Buying or Digging Sword Ferns?
Forum Archives
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted: Mar-29-2004 at 7:39am
About the ferns tho......Is it just me or is paying $12 dollars for a small sword fern at the nursery, vs. digging one up on the roadside less than a block from my home thats unattended and about 5 feet in diameter, sound crazy to anyone else? Im aware the diseases can be transmitted and such, but I have checked it thoroughly and it appears to be quite healthy. As for it getting off to a slow start, when it comes to my gardening "habit", I have nothing but time.
Tnx for all the great info and for your time getting it!
EmilyK
Joined: Jul-31-2003
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Mar-29-2004 at 7:51am
Ferns--Don't go for the big ones if you do try to dig one up. They get awfully big and heavy. The root balls aren't that wide, but maybe they just hold a LOT of dirt. I've moved established 5 foot tall trees that weighed less than a large sword fern. If you do plan to transplant one, I'd look for one that has almost full-sized fronds but that definitely has only a single rosette of leaves--or anything smaller than that. Maybe you could hack individual crowns off a larger clump. But, if you get greedy and go for the whole thing...don't say I didn't warn you--it can be a mammoth undertaking.
EmilyK
Lisa A
Joined: Aug-14-2003
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Mar-29-2004 at 8:53am
Hi Growsherown, don't assume the sword fern is unattended. It's a good idea to always ask permission before going onto any land and digging up plants. Even on public lands, a permit (sometimes for a small fee) is required - get it from the US Forest Service for public forest lands. Also, environmentally protected lands or federally protected endangered plants are not marked by neon signs. If you inadvertently went into an area protected by law, you would open yourself up to all kinds of legal headaches, which would end up costing a whole lot more than a nursery purchased plant.
Once upon a time, I dug up natives from forest lands (had the permits). Later I learned more about possible repercussions of my actions. I wish I had known them first because I would not have dug where I did if I had. So I offer the following info to you, based on what I wish someone had told me back then.
There are many precautions and concerns about digging natives (and I'm speaking on the subject in general, not just the sword fern you are considering). I understand the lure of free plants - who doesn't love a bargain? - but a bargain for us may come at a high price for the natives and all the wildlife that depends on them.
Digging one plant may unknowingly affect another plant negatively if the root system of that plant is damaged (plants may be dormant and not visible at time of digging). Or the plant that is dug could be another plant's partner required for that plant's success (there's a botanical term for this but I can't recall it at the moment - need more caffeine!). In both scenarios, removing one plant will kill or severely damage the plant or plants left behind.
Many natives don't salvage well for many reasons. Gardens may be lacking the crucial soil partnerships or particular site conditions (not always apparent to us) the plant needs. Deer browse or fire may make a large plant appear small and not enough of a root system is dug up; the plant dies. Or they just plain don't like to be messed with - and they die.
Conservation of natives in the wild is critical as more land is developed and as more invasive exotics make inroads into natural areas, pushing natives out. This is why native plant salvage is discouraged, except when the land is going to be developed and the plants will be lost anyway. There's always land being cleared for more houses, roads, mini-malls - check out this possibility. This is viewed as a more ethical way to collect native plants. We get free plants and doomed plants get a second chance at life, in our garden. Everyone wins!
Protecting natives doesn't just apply to responsible salvaging. It also is a good idea to ask before purchasing a "bargain priced" native (trilliums seem to be particularly targeted) how they obtained the plants. If they hem and haw, move on and buy instead from a nursery that propagates natives or collects without endangering the native environment.
Stepping down off my soap box now. Whew, maybe I don't need more caffeine!
And after all that . . . I agree with Emily's caution regarding the size and heft of the roadside sword fern. Last year, I moved several largish swords from one part of my garden to another. It was all I could do to dig and drag the ones that were half the size you are talking about. Swords are very tough ferns but give them a good start for best success - and be kind to your back - and look for a smaller plant. You can dig them almost anytime of the year, except when the fiddleheads are present.
Wanda
Joined: Aug-15-2003
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posted: Mar-29-2004 at 10:33am
Our native sword fern (Polystichum munitum) doesn't transplant very well - I have several on my property that I've moved and some make it and some don't. I see Fancy Fronds (the link that Emily provided above) has them for $6.00. I checked and Forest Farm has them for $7.00 and Big Dipper Farm has them for $6.99. I'd call around to some of your local nurseries and see what prices they have for you. Or find a friend, neighbor or coworker who has one free for the digging. But leave the ones along the road for me to appreciate. :)
I have also tried dividing these ferns with mixed results. They have very tough bases but if you have a good garden hand saw you can cut through them. Surprisingly, they can take a beating and still survive. I think the trick is adequate summer water the first year and avoid a full sun location. Good luck! -Wanda
Lisa A
Joined: Aug-14-2003
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Mar-29-2004 at 11:18am
Wow, Wanda, I seem to have better luck with sword ferns than you (or maybe they like me better? LOL). I've also heard others say that they have dug them, tossed them aside and neglected them only to find them later not only surviving but growing. Hey, this makes up for the fact that I kill heathers which you grow successfully!
The only time I've had problems, other than moving when fiddleheads are present, is when I stupidly moved several large ones during our hot, dry spell last summer. One or two are limping along and 2 are likely toast, although the jury is still out. I knew it was the wrong time to do it but I had a stubborn streak and a vision of what I wanted to do and plowed ahead.
Annie
Joined: Jul-17-2003
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posted: Mar-29-2004 at 9:12pm
EmilyK wrote:
"Ferns--Don't go for the big ones if you do try to dig one up. They get awfully big and heavy. The root balls aren't that wide, but maybe they just hold a LOT of dirt. I've moved established 5 foot tall trees that weighed less than a large sword fern."
Oh, Emily, you are so right about the weight of the sword fern. I'm going to tell my husband about this thread. Just yesterday, I wanted to move 4 sword ferns (on our property) to new locations. I've never tried this before and thought it would "go faster" if there were 2 of us. Never mind fast....we did well to lift and move them period! Hubby commented.."how can they possibly be this heavy?" I had cut off the old fronds so they looked deceptively small.
Å gardening friend who lives nearby said she dug one out, it sat on the ground for months and did fine when she finally planted it in a new location. I hope mine are even half that hardy!
I watered them again today because it was a hot summer day...in MARCH!
They are planted on steep slopes and are supposed to hold that hillside.
Annie
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted: Mar-30-2004 at 9:24am
Tnx for all the input here. I really appreciate all the time taken to help me out. The fern in question isnt growing in a wooded area tho....its out in front of a neighbors house...in a ditch! There are no other plants around it, and its often trampled by the children walking to school. We live in a rural development...(in a maze of culdesacs and cookie cutter houses....) but we do have several native species growing about, rather thickly, not just ferns.
I will remember what you have said about the weight of the roots, and make sure to take along my strong young son and a wheelbarrow to do the heavy lifting..lol. He is VERY handy in the garden these days, and quite fond of digging holes! Couldnt we all find use for this boy!
Tnx again, rainysiders!
Lisa A
Joined: Aug-14-2003
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Mar-30-2004 at 9:46am
Oh, sorry, I did understand it was in a ditch, growsherown, but forgot. The land will be owned by someone, possibly WDOT or the county. It may not be a problem but I didn't want you to find yourself in hot water (yowch!).
I bet it will be a devil to dig and carry based on its size and its growing environment (hardpacked soil from the sounds of it) not to mention all its required stamina to stand up to trampling kids likely means good healthy roots (and more trouble to dig). I'll bet it's been doing a fantastic job holding the soil in place. Hope your son has been eating his Wheaties! I hope it survives - you, too! - after all is done.
sunrose
Joined: Aug-10-2003
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posted: Mar-30-2004 at 9:51am
I love Sword Ferns and bought several 4" potted plants when I bought this house. They are doing very well at the edge of the eaves, but last summer, no matter how much water they got, our drought gave them a beating. Not enough to kill the plants, just enough to brown a few mature fronds in the winter, but their centers are alive with new growth, ready to uncurl.
One plant needed to be moved last summer. It was 2 years old. The root ball was as wide and as deep as the length of the foliage. Huge. Huge and Heavy. I underestimated the necessary depth of the new hole.
The nursery plants grow up so fast, cost so little ($2.49 for a 4" pot) that I wouldn't dream of pulling one from its native habitat for one reason. It belongs there...Lisa sited several reasons why it belongs there, soap-box, coffee or no. A wild plant doesn't belong in a domesticated environment.
The plant at the nursery in the plastic container with domestic soil doesn't belong there. Solution - Adopt it. Take it home!!! Happy Fern-ing!
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted: Mar-30-2004 at 11:31am
Thank you all for your input....I will weigh all this information w/ careful consideration before I do anything. Much appreciated!
Wanda
Joined: Aug-15-2003
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posted: Mar-30-2004 at 2:39pm
I should say that I've had better luck with the more recent transplants - could it be that I'm getting smarter and doing things better in my old age? I'm sure the earlier transplants died due to not enough water their first summer. I really try to accommodate my new plants now with water the first summer but after that I am wicked. :)
Good luck with your decision.
-Wanda
Lisa A
Joined: Aug-14-2003
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Mar-30-2004 at 3:22pm
sunrose wrote:
The plant at the nursery in the plastic container with domestic soil doesn't belong there. Solution - Adopt it. Take it home!!!
Oooooh, I love this rationalization, Sunrose! I needed another one as my old ones were getting stale. LOL, thanks for sharing this.
Wanda, we do tend to get smarter about how we treat our transplants, don't we? I guess we are teachable - thank goodness for that!
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton