What do I need to know about staghorn care?
by
Maria
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Ferns?Inside or outside???
Staghorns are great room accents, lucky you! Here is a site with illustrations: http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-a-Staghorn-Fern ; Good luck!
Staghorn ferns are epiphytes (air growing), they don't need soil. However, they do need moisture as all air plants do. I planted mine (a small guy) in a very small hanging basket with minimal soil and sphagnum moss. Now, as the plant has grown, it's beginning to cover the wire basket, that is also rusting out. The rust does not hurt the plant. At some point the basket will be gone and the Staghorn will be supporting itself. I've used this process for other epiphytic plants (other types of ferns, Cigar Orchid, etc.). When I fertilize my other plants, I give these a squirt, but they really get all the nutrients they need from air and water (well the Staghorn does, the Cigar Orchid captures leaves in it's upward facing roots).