Flower growers who love to decorate their garden with unusual plants have always thought about getting a fern at least once. This amazing plant, which most of all loves dark and humid places, can become a real gem of a flower garden, shading its most unattractive corners. Surely you met him while walking in the forest. Simple and at the same time like lacy twigs involuntarily attract attention. Pictures of prehistoric times immediately come to mind, when the climate was humid and warm, and ferns and horsetails dominated the planet. Today, the climate has allowed only the smallest of them to survive, but they are still beautiful.
Instead of intro
The ability to tolerate penumbra attracted the attention of design masters and flower growers. At the same time, there are about 200 species of ferns in the world, and only ten of them are suitable for growing in gardens and parks. This number also includes the female nodule, the most amazing representative of the plant world. And what does botany tell us about this plant? This modest belongs to the Shchitovnikov family. Why are we interested in the female nomad?
Features of the species
This species has recently settled in central Russia. The female kochedyzhnik is shown above the soil surface in spring. These green shoots are called fronds. Delicate, curved, they eventually turn into very beautiful leaves, thin and delicate. The female kochedyzhnik grows to a height of about 1 meter. The soil he prefers garden or forest. It tolerates partial shade well. This is a perennial that can grow in one place for decades in a row.
Origin of the name
Female fern still has an ancient, Roman name. It has a ritual significance and at the same time indicates a comparison, since the male fern is also found in the forests. However, it has a less luxurious look. Its strong, erect and less finely pinnate leaves do not appear as lacy and delicate, although they are also quite beautiful. However, they belong to different genera and are nothing more than distant relatives.
A little more about the view
Today, the female nodule (the photo fully confirms this) is one of the most beautiful forest plants. It has a creeping rhizome covered with scales. The roots are very characteristic of the representatives of this family. They are thick, black and dense.
Leaves are what distinguishes the female fern from all others. Tall, lacy and weightless, they, like a green cobweb, delight the eye. Sterile leaves are almost indistinguishable fromfertile, and from the moment the plant matures, they are all spore-bearing. There are many beliefs about the flowering of this amazing plant. However, we hasten to disappoint you. It doesn't bloom. But the leaves are very elegant and decorative, for which gardeners fell in love with the plant. Moreover, they perform a number of functions.
Life cycle
Fully formed leaves live one season. At the same time, they both perform a vegetative function and provide reproduction. And with the first frost, the leaves die. However, this does not end the life cycle of such an amazing plant as the female nomad. The fern, the photo of which we will give in the article, disperses mature pores in August-September, from which a gametophyte grows in the same autumn. This is the haploid, multicellular phase in the plant development cycle.
The gametophyte develops from spores and produces sex cells. Outwardly, it is heart-shaped and completely different from the future plant. However, this small creeper is able to survive any conditions and turn into a beautiful fern in spring. This is how the female kochedyzhnik breeds. Pollen and pistil are contained in one spore, which matures and transforms into the germ of a new plant. That, in turn, undergoing stratification and hardening during the winter, grows in the new warm season and becomes a lush bush.
Varieties
What can be a female nomad? The description would be incomplete if not to say that inIn nature, this plant is very variable. Species may vary in leaf shape, size, and density. More recently, about twenty varieties could be counted. Then this material served as the basis for hybridization. If today we count the hybrids, including hybrids and varieties of the female fern, which were found in nature or in culture, we get about 300 varieties. Today we will not talk about everything, but we will try to mention the most popular, beautiful and easy to care for.
Female "lady in red"
This is one of the highest representatives of the class. Its rhizomes are dense, black, and with them there are straight, ascending or creeping, membranous. They perform different functions. On the one hand, stay on the ground. And the second function is the collection of moisture and nutrients from the surface of stones, earth and tree bark. That is why ferns can survive in almost any environment.
But back to our plant. The leaves are collected in a bunch, they are twice and thrice pinnate, with dissected feathers. This creates a very attractive look, delicate and airy. This variety belongs to the forest, so the plant prefers light nutrient soil. The ideal option would be forest humus mixed with earth. He avoids swampy places, although he likes light partial shade and normal soil moisture. It also tolerates damp lowlands, so if you have places on your site that have been empty for a long time for this very reason, take them with ferns.
Heredry places are fatal for him. In this case, you will quickly see how the plant will lose its decorative effect. The leaves will turn brown, begin to fall off, growth will slow down. Most often, the peak occurs in the middle of summer. Bushes reproduce most easily by dividing, since it is quite long and difficult to grow from spores in a pot. This variety is planted in shady places, and you can stop at planting individual bushes or make a multi-tiered embankment and plant a bush on each step. And under the canopy of a fern, you can plant snowdrops, blueberries and other forest flowers.
Magnificent little fern
Female "Victoria" is another great representative of its class. The maximum height is up to 100 cm, so it can be used to decorate tight, small corners of the garden. The leaves are large, delicate, light green. And the petioles of this species are yellowish or reddish. The leaf plate is twice or thrice pinnatipartite. The fronds are non-wintering, but the roots will calmly endure the cold period and will release new leaves by the beginning of next summer.
This is the most unpretentious fern for shady gardens and normally moist soils. It will not grow in sandy areas. "Victoria" - a low variety, with narrow leaves. Their narrow feathers are directed alternately up and down, due to which regular chains are formed on both sides of the leaf axis. This is a great option for shady flower beds and can be complemented with hostas and cereals.
Landing
Let's talk a little more about what kind of land is needed for a female nomad. First of all, you need to acquire parts of the bush. If there is a forest zone nearby, then you can find an adult plant and, dividing the root into several parts, plant it in your garden. Or you can buy seedlings at a gardening store. Now you need to prepare the landing pit. To do this, dig up the ground and add humus (preferably leafy), as well as wood ash, into it. If the soil is heavy, you can add some river sand. Mix thoroughly.
The depth and diameter of the planting hole depends on the size of the seedling. After planting, be sure to water the plant abundantly, as well as mulch the soil. In the first year, the plant is watered and weeded as needed, the soil is loosened. But from the second year of life, the need for watering practically disappears, only in the event of a severe drought, it is worth pampering the plant with a shower. Weed grass in the shade, and even under the luxurious leaves of the fern, practically does not grow. However, the gardener needs to know that spores ripen on the back of the leaves, and self-seeding occurs. Therefore, do not confuse the delicate curls of the nomadic frond with weed grass. They can be planted in other corners of the garden or sold to a pet store.
Plant care
It is minimal, in fact, in the second year after planting, you will not have to do almost anything. Ferns do not need to be fed; garden and forest soils fully satisfy their needs. Despite the apparent tenderness, this plant tolerateseven the most severe frosts. To do this, the yellowed leaves are cut off before the onset of winter, and the soil is mulched by about 15 cm. But if the frosts are very severe in your region, it is recommended to add a layer of foliage.
By planting a fern on the plot, the gardener receives a noticeable bonus. He will not have to fight diseases and pests, because this plant simply does not have them. This gives a significant advantage over other plants that require constant supervision.
Practical application
Today, the fern has only one practical meaning - it is landscape design. But in this he has practically no equal. Try to find another plant that doesn't need sun and watering, weeding and regular pest control. In addition, it will grow in one place for many years, which means that these corners of the garden can remain pristine for a long time, delighting you with their appearance every year.
There is evidence that it is used as a medicinal plant. However, officially the nomad is not considered to be such. The most commonly used rhizomes, a decoction of which has an antihelminthic effect. It is also used for gastric disorders, and alcohol tincture against uterine bleeding. An aqueous infusion of the leaves is used as an expectorant.
We will not recommend the use of the nomadic for medicinal purposes, but as the main decoration and highlight of your garden, it fits perfectly. And if you have a shaded front garden, then this plant will be ideal forhis jewelry.
