368 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



CULTURAL NOTES ON TABLE FERNS 



If you want to grow these ferns from seed or spores, treat them 

 the same as Adiantum cuneatum. But why care for the seed flats 

 or pans and the little seedlings for about six months when you can 

 buy from the fern specialist heavy transplanted stock ready for 2- 

 or 2j/2-in. pots for something like $10 per 1000? If you order 

 such stock to arrive about the first part of July and, after potting 

 it, place the plants on a shaded bench, they all will grow into fine 

 plants by the time you are ready to fill the first dish. During Sum- 

 mere there isn't a florist who cannot provide facilities to grow these 

 ferns. If your houses cannot be kept at 60 deg., instead of making 

 later plantings of stock to follow the first batch, you may find it 

 cheaper to buy ready grown plants such as you will want after 

 Christmas. 



As to varieties suitable for fern dishes, if you leave the choice 

 to the firm you buy from, you will usually get from six to ten sorts 

 best suited for the purpose. Of course, the selection must take into 



account the nature of your trade. 



Fig. 159. Ficus ELASTICA. The Rubber 

 Plant is and long has been a universal 

 favorite wherever decorative foliage plants 

 are used. There are few florists' establish- 

 ments where we don't find it even though 

 sometimes it may be much neglected 



While it is desirable to have 

 as varied an assortment as 

 possible, you should avoid 

 varieties that are too delicate 

 to give satisfaction under 

 average house conditions. 



HARDY FERNS 

 (See also page 206) 



During Spring there is al- 

 ways call for hardy ferns for 

 outdoor planting in locations 

 that may be a little too shady 

 for flowers. Or they may 

 be wanted for the rockery 

 or some shady spot near the 

 water pool. Almost any of 

 these ferns will thrive in the 

 shade; in fact, they require 

 shade in order to do well. 

 Among the better known 

 ones are the Aspleniums or 

 Spleen worts; Aspidium acros- 

 tichoides, the Christmas Fern; 

 Adiantum pedatum, the 

 Maidenhair Fern; Onoclea 

 Struthiopteris, the Ostrich 

 Fern; and Aspidium Goldie- 

 anum, Goldie's Wood Fern. 



