How to Care for a Mounted Staghorn Fern
Mounting a staghorn fern (Platycerium) is a beautiful way of displaying one of our favourite plants here at The Watered Garden. The staghorns unique antler-like fronds and epiphytic nature make them perfect for displaying on a wall or suspended from the ceiling, acting as a stunning piece of living art.
This guide will walk you through the essentials of caring for your mounted staghorn, ensuring your plant thrives in its display.
Staghorn ferns prefer bright, indirect light. Place them near an east or west-facing window where they can receive filtered sunlight. Avoid direct sun, which can scorch their fronds. If natural light is limited, a grow light can supplement their needs.
If your moss is drying out very fast or the leaves look a bit faded, try pulling it back slightly from the light or giving it some shade in the hottest part of the day.
These ferns thrive in temperatures between 18°C and 24°C, and should be kept in temperatures above at least 13°C. Try to keep them away from cold drafts and radiators so the moss doesn't dry out too quickly. Most of all, they appreciate a stable environment, so avoid placing them in areas with fluctuating temperatures.
Watering these Mounted Staghorns is easy once you get into the swing of it. The best watering schedule involves both misting and soaking:
- Misting: Lightly mist the fronds once or twice a week to help maintain humidity. Especially important if you're keeping your staghorn in a room that doesn't have natural humidity, like a bathroom does.
- Soaking: Once a week, take the mount down from where its displayed and place in a bowl of room temperature water, to soak the root ball. You can leave them to soak for about an hour but make sure to let it drain thoroughly before rehanging.
Do:
- Use rainwater or distilled water when possible.
- Feed with diluted liquid fertiliser during the growing season, by adding to it's soaking bowl every other week.
- Try to make sure you're hanging the plant the right way up, the younger fronds should be facig up towards the top of the mount.
Don't:
- Remove the brown shield fronds; they protect the root ball and store essential nutrients.
- Let the base dry out completely, the moss can become hydrophobic.
- Ignore signs of mould on the moss or mount, relocate if it's staying damp for too long.
Staghorn ferns are slow growers. Pruning is generally unnecessary, but you can remove dead or damaged antler fronds as needed.
Avoid cutting the shield fronds, even if they appear brown, dry, or papery - this is completely normal. These shield fronds aren’t dead or dying, they’re doing an important job. They help anchor the plant to its mount, protect the root ball, and store nutrients and moisture for the plant to use later.
Need Advice?
If you're unsure about your staghorn fern's care or have questions, feel free to reach out! Bring it into the shop, send us a message, or drop us an email. We're always happy to help!
In-store, we also offer services like remounting, trimming, and general plant health assessments.