Dividing Sword Ferns (Between Green Blobs)

The National Weather Service described it as a large-scale trough parked offshore with fast-moving systems diving south from the Gulf of Alaska. Looking out the window it simply looked wet. But the doppler radar on my phone showed a break between green blobs, so I put on my work clothes and headed out.

My work program for the day was dividing Sword Ferns to fill gaps in the ground cover. I’ve planted a lot of Sword Ferns out of pots, so I am familiar with their root structure which I would describe as a thick solid core with a dense covering of fine, hair-like roots. The overall root mass is sometimes as thick as a foot wide at ground level and extends as far as a foot below the ground.

Honestly, I hadn’t divided Sword Ferns in years, and had only the vaguest recollection of cutting through root masses with a strong, sharp knife. But to my surprise, each of the ferns that I worked with on this day was already “divided.” When I separated fronds to reveal the base of each fern, I found two ferns growing right next to each other. In most cases, one of the ferns had more fronds, which suggested that I was dealing with a parent and an offspring which had arisen from a rhizome. (Note that not all Sword Ferns have offshoots like this.)

For these ferns, I was able to drive my shovel straight down the dividing line between adjoining root masses, creating an almost-clean separation. Then, after circling around the smaller fern with straight-down shovel cuts, I could lift it out and immediately plant it in an already-prepared hole. I left each parent fern where it was, basically undisturbed except for the side where the offspring had been removed. After tamping soil back in place around both ferns, I mulched the area with plant litter.

I was able to accomplish all my divisions and plantings without breaking more than a few fronds, so when I stepped back to look at the whole site there was almost no sign of the disruption that had just turned six Sword Ferns into a dozen. About this time, I realized that the green blob had returned, and I walked home happily in the rain.