GET YOUR STAGHORN FERNS TO THRIVE AS OUTDOOR PLANTS
On the Highveld, these out-of-this-world shrubs grow on sheltered patios, courtyards
STAGHORN ferns ( Platycerium bifurcatum) are one of those plants that most plant lovers either have in their garden/home or wish they did.
They have been described as the funkiest of ferns, with an out-ofthis-world appearance due to their drooping leaves, which resemble the horns of a stag. Staghorns grow well both outdoors and indoors in coastal and frost-free regions.
Although considered indoor plants on the Highveld, they will grow in places protected from frost and cold wind outdoors, such as in evergreen trees or on sheltered patios, and in sheltered courtyards.
If a staghorn is mounted on a log or piece of driftwood, you can place it on a table or hang it on a wall. You can also leave a young plant in its original pot; however, it will later tend to become heavy on the side of it hanging over the pot, and unless secured might topple over.
A fun project would be to make your own mounting board. To do this, take a piece of wooden board, about 15cm x 15cm and:
Remove the staghorn from its pot and place sphagnum moss behind the basal leaves and over the roots.
Make a pouch with hessian cloth that covers the roots and basal leaves to hold the plant in place. The roots will grip on the wood surface in time. Use tacks, small nails or a staple gun to secure the hessian firmly to the wood. Make a hole at the top of the wood from which to hang it on a wall or attach rope behind the wood for this.
Tip: If you don’t like the look of the hessian or the raw wood, use decoupage or some other creative way of housing it until the basal leaves cover it over time.
Caring for your staghorn is easy once you know the plant’s needs:
LIGHT
Place them outdoors in the shade, especially in hot, dry climates, and in semi-shade in humid areas.
They prefer areas with good light in the home or on the patio, and only direct sunlight early or late in the day.
HUMIDITY
Bathrooms and atriums provide good humidity in regions with dry air.
WATERING
Mist the plants weekly, on the leaves, and a little on and behind the brown basal leaves. In winter you can reduce watering to every three weeks. Some gardeners like to remove the plant from a wall, take it to the sink and let room-temperature
water flow over the leaves and basal leaves for about a minute. Allow it to drip dry and put it back in its place. If using this method, be sure to allow the roots to dry out between one watering and the next to prevent the roots from rotting.
FEEDING
These ferns are epiphytes and naturally cling to trees. Their roots anchor them, with water and nutrients absorbed mostly through the leaves. Add a balanced liquid
foliar fertiliser to the water in your spray bottle.
Do this once a month during the warmer months, and every second month in winter. Your local GCA Garden Centre can advise you on a good foliar feed.