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I have a maidenhair fern which appears to not be in the greatest shape (although some fiddleheads appear from time to time) and I would like to reproduce it in a vase. I've tried cutting a small piece of it and putting it in water to see if any roots grow. I later learned that this doesn't work.

But more recently I thought of gently removing its sori and powdering them on the vase, hoping that the spores develop into the prothallus which can, in turn, give origin to a new fern. Any thoughts about what I can do??

Brenno
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While my field ferns are not Maidenhair ferns, other sources do confirm the relative ease of root division as applying to Maidenhair ferns, with spores as a definite, but somewhat trickier option.

If you are going to attempt to spore right to the vase, you may need to bag the vase to get adequate humidity for success. Alternatively, spore to damp medium in a bag and transfer once germinated.

Ecnerwal
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