I purchased my plant in the summer of 06. A good sized healthy plant in a 6" pot. It quickly outgrew that, so was transfered to a 16" coc...Read Moreonut liner basket. I then started to feed it a premium fertilizer and it responded with tremendous growth. In less than three years fronds have reached 4 and a half feet and still getting larger and larger. Never covered in 07's California freeze. Yet,not a mark on it from cold.
This is the TRUE Birds nest fern. Subtropical with good cold tolerance rather than the true A. nidas that is wholey tropical and cannot be grown outdoors in California. To tell the difference is easy-if it lives through a winter-it's A. australasicum!.for the more technical minded,look at the keel of the fronds midrib..if its UNDER the frond,its A. australasicum,if the keel is on the surface of the frond,then you have the rare A.nidus. And you know your not that lucky!
As I said,a fast grower-so fast that the new fronds are very,very,tender. They will rip and tear if you do not water gently.Be carefull of that. Molluscs and other insects are a real danger..bait for them on a regular schedule. It's worth it as this might be the most beautiful fern known to man-and woman.
p.s.Ignore My A.nidus post as I was unaware of the differences then. Sorry.
I purchased my plant in the summer of 06. A good sized healthy plant in a 6" pot. It quickly outgrew that, so was transfered to a 16" coc...Read More