Tree fern again (sorry)

My DA has done well all through the winter (in the conservatory), but over the last few days the fronds have started to curl up and go brown. I can't see any sign of new leaves coming through (I think the nursery said that dying fronds are almost instantly replaced and it takes about 2 weeks for new leaves to grow to roughly the size of the old ones).

This will sound silly but my house is about to go on the market and the fern helps to make the conservatory attractive... so a little worried about the speed of new growth.

 

DA arent really ideal indoor plants. Sounds like yours is drying out. They like plenty of moisture.
If you put your hand into the centre of the crown, you should feel the new fronds forming. If there are any.

 

Many thanks Sirius... I have been spraying the trunk at the same time as watering (every other day through winter and daily for the past few weeks). I felt inside the trunk and had a peep using a mirror, but it all just looks like a mass of hair in there.

 

Sounds like lack of water to me too - I would move it out into a half shady corner & drench it twice a day for a week or so (for reference, I try to give mine about 3l of water a day, in this case I would do it twice, first thing & then at the end of the day too) - just make sure it doesnt sit in the water otherwise it will rot. You should see some sign of life after a week or so as long as the Sun stays around.

Should recover from drying out OK, but nothing about these plants is quick so suggest you pop down to B&Q and pick up a cheap date palm (quite likely to die at the end of the year anyway) or something similar to go in its place for house viewing.

 

Thanks guys... I wouldn't normally panic, it is just with the house going on the market. I may have to pop another plant in it's place as nick suggested.

What do you reckon... here's a photo I took of it this morning... it seems to get worse every day:

 

Just to check that you are watering the crown, at the top of the trunk, as well as the pot/roots, and preferable down the trunk too?

 

With the warmer weather I am now pouring water in the crown daily (only a litre), then I spray the trunk at the same time. However, I only water at the base weekly... not even as much as a pint. Throughout the colder months I was watering like this every other day (lowest room temp was 10c)

 

Sounds OK to me.

I don't think that would cause the ferns to go brown, as you are watering the crown, but I think it might want more than that.

Are the ferns that are going brown "last year's" ? If so then its probably entirely normal ... the old ferns start getting old and knackered looking, droop down, and then the new ones push out ... that may be exacerbated if the atmosphere in the conservatory is dry - which it probably is at this time of year now temperatures have increased? Misting the foliage might help a bit?

The plant looks relatively new - new last year perhaps? (old ferns at the top have been cut off flat). Best to let old ferns droop so that they are still alive when the new ones push out, that causes them to move outwards in the crown, and stop it overcrowding. It might be that where the ferns were cut off flat, for transportation and sale, that that is constricting the crown. I've read that it is worth trying to re-prune new ferns to create a "domed" effect - i.e. to create more space in the crown. After a few years of normal growth it sorts itself out of course.

 

Thanks Kristen. The nursery delivered the plant as you see it... I think around September time (I was amazed it survived the winter). So it must be last year's growth dying off... although I have to say... its timing is well bad! The nursery told me that I'd see new growth coming at the time the old would be dying... but like I said... I can't see any signs of new growth. I want the new growth to 'umbrella'... so you think I should leave well alone and just increase water amount at this stage? Sorry to sound so dim... just trying to get it right.

 

Are the new curled up crosiers in the crown rock hard?

 

Yup, indoors really isn't ideal.
Outdoors in the ground is best. But since you are moving, maybe leave it in a pot.

A palm could look equaly as nice in the conservatory.

 

Thanks for the replies... it does look as though I may have to move it outside, unless some miracle occurs! The estate agent hasn't sent through the contract yet (only did the photos yesterday), and the way things are at the moment, it could be months before I even get a viewing. I told the agent I would always need 24 hours notice before a viewing which should just give me enough time to get another plant in that corner if need be.

I do keep an eye on the temperatures in there and open up the roof slats first thing in the morning, and if really hot, I open the outer doors too.

Kristen... I've just had a feel inside the crown and just under the hairy stuff I think I can make out a few tight curly shapes... yes they feel hardish (I didn't like to pull them around too much).

 

It might be that the new ferns are dead ... if they are then snapping them off will allow new ones to come from underneath ... bit brave if you aren't sure though ...