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New Zeland Tree Fern
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This is an amazing fern one of the world’s most beautiful plant. A thick fibrous, chocolate-brown trunk is topped with huge, deeply cut fronds. Dicksonia start to form a trunk after five years and grows at rate of 30cm every ten years.
Shade and a sheltered position is essential for this fern. Humidity is important and ideally the trunk should be sprayed twice daily during the hot summer months. It can be left out side from late spring to first frost if kept in pots, otherwise wrap in winter with a fleece and add some straw near the trunk, water to keep the soil just moist. The occasional application of a liquid feed poured into the top of the trunk can have a miraculous effect on how many new fronds are produced. The fronds should remain evergreen for several years but if the ideal cultivation can not be met fronds are quite likely to go brown. If this happens cut them off their base and try to treat next year’s new fronds with little more care.
It likes peat mixed with leaf mould and silver sand to help with the drainage.
Shade and shelter from wind
Water regularly throughout the growing season, particularly in hot weather
Feed monthly with a liquid fertiliser from spring until mid-summer.
This fern is relatively trouble free, pets and diseases do not usually cause any problems.