Donate Now
and become
Forum Supporter.
Many perks! <...more...>
|
07-18-2006, 12:16 PM
|
|
Moderator
|
|
Join Date: May 2005
Zone: 7b
Location: Queens, NY, & Madison County NC, US
Age: 44
Posts: 19,374
|
|
Osmunda Fiber
Hi all,
Wanted to ask you all,
What exactly is Osmunda (Actually where does it come from),
Is it still used? Or is so last century? What are your opinions on it?
Thanks!
__________________
"We must not look at goblin men,
We must not buy their fruits:
Who knows upon what soil they fed
Their hungry thirsty roots?"
Goblin Market
by Christina Georgina Rossetti
|
07-18-2006, 12:55 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Florida
Posts: 675
|
|
Tin,
Osumnda fiber comes from the rhizome of the Osmunda Fern... I have not used it, but have heard it is good, and have also heard it isn't good (more times I have heard its a real pain).
-PM
|
07-18-2006, 01:14 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Mid Michigan
Posts: 944
|
|
Osmunda is like tree fern, but much better. It is softer and less brittle, among other things. It is also much much more expensive. If you can find some old osmunda (lots of growers used to use it by the ton, and it doesn't go bad if stored dry), then give it a try. I find a bag or two here and there in old collections. I wouldn't participate in the importation of new osmunda. The plants were seriously overharvested, and although there are supposedly 'sustainable' farms of osmunda now, I don't really believe it. Chances are good whatever you get is not harvested in an environmentally friendly way.
Anyway, you used to use osmunda with a potting stick. Yep, a stick... Take small chunks of osmunda, tuck them in around the roots, and pack them in tight with a sturdy stick until the plant doesn't wobble. Probably hard on the plant, but the osmunda lasted forever, so you didn't have to do it often. You can not do that with what is sold as tree fern, it is not at all flexible. Slabs of osmunda make excellent mounting material.
Last edited by littlefrog; 07-18-2006 at 03:56 PM..
|
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
|
|
|
07-18-2006, 02:50 PM
|
|
Moderator
|
|
Join Date: May 2005
Zone: 7b
Location: Queens, NY, & Madison County NC, US
Age: 44
Posts: 19,374
|
|
Thanks guys, I was asking cuase at work I have an old neglected and forgotten bucket of dry osmunda. Don't know if I will ever use it, but I will now be able to keep it in mind, knowing more about.
__________________
"We must not look at goblin men,
We must not buy their fruits:
Who knows upon what soil they fed
Their hungry thirsty roots?"
Goblin Market
by Christina Georgina Rossetti
|
07-18-2006, 03:55 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Mid Michigan
Posts: 944
|
|
soak it first, to rinse out the dust and make it more pliable. Don't try to use it in its current dessicated state... *grin*
Rob
|
07-19-2006, 03:23 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Germantown, Marlyand (D.C. suburbs)
Posts: 33
|
|
I actuallly use osmunda on a fairly regular basis, as opposed to treefern, and i agree - soak it, drain the dust, and make it more pliable. i find it helps to break it up either into strips that can be wrapped around the roots of the plant, or into small pieces to make a mix type pottinfg medium.
i love it though - great stuff. it drains well, (although i dont know the science behind it) is a good medium for root adhesion, and is well aerated.
|
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
|
|
|
07-25-2006, 06:48 AM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oak Island NC
Posts: 15,204
|
|
My understanding is that it is important to orient the fibers vertically in order to get maximum drainage and aeration, and that as it decomposes - slowly, but it does do so - it releases nitrogen, feeding the plant.
The stuff avaibale 20- or more years ago was far superior to the stuff you can get now.
|
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
|
|
|
07-25-2006, 10:46 AM
|
|
Moderator
|
|
Join Date: May 2005
Zone: 7b
Location: Queens, NY, & Madison County NC, US
Age: 44
Posts: 19,374
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray
My understanding is that it is important to orient the fibers vertically in order to get maximum drainage and aeration, and that as it decomposes - slowly, but it does do so - it releases nitrogen, feeding the plant.
The stuff avaibale 20- or more years ago was far superior to the stuff you can get now.
|
I didnt realize that you had to orient it a certain way. I will keep that in mind.
THe osmunda fiber I got looks really old, actually the bucket it was in says 1992!!!
__________________
"We must not look at goblin men,
We must not buy their fruits:
Who knows upon what soil they fed
Their hungry thirsty roots?"
Goblin Market
by Christina Georgina Rossetti
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
Similar Threads
|
Thread |
Thread Starter |
Forum |
Replies |
Last Post |
My new display
|
StevenBonheim |
Members' Displays |
22 |
05-02-2012 01:03 AM |
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:57 PM.
|