When To Transplant Ferns - T-Tees - Your Answers Await, Life's Questions Unraveled

Q. I want to transplant some ferns. — Shawna in Shandaken

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A. One of the problems people can run into in transplanting ferns is that in many places it is illegal to transplant ferns that are growing in the wild. American Hart’s Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium L. var. americanum) is an example of a fern on New York’s threatened list. Transplanting ferns that are in your yard or have been purchased at a nursery is a different matter, of course.

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Dividing and transplanting ferns is best done in the early spring before the season’s growth has begun, but it can be done in late spring if watered frequently.

Dig the ferns up, preserving as much of the root mass as possible. There will be a lot of ferns in a clump. Plant in well-drained soil, cover the clumps with at least one inch of soil, and water.

Even though ferns should be grown in shady parts of the yard or garden, when transplanting them it’s a good idea to cover the soil with mulch once the plants have been put in place, to help keep the soil moist. Mulching to a depth of 3-4 inches is necessary. Most ferns have a very shallow root system and do not easily tolerate being in soil that has been allowed to dry out.

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The fern will not necessarily die in such a situation, but in drought conditions the plant tends to die back and go dormant. To keep this from happening, the soil should be worked to a depth of 6-8 inches. Mix in plenty of leaf mold or compost, and the result should be a planting mix that will retain moisture quite well.

Transplant established ferns by lifting them from the ground by their root system and not by the fronds. While a fern plant can tolerate being “pulled by the hair,” its fronds can easily be broken. The damage to the plant itself will usually not be too severe, but the attractiveness of the plant will suffer.

Q. I have a very small and almost transparent bug eating my Andromeda — Chris in New Paltz

A. This is a lace bug (Stephanitis pyrioides), another bug that feeds by piercing and sucking. It can cause enough damage to your azaleas to seriously stunt their growth.

Females lay eggs on the lower leaf surface along the midrib or lateral veins and cover them with a brownish substance. These dark varnish- or molasses-like spots are obvious when plants are heavily infested. Most species have five stages before becoming adults. Each generation, from egg to adult, takes about 30-45 days. There may be 3-5 generations each year.

A hard stream of water will disturb them, but if the infestation is big then using an insecticidal soap is the answer. Continue to spray until runoff when plant is thoroughly wet. Thorough treatment of the undersides of the leaves is needed for best results.

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Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s Master Gardener Program hosts its annual Mohonk Garden Walk and Luncheon June 30 at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz. Garden enthusiasts will embark in groups of about 15 people on a two-hour walking tour of Mohonk’s formal flower gardens, annual and perennial beds, and greenhouse. The tours are guided by a CCE master gardener or a member of Mohonk’s landscape and garden staff.

Tours begin between 10 and 10:30 a.m., followed by a buffet-style lunch served at noon in the West Dining Room, featuring guest speaker Greg Draiss, gardening writer and buyer for a garden center.

The fee is $60 per person, which includes the luncheon. Preregistration is required no later than June 25.

For more information, call Dona Crawford at 340-3990 or go to www.cceulster.org.

“The ABCs of Gardening” is submitted by the master gardeners of the Cornell Cooperative Extensions of Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties, on a rotating basis, in response to questions from callers to the Master Gardener Volunteer Helpline. Dona M. Crawford is the Master Gardener coordinator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County.

For answers to your gardening questions, call your local Master Gardener Volunteer Helpline: Orange County — 18 Seward Ave., Middletown. Calls are answered “live” by master gardeners 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, April-November. All other times, leave a message at 343-0664 or e-mail [email protected]. Sullivan County — 69 Ferndale-Loomis Road, Liberty. Calls are answered 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 292-6180. Ulster County — 10 Westbrook Lane, Kingston. Calls are answered 9 a.m.-noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday, March-October, and 9 a.m.-noon Fridays only, November-February. Otherwise, leave a message, 340-3478. Master gardeners are also available in the Cooperative Extension offices for soil testing and plant and insect identification. The cost is $5 for plant and insect identification and $3 for a soil pH test.