Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Cultivation => Cultivation Problems => Topic started by: lily-anne on August 26, 2013, 11:06:35 PM
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Is there a simple way to sow Asplenium ceterach in the garden via spores
Tanks
Greetings
Lily-Anne
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I have never tried that species but several others.
Spores of woodland ferns I sow on top of moist soil/peat in a plastic box with the lid closed.
Other spores I sow on bricks/pieces of mortar etc standing in 2cm water in a plastic box also with the lid closed.
You will firstly get a lot of prothalli before the sporophytes germinate on the prothalli after fertilization.
Take care never let the spores/sporelings dry out! To enhance the chance of fertilization you can spray the prothalli with water. The sperm cells need water to swim to the ova.
They quickly germinate (in a couple of months) at about room temperature in the window-sill without direct sun. I have had ferns growing in an ice cream box with the lid closed for 6 years only with a little additional water.
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Thanks Hoy,for your info,
but I was looking for a simple , non sterile way to sow Asplenum ceterach in the garden
Gr. Lily-Anne
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Hi Lily-Anne - I can suggest the very simplest way - take Asplenium fronds, cut them into pieces and peg these down on nice mossy patches or mossy stones in the garden - if there are viable spores in the fronds nature will do the rest.
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Thanks Hoy,for your info,
but I was looking for a simple , non sterile way to sow Asplenum ceterach in the garden
Gr. Lily-Anne
Ys, I did forget to say that the small plants are easily transplanted and it is almost no work to grow them in a small container before you put them in place.
But what Maggi says is of course the simplest way to do it.
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From BPS booklet by Dyce.
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Thanks for the information Maggi Giles and Hoy
Gr.
Lily-Anne