TREE FERN SOIL 💘 all about my mix and plants I'm growing in it!

If you've watched basically any video of mine that was uploaded in the last 6 months you'll know that I love tree fern soil mix big time and I really believe this substrate has catapulted my anthuriums into the best era of growth I've ever experienced. I can't tell you how many times people have DM'ed me asking for my mix, which I have mentioned tons of times throughout other videos but I understand it can be tough to find this info within much longer (unrelated) videos so I figured this deserves its own video. I'm definitely not the first to use this type of mix and as I'm learning more and more about soil in general I hope I'll be able to make an updated one in the future with more information!
Also this video was meant to be a lot longer but I got so frustrated with my camera's inability to focus that I ended up cutting a bunch of it out 🥲 but I think I was able to cover a lot of my most frequently asked questions about this substrate, particularly as it pertains to anthuriums.
Fernwood company information: www.fernwoodnz.com/our-story
Mushroom Revival Podcast "The Mycorrhizal Market Economy" episode: open.spotify.com/episode/4hpo...
How to sterilize your soil: www.almanac.com/should-you-st...
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PRODUCTS MENTIONED (affiliate links):
Tree fern fibre (Canada): amzn.to/3tZCoU3
Great White Mycorrhizal Inoculant (USA): amzn.to/3EnzMAR
Great White Mycorrhizal Inoculant (Canada): amzn.to/49qfvIs
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MY FAVOURITE GROW LIGHTS (affiliate links):
Soltech (Aspect and Vita): bit.ly/3xQahZ8
Mother Life PlantSpectrum light: mother.life/US/shop/plantspec...
Barrina T5 2ft yellow (CANADA): amzn.to/3OlKgVO
Barrina T5 2ft yellow (USA): amzn.to/3EpnYOA
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Instagram: @youdontevengrowhere bit.ly/3sR2K7Y
Shop my favourite plant products (affiliate links): amzn.to/32Sb4cC
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All music and sound effects courtesy of Epidemic Sound. Get a 7 day free trial here: share.epidemicsound.com/kpnjj3

[@marymiller5824]

ALICE!!!!!!!!!! This video was just impeccable……So so helpful! You & Charmaine are The Queens f youtube! I hope at this time Charmaine is hanging in there, and healthy! You are going to be an Aunt wether you want to or not 😂😂😂

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Awww thank you so much Mary 🥹🥹

[@deniseakagvtspender5885]

Very informative. Thanks for sharing.😊

[@RootsReady]

So interesting! I haven't looked into Tree Fren Fiber until I watched your video. I have a few anthuriums that are struggling in semi hydro and coco fiber. This sounds like it should be the answer. Thank you!

[@nancyrock477]

So much information! Thank you!

[@hennesseyme9112]

Thank you for this information.

[@JohnnyWin]

I get durable scissors and chop up the tree fern when I get bags that are chunky like that. I've purchased about five 40 liter bags already and some are perfectly nice particles with no chunks, and some with massive chunks. It's like a gamble. The ones with really big chunks, I would put it in a food processor and do a rough chop on them and it will usually loosen up easier by hand.

[@aub_k2819]

Awesome video Alice! So much information! I use myco because of you and Charmaine ❤❤👯‍♀️👯‍♀️

[@kathleenhall3868]

Such a concise presentation. I'll have to re-watch it, I know, but thank you for putting it all together, incl. references.

[@lisakatriina]

Thanks!

[@PlantedinPlatinum]

I have soooo been looking forward to this video 🥹 Thanks for all of your hard work queen 🌟🖤

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Thank you love 🥹❤️❤️

[@MrSonoru]

I've been thinking of getting some tree fern fiber for my plants, but it is indeed quite expensive. I have been using coco coir as I don't want to be using peat and it has been working fine for the most part. I will definitely try tree fern fiber with a couple of my green babies after seeing this video to see how it works in my environment. Thank you for such an informative video!

[@lisaanglim9588]

This has been a very informative video. I will reuse my soilless mix but my old pots that have a soil mix with mostly peat. I do throw that out. Thank you for this video. I think I’ll be trying tree fern soil in the future.

[@victoriastewart7116]

I totally agree with everything Alice is saying about tree fern! I grow my anthurium seedling's in tree fern and perlite (Alice's and Charmaine's recommendation). I also have had nearly 100% success rate with rooting jungle cactus in it. rhipsalis, disocactus, and lepismiums looove it! I can stick in a cutting, dampen it, and roots develop in a matter of weeks. So glad I discovered this wondrous substrate! Thanks to Alice and Charmaine of course!

[@lisaanglim9588]

Good afternoon Alice. I’m liking the video so far. You look very nice today. Hope you’re having a nice Sunday.

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Thank you Lisa 🥹 happy Mother’s Day!!

[@lisaanglim9588]

@@youdontevengrowhere. Thank you Alice

[@scottfletcher1956]

I am so stoked you made this video. I bought the big bag of fiber and I haven’t mixed it with anything. I am so thankful I heard your take on the buffering, I feel so much better now. I read about it 2 years ago and I’ve never heard anyone talk about it til now. I’ve been washing (very thoroughly) my coco chunks. 3 times I might add, and completely drying them out. In total this takes almost 3 weeks. I’ve also been pre inoculating my coco chunks with rootwise and cal mag. I check weekly on this mix so it doesnt dry out. I feel ready now to do a fiber/coco chunk mix. I feel like sometimes I read stuff and it’s not true, so super stoked I heard the buffer info. If you’re using coco chunks def read up about it, and the particle charge info. There’s more than cal mag that can cause an issue. Ask me how I know.

[@youdontevengrowhere]

I’d love to read more about it! The more I learn about coco the more I’m convinced it’s the least beginner friendly substrate 😅

[@sailorscouttt]

This was great! Thank you so much Alice!!! I love your explanations and concise information. I know you’re hard on yourself about these how to videos, but you’re actually so good at it! ❤️

[@carolstuff]

Great info; thanks so much for sharing!

[@boopeepope56-ey5gz]

Rare for me tp listen to a video more than once. This one i have

[@aplantprocess]

Great video. I hope it’s shared often because so many people could benefit from it. I’m also glad you talked about peat moss. I’ve stopped buying any products with it and it didn’t cause any problems. Small steps like this, made by a lot of people, can make a huge difference.

[@kspence5300]

Perfect timing for this video 🌱

[@kirstenerickson5063]

This is such a good video!! Thank you Alice!!❤❤❤❤👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@svenson1443]

The video everyone waited for. 🤌🏼

[@youdontevengrowhere]

😅😅 thank you Svenson!

[@Chanelle199205]

You go girl! Very informative video, loved it ❤

[@vaylara5679]

I am using Tree Fern / Aroid Mix for 1 year now for almost every plant and they all really love it :) Its still really hard to buy in the EU, small bags are way too expensive and I had to buy a big bag directly at Besgrow, the European distributor of Fern Wood. Keep up growing and the nice videos! :)

[@robina.disotell5683]

Yes! I'm in Getmany and just spent over €70 to get the "ingredients " for the Airoid Mix and Treefern Fiber. If I add the white shark it will make it €100 to get this plant tower project started!!! And with our weather this year, plant lighting is a must add, too! 😮 But when i see my Manjula Pothos thriving, it's such a joy. The price of happiness 😂

[@lisaanglim9588]

I agree with you on watering. It’s a big choir to me. I put it off a couple days. Then water a bigger number of plants. I’d rather do that than watering every day.

[@littleheaven70]

I'm lucky enough to live in New Zealand where tree fern is still not cheap, but it's not as expensive as it is in the US and Canada. I started using it a couple of years ago. At first just for propagating and growing seedlings, but it was so good I ended up using it as the main ingredient in my mix for pretty much everything. Now I use tree fern/bark/pumice/chunky biochar for any tropical plant. I just adjust the ratio of tree fern up or down depending on how moisture retentive I want the mix to be. I feel super comfortable keeping it moist because it's so airy. My jewel orchids love it. I can just snap bits off and jam them back into the pot and they root really fast. I use it mixed with coco chip and chunky perlite in my moss poles, and mixed with smaller perlite for growing anthurium seedlings. If I could only use three ingredients for any plant mix, ever, I'd choose tree fern, bark, and pumice.

[@Fried_Egg0000]

This was an absolutely fascinating watch! You explain complicated concepts so clearly and simply. I don’t even grow anthurium! 😅

[@deias.721]

Finalllllly! Ive been looking for a good soil mix for my anthiriums .

[@kevin.]

YAYYYYYYY i'm definitely a tree fern newbie haha. Awesome video as always 😀

[@purrshark]

Thank you. I haven’t been reusing my tree fern but will be doing so now.

[@elizabethkey6578]

Thank you for this video!! It was great

[@joannajasinska5557]

Fantastic video!

[@Growtogetherproject]

Banger!! 🗣️🌱🙌🏾

[@kimdeline4590]

YAYYYYY!!!! I have been waiting for this video! I make a similar mix, but I want to know what YOU do! Thank you so much for the video!

[@suezy1969]

Thank you for this video :). Love your beautiful plants 🪴

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Thank you so much!

[@samcresp5440]

Thank you for this video! I finished my last bag of orchid soil/bark and bought my first bag of tree fern and stocked up on more amendments alongside. I’m glad to hear more in depth understanding of scientific knowledge besides “I got sponsored by this fertiliser/brand and I just use it”, but to say they’re wrong or bad, but I appreciate seeing and hearing the backing! I also get so shy because I do try to stretch my plant resources and reuse soil, and I don’t feel good enough in comparison to the bougie plant parents who use special mixes and throw out the mix after a repot. I’m curious about how using mushroom compost as an organic element in a soil mix for indoor plants would fair, I’ve used it for my outdoor food garden and always found plenty of fun mushroom friends hanging out. I wonder if it would be beneficial to our indoor plants!

[@MR_RN_NYC]

🥳🥳🥳 I use Tree Fern Soil and TPS One bc of you and instead of a LECA reservoir I do a Pon reservoir. And I suggest it to everyone! Thanks!🙏🏽

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Pon reservoir works so well too!!

[@carolinebaines8735]

I've used PON in the past but it's so dang hard to get recently it's too precious to use as a reservoir.

[@Yoliplanting]

This is an outstanding video Alice. Honestly one of your best♥️🌸

[@clearwaterbeachhomesearchm5957]

Video well done. Thanks

[@kristinabao-paluck2533]

New subscriber. This was helpful. Thank you!

[@butchbf2612]

I'm not sure about other coco coir sources (bricks are never prebuffered), but jiffy grow bags are prebuffered and have a mix of cocochips and coir! I've had great experience with using prebuffered coco coir. I like tree fern as well, but I like that coco is more sustainable, I still use tree fern for smaller anthurium poles, since they don't often need upsizing or extending

[@maryperry5910]

In my experience propping dracena takes forever! Next time tree fern soil!!! Thank you Alice for all your experience and knowledge you pass on to us! 😊

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Thank you Mary!!

[@lisakatriina]

First of all THANKYOU for all the information in this video!!! I am wanting to try something close to your mix. I picked up some 'orignal sea soil' to try (hoping that was a good choice 😅) My current substrate is coir (not buffered; new knowledge to me), TFF, pumice, chunky perlite, fine fir bark, bio char and pon. For various reasons I think I need to get away from the coir. I have a mass amount made; which would be a shame/loss to just garbage/not use 😢 I was thinking of sifting it; to remove the coir (when I do this I will lose the fine TFF also); but still be left with the majority of the ingredients. Do you think the coir would be removed effectively *enough*, to transfer those ingredients to soil? Maybe with adding some extra TFF 😅 Your mix doesn't have pumice either; so I would be adding pumice as it's mixed in with everything else 😅 Thanks Alice! Am excited that I may have found out what's going wrong with my current substrate; coir seems too advanced for me to deal with 😂

[@djhiggins4431]

I use tree fern fiber mixed with chunky pearlite charcoal and depending on the plant some pon mixed in and it works well for hoyas, anthuriums, philodendrons, monsteras, everything. I could mix in cocofiber/chunks to I suppose

[@lisaplanty]

Hi there, love your videos. I am going to try Treefern fibre mix. Can you please list the ingredients you have in your tree fern soil mix that you use for propagations and all the plants you listed you mentioned something about garden soil so I was wondering which one you use as well as tree fern and what else did you add? Thanks so much.

[@alinab8659]

Use BTI drops for fungus gnats! You wont regret it!!!

[@ThatGirlShelbyy]

🤩❤️🤩

[@OrdinaryPlantGirl]

Ok so I have never rinsed/buffered my Coco Coir so that's interesting. In order to make everything stretch and use up my Coco Coir ( I've had a bag for over 2 years ) I mix my tree fern with soil and coco, perlite, bark & worm castings. I've had good results so far. It does explain why anything I had in just a Coco Coir mix did badly though. No root growth and declines mostly my Philo's.

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Those years I used primarily coco-based mixes I could never figure out why my plants couldn’t grow as big as other people 🥲

[@lisaanglim9588]

I think that’s coarse #3 that you showed us. I’ve used #2 and that wasn’t big enough to add to the rest of the mix.

[@fitvegancatmama]

I started using a tree fern "soil" because of you and my rootless KoS started rooting within a few days! I tried rooting it for over a month with no success in other substrates. Tff is amazing so ty! One question... what outdoor soil did you use? The one you mentioned you're going back to when you finish the pro mix soil.

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Once I finish the HP mix I plan on using either fox farm happy frog or sea soil!

[@lisakatriina]

​@@youdontevengrowhere I'm curious also! I checked out 'seasoil' ; it seems like they offer a few diffrent products, is there one specifically you would reccomend over the others ?

[@fitvegancatmama]

@@youdontevengrowhere Ty Alice!

[@lisaplanty]

What would you add to tree fern fibre for anthuriums and some propagation thank you

[@meeraandersen4953]

So it sounds like you amend tps one with great white. Do you add silica or anything else? Also, how many mL of tps one are you adding per gallon? Tia!

[@angieheredia4336]

I’ve started using (tree fern fiber) due to seeing your plants ❤ wouldn’t the mushrooms be from the great white? Honestly watching your channel has made me start getting anthuriums. My pocket book thanks you😂😂 Jjk . Love your channel

[@angieheredia4336]

I also want to thank you for sharing your knowledge 😊

[@youdontevengrowhere]

I actually think the mushrooms are wild fungi in the soil but I should get a mycologist’s opinion on it if I ever get the chance to speak to one 😆

[@princesssarah1238]

Which brand of perlite do you use? 🙂

[@siprianomunoz7492]

You guys inspired me to be an antherium baddie lol I have so many and guess what? There's room 😅

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Ok so I love anthurium baddie

[@siprianomunoz7492]

@@youdontevengrowhere Hope all the success comes to you because!!! You are so true to yourself!

[@angelap.382]

What's the soil you use in your mix,thank you

[@Songodhen]

It turns out that the type of fern is different from the one in Indonesia, in Indonesia the fern feels harder and stiffer

[@lisaanglim9588]

Alice, are there any plants you don’t put in trees fern soil?

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Not really 😅😅

[@EverythingWithToshaK]

I don’t have Fir Bark can anyone give me a recommendation for a replacement? I have a feeling she probably won’t see my comment being that I am very late to the Tree Fern party!😢

[@joygalo86]

Can I use mycorrhiza in a hydroponic mix?

[@jacquelinedaniels87]

I do

[@youdontevengrowhere]

Yes! So long as there is oxygen the myco can survive

[@chiarawachholz1416]

Does someone in Europe, espacially germany, know where to get tree fern? I can't find a seller

[@youdontevengrowhere]

I didn’t quite manage to find a German supplier but I found Smukhi (Netherlands) and Vivatech (France)!

[@chiarawachholz1416]

​@@youdontevengrowhere thank you 💕

[@michelleyu]

oh man i need soil help can you mail me a bag of nice soil with fertilizers thx love you!

[@housemami66]

myco acts the same way as vitamines do in the human body.