Hi Cheryl, So glad you pop in here and share your BF growing experience. Good experience always show some dark side of the story and that always connect to my poor, sad, and failed caring, yet always lighten up my heavy heart for comforting and hope. Now I see what I have been under since I brought 2 BF in my house is actually kind of normal and common for other people (growers) as in your saying: "..I have bought my BFs into the house to over winter and they just make a big mess..." And then on the bright side as you said: "Every winter takes a toll of my BFs but they forgive me and after a good spring clean up, a hair cut, a new pot and soil ... they come back each and every year!" Wow, what a comforting word! I thought when my BF turn dark, shed fronds, dry out,... they are gone ever. Never thought they can be like other dormant-type plants that would come back every spring. Gee, I am feeling lot better now. (Cheryl would you be kind to share some of your BF pic? Tks)
Now report back: my drastic doing to my BF. First I took the worst one out to my patio, gave a big shocking shake scattering hundreds (if not thousands) of dead fronds, and then gave it a complete hair cut removing 90% of stems. The poor thing sitting there on a stand with only a few hair left looked ugly. Then I sprinkled its head and put in a shaded place in patio for overnight stay. Early next morning I peeked from inside seeing it still ugly, but looked much healthier and happy. So I brought in and let sit in a pebble tray. Repeat the second one the same process except this one only lost half of its hair
I don't know if I did the right thing, but I think I did what I can trying to save. I am going to daily mist them as Seaecho suggested, but still not sure how to water from now on? Since I have them hair-cutted, now I can see the soil top (and so many remained stem base). Kind of dry, still not sure? I really don't want make any wrong move again after all of this. Help Pls. (I think maybe I can still move them out and stay overnight occasionally b4 the winter cold?)
