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New Zealand tree fern slabs (soft)

Discussion in 'Orchid Culture' started by Raven, Feb 19, 2021.

  1. Feb 19, 2021 #1
    Raven

    Raven Well-Known Member

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    I just received a bunch of tree fern slabs and they are not what I expected. All the previous ones were dark and black from Guatemala (?) but this order is from New Zealand and is sold under the brand name Fernwood. It is brown in color and much softer. Do you guys have experience with it? How does it hold water? I was going to cut it up and mount some miniature Dendrobiums that do not like to dry out. I grow them mounted on bark with NZ Sphagnum moss and growing this way they require daily water. My goal is to water the entire collection no more than once every other day. However, since I grow in the greenhouse and not in the orchidarium, my humidity can be pretty low, sometimes down to 35%. Thoughts?
     
  2. Feb 20, 2021 #2
    DarleneJay

    DarleneJay Well-Known Member

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    I have a few things growing on that typed of tree fern. It does seem to hold more water but its still dries in two day for me. A friend of mine who grows in a greenhouse uses lots of the stuff and has no issues. He still uses large sphagnum moss pads to help out those not wanting to dry out.

    I would beat it will help extend your need to water daily but you still need the sphagnum and watering every 2-3 days
     
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  3. Feb 20, 2021 #3
    Alex Shepack

    Alex Shepack Active Member

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    I am not a huge fan of the NZ tree fern. I've been using it in terraria for a while, and it holds up very well - but it doesn't really act like the Guatemalan / Latin American tree fern. It seems too dense for things to root into, and too soft/pliable to work well as a stand alone mount. I bought some of the "totems" a couple years ago that have just been sitting in a bin because I can't figure out what to do with them.

    I'm curious to see how it works out for you.
     
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  4. Feb 20, 2021 #4
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    I was sent some samples of it a few years ago and never even tried them.
     
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  5. Feb 20, 2021 #5
    Raven

    Raven Well-Known Member

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    Thank you all for your input. I'm going to mount some Dendrobium seedlings on them to see how they like it. However, I would appreciate it if you could share your source for a Guatemalan/Latin American tree fern with me.
    Thanks!
     
  6. Feb 21, 2021 #6
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    I don't know of anyone who has it right now. I would be interested in hearing about any sources, too.