Description of the bracken plant, how to grow a fern in the open field, recommendations for reproduction, diseases and pests when leaving and fighting them, curious notes, harvesting rules, species.
According to the botanical classification, the bracken (Pteridium) belongs to the Dennstaedtiaceae family, which has united the fern representatives of the flora. The most widespread species is Orlyak ordinary (Pteridium aquilinum). Many people mistakenly believe that the genus is polymorphic, that is, it contains only a single species, but other scientific sources mention about 13 more different species. Basically, they are distributed in those regions of the planet where the tropical climate prevails. In addition, 6 of them can be found in China, and three are endemic, that is, they do not grow anywhere else in the wild.
| Family name | Dennstedtie |
| Growing period | Perennial |
| Vegetation form | Herbaceous |
| Breeding method | Spores or division of the bush |
| Landing period in open ground | Seedlings or cuttings are planted in the second half of spring |
| Landing rules | Planting seedlings is carried out at least 50 cm |
| Priming | Poor and loose |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 5-6 (slightly acidic) |
| Lighting degree | Shading or full shade |
| Humidity parameters | Regular and plentiful |
| Special care rules | Prevent the soil from drying out |
| Height values | 0.5–1.3 m, occasionally 2 m |
| Leaf color and shape | Intense green, double- or quadruple-feathery |
| Spore color | Brown |
| Ripening period of disputes | July-August, but not annually |
| Decorative period | Spring-autumn |
| Application in landscape design | Rockeries and rock gardens, next to houses, for harvesting |
| USDA zone | 5–8 |
The plant got its name due to the combination of the Greek word "pteris" and the Latin "aquila", which translates as "wing" and "eagle", respectively. All due to the fact that the leaves of this fern were somewhat like the wings of proud birds, covered with oblong feathers. You can often hear how it is called "pteris" also because of the outlines of its leaves.
Curious
For all representatives of the animal world, the bracken is poisonous, but man has long appreciated the taste and medicinal qualities of the leaves of the plant.
All varieties of pteris are blackish-brown in color with a fairly strong rhizome. It is located deep below the surface of the soil and is characterized by multiple creeping processes. The rhizome is approximately 5 mm across. Its surface has a dense cover of hairs, the shade of which changes from rusty yellow to blackish, no scales are formed on it.
The rhizome growing in different directions annually is the source of the formation of new young shoots. The shoots extend vertically deep into the soil, extracting nutrients and moisture from it for the fern to grow. It is such a powerful rhizome that can survive after any fire or other climatic cataclysm and contribute to the restoration of the bracken; it also ensures that it grows in one place for several hundred years.
Shoots begin to appear at the very beginning of spring, singly, spaced about 10 cm from each other. The surface of the petiole is bare, which is one of the differences between the bracken and other members of the family. The plant height can vary from 50 to 130 cm, but some varieties in southern latitudes reach two meters. The upper part has a snail-like bend, which later becomes the source of leaf formation.
The length of the leaf plates, which are called vayami in ferns, varies within 50–130 cm. They are characterized by a specific odor. The leaves are located on the rhizome in the next sequence, but sparsely. The outlines of the wai, thanks to which the plant bears its name, have a double or quadruple pinnation. The leaf lobes grow densely and are rounded at the top. The base of the lower leaves serves as the location of the nectaries. The sap that begins to ooze from them attracts insects, mainly ants. The color of the leaves is a pleasant rich green hue.
Sori, which are groupings of spores, are usually clustered along the edge of leaf lobes. Sori of various shapes are covered with veils (Hindus), which are divided into external (false) and internal (real). Between such epic outgrowths on the leaflets, there are sporangia, through which the formation of spores takes place. Spores are cells that serve to reproduce for these representatives of the green world. Ripening of spores does not occur annually, but it occurs in the period July-August. The color of the spores is brown, the outlines are spherical with corners, the surface is covered with miniature spines. When the sporangia are fully ripe, the spores spill out of them and can be carried by the wind over considerable distances.
Like all ferns, the bracken is not a difficult plant to care for, it is important not to violate the rules of agricultural technology, and then you can grow a rather decorative and no less useful bush next to the house.
How to grow bracken outdoors - care rules
- Landing place pteris in the garden should be chosen in accordance with his natural preferences - half-shaded or in full shade. A fern will grow well among trees, the crown of which will serve as protection from direct sunlight. It is recommended to select a place where the soil will be sufficiently moist, for example, on the banks of artificial or natural reservoirs.
- Soil for bracken should not be nutritious, a depleted and loose composition is suitable for a fern, since the root system requires a constant flow of air, but with sufficient moisture indicators. It is best that the acidity values are within the pH range of 5–6, that is, the substrate needs a slightly acidic one.
- Eagle landing carried out during the period when the frosts have already passed, and the soil warms up enough, from about mid-spring. An indication that the plant is ready for planting will be fronds in full bloom. Planting is done with an earthen clod so that the root system is not accidentally injured. The planting hole should be slightly larger than an earthen lump. You should not bury the seedling deeply into the ground, otherwise it may die. After the plant is placed in the planting hole, prepared soil is poured around and abundant watering is performed. It can be noted that it is difficult to take root pteris, but with proper care it can begin to grow, pleasing the eye with the arrival of a new season with openwork foliage. If several plants are planted next to each other, then about 0.5 meters are left between them, so that when they grow, they do not interfere with each other. Since the bracken will melt with the property of aggressively seizing the territory, then you need to immediately take care of the restriction beyond which its rhizomes will not spread. To do this, when planting, it is recommended to use roofing material or geotextiles as limiters. Some gardeners simply plant the fern in large iron buckets with no bottom. You can use other materials that can stop the movement of root processes. If the bracken roots were dug out in the forest, then it is worth grabbing some of the same soil in which the fern grew. When planting, this composition is poured into the hole. This will help the plant adapt faster. After planting, you need to mulch the soil under the bush. For this, you can use coniferous needles. Such a layer will protect the soil from rapid drying out and will allow it to remain loose for longer. Also, a layer of coniferous mulch will help maintain the acidity of the substrate, which will strengthen the pteris rhizome.
- Watering when caring for a bracken in the open field, it must provide constant humidity, therefore, humidification is performed regularly, abundantly and often. But it is important not to bring the substrate to acidification and flooding, otherwise the root system may begin to rot.
- Fertilizers for pteris, they are introduced together with water, which is poured over the fern. So feeding is recommended to be given only 2-3 times during the growing season. These drugs can be Absolut, Stimovit or Biopon. Some gardeners use organic or complete mineral complexes that include nitrogen. But with such fertilizers, you should be careful, as you need to remember that the fern mainly grows naturally on poor soil.
- General care tips … It is recommended to periodically remove those fronds that have aged, dried out or broken. This operation will not only give the fern more decorative outlines, but also stimulate the appearance of young shoots. In the spring, you can renew the mulch layer.
- The use of bracken in landscape design. If there are places on the site where the shading is too much or you need to fill the area between the trees, then such a fern will look good there. You can also plant in rockeries and rock gardens provided with shading to fill the voids between the stones. Pines or birches will be good neighbors, then the bracken can serve as a ground cover crop. If there is a slope with partial shading on the site, then the fern will complete the picture with its openwork leaves. The plant is also beautiful in the autumn, when fronds take a light brown or bronze color. Of the flowers, pteris will look good next to tall lilies and arrowheads. In rock gardens, it will be set off by such a creeping culture as periwinkle.
Read also how to grow a fern at home.
Recommendations for breeding bracken
To get such a fern, the shoots of which are used for food, you should sow its seeds or divide an overgrown bush.
Reproduction of bracken by spores
To do this, it is necessary to collect ripened spores in early autumn. The leaf lobes, which are decorated with sori on the back, are cut off and placed in a dry room to dry. After that, using a spoon, scrape the spores onto a paper sheet. The resulting material is also left to dry and stored until spring, then in a paper bag.
With the arrival of January, you can sow spores in seedling boxes filled with loose peaty soil (river sand and peat chips can be mixed in equal proportions). The soil must be thoroughly sprayed with a spray bottle, and spores must be spread on its surface. Since they are very small, it is not worth embedding spores into the ground. The container with crops is covered with a plastic bag or a piece of glass is placed on top of it. The room in which germination will be carried out should be warm and with good lighting. You can even provide bottom heating by placing the drawer on the battery. Crop care consists in daily airing and spraying with warm water from a fine spray gun if the soil has begun to dry out.
When 2 months have passed, the soil surface will be covered with green moss. After that, the shelter is removed so that there is more oxygen access to the bracken seedlings. After the seedlings grow up, the seedlings are dived into separate pots with a small diameter. The soil can be used the same as for sowing. When April-May comes around, the ferns are ready to be transplanted into the garden.
Reproduction of bracken by dividing the bush
This method is simpler than the one described earlier when spores were used, since the adult specimen has a developed rhizome, which will need to be increased by seedlings. If such a fern rhizome is divided, then it will recover over time during subsequent planting. In the middle of spring, when severe frosts have already receded, the bracken bush is removed from the substrate. Using a shovel, first dig the fern around the perimeter, and then, using a garden pitchfork, remove it. The division is carried out with a well-sharpened knife, so that the divisions are obtained with 1-2 buds of growth, sufficient rhizome and the number of shoots.
It is recommended to treat the cuts immediately with crushed coal, and so that the rhizome does not dry out, it is necessary to immediately plant the bracken cut in moistened soil. If we talk about natural growing conditions, then even a piece of pteris rhizome is able to give new shoots, therefore, in the fields during agricultural work, the plant often becomes a problem and a weed.
Important
This type of fern does not reproduce by cuttings.
If you can dig up rhizomes in the forest, then they can also propagate bracken. However, after planting, such plants do not grow very quickly, but over time, the growth rate will increase and the fern will turn into a large bush.
Diseases and pests when caring for a bracken and methods of dealing with them
Despite the fact that most ferns are quite resistant plants, it happens that they are not exposed to diseases, but to pests. Due to the fact that bracken shoots are distinguished by their juiciness and the release of a sweetish liquid, thrips, scale insects or whiteflies often settle on them:
- Thrips on the leaves are recognized as very small bugs (approximately 1–1.5 mm long), light yellow or dark brown in color. Symptoms of their appearance are spots of yellow necrotic color on the leaf lobes, which eventually completely merge.
- Shield visible due to the fact that brownish tubercles appear on the underside of the leaf plates, the foliage turns yellow and flies around.
- Whitefly a whitish shade can cover the entire plant, on the reverse side the leaves are dotted with white dots.
Usually, when a pest appears, a sticky substance also begins to cover the bracken foliage - a honeydew, which is a product of the insect's vital activity. If measures are not taken, then this substance can provoke the appearance of a disease such as sooty fungus.
If it is not planned to collect shoots, then insecticidal preparations work well against pests, for example, Aktara, Aktellik or Fitoverm. But if you want to pamper yourself with salted young fern stems, then you should give up chemicals, preferring folk remedies, such as a solution based on soap or tobacco, onion husks or garlic gruel.
Read more about harmful insects and possible problems when breeding asplenium
Curious notes about the eagle
As for many plants from this family, the time of appearance on the planet of this fern is approximately 55 million years ago. Bracken is one of those ancient plants, namely lichens, that have been able to survive from ancient times to our time and have practically not changed their shape.
The plant has long been appreciated by humans because of the substances that make up its composition. Scientists have identified not only vitamins (C, E and group B), but also flavonoids, saponins and starch, contains proteins and tannin, glycosides and many useful trace elements, including iron, iodine, manganese, calcium and others.
It is noted that it is the young shoots of the bracken that are overflowing with the most useful components. When the fern grows in size and the spores mature, cyanides and hydrocyanic acid take their place.
Due to the abundance of nutrients, folk healers also appreciated the bracken. Dried fern shoots serve as the basis for the manufacture of decoctions and are used to treat diarrhea and vomiting, headaches and colds. Such drugs help to relieve nervous disorders and manifestations of hypertension, have anthelmintic properties and help with weakened immunity.
Several centuries ago, European healers used bracken to cure rheumatism and arthritis, and eliminate convulsions. Revealed its ability to stimulate the body, choleretic and expectorant properties. If you eat young shoots, they remove radionuclides from the body, relieve stress and help them resist, increase the regeneration of human tissues and normalize metabolism.
But at the same time, as usual, there are contraindications for the use of such drugs, since the shoots can carry a small fraction of the poison that can accumulate in the body. These are considered:
- childhood;
- pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding;
- hypotension;
- individual intolerance.
However, you should remember the symptoms of eagle poisoning: severe dizziness, vomiting and nausea, the manifestation of allergic reactions, problems in the functioning of the liver and kidneys.
In cooking, this fern stands along with complete foods that are used in food. If there are bracken plantings on the site, then you can start harvesting it for future use. If the year was bad, then such supplies helped, since they served as a substitute for bread. If you pickle young shoots, then their taste resembles mushrooms, but to some they are somewhat similar to asparagus.
Important!!
Do not eat raw bracken shoots. Salting of young stems, decoction or soaking is carried out. Only after that can you fearlessly eat them.
On the territory of Japan, they learned not only to salt bracken, but also to prepare sweets, pies and rare gourmet products from it. In other countries, it is customary to mix crushed fern stalks with flour when baking baked goods, as well as add to salads, add to seafood dishes, and make sauces. If vegetables are shifted with foliage, then in winter the fern will save supplies from decay.
The use of bracken - features of the workpiece
Since it is customary among the people to harvest fern shoots, we will consider how to do this. The best time to harvest young stems is mid-spring, but this period may differ slightly in different regions, so the collection is usually carried out when the bird cherry petals begin to crumble and the lilies of the valley bloom. If, when trying to disrupt the eagle's shoot, it breaks off easily, then the time for collection has come. When the stems begin to bend easily, then collecting them is no longer worth it. The length, which should be optimal when collecting shoots, is in the range of 20-25 cm, their thickness is 5-15 cm. The cut is made at the base, and then they are collected in bunches.
Important
It is not recommended to cut off the entire bracken bush, so that later it can continue to develop normally.
If processing is not carried out after cutting for 3–12 hours, then even cut shoots are exposed to lignification. Often, young stems are used for pickling and then ready to eat. Drying can be done outdoors for a day or two. After processing, such shoots are suitable for consumption throughout the year. When a fern rhizome is harvested for medical purposes, its properties are preserved for several years.
Usually, for salting bracken stalks, tubs are used, in which bundles are laid in layers. Before each new layer, sprinkle with coarse table salt. In general, the weight of all salt used should be 1/4 of the total weight of the shoots. On top of all layers, oppression is placed and so it is kept for 14–20 days. When the specified period expires, the oppression is removed, and the brine is drained. The second stage will be laying the top layers on the bottom of the container and filling them with brine. This time, salt is required to take 5 times less than the resulting mass of shoots. The oppression is again laid on top, and the exposure time will be a week.
Before using salted pteris shoots, they must be soaked in fresh water for 7 hours. Then boil for 5 minutes. Ready! The fern shoots are now edible.
Bracken species
Common bracken (Pteridium aquilinum)
the most popular variety. Natural growth covers almost all territories of the globe, with the exception of the arctic, steppe and desert regions. It grows in poor and dense soil, often preferring calcareous soil. It can reach 2 meters in height, but the main indicators fluctuate between 30-100 cm. The rhizome lies deep and helps the plant to rapidly reproduce in a vegetative way, while mastering not only abandoned fields and pastures, but also felling and burning. The root system is characterized by strong branching and is formed by both horizontal and vertically deeply extending root processes. Their color is black. Often it is a weed that cannot be removed.
Leaf fronds are distinguished by double-pinnation and the presence of a specific odor. The surface of the leaf lobes is dense and harsh. The leaves are attached to an elongated fleshy petiole. The outlines of the leaf plates are triangular, but the leaves themselves have an oblong lanceolate shape, obtuse at the apex, without sharpening. At the base, they occasionally have a lobed contour or a pinnate notch. A pair of leaf lobes in the lower part is distinguished by the presence of nectaries, through which a sweetish liquid is released. Such a substance attracts ants. The edge of the segments flaunts a wrapped outline.
Sori on the edge surround the entire edge of the leaf plate, they are covered with special covers. Disputes do not mature every year. Spores are colored brownish. Spread when the sporangia are opened by the wind. The ripening process falls on the period July-August.
Eagle-eyed eagle (Pteridium esculentum)
- reaches a meter in height. The rhizome is elongated creeping. The surface of the leaves is leathery. The petiole is yellowish brown, shiny. Its length is within 40-50 cm. The leaf lobes are oblong-lanceolate, truncated at the base. Natural distribution falls on the tropical regions of the planet, but it can also be grown here.
Falcatum bracken (Pteridium falcatum)
can reach a height of two meters. The rhizome is also creeping. When dry, the pale green leaves take on a brownish black or brownish straw hue. Placement of leaf lobes on the petiole is opposite. The outlines of the leaflets are narrow-triangular-ovate. The size of the leaves is approximately 100x50 cm.
Related article: Cultivation of a platycerium
Video about growing, collecting and using bracken:
