Can anyone give me information on how to propagate Ming Fern?
Ming Fern
I transplanted mine from a pot to inground, a painful task, let me tell you, with those spiny branches. I might have lost 1 or 2 small branches in the process, but overall it was uneventful. Don't have an answer for you about propagation, but I believe division would be an alternative (but a painful one).
I agree with vossner on division, since Ming Fern is an asparagus fern.
Thanks for the info. I tried to divide mine and after about 4 days all the little needles fell off. Someone told me to propogate the spores. Can you tell me where to find the spores and what they look like?
Ming Fern is not a true fern so it doesn't produce spores. It does produce seeds. The fruit probably looks like the common asparagus fern to which it's related.
Does it develop seed pods or does it seed following a bloom? I have never really paid that close attention to the asparagus fern.
The seeds form after the flowers are pollinated. The flowers are small, around 1/8" and white. The berry like fruit becomes red when ripe. I was unable to find photos of Ming Fern flowers or berries, I imagine that they were be fairly similar to the more common asparagus fern,
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.catnapin.com/WildWeeds/Flowers-multi/Asparagus%2520Fern%2520(1)_small.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.catnapin.com/WildWeeds/Flowers-multi/zzLily.htm&h=250&w=183&sz=15&tbnid=4YWKp1JfxGL-HM:&tbnh=106&tbnw=77&hl=en&start=217&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAsparagus%2Bfern%2B%26start%3D200%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bfns.org.au/img/weed_57_1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bfns.org.au/index.php%3Fc%3D2%26w%3D57&h=377&w=377&sz=51&tbnid=1KOGbPfr5pVAsM:&tbnh=119&tbnw=119&hl=en&start=115&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAsparagus%2Bfern%2B%26start%3D100%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN
Veronica
i think I've had the wispy white flowers V. is talking about, but I don't remember seeing berries like the ones you asparagus ferns (sprengeri).
It is a rather delicate "fern". I use it a lot as filler in my flower arrangements and it always the first thing to peter out.