After several years I have a couple of new birds nest ferns growing. I feel like a new parent. However, this is on a rental property and I’m concerned that the fernlings have decided to grow just above each other with the lower very close to the mulch / ground line. I fear they might just get destroyed or covered over by uncaring / unaware tenants.

When is it safe to transplant or is it not safe to? Leaves on big one are 4 in number and about 100mm long. Smaller is about 3 leaves and 20mm in length.

stan101 said:

After several years I have a couple of new birds nest ferns growing. I feel like a new parent. However, this is on a rental property and I’m concerned that the fernlings have decided to grow just above each other with the lower very close to the mulch / ground line. I fear they might just get destroyed or covered over by uncaring / unaware tenants.

When is it safe to transplant or is it not safe to? Leaves on big one are 4 in number and about 100mm long. Smaller is about 3 leaves and 20mm in length.

Relatively easy to transplant now.. just don’t move them to full sun and do keep the water up until they seem to cope by themselves.

You lucky thing, Stan101…I’m a confirmed birdsnets fern killer…like Lucky with her rhubarbs I suppose…

It has been 5 years of trying, Dinetta.

I’ll need to do some research on how to actually transplant them. They are right in a base crevice of the tree. I might need to remove part of the actual trunk.

stan101 said:

It has been 5 years of trying, Dinetta.

I’ll need to do some research on how to actually transplant them. They are right in a base crevice of the tree. I might need to remove part of the actual trunk.

Yes. it is better to carve them out than tear them off. It is probably easier though to collect and disperse the spore where you want them to grow. Remembering that all older growth ends up as compost.