Hello, I'm new to the forum. First time post here. I'm looking after a garden for my Mom in Kelowna BC which is somewhat overgrown but still quite nice. On the north side of the house, there is a section of Lilly Of The Valley and a section of Anemone which I would like to keep. Unfortunately, both areas have become infested with Ferns, which I believe to be originally from the Kootenays. I don't mind having a few of them but I would like to at least control them since they become very thick and tall by the end of the season. I can't believe how these Ferns can thrive in the Okanagan! I'm guessing that the only way to get rid of them is to dig them up as they come up in the spring while the other ground cover is just starting to wake up? Even if I can't get rid of them, I would at least like to knock them back significantly. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I find our native ferns can be quite resiliant and if they get enough moisture will survive just about anywhere. I don't suppose you have a picture or know what type of ferns? Do they grow in a clump or are they single stalk? (lady fern vs. bracken) As for controlling them, I have a lot of lady ferns and find that the root is close to the surface so they are relatively easy to remove in one clump at any time of year. Bracket can be a little more stubborn as it spreads undergound. However it would be best to try to remove now before they cover up your other plants. Barring this, you can keep cutting them back as they grow and then dig out in the fall. Hopes this helps.
Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure what they are but I fear they are "the dreaded Bracken." I'm going to get some photos of them when they are leafing out to try and properly identify them. Right now they've just started to come up. They actually look nice when they're small but some of them get quite tall (about 5') and they've just gotten out of control. I'll just have to try and stay on top of them this year, which can be difficult since I don't live there. (It's my elderly Mom's garden which I am looking after) I'll see if I can keep them down this season and then attack them in the fall, as you suggested. Thanks again.
If you do have bracken, believe it or not but they are edible, you just have to prepare them carefully to remove the "toxins". bracken fiddleheads with truffle butter Bracken fern is as good to eat as it is beautiful, but you need to take some special steps in cooking it to diminish its harmful properties. Once you do this, it is best to just simply cook these pretty things and enjoy their flavor, which is a combination of asparagus, almonds and kale. Truffle butter seemed like a natural choiceas a flavoring — regular butter and truffle salt is a good alternative. No truffle products? Just use the best butter you can afford and a nice fleur de sel. Splurge! After all, you should only eat bracken a few times a year, so enjoy it! Serves 2. Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 5 minutes •3/4 to 1 pound young bracken fiddleheads •Salt •3 tablespoons truffle butter 1.Trim the bracken fiddleheads to an even length. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add enough salt to make it taste like the sea. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Boil the bracken for 2 minutes, then plunge into the ice water. let them sit in the water for 45 minutes. Pat dry. 2.Heat half the truffle butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the fiddleheads for 4-5 minutes, flipping them from time to time. Sprinkle some salt over them. Turn off the heat and add the remaining butter. Swirl to coat the fiddleheads with the butter as it melts. Eat at once. You collect the fiddleheads when they are young and prepare as directed - I remember trying them once - tasted kind of like aspargus - but not with the fancy butter :)
