I believe it's because of it's draining property, while perlite helps in moisture retention, it also helps excess water drain and as the ferns have a habit of moist condition, she put it only on the sides.
Excellent video! I've been having a hard time finding enough Ostrich ferns to meet my (imagined) needs. Now I think I'll buy a couple and take it from there. Not instant gratification, but good enough. Thank you for providing this.
@@kria9119 well, kind of. Spores are the result of sexual reproduction between fern prothallia / gametophytes. The spores first grow into a gametophyte which then reproduces sexually to give rise to a "normal" sporophyte fern.
Thank you. Very interesting. I’ve just touched what I thought were the seeds of my Asplinium Antiquum (the brown thin things that hang inside under the larger fronds) and found by touching them I have discovered that a very fine mist is left on my finger. I tried it twice and got the same answer. This tiny powder IS the seed not the thin brown things which must exude these spores. So the brown long things are the ferns seed banks which then send out the spores which are the next generation to be. I see now. Thank you so much. Wanted to know more and this vid has done it. Such a long propagation time though very surprised there too. Owen
I love to eat fiddleheads and wanted to save seed but was very perplexed by the strange lifecycle, thank you and Ms. Rucker for making this topic straight forward and simple!
Loved the video! What am I supposed to do with the tray during the months of propagation? Keep it in a location the plant would like, water it and replenish the compost?
Haha yeah I think I set my spores up like 6-8 months ago and I just discovered little gametophytes today. Took a long time but it was honestly super exciting!
Having sterile soil lets you know for sure that what is growing is actually a fern. Because it takes them so long to develop any other seeds in the soil will sprout and create problems. You can try to use the other soil like you said. See if it works.
You can do the same thing for cobra ferns. The spores are on the underside of the leaves. When the spores start to look fuzzy cut them off and put them in the envelope.
If the spores need such special handling and conditions, how do they ever sprout in the wild? Sterile soil, sterile water, always warm and moist. Really?
I'm no plant expert, but based on what little I've read, I believe what you pointed out is precisely why plants like ferns and trees expel so many billions of spores and seeds every year. Only a few ever get the perfect conditions to grow!
They don’t need that, but you need that if you don’t want a cup full of random fungi. And yes they need consistent moisture, and you will almost never see them outside of moist environments like riverbanks and marshy areas.
