Java Fern

[Bizz]

Since I heard that Ba Innes had a plant order came i went down and got some very healthy java fern. When i went home I tried to place them like other plants I have had. But each leaf was separate so i tried different things i tied some to driftwood. i put some in the gravel in a clump and a single leaf And i tried tying some solely to to the driftwood. Which method is right as I don't want to kill them. Thanks

kyle

[Toss]

All good. the one you tie on driftwood will thrive more as long as you don't tie it too tightly. use elastic band. try not to bury the rinzhome too deep in the gravel.

[Aiglos]

Bizz: I have had this problem buying Java fern from Big als.  They attach a bunch of several leafs together to form a dense looking "plant" and then you get home and find out that you actually just have a bunch of leaves. I think this is decieving as a good rhizome is the most important part of having a nice java fern.  

I was trying to get lace java fern for ages and seen then at big als kanata and they were just as you described,  luckily Dom  helped me out with some nice java fern 'windowlev'  
I think you are better finding a club member who will help you out with one of there plantlets and you grow it out yourself.

[BigDaddy]

Bunching a group of java fern leaves together and selling it as a "plant" ... I don't get that

Believe it or not... the easiest thing to do is to float the leaves in as still water you can under good lighting.  The leaves should start putting out plantlets from the undersides.. .once they are big enough, gently tear off the new rhizome and attach it to something.

[Aiglos]

Bunching a group of java fern leaves together and selling it as a "plant" ... I don't get that

I am probally not explaining this right but instead of getting a full java fern Rhizome and all  like you would buy at an auction  it looks like they had a healthy big mother plant  and just trimmed off the end leaves  put them all together and tied a plant clip around it.  

Believe it or not... the easiest thing to do is to float the leaves in as still water you can under good lighting. The leaves should start putting out plantlets from the undersides.. .once they are big enough, gently tear off the new rhizome and attach it to something.

Big Daddy  - This is what I had to do with my regular java fern as when I bought it they were just the leaves of the fern.  I assume this is what you mean

[BigDaddy]

Haha Aiglos...

When I said, I don't get that.. I mean I don't understand why a store would sell a "plant" that is in fact not a complete plant.

Especially given the fact that you are paying for a mature plant, when in fact, you are essentially forced to grow a new one from "seed"

[Aiglos]

BD: MY mistake.   I thought I was explaining wrong.

[luvfishies]

Damage the leaves that you have. New plants should sprout from where the current leaves are damaged.

Clipped leaves, bunched together, are NOT the way to sell Java Fern, IMO.

[Bizz]

yeah it's pretty annoying but I still hope they grow.

[Seanc]

That is pritty bad, especialy since you proboly paid close to $6 for it, Thats why I like buying plants from other OVASers, or meetings, they are mature plants that have been taken careof properly.

[Bizz]

How long did the leaves take to make plantlets underneath the plant?

[Aiglos]

Bizz: you have a long wait.. probally a couple of months before you see usable plants...  Java fern grows slow.

[Bizz]

Does any one know if they will let me return them?

[mseguin]

No returns on plants.

[Toss]

These bunches of lace version of java fern I have are attached to rocks. #1 takes 4-5 months, started from a single rhizome with about 10 leaves. #2 takes 2 months, single rhizome with 3 leaves. Since this is not classified section, PM me if you interested on #2 or some rhizome from #1.

[mseguin]

Just to specify, the Java fern BA Innes gets is actually a bunch of small rhizome cuttings. Still a really dumb way for the supplier to send it, but what can u do.

[Aiglos]

Matt:  It is stupid to bunch them that way, why not give the whole rhizome ? By cutting the Rhizome so small you are really limiting the chances of that fern growing with that Rhizome.

[mseguin]

I agree, but that's the way we receive them. We can't stick the rhizome back together :-)

[Aiglos]

Curios as to why the supplier would do that.   What benifits that gives if any.

[BigDaddy]

Easy... I can take a single plant that I can sell for X and split it into multiple units that I can sell individually and make more than X.

In reality... anyone who knows what a nice lush piece of Java fern looks like wouldn't touch the wrapped up stuff with a 10 foot pole, simply because Java fern isn't a "bunched" or "potted" plant.