Ostrich fern is a beautiful and unpretentious plant, which is often used to decorate the garden. Growing it outdoors is possible even where other crops do not take root: on stones or in the shade.
Ostrich varieties
Ostrich is a plant belonging to the Onokleaceae family. This fern is native to North America. Today it is widespread: it can be found in different countries with a temperate climate. Under natural conditions, the common ostrich is found in Northern and Central Europe, in Asia. On the territory of the former Soviet Union, it grows in Belarus and eastern Ukraine. On the territory of Russia it is found in Dagestan, in the Caucasus, in the Irkutsk and Tyumen regions, on Sakhalin and Kamchatka.
In nature, the fern prefers to settle in forests and the mountain-forest belt, on the banks of streams and rivers. All ostriches look very similar to each other. These are plants with thick vertical leaves that reach a height of two meters. The leaves are very reminiscent of ostrich feathers, which was the reason for this titles.
Specialists distinguish between two types of these plants:
- ordinary.
- oriental.
Oriental ostrich grows up to one and a half meters in height. It is more demanding on the conditions of detention, requires constant moisture and does not tolerate gusts of wind. Caring for this species is quite a hassle.
The common ostrich, the photo and description of which is often published in horticultural publications, has several more names - black sarana, bedbug, raven's wing, viper, black fern, black grass, ostrich feather. This is a large plant with spectacular openwork leaves and a thick vertical rhizome.
Common ostrich (matteuccia struthiopteris) closer to autumn changes the color of green shoots to dark brown. One gets the feeling that ostrich feathers have grown from the center of the rosette. A spectacular goblet-shaped funnel, which exceeds a meter in height and width, is formed by openwork large leaves. The plant decorates the garden until the frost.
The common ostrich, whose photo we posted in this material, prefers shade or partial shade in the garden, because in sunlit areas the plant loses the brightness of the color of the openwork foliage, becomes smaller.
Where to plant a fern?
For this plant, a corner of the garden between the house and the fence is suitable, where they do not go too often, but an attractive view from the window is very important. It is desirable that direct sunlight does not fall on the ostrich, but at the same time the place should be quiteopen. If the flower bed where you planted the plant is under the sun, then the soil should be constantly moistened. True, even if this rule is followed, the plant will not reach its maximum height. In addition, the color of the foliage will be less saturated.
The ostrich looks very impressive against the background of birches and pines, among large thujas, near old apple trees, next to mock orange bushes. In addition, the common ostrich will feel comfortable on the bank of an ornamental stream or any other body of water.
Soil
The fern of this variety needs loose and fertile soil. You should not loosen the soil around the plant, it is better to mulch the landing circle with the help of coniferous litter, sawdust, dry leaves, peat chips. Many gardeners even use dry ostrich leaves for this purpose. Such a simple technique will protect the plant from the cold in winter (although ferns tolerate winter well in the middle lane), and help reduce watering.
Over time, the need for weeding the common ostrich is completely eliminated, since in an adult plant only very few weeds can survive under tightly closed leaves.
Temperature
Ostrich easily tolerates a drop in air temperature to -10 °C. In the summer, when the air heats up to +25 ° C and above, the plant may wither. He will need a daily refreshing shower.
Planting the common ostrich
It is recommended to plant this unusual plant in groups of 5-7 bushes - this is essentialmake it easier to take care of them. In addition, with such a neighborhood, the plant looks more interesting. Try to plant a fern on the site as naturally as possible - not in a square-nested pattern, not in rows, but, for example, in irregular triangles. The distance between them should be from 30 cm to a meter. Under favorable moist conditions, the common ostrich spreads very quickly in the garden. Experts say that the roots of adult plants can grow up to a meter to the side in just a season. Therefore, the fern can be given the opportunity to roam under the crowns of trees, or timely transplant or remove new plants.
About two years later, young shoots appear between the plants and the plantings become natural and very beautiful, as in natural conditions. Next to the ostriches, decor in the form of stumps, large stones, and snags will be quite appropriate.
Plant care: watering
Reading the description of the common ostrich in various publications, it becomes clear that under natural conditions, the fern of this species grows on rather wet soils. Any drought is very dangerous for him. That is why in dry hot weather, in addition to regular watering, it is necessary to spray the foliage. The soil should always be well moistened.
Feeding
Caring for the common ostrich involves regular fertilization from the onset of spring until the complete shedding of leaves in September. Mineral preparations and organic compounds are used. Here it should be said that ferns are normalalso develop on depleted soils, so top dressing is not a mandatory requirement when growing.
Transfer
This work is recommended to be done in early spring, when the leaves have not yet begun to develop or during the period of full development and maturation of the sporangia. It is recommended to dig the bush very carefully and get it out of the soil, but as a rule, only a part of the rhizome with a kidney is planted.
The substrate can be both scarce and enriched. But there is one mandatory requirement - the acidity of the soil must be reduced.
Gardening Tips
Some owners of ostriches who have been growing this plant on their plots for several years consider group plantings of this plant on their plots unjustified. They explain this by the fact that the bushes occupy almost all large spaces. If you still decide on this option, then you need to make mini-fences from a special material. They should not be installed close to the bushes, but at a short distance. At the same time, the height of the “fence” should be at least 10 cm. This is due to the fact that stolon roots can be located at a depth of 2–3 cm, but sometimes they crawl over the surface of the soil.
In time, remove the young ostrich, which grows spontaneously. Often this is not easy to do, so experienced gardeners advise reducing watering, and then the plant will not grow so actively.
Reproduction
The ostrich breeds in two ways - by sowing spores or vegetativelymethod. Reproduction using spores is laborious, but very interesting. This method is preferred by experienced growers.
First you need to collect disputes. Vayu is cut with sori (this group of spores is clearly visible on the inside of the leaf lobe, in the form of brown tubercles), which grows in the center of the rosette of sterile leaves. If you do not want to spoil the appearance of the plant, then draw a hard brush from the back of the frond, after substituting a sheet of paper under it.
After that, select well-ripened soruses of a rich brown color. If we talk about the time interval, then the ostrich spores are fully suitable for sowing from the end of summer to the end of September. Place the collected spores in a paper bag and dry them a little (7 days). It is important to know that spore germination is not lost in this state up to 7 years, so they can not be sown right away.
If you decide to sow spores, then they must be cleaned - remove debris and excess particles. After that, the spores resemble fine golden-brown dust. After that, they are sown in the prepared substrate. As a rule, this is pure peat or a mixture of peat and leafy soil, steamed in a water bath. Thus, the substrate is moistened and loosened.
The soil mixture is poured into a container or pot, rammed and spores are poured on top. The top of the container is covered with a sheet of glass or plastic wrap. The container is installed in a bright and warm place, creating shading from direct sunlight. Seedling care consists in moistening the soil fromatomizer.
In two weeks, you will see a green coating on the soil. If the seedlings are planted too densely, then it is recommended to dive them. In this case, the earthen surface is cut into 1x1 cm segments and transferred to a new container with the same soil.
When the seedlings grow up to five centimeters, they should be sprayed with settled warm water once a week, the shelter is not removed from the pot during this period. If the sprouts are again too dense, they dive again. After the sprouts grow by 5-6 cm, they begin to accustom them to room conditions - they ventilate, gradually increasing the time of "walks". Spraying is carried out as before.
After one and a half to two years from the moment of planting, young ostriches are transplanted to a permanent place.
Vegetative method
It is much simpler, and therefore common among novice gardeners. Reproduction is carried out in early spring before the sterile shoots have not yet begun to grow or in early August, when spores ripen. A part of a creeping root, 20 to 30 cm long, is separated from the mother bush. Such a segment usually contains several buds.
Then the delenka is planted on a previously prepared place according to the 50x50 cm pattern.
Preparing for winter
Before winter, or rather, before the first snow falls, fronds (leaves) are broken and laid on the ground around the plants. Cut ostrich leaves can be a good hiding place for other plants.(lavender, strawberry). In spring, dried fern leaves are either transferred to compost, or lightly rubbed with hands and scattered on the ground.
From the foregoing, we can conclude that the common ostrich has very simple requirements for planting and care. According to gardeners, this is an amazing plant that can change the look of any site beyond recognition.
