Ferns, Mushrooms, Fungi and Mosses: I think I overdid it, 1 by sanannie

sanannie wrote:
Hi all, it's my first time posting in the Ferns, Fungi & Moss forum. I'm experimenting with propagating ferns from spores for the first time. I have basic instructions that came with them and I think I overdid it on the sowing because they came up in a thick mat. These are Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides).

So here's my question - is the large 'plantlet' in the middle of the pic more 'mature', or is there a whole bunch of 'plantlets' together? I don't know what a single one looks like.

My instructions say 'If there are a lot growing close together, they must be thinned out to about 1 or 2 per 3-inch area. If not, they will only grow male organs." So I'm wondering what just one of them looks like. I have already transplanted them in clumps about the size of that (1/4"), should I be thinning them further?

Thanks very much.

Sandy