Barbara Joe Hoshizaki & Robbin C. Moran. Fern Grower's Manual: Revised and Expanded Edition Timber Press. 2001.

Ferns are popular shade gardening plants. There are even some that thrive in desert conditions. Fern Grower's Manual is the book for those who have grown ferns for years and are ready to go beyond just purchasing them at your local nursery. Although the information in this manual is excellent, I have summarized it by using a slightly different chapter order.

You'll find an excellent introduction to ferns and their physical structure in the first two chapters. This information is supplemented with excellent line drawings. It is important to learn to recognize the reproductive structures of ferns because they grow from spores rather than seeds. This information is followed by a chapter on obtaining ferns - through fern societies, garden stores, or by collecting them in the wild.

Unlike the view taken by many gardeners, ferns need the same basic requirements that all plants require. You will want to identify your ferns as belonging to the hardy, semi-hardy, or tender groups. Tender ferns are grown inside as houseplants (usually in terrariums). If you are inexperienced with ferns, be sure to read about their light requirements since many gardeners underestimate this need. Cultural needs (chapter 4) are followed by an excellent chapter on soils and fertilizers. Much of what is presented applies to any plant.

The next chapters (6 and 7) walk you through the fern's requirements through the seasons. Then information on planting ferns. The information included covers both inside and outside plantings. Skip to chapter 9 for information on using ferns in your outdoor landscape. You'll find much useful information on which species perform best in which location. Chapter 10 talks about the needs of ferns grown as houseplants, and in terrariums. Information on ferns requiring unusual care, such as staghorn ferns, is provided. If you are into plant shows, you'll enjoy the section on showing ferns.

Chapter 8 talks about propagating ferns. Ferns have a different type of reproduction process, involving two separate steps in order to produce a new fern from spore. Alternatively, you can produce new ferns from rhizomes or tissue culture. Complete details are presented in this chapter. Gardeners may find sexual propagation of ferns a fascinating hobby requiring much patience. Chapter 11 presents an excellent summary of possible problems with ferns, common causes, and the possible solutions. Some of this information is applicable only to ferns while other information applies to many garden plants.

The final chapters, 13 and 14, discuss how ferns get their names and then present descriptions of those fern and fern relatives currently in cultivation. Again, black and white illustrations accompany the text. There are also some color plates showing a select few of the ferns described.

Recommendation

This book is not for the beginning gardener. I'd recommend it only for those ready to acquire propagation skills requiring more skill than traditional seed growing. It is an easy to read book and may be just the challenge you need to add a new skill to your current list of garden-related skills. The book may be purchased through amazon.com.