By Marrball
United Kingdom 
hi,
i have 12 tree ferns, 8 large and 4 small, some in pots but most in the ground. i have had them for about 7 years and this year they have all died! i wrapped them in fleece, as usual, but i guess this winter was too hard. i am gutted! they were very expensive and i cannot afford to replace them. my question is could they recover? i'm guessing no, or could i plant ferns in the crown, then at least i wouldn't have to throw them away.
i look forward to your reply
regards
sally
8 Jun, 2011
Answers
they are all dry in the crown now, they feel dead. such a shame!
10 Jun, 2011
Dry might be good! Mushy and wet is bad. Give them a little more time before giving up on them. They just had someone on Gardeners Question Time whose tree fern had survived but hadn't quite re-sprouted yet.
12 Jun, 2011
Previous question
Oh dear! How terrible! It was a very hard winter and lots of plants that normally survive have gone. Is it mushy inside the top of the stem? This would mean death, or maybe just give them longer to re-grow?
8 Jun, 2011