Tampa Bay Fern Club

Tampa Bay Fern Club

Forum for Fern Fanciers

 A monthly newsletter for members of the Tampa Bay Fern Club.

Here, you will find a message from the president of the club announcing the next meeting, minutes of the previous meeting, and sundry other information about the club.

Forum For Fern Fanciers is one of the benefits of membership in the club.

 

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November, 2002

What's Happening?

A short calendar of botanical events that may be of interest to plant lovers.
November 20	Regular monthly meeting of the Tampa Bay Fern Club.
December 18	Holiday dinner party meeting

From the President

The November meeting of the Tampa Bay Fern Club will be held on Wednesday, November 20th at the Seminole Garden Center, 5800 Central Avenue in Tampa. Please Note: This is the Third Wednesday, not the fourth Thursday! The doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. sharp.

Bring in any "unknown" ferns for some help in finding the proper name.

Robert Arias will present the Fern Education part of the program.

Our Feature Program will be presented by Malcolm Smith. He will be discussing the care, feeding, and breeding of Adiantum species. Malcolm will also bring in plants for a "mini" Dutch auction after his program. The club will receive 10% of the proceeds of this auction. Malcolm has been a member of the Tampa Bay Fern Club for about three years. He is an excellent grower and will be sharing some of his secrets for growing maidenhairs. Don't miss this program and invite a friend or two to enjoy it also.

Rebecca Curry made a recommendation that the club expand its stated interest to include tropical plants, and that the name of the club be changed accordingly. There was some discussion among the members and the president will bring the matter before the Board for review and a recommendation. Ultimately, the membership will make the final decision.

There will be no Exchange Table or Sale Table at this meeting. They will be replaced by the "mini" Dutch auction.

I thank the people who brought refreshments to the October meeting and those who helped clean up the kitchen. Barbara Brisco is signed up for the November meeting, so I need a few more volunteers to help with refreshments and kitchen! Call me at (813) 839-2486.

- Zoe Cole

Tampa Bay Fern Club Meeting Wednesday, November 20th   Seminole Garden Center 5800 Central Avenue in Tampa. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.

Meeting Dates for 2003   Mary Lou Snydeman has reserved the Seminole Garden Center for our meetings for the next year. The dates are:   January 23, 2003 February 27, 2003 March 27, 2003 April 24, 2003 May 22, 2003 June 26, 2003 July 24, 2003 August 28, 2003 September 25, 2003 October 23, 2003 November 19, 2003 December 17, 2003

Tampa Bay Fern Club Minutes - October 24, 2002

President Zoe Cole called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

At least three people didn't receive the newsletter before the meeting. Some members said they received theirs, but they were torn as they got caught in the sorting machine at the Post Office. Zoe said that the Strohmengers had been ill.

Show & Tell: Mary Lou Syndeman had a Microsorum diversifolium or Microsorum scolopendrium, which she had obtained from the raffle table.

Education: Robert Arias talked about spores. Spore shape and arrangement on the frond is used to identify ferns.

Program: Charles Jaros introduced Tim Anderson from Palm Hammock Estate in Miami. Tim stated that his plants were grown in 50-75% shade and kept wet with a felt mat. He lays plastic on the bench and places the mat over the plastic. He has a drip irrigation system. The pots can not be over 3 feet deep. He fertilizes with ProMix BX, which lasts from 6 months to a year. He doesn't let the plants get stressed. He displayed a Playtercerium mounted on a light density Styrofoam plank. He then introduced the plants he had for sale, which included Psilotum nudum, Selaginellas, Campyloneuron, Adiantum, Pteris, Nephrolepis, Elaphoglossum, Asplenium, Adiantum, and Drynaria.

Meeting:

Minutes: A motion to accept the minutes as printed in the newsletter was made, seconded, and passed.

Treasurer's report: Mary Lou Syndeman reported a

Beginning Balance of		$3,025.67
Income:
Exchange Table	$62.00
USF Sale	$2,090.00
Return of change	$350.00
Show donation	$30.00
M.S. sale of baskets	$4.00
Total Income		$5,561.67
Expenses:
Change for sale	$350.00
Paid to sellers	$1,816.83
Taxes	$13.00
USF	$146,46
Judges expense	$95.15
Exchange table	$49.60
Sec. mailing	$4.70
Hooks, etc	$17.55
Total Expenses		($2,493.29)
Ending Balance		$3,068.38
The Club netted $186.00 from the USF Sale.

Show Report:

Income:
Donations		$385.00
Expense:
Judges expense	$95.15
Awards	$117.57
Printing	$155.37
Sec. mailing	$4.70
Total Show Expense		($372.79)
Show balance		$12.21

Zoe thanked everyone who had helped with the show & sale.

Kay Netscher read a thank you note from Emily Black, one of the judges.

Malcolm Smith reported on the first place awards for each division.

Div. 1. Adiantum sp.- Malcom Smith

Div. 2. Aglomorpha splendens - Rebecca Curry

Div. 3. Playtercium bifurcatum - John Darsey

Div. 4. Microsorum punctatum - Murline Lydon

Div. 5. Pyrrosia lingula - Malcolm Smith

Div. 6. Asplenium sp. - Zoe Cole

Div. 7. Blechnum sp. - Charles Jaros

Div. 8. Cyathea sp.- Charles Jaros

Div. 9. Selaginella sp. - Charles Jaros

Best Of Show: Microsorum punctatum - Murline Lydon

Becky Curry stated that she wants to change the name of the club to "Tampa Bay Fern and Tropical Club". Action was tabled. Malcolm Smith stated that a name change would cost $75.00.

As there was little interest in setting up a display at the State Fair, so it was declined.

The November meeting will be on Thursday, Nov. 21st.

The December meeting will be on Wednesday, Dec. 18th.

Nominating Committee: Mary Lou Syndeman and Clarisse Castro were appointed to find officers for 2003.

The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Trevetta Wunderlin

Recording Secretary

Tree-fern Specific Potting-Mix

John Bodman, <jjbodman@iprimus.com.au>, recently posted a question about "Tree-fern specific" potting-mix recipes on the Treefern email list. here are some of the results of his request:

From the Gardening Australia magazine, July 1996, Pg. 33: The magaizine did an article on the Fernery at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Australia. Their "recipe for success" was:

40 % Sand

35 % Composted pine bark

15 % Loam

10 % Mushroom compost

John used this recipe in a 20 gallon pot growing a Cyathea cooperi with a 2 foot trunk. It grew 1 foot higher in the next 12 months.

Keith Rogers <kerogers@lm.net.au> noted:

No matter what plant you are growing in a pot, there is a need for "perfect" drainage. The composition of the mix needs to be able to stay that way for the long term with ferns as they are long lived plants. I have treeferns which have been in pots for 20 years.

The smaller bark decomposes easily, the bigger sizes will depending on the amount and frequency of fertilizing. After a few years there is only sand in the mix. In the past 6 or so years I have been adding 20% perlite and 20% larger bark to my mixes, this does eventually give the fertilizer something to rest on where the fern can absorb it before it washes out the bottom of the pot.

In different areas, depending on the climate, there are different species of Pinus used in potting mixes. However, ensure there is no white pine in the mix as this is a killer.

Treeferns in pots grow their roots over the entire outside of the pot and then on top. Warmth on the side of the pot and natural instinct causes that. In the wild, root growth is only shallow and once stability has occurred they then grow upwards as well depending on the moisture.

Soil in potting mixes eventually settles on the bottom of the pot, increases drainage problems, and lessens the number and size of air gaps in the pot. Since soil contains sand, in the long term you have mostly sand in the pot.

In the ground there are worms which open up the soil to provide aeration. Worms in pots do the opposite, they cause a soggy mix and therefore drainage problems.

Some smaller ferns, like epiphytes, like shallow pots. Treeferns and larger ferns have to be in bigger pots. The type of pot is not that relevant. Terracotta is visually "nice", but allows moisture to escape through the sides, and you can't use a rubber mallet to get the sides to loosen up when you want to remove the treefern from the pot!

My treeferns grow up in all sizes of pots and plastic is preferred because of the price. I repot them once or twice a year, depending on their size and root growth. It then becomes a financial thing, after 18 inch pots they never get repotted as the expense is too great. After these big pots their growth is somewhat root limited.

Never overpot a growing treefern. It will not promote good root growth and will cause stagnancy in the bottom of the pot.

Generally it is better to add larger bark to mixes, not smaller. And adding mulches will only increase drainage problems unless perhaps it is added to the top after a few years.

James Bannerman <sertnejo@mutare.icon.co.zw> adds:

I have used, very effectively, fairly coarse granite gravel as mulch in larger containers say 5 gallon and above. This can definitely cut down on the watering.

The biggest containers that I keep treeferns in are cut-in-half 50 gallon oil drums - this for my own stock plants - and some of these have been in the drums for 15 years or so with a change of growing medium. One trick that I have discovered in bigger plants is to feed the caudex with liquid fertiliser. If one examines the caudex carefully, the live aerial roots are coloured lightish brown before they die and form the better known black caudex. I suspect that they are not unlike orchid roots in the way they can take up nutrients.

I use a fifty fifty mixture of roughish eucalyptus leaf mold (and bark) and very course river sand (bordering on fine gravel).

Charles Turbyfill <charles.turbyfill@lmco.com> has his favored mixes too.

I'd go with between 1/4 and 1/3 composted horse manure. The big issue is that the mix must stay completely friable and well aerated even after it's been in the pot a while. I'm a great believer in coarse perlite as at least 1/4 of any mix, and the bulk of the mix being Canadian peat.

The bottom of the pot must stay unclogged with detritus from rotted mix. I grow my big stuff in 30 gallon tubs (they're wider than high so they cater to the treeferns' preferred root distribution), and in the bottom I put about 3 inches of broken crockery, then a layer of coarse mulch, then the potting mix, and cover all with finer mulch, (the mulch on top keeps the soil mix from splashing all over the place.) When you water, try to flush the pot well, the bigger the pot, the more of an issue this is.

Over time the soil will degrade to the point where there is little more than perlite and roots in the pot. I've found that if you top dress the pot with finer mix and hose it down thoroughly you can replenish the soil mix to some extent.

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http://www.oocities.org/fernmaster2000

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Officers for 2002
President	Zoe Cole
Vice President	Charles Jaros
Recording Secretary	Trevetta Wunderlin
Corresponding Secretary	Jeanne Johnson
Treasurer	Mary Lou Snydeman
Committee Chairs for the Year 2002
Educational Program	Robert Arias
Historian	Trev Wunderlin
Kitchen Supplies	Open
Library	Susan Melody-Katz Evelynne Gordon
Membership	Mary Lou Snydeman
Newsletter	Carl Strohmenger
Parliamentarian	Dick Wunderlin
Plant Sales & Shows	Open
Raffle Table Plants	Open
Refreshments	Open
Sales Table	Rebecca Curry

The deadline for the next issue of Forum for Fern Fanciers is November 30, 2002

The Tampa Bay Fern Club

You can send US Postal Mail to us at:

Tampa Bay Fern Club

c/o Strohmenger

PO Box 17716

Tampa, FL 33682-7716

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