How do ferns reproduce
Today, I will introduce to you how ferns reproduce and the methods of sowing spores in the green plant and flower category. Next, the site editor will introduce to the netizens.
Ferns are slightly higher-grade higher plants compared to mosses. Ferns do not bloom or bear fruit, and many ferns have graceful shapes and high ornamental value, making them famous ornamental leaf plants. For example, Pteris, Aspidium, Platycerium, Cyathea, Pteridium, Nephrolepis, especially the Boston fern. Additionally, Blechnum is also very popular. These ferns have unique and colorful shapes, and many are planted as ornamental plants in gardens. Indoor potted ferns such as Nephrolepis (centipede grass) have beautiful leaf clusters, suitable for potting, and are also important cut leaf materials. Pteris is a perennial delicate herb of the Pteridaceae family, named for its black and shiny leaf stalks, suitable for indoor potting or as a mountain stone pot plant for ornamental purposes. Platycerium is named for its top leaves that branch out like deer antlers, making it suitable for indoor ornamental use. Ferns have lush green leaves, unique and elegant shapes, often grown in courtyards, greenhouses, or made into bonsai, with high ornamental value.
Most ferns are terrestrial, lithophytic, or epiphytic, with a few being hygrophilous or aquatic. They prefer a shady and warm environment. They can be found in mountains, plains, forests, meadows, streams, rock crevices, and swamps. With the improvement of people's living standards, the cultivation of ferns has gained increasing popularity among flower enthusiasts. So how do ornamental ferns reproduce?
1. Spore Reproduction: There are many spores on the back of fern leaves. For reproduction, collect mature sporangium-containing fern leaves, place them in clean paper bags or plastic bags according to different species, gently tap the spores into the bags to avoid contamination and mixing. Then sow them in pots filled with a mixture of decomposed leaf soil, peat soil, and river sand. After sowing, cover the mouth of the pot with glass or plastic film to keep warm and moist. Place the sowing pot in a shallow water basin to allow the soil to absorb water thoroughly, and do not sprinkle water directly. Then place it in a warm, moist, and shaded environment. The spores will germinate into protonemata. If sown too densely, thinning is necessary. Maintain relatively high humidity during the protonema stage. Generally, spores can germinate within 10-20 days after sowing, and true leaves can grow within 2-3 months. When ferns have 3-4 leaves, they can be transplanted into pots.
2. Division Reproduction: Ferns can be divided into new plants throughout the year, but it is often done in spring and summer. Division can be done by hand or with a knife. Be careful to remove the root connections and wash the roots, removing decayed and old roots. Avoid damaging the rhizome during division and transplantation. Apply wood ash or sulfur powder to the wound before planting.
3. Cutting Reproduction: Some species like Pteris and Drynaria can be propagated by leaf cuttings in the sand bed in autumn. Select healthy leaves and insert them into a pot filled with pure sand, cover with glass and shade, maintain a room temperature of 25℃ and high humidity. Roots can form in about 20 days. To speed up root formation and increase the number of roots, plant growth hormones can be used to treat cuttings for some difficult-to-root flowers, which significantly promotes root growth. Common growth hormones include indole butyric acid, indole acetic acid, naphthyl acetic acid, 2,4-D, and rooting powder, all of which have a good effect on promoting root growth.
The above sharing on how ferns reproduce and the comprehensive knowledge of spore sowing methods for ferns, I hope it can help you.