Other Resources

	2x2" cell wells in greenhouse tray
	4" pots in greenhouse tray
	Potting sequence (front to back): 2x2" cell wells in greenhouse tray 4" pots in greenhouse tray 6" pots with drip irrigation

Transplantation

Greenhouse Containers, Cubes or Pots

Commercial Potting Soil or Mixture:

ProMix® Potting Soil (used as is) OR Potting mixture (2 parts peat moss, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite, adjusted to ca. pH 6.5 with 100 g agricultural lime per 10 gallons of potting mixture)

  Two week old sporophytes grown from agar culture can be transplanted to the greenhouse. Sporophytes should have 2-3 cm leaves. If sporophytes are generated in multispore cultures, subculturing very young sporophytes into fresh nutrient medium may be necessary to generate sporophytes that are large enough for successful transfer to the greenhouse. (The agar nutrient medium used for gametophytes will not support long term sporophytic growth.) For initial transplanting, transfer sporophytes to small potting containers such as 2X2" cell well trays or equivalent that contain moist ProMix® Potting Soil or a potting mixture. Pro-Mix gives excellent results when used as is. Other potting mixtures should be adjusted to pH 6.5 as indicated above.

  Place potting containers in a greenhouse tray containing 1-2 cm of water. Newly transplanted sporophytes should be covered with a clear plastic dome (humidity dome) for 3 days. As sporophytes grow they should be transplanted when roots begin to emerge from the bottom of the potting containers. Transplant sporophytes to a 4" diameter pot and subsequently to a 6" diameter pot.

Soil should be kept moist-wet at all times - an automated watering system helps. At all stages of growth, Ceratopteris sporophytes require warm temperatures and high humidity; remember that it's a tropical fern.