to getting them to grow well is some kind of fungi or microorganism in the soil that maybe only thrives in a narrow band of conditions and not most of our gardens! In theory I can give it a favourable shot anyway but I understand it’s far from certain...
Have you ever thought about buying dwarf tree ferns (blechnum)
Hi, yes, they're nice little plants and lovely for pots but personally as I rarely heat my polytunnel until the outdoor temperatures are forecast to be around or below freezing, they're maybe a touch on the tender side and would generally be happier kept frost free. I might get into them when I get a proper greenhouse setup in the future though!
Interesting video. Would you stake a 6ft log tree fern when planting ? If so how long would you leave it staked? Thanks
Hi Caroline and thank you. I would, yes. With my larger potted ones I wedged them in with boulders but planting a 6ft in the ground I'd probably stake it to be on the safe side. Realistically I'd leave it in for a year, ideally a bit longer, so it's worth doing it in a way that looks OK. I believe they do a lot of their rooting over the cooler, wetter months of the year but once they're rooted they're definitely solid in the ground!
Hi George. Tree ferns in pots, do they need to be planted to the soil level in the pot? Also is it possible to bend the fresh green fronds to be transported in a vehicle or will they snap if bent ?
Hi, personally I’d sink them in maybe an inch or so then wedge the trunk with rocks. As long as you’re on top of the watering there’s not much benefit to planting them deeper but I’d definitely put them in a little bit for more contact with the soil. The fronds will bend to an extent, the more careful you are the more is possible but they’re unlikely to go completely back on themselves.
Thanks for all the valuable information George. Quick question regarding the crown, if you don't mind. You were saying that if the crown seems closed in and maybe narrower than the rest of the trunk, that means that the plant has not been thriving in the last season(s) and may be on it's last legs. In your experience, is this reversible? If given close to ideal conditions, can a closing crown open up again and the plant return to healthy growth? Or is it a case that it's all down hill from that point and the plant will decline further? Thanks a lot and happy growing!
Hi and thanks. Assuming the crown isn’t completely closed up then I definitely believe it’s reversible, yes. Sometimes you might need to remove some of the restrictive frond bases, sometimes you’re best off leaving them well alone but if you plant in a good spot and prioritise plenty of regular watering then your fern should definitely get better and better! Thanks and all the best with your garden projects this year 😃
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks mate, one more for you since you're kind enough to reply😄
In a different video you were showing the roots completely filling up a pot after a while, and you were saying that ideally it needs to be planted in the ground, which is fair enough. But if pots are the only option, is it viable to cut off most of the root ball every few years and 'restart' the trunk? Or would it be better for the plant to be left as is, undisturbed but pot bound? I'm thinking the trunk will resend roots as it did when it was first potted after being shipped over. Would this be a major setback for the fern or can this be considered a resonable process to be performed every few years?
@@finnkel Hey, no worries. Personally I wouldn't see chopping off the rootball and 'restarting' the trunk as good for the plant unless it literally can't be removed from the ground with a rootball after a few years (they get solid). The tree fern will never thrive with regular setbacks but equally won't grow well in a root bound pot situation when it's exhausted the compost either. So potentially, yes, you could rootprune and repot the tree fern every few years and you'll be able to keep it potted long term that way but if you're doing that I would start with a young trunkless plant in the first place rather than having a trunk that's only ever going to narrow in the less than ideal circumstances. Whatever you decide, I imagine keeping it well watered and cared in a suitable environment for will make more of a difference than how you treat the roots every few years.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks for that, your videos have inspired me, I got a potted one today, with a trunk of about a foot tall. Your tips have helped, as I managed to avoid narrowing trunks and dry crosiers, and now I'm looking forward to unpotting it when the weather turns nice again. I am going to place it in a tall pot, which should create the illusion of more height and also allow good room for roots and trap moisture. I hope it will do fine for a few years in this setting, with daily watering in the growing season and some occasional feeding, and a bigger garden in the future should see it planted in the ground. For now, I'm looking to create a canopy over a bench and will also add a M banjoo, for a lush tropical touch. Thanks for all the videos, you're a source of inspiration and valuable information!
@@finnkel Nice one, congratulations on the new tree fern and your exciting plans for it! I’m sure with that TLC it’ll thrive and look incredible soon enough. I appreciate your kind words, loads more videos planned for this year! Happy growing 😃
Hi amazing video, the bit on the cordys - I planted a cordy red star a few weeks ago during the heatwave. It’s since flopped and turned straw colour. Would you dig up bin, put on green house or cut back and leave? 🤷♂️ 😔
Thanks! It’ll be cold damage unfortunately. Don’t dig it up as it won’t like that, personally I’d leave it and hopefully it bounces back soon enough 🤞
@@GeorgesJungleGarden ok thank you!!!! 🤞
I think it must be sausage dog thing to perch on their humans shoulder, mine does the same and loves rummaging in the garden. Max is very cute 😊
Haha thanks, it's lovely to know they all enjoy doing it! Our second dog Remi we got last year does it but he's a bit bigger than Max so it's a bit tricky haha but it's definitely funny to see them running around the garden together!
Great informative video George :)
Thanks Jon!
Good luck with the Cordyline Indivisa. Wonder if anyone has been trying to grow the Three Kings Cordyline obtecta as well? Another fantastic variant we don't really see over here.
Thanks! I couldn’t tell you to be honest. Personally I find the Indivisa more striking but I can see the appeal. There’s bound to be somebody trying it, there usually is with these plants on the edge of what we can grow well!
Hi George, I recently bought a 5ft tree fern as a present to myself. It’s potted and has very healthy frongs etc. Do I need to plant it in to soil etc or is it ok to be left in a pot for years to come?
Nice one! Since this video I’ve done a full video on tree fern care and one specifically on growing in pots, you should check those out. I’d personally recommend planting them in the ground where possible.
Thank you for interesting video.My Dhalias and Cannas doing well from seed but my Dinasaur tree hasn't germinated , any advice please about these.Thank you.
Thank you Susan, which plant do you mean by dinosaur tree as there’s a few that might be! 😊
Hi George its Tetrapanax papyrifer .Thanks
@@susanhoward47 Oh right, I haven’t grown them from seed unfortunately- I know it’s important for it to be fresh though. How long have they been sown for?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Hi George I sowed them a few weeks ago anyhow I've sown some more so fingers crossed. Thank you .
@@susanhoward47 Good luck with them! They’re a popular plant right now so if you’re successful then you’ll make some good money with the spares!
My 4ft tree fern came with 4-5ft fronds as delivered, its planted out over wither, quite mild less than a hand full of below zero nights, fleeced with straw, I've not watered it over winter, let the rain do what it does as i read it will die if it freezes while wet. this last month last years fronds have started to brown, i unwrapped it the other day and gave it a water, one of the new fronds still rolled has rotted and i can only feel 1 maybe two other fronds on the outer edge of the crown, the center of the crown a cant feel anything, is this a bad sign, could i have lost it for not watering it enough. It has been planted out since October, i moved it about a month ago, it hadnt set down any roots either. :( what are your thoughts, it does not sound good to me.
Hi Gareth, personally I water mine through dry spells in winter but not very often and I try to avoid filling the crown with water. It won't necessarily die if it freezes whilst wet, it's just more likely to damage the new croziers. I wouldn't worry too much about it not rooting well yet, it'll happen I'm sure. Seeing as it's a relatively new fern I'd really make a conscious effort to keep it well watered now, leave the straw on for the time being and I'd hope you'll see some movement soon.
Thats the thing george I'm really having to do my home work as where I live there's not really much shade .so I have to plant shrubs that look tropical but are not just to get that look some how .looking forward to your jungle garden video in the sun that will really be interesting and helpful thanks to you and max for all your great help paul .
No worries Paul, a lot of the plants I grow should be fine in UK sun as long as the soil is good and they're watered well. I'll have the video out soon though!
Thanks again for a great video, I've just planted a tree fern about 2 weeks ago and it's already got 1 crozier opening. I'm hoping to get 2 more delivered for when the weather warms up so this has been well worth watching for me.
Thanks👍
Thanks, that’s great! They’re amazing plants!
Finally got a 5.5ft tree fern, but not much of a knuckle :( can i feed it with a tern fern food or liquid seaweed to give it a little more nourishment?? Do you use anything? thanks for the videos.
Hi and the best thing you can do is keep it well watered. It's hard to know at what stage they were harvested and it could be that water and spring sun are needed to encourage them to grow. Personally I don't feed mine much but a watered down liquid seaweed or tree fern feed would be perfect. I generally concentrate on the watering and improving the soil itself with a manure mulch at the back end of the season.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks Georges, do i water directly into the crown, we haven't put it into the ground yet, as still deciding where to put it, shall i put a manure in with the soil when we plant it, is chicken pellets ok to use for this, thanks for the advice.😁
Oh and I just bought two “Cordyline indivisa”. I thought they were australis when I bought them and still think they are, but their plant passport tags said indivisa. I’ll check for that stipe in the leaves. But 100000% sure the are just mislabelled :-P
I’m pretty sure they will be! Treseders nursery online sell the real deal if that helps you...
And now I feel like Columbo “one more thing...”
But I only noticed my plants were dying of thirst this evening when I saw some looked crispy. Sigh. I knew the containers needed water but I though the in ground ones were all fine. Ah well. I will make it a priority to get my irrigation system patched up and ready! I don’t have time to hand water everything 🤪😅.
Yes, it's certainly been dry and it creeps up on you, especially when we've had a lot of cold days where you'd assume it wouldn't dry out as much. Now is the important time to get the watering done though, just before it really gets warmer and the plants wake up!
George can you tell me where you can get tree ferns from struggling to get a 5-6 footer
Hi, stocks are low this year, maybe try the Palm Tree Company?
Hi George. What's your E-Bay seller name please?
Hi Brian, nothing up at the minute unfortunately. It’s not a regular thing and I’ll probably post before I list any plants 👍
Question. Could you just cut the small crown off the tree fern?
The crown is small because it’s sunken in and restricted by the surrounding frond bases (they’d naturally lean over as they mature but they harden in place when they’re chopped off in their vertical position). I have done ‘surgery’ on the surrounding fronds to open one up before successfully but it’s not something I’d recommend!
Hi George - interesting what you say about the Butia. I have a B. odorata - 20cm trunk and 4 or 5 foot fronds. I have the option of a medium terracotta or medium plastic pot. Clearly one is better for summer and the other for winter, but which would you choose? Worried the terrocotta might become too dry in summer, but that the plastic might hold too much moisture in winter? What would you do? I'm in London (not central but not outer either - zone 4 out of 1-9). Thanks!
Hi Anthony, if it’s that size and you’re in London personally I wouldn’t worry too much, pots seem to be easier to keep dry during these longer colder spells we’re having. I’d go for a pot that suits the plant and one you really like! 😃
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thank you. Maybe I'm over worrying about how winter hardy they are. Also the first time to ever get a reply from an Internet celebrity! 😳
@@anthonyhollands8004 I don’t know about celebrity haha but I always try to reply! If it’s in a pot you could always move it to a garage etc during really cold spells so a lighter plastic one might work, but I’d mainly choose one you like that suits the plant ☺️
Why you don’t speak about the Cyathea ? Like cooperi, I love it !
I’ve got a Medullaris and Brownii but as they’re not hardy in most of the UK they’re nowhere near as popular as DAs. I’ll do a video when I plant the Medullaris out though!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden oh okay nice ! Why plant out the medullaris rather than the brownii?
@@valougame3175 I think Medullaris is a beautiful fern and I can justify protecting one, although you’ve given me the idea of planting both out now 😂
@@GeorgesJungleGarden lol go for it ! I live personally in Britain in France (cool climate) and I love the look of Cyathea (mostly cooperi and medullaris) with huge growth rate and gorgeous fronds ! I will plant one or maybe two cooperi (the less expensive )in the ground this year 😉
@@valougame3175 Nice one, they definitely have an incredible look to them, it’s the winter protection that’s the hard bit! I don’t mind having one or two plants wrapped up but not too many 😂
Hi,
Is it possible to grow a tree fern (D a) in a dead tree fern trunk with any success ? tia
Hi, I know a fair few people have tried but in all honesty, even scooping out a fair amount of the trunk, it's far from the ideal environment for a young tree fern (too quick to dry, too cold etc.). Maybe you'll have better look trying with a tough ground fern better able to cope?
Great video as always. I just received a 6ft dicksonia trunk from an online seller, and the crown width is quite small. The old crozier bases are rock hard where they have been sawn off. What is the best way of trying to increase the crown width? I don't want it to keep getting smaller! Thanks
Thank you! Assuming it’s not small to the point of it being a problem then the best thing you can do is care for it well, lots of moisture to get it growing well and also don’t chop off the fronds that grow this year until they’re hanging down and the new fronds are growing next May - ideally if there’s still any green then don’t chop them at all. As the fronds start to hang down, this naturally opens the crown up more.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Brilliant, thanks for the advice! Looking forward to your upcoming videos :)
@@imranbashir2833 No worries, thank you! 😃
Cheers George another great video .are you doing a tropical pond .
Thanks Paul! I’ve actually got a very small wildlife pond on the way but not a larger pond at this stage. I’d love it from a plant and design point of view but as the garden is quite narrow, the pond I want wouldn’t really be safe for Max and visiting kids. I’ll still try to include something for the sound of water though!
That would be hard with max and children. Maybe a raised pond so thea can't get into the water with rocks around it .might be a idea .
@@paulnickson4684 That’s definitely an option Paul, thanks. I was thinking a raised trough kind of feature in front of a greenhouse structure I’ll be building myself but it’ll be a while before I can afford to get it done. Obviously if we had a wider garden and the space I’d love to have a more natural pond surround by Gunneras and tree ferns but I’m happy to have a little piece of each of the gardens and garden styles I love.
Just bought a Cyathea Robusta! A teensy one, they're rather pricey. Hope it survives the Namibian winter.
Cool, I hope it does! I’ve got a Medullaris and Brownii but Robusta are beauties! What are the lowest temperatures it’ll probably see?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden about zero degrees C?
@@annekebattenhaussen6535 I guess with a bit of winter protection and a lot of summer water it should do well, as long as it’s OK with the sun!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden I'm going to love it to death. Killed many ferns that way😁🤦♀️
I have a tree fern which I bought second hand , it has started to go narrow at the mouth end , can I cut it down to see if it can spread out ? I see when they are brought into this country they are just cut into sized logs
Hi Kevin, they can be chopped off at the bottom end but not at the crown end unfortunately, that’s where the growing point is. The best thing you can do is make sure it gets a lot of water going forwards!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden , thanks for your reply & advice
Beautiful I have an dicksonia antratica well over 6ft tall and I have an cyathea australis
Nice one! I’ve got quite a few Dicksonia then a Cyathea Medullaris and Brownii but Australis are cool 😃
Forget plants where did you get that Tshirt? Its awesome! I'm a Jurassic Park nerd......
Haha thanks! Search Amazon for floral Jurassic Park and that should bring it up!
Hey George - with night time temperatures around 3 degrees typically now, would you say it’s still too cold to unwrap bananas? 🍌
Hi, less than 3 I’d quickly cover with fleece, over they should be fine. I’d get them unwrapped this weekend for definite 👍
@@GeorgesJungleGarden yay cheers pal 🌱
Having said that, these temps keep playing around the 3 mark and also 2 🙈 - absolute tease
@@ARW.7 Frustrating, isn’t it! 3 should be fine really as the days get longer 👍
Everywhere online is sold out for me for big tree ferns. Been looking for a 6ft but no luck
My local nursery wants £500 for a 6ft which is too much for me.
Ouch, that is a bit steep for sure. Is it worth getting a preorder in while you look around garden centres etc?
Hi both
George like your videos!,Bob Paramount nursery in Crewes Hill have large Tree Ferns in stock 6ft I have paid £340 Inc delivery(delivery mid May),cheers Paul
@@paulwebster6938 Thanks Paul and cheers for the heads up!
Lol it’s good to know I’m not the only one who gets tempted when at the garden centre 😂 looking forward to all the new videos and seeing how your garden progresses over the year. Keep up the good work and hope all goes well with the future wedding plans too👏
Thanks, that’s kind of you! Of course it isn’t just you 😂 It was a half preplanned one but I assumed they’d be a good bit more so I had to take advantage!
can you buy ferns that are grown from spores?
You can indeed, a lot of small ferns are grown that way 👍
Those tree ferns are £500 each at my local garden centre. 😟
Same at mine! Although they are good quality specimens im not paying that when you can get it for £200 less online
@@bobcharlie7982 Exactly, I completely agree, some garden centres do push things a bit far with their pricing of these! Think how many they could sell if they were a bit more sensible!
That is painful, this was less than a third of that!
1st guy to watch :)
Haha well done! You get the prize 😂
@@GeorgesJungleGarden haha any of your plants or one of those jurassic Park t-shirts will do ;) p.s where did you get that t-shirt?
@@davemcgillian2449 I bet haha! It’s actually off Amazon, I obviously liked the mix of plants and dinosaur!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks bud. defo on order
@@davemcgillian2449 Awesome 😃
We are not interested in the dog
A lot of people are Stan but don’t worry, he only makes rare appearances!