We often come across huge tree ferns in eucalyptus forest in the mountain and even in the residential areas in Australia.
It looks like a Japanese cycas. But it grows huge tree and the foliages are more soft and frost tolerant. It is very popular as a garden plants in Australia. And I have heard that in Britain, being in the smog time of London, Australian tree fern which grows up with a weak light, were popular among the intellectual class people live in the city. In Australia they are sold as trunks which roots and aleaves are dropped on a nursery, and people can get them easily. In the near future I believe that Australian tree ferns will become popular as a garden plants in Japan.
How did I get them?
Several years ago, I searched for many things to acquire a tree fern in Japan.
I found out some Japanese botanical Garden such as the Tsukuba national experiment botanical garden
has Australian tree fern. But it was very difficult to get them for myself. I tried to ask
overseas nursery to dispatch them. But I was refused and costs were too expensive for me.
Finally I ask to The Society for Growing Australian Plants how can I get the tree fern spore.
They kindly introduced me a Australian nursery who handle tree fern spore. In those days
internet was not popular, I corresponded them with facsimile. Finally I got the spores,
it was April in 1997.
How to germinated the spores?
--- It is regrettable there is no records of photograph.
Well, I could get some tree fern spores at last, but I had no idea how to germinate them.
Then I investigated about the spore germination by internet, some sites were situated in overseas.
In order to sterilize the ground for sowing which used peat-moss as the base, to seal with a glass
board to maintain humidity, distilled water is poured with a spray every day. It must be put on
the shade at the temperature of about 20 degrees. (May, 1997)
However---
However, unfortunately this method was failed with regret. I carried out several methods
to let them germinate simultaneously. For example, sowing spores directly on the ground ,
or sowing them into the vacant plastic yogurt case with the ground for sowing. The only way
I successfully let them germinate is the following method:
Used the box of firing styrene several hole was made in, the Kanumazuchi-
Japanese horticulture ground without nourishment was put into the box, then the ground
for sowing was put in on it, to sterilize the ground with boiling water, spore was sown,
and it sealed with Saran Wrap -- it carried out the method of this last was successful in fact.
As moss began to have grown in the surface about three weeks after, it becomes green and the
whole surface was being soon worn like moss. At that time, it is necessary to spray so that it
may not dry every day. Furthermore, the following step, it is a transplant, about two months
was taken to be crowded by moss. It was in August,1997.
The next stage
The next stage is transplant. Cut the moss-like seedling for 5mm around, filled
the box of new firing styrene with commercial compost, and covered the surface
with about 1cm of the grounds for sowing, and pick up the moss with tweezers,
and planted them onto there. Saran Wrap and a spray water are indispensable after
a transplant to keep moisture. It is looks like the morbid world in a maniac very much.
I never can do again. Soon, the pretty leaf came about 1cm from some places. Winter
approached in this stage. It put on the bright indoor place by the window in winter.
It became in spring of 1998, about 50 seedlings were made into a potted and plant on the ground.
After that, in about two years, although dryness of summer and direct rays kill fairly owing to,
the worried cold of winter is also overcome, and the thing of planted on the ground in the shade
of a tree is not disheartened by snow, either, but is growing vigorously.
As of January, 2001 The length of a leaf will be about 30c. I do not know how many years
will it take they becomes the ferns like Jurasick Park.
