Gardening Q & A: From Staghorn Ferns to Wild Ginger Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-715 -- More Projects »
Master gardener Paul James answers questions about staghorn ferns, banana plants, wild ginger and more:Q: I'd like to grow a staghorn fern. Any tips or suggestions?
A: Staghorn ferns make awesome specimens, as well as great conversation pieces, and they're relatively easy to grow, at least during the summer months. These ferns are native to the tropics where they usually grow on trees, which would explain why they are usually wired to some sort of wood on a base of packed sphagnum moss (figure A). The distinctive fronds, from which the staghorn ferns get their name, can easily grow up to three feet long, and I've seen mature specimens in greenhouses a lot bigger than that! Caring for these ferns requires a humid environment and a fair amount of filtered light. Make sure to protect them from the afternoon sun or they'll burn to a crisp. Soak the base of the plant once a week, and use an orchid fertilizer at half strength every other week. Remember that these plants cannot tolerate temperatures below 50 degrees F. The only downside to growing a staghorn fern is that they're tough to over-winter indoors unless you have a greenhouse, because they need humidity levels in the range of 50 to 80 percent. If you mist them several times a day and provide adequate light, chances are you'll get to enjoy them year round. Q: Is there such a thing as a hardy banana?
A: Yes, in fact, I know of two. The Chinese yellow banana (Musella lasiocarpa) (figure B) is hardy to Zone 6. I over-wintered it outdoors in this pot with no protection of any kind even when temperatures dropped to single digits. In fact, I never even watered it, but it's bouncing back beautifully. In the ground, it grows up to five feet tall, and mature clumps can sometimes spread up to 15 feet wide. The Chinese fibre banana (Musa basjoo) is hardy to Zone 5. It reaches tree-like proportions, up to 15 feet tall with a trunk diameter of up to one foot. Q: Why don't I see any hanging baskets at your new place?
A: While I like looking at hanging baskets, I don't like maintaining them, especially in my neck of the woods where those in full sun require water once or sometimes even twice a day. But recently I compromised with my wife who loves hanging baskets and located them only in shady areas like these under a tree (figure C) so that they won't dry out as quickly. We lined the baskets with cocoa fiber mats (figure D) to further reduce moisture loss and filled them with shade-tolerant tropical plants.Q: What is wild ginger, and is it the same ginger you get the spice from?
A: The ginger from which the spice is derived is from the genus Zingiber, and it's hardy only to Zone 10. Wild ginger (Asarum) includes several species native to North America that are hardy to Zone 2. Asarum splendens 'Quicksilver' (figure E) is a variegated wild ginger that grows to about six inches tall and slowly spreads to make a choice evergreen groundcover. So why is Asarum called wild ginger? In days of old, the root was actually harvested as a substitute for the more familiar and much tastier, real ginger. Q: My mother used to grow a plant she called bear's breeches. It had large leaves and a tall spike with white flowers. Any idea what it was?
A: Common names can be confusing. But my guess is the plant your mother grew was Acanthus, also known as "bear's breeches" or "Grecian pattern plant" (figure F). Hardy to Zone 7 with a little protection, Acanthus is an outstanding plant with oak-like leaves up to two feet long and a two-foot-tall flower spike. It requires shade, and if it likes where it is, it can spread pretty rapidly. The good news--it's easy to keep in check by routinely pruning the new shoots as they appear in early spring. And regardless, it's worth growing for its almost tropical effect.Q: When are shallots ready to harvest?
A: I've never really understood why shallots are so expensive in the stores because they are incredibly easy to grow, whether in the garden or in containers on the patio. Shallots, and their cousins garlic and onions, are ready to harvest when the foliage begins to fade and turn brown. As you can see, mine are still green (figure G). In a few weeks, when they begin to fade, I'll withhold water and leave them in the ground to cure for about a week or two before digging them up.
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