BEST COMPOST TO PLANT FERN IN

Good in dark/damp south facing corners. Ideally a slightly acidic loam rich in organic matter, will tolerate heavier soils so long as you improve the drainage by adding quantities of well-rotted compost. Do not plant too deep and try not to disturb once planted and mulch well to mimic forest floor or you can add a living mulch - Viola hederacea. Avoid sun and strong wind. do not feed for the first year to get good roots, then likes cold tea and avoid strong chemical fertilisers - its better to give slow release such as Osmocote. Do not let it dry out.

i use plenty of leaf mould to help create the woodland conditions.

I'm just trying to remember what we used when we put one in a pot in Bath (the town, I mean). I think it was a mix of John Innes No. 2, peat (which you probably can't get now) and multi purpose compost. I do recall having to put rocks or large pebbles all round the base initially to wedge the thing in place and hold it upright, as they don't really have a root system at the bottom of the trunk. It was a large tree fern, though, about 8 feet high by a foot wide.