Ostrich fern ordinary - a beautiful and unpretentious plant, which is often used to decorate the garden. Growing it in open ground is possible even where other crops do not take root: on stones or in the shade.
Ostrich species
An ostrich is a plant belonging to the Onkleev family. The homeland of this fern is 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 grows in Belarus and in the east of Ukraine. On the territory of Russia it is found in Dagestan, the Caucasus, in the Irkutsk and Tyumen regions, on Sakhalin and Kamchatka.
In nature, fern prefers to settle in forests and mountain-forest zones, 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 similar to ostrich feathers, which was the reason for this name.
Specialists distinguish two types of these plants:
Eastern ostrich grows to a meter and a half in height. It is more demanding on the conditions of detention, requires constant moisture and does not tolerate gusts of wind. Caring for this variety is a lot of trouble.
An ordinary ostrich, a photo and description of which is often published by gardening publications, has several more names - black sarana, klopovnik, raven wing, blueberry, black fern, black grass, ostrich feather. This is a large plant with spectacular openwork leaves and a vertical thick 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 outlet. Spectacular goblet funnel, which is higher than a meter in height and width, is formed by large openwork leaves. The plant adorns the garden until the frost.
An ordinary ostrich, whose photo we have placed in this material, prefers shade or partial shade in the garden, because in the sunlit areas the plant loses its color of openwork foliage, it fades.
Where to plant fern?
For this plant, the corner of the garden between the house and the fence is suitable, where they do not go too often, but the attractive view from the window is very important. It is advisable that direct sunlight not fall on the ostrich, but at the same time the place should be quite open. If the flowerbed where you planted the plant is under the sun, then the soil should be constantly moistened. True, even with this rule, 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 thuja trees, near old apple trees, next to the mock bush. In addition, an ordinary ostrich will feel comfortable on the banks of a decorative stream or any other reservoir.
The soil
Ferns of this variety need loose and fertile soil. Do not loosen the soil around the plant, it is better to mulch the planting circle with the help of coniferous litter, sawdust, dry leaves, peat chips. Many gardeners use even 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 an ordinary ostrich is completely eliminated, since only a very few weeds can survive in an adult plant under tightly closed leaves.
Temperature
The ostrich easily tolerates a decrease 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 an ordinary ostrich
To plant this unusual plant is recommended in groups of 5-7 bushes - this will greatly facilitate the care of them. In addition, in such a neighborhood, the plant looks more interesting. Try to plant fern on the site as naturally as possible - not according to the square-nesting pattern, not in rows, but, for example, with irregular triangles. The distance between them should be from 30 cm to a meter. Under favorable humid conditions, the common ostrich spreads very quickly through the garden. Experts say that the roots of adult plants can grow up to a meter to the side in just a season. Therefore, fern can be given the opportunity to take a walk under the crowns of trees, or to transplant or remove new plants in a timely manner.
After about two years, young shoots appear between the plants and the plantings become natural and very beautiful, as in natural conditions. Near the ostriches, the decor in the form of stumps, large stones, snags will be quite appropriate.
Plant Care: Watering
Reading in different publications a description of the common ostrich, it becomes clear that under natural conditions, the fern of this species grows on fairly moist 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.
Top dressing
Caring for an ostrich ordinary requires regular fertilizing with the advent of spring until the leaves are completely dumped in September. Mineral preparations and organic compounds are used. It should be said that ferns develop normally on depleted soils, therefore, top dressing is not a mandatory requirement for cultivation.
Transfer
It is recommended that this work be done in early spring, when the leaves have not yet begun to develop or during the period of full development and maturation of sporangia. It is recommended to dig a bush very carefully and get it out of the soil, but as a rule, only part of the rhizome with a kidney is planted.
The substrate can be both sparse and enriched. But there is one mandatory requirement - the acidity of the soil should be reduced.
Gardener tips
Some owners of ostriches who have been growing this plant in their plots for several years consider group plantings of this plant in a personal plot unjustified. They explain this by the fact that the bushes occupy almost all large spaces. If you still decided on this option, then mini-fences must be made of 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 along the surface of the soil.
On time, remove the young ostrich, which grows spontaneously. It is often not easy to do this, so experienced gardeners advise reducing watering, and then the plant will not grow so actively.
Breeding
The ostrich reproduces in two ways - by sowing spores or by the vegetative method. Reproduction using spores is laborious, but it is very interesting. Experienced growers prefer this method.
First, it is necessary to collect disputes. Vayu cut off with soruses (this group of spores is clearly visible on the inner side 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 swipe with a stiff brush on the back of the waya, first substituting a sheet of paper under it.
After that, select well-ripened soruses of saturated brown-brown color. If we talk about the time interval, then the spores of the ostrich are fully suitable for sowing from the end of summer to the end of September. Put the collected spores in a paper bag and dry them a little (7 days). It is important to know that the germination of the spore is not lost in this state up to 7 years, so you can immediately not sow them.
If you decide to sow spores, then they need to be cleaned - remove garbage and excess particles. After that, the spores resemble fine dust of golden brown color. After that, they are sown in the prepared substrate. As a rule, this is pure peat or a mixture of peat and leaf soil, steamed in a water bath. Thus, the substrate is moistened and loosened.
The soil mixture is poured into a container or pot, tamped and spores are poured on top. The container is covered with a sheet of glass or plastic wrap. The container is installed in a bright and warm place, creating a shade from direct sunlight. Care for seedlings is to moisten the soil from the spray gun.
In two weeks you will see a green coating on the soil. If seedlings are planted too densely, then it is recommended to dive. In this case, the ground surface is cut into segments of 1x1 cm in size and transferred to a new container with the same soil.
When the seedlings grow to five centimeters, they should be sprayed with well-maintained warm water once a week, shelter from the pot during this period is not removed. If the sprouts are again too tight, they will be dived again. After that, the sprouts will grow by 5-6 cm, they will begin to accustom them to room conditions - ventilate, gradually increasing the time of "walks". Spraying is carried out as before.
In one and a half to two years from the moment of planting, young ostriches are transplanted to a permanent place.
Vegetative way
It is much simpler, and therefore common among beginner gardeners. Reproduction is carried out in early spring before the sterile shoots have not yet begun to grow or in early August, when spores mature. Part of the creeping root, 20 to 30 cm long, is separated from the mother bush. This segment usually contains several buds.
Then the dividend is planted on a previously prepared place according to a 50x50 cm pattern.
Winter preparations
Before winter, or rather, before the first snow falls, the waiyi (leaves) break and lay on the ground around the plants. Cut ostrich leaves can be a good shelter for other plants (lavender, strawberries). In spring, the dried leaves of fern are either transferred to compost, or slightly rubbed with hands and scattered on the ground.
From all of the above, we can conclude that the ostrich ordinary poses very simple requirements for planting and care. According to gardeners, this is an amazing plant that can unrecognizably change the appearance of any site.