I have abeautiful staghorn fern that I started in a hanging wire basket. My problem is that it is outgrowing the basket.

Question

I don't want to separate it tho. Any suggestions?

Douglas Hunt · Answer

Can you cut the old basket away, Michelle, and then mount your staghorn on a slab of wood or a much larger (and sturdier) basket. You'll want to place a small mound of organic growing material on the new slab and make sure the old growing material (and the basal fronds) are in touch with that. For tips, see this link from the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. When choosing you new mounting medium, keep in mind how large these ferns can get. Good luck! http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg015

Michele L · Answer

Thank you for the suggestions but this doesn't answer my question because I do really want to put it in a larger basket but I'm just not sure how to increase the basket size without damaging the fronds on the bottom.

Douglas Hunt · Answer

You mean fronds are growing out of the bottom of the basket? If you cut the old basket away, couldn't you feed the fronds through the bottom of the new basket? Perhaps a photo would help.

Sherrie S · Answer

Michele L, could you post a picture?  My 87 year old friend has a beautiful staghorn she has has for over 10 years.  It is still in the same container it started in and is doing beautiful.  She hangs it in  a shaded area (on a big tree).  No outgrowing anything.

Michele L · Answer

i lost my usb to add pics to my computer.  trying to figure out another way to get one on here. I may share pic with facebook and then save to puter.  will let you know if it works.  thanks for all your responses.

Michele L · Answer

Yay, I figured it out.  Hope you can see it ok.

Michele L · Answer

of course it came up sideways. lol

Sherrie S · Answer

Heck Michele l, your plant looks beautiful & healthy.  I haven't seen my friend's plant in awhile so  I'll just walk across the street & take a look and report back  soon.

Michele L · Answer

mine is only two years old. I started it with just  two pieces taken off of a much larger one.  I am quite proud of it.  I also recently read that the brown on the backs of the fronds are actually spores that I can use to start new plants.  I'll have to read up some more about it.  Worth a try.  Thank you Sherrie S.

Sherrie S · Answer

Michele L, I went to my neighbor's house & looked closely at her 10+ year old staghorn.  It grows how it wants to grow  and is healthy & beautiful like yours.  She never cut or replanted it from the original container.  It lives in a tree and doesn't want any changes.  My final answer is:  Let it be, let it be, let it be................>

Sherrie S · Answer

Michele L, I went to the house of my friend.  Her plant is growing just like yours but hers has been doing that for over 10 years.  It is more beautiful than ever without changing the container.  Leave yours as it is, don't do anything.

Douglas Hunt · Answer

Michelle, I have a large one in a basket that probably isn't that much larger than yours. I just have the basket hanging in a tree (one loop of chain over each end) and am letting it go.

Michele L · Answer

Thanks for answering me. I guess I will just let it continue as is for a while.  I DO want to try to propagate from the spores.  That will be my next project.

Douglas Hunt · Answer

Let us know how that goes!

Michele L · Answer

i will.  gotta do some more reading on it.  I believe I have most of the necessary items.

Lisa · Answer

Michele, it sounds interesting. Let me know how that goes. I have a bunch of staghorns and the way I propagate them is to separate the plate from the big plant and put it in another hanging basket. You can see it in my blog: winegardener.blogspot.com I just entered a picture of one. After the plates are off the bottom of your big plant, you can set the whole basket into a larger basket that has sphagnum moss.

Ricki forman · Answer

We had one also in a hanging basket. At one point we just sat it in the ground in a good spot and it rooted on its own and continued to grow like crazy.  We are talking going on 15 years.  It is enormous and healthy.  Go for it!

DORLIS · Answer

As long as your climate is good for it, it will grow to grow really big. I had one in a pot and had to bring it in every year. Finally got to the point where I could not move it. Took it to botanical garden. They have room.

ANITA AREAN · Answer

I live in Coastal Central Florida and when a Staghorn got too large to hang I put it into a birdbath that was under a tree, later when it got bigger I lowered the whole thing and put it onto a corner of my patio where it is today. To manueover it I placed a broken water hose around the bottom of the birdbath bowl. Another, I just placed at the foot of a large oak that I had surrounded with a low wall of blocks into which I had placed potted plants. Both are nearly 40 years old.

Mo · Answer

I have a 60# staghorn that the basket broke. It was hanging on a tree. What can I do to create a new hanger for it . It is now on my table out back . Chain seems to be the only idea. But how ?

I have abeautiful staghorn fern that I started in a hanging wire basket. My problem is that it is outgrowing the basket.

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I have abeautiful staghorn fern that I started in a hanging wire basket. My problem is that it is outgrowing the basket.

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