Staghorn Fern

[SubTropicRay]

One of my neighbors gave me a huge Staghorn fern yesterday (species unknown). I'm not a fan of hanging these from tree limbs as most people do. It would look great attached to one my my Live Oaks but am unsure how to attach a large, mature plant? Second, how would I keep squirrels from attempting to make a nest inside (short of a pellet gun).

Thanks in advance,

Ray

P.S. In regards to shooting squirrels, tell PETA, I'm a bad, bad man.

[gsn]

People

Eating

Tasty

Animals

would not consider you a bad, bad man Ray!

Sorry no help on the staghorn attachement.

[aussiearoids]

MAte of mine has a great collection of different Platycerium species . Here is a P. veitchii on a foxtail.

A bag of leafmould of compost , even a coconut husk underneath the plant to be mounted really helps . Then twist soft wire around it . New sheild fronds will cover it in no time . Ensure you keep an eye on the wire and loosen it if needed . Manila hemp could be used as it should have rotted by the time the Platy has established.

[aussiearoids]

Better view of the same palm with its load of a few different spp.

[Gonzer]

I pack the backing with wet sphagnum and attach it using the ubiquitous green stretch tape (yeah, I know, looks like hell). The advantage is that as the tree grows the tape does it's thing and after a coupla years you cut it out. Wire can sometimes be a detriment to the host.

[aussiearoids]

I have heard of someone using a staple gun through the old shield leaves !

[tjwalters]

Better view of the same palm with its load of a few different spp.

Awesome! How cold-hardy are those? I had one for many years as a potted plant, but it finally died. Before it did, though, it was pushing fronds out of the drainage holes.

[Gbarce]

Here are pictures of some that I recently mounted on trees. I sues either nylon string (usually for smaller ones) and plain old laundry wire for larger ones.

I was worried before with the laundry wire because theye weren't covered and the roots of teh staghrns would be exposed to the metal but after a couple of years ( and these were already rusting away) I have not observed any ill effects on the fern. Wire is much easier to secure than string.

I usually pass the string/wire around the shield avoiding the growth point. After one season, the next shield will cover it already.

Yup. Putting some organic materials will help the roots find their way the bark of the tree and hang on on their own.

[aussiearoids]

Another very interesting efect is to put a few P.bifurcatum into a large wire hanging basket . Ensuring a very strong galvinised chain is attached . A few small ones down low . Cut off antlers or make holes to poke through . Place a large one on top , and wait patiently . Eventually you will have a large ball of them hanging . Hint , these can take a lot of fertiliser . My mate Trev actually climbs his trees with a large bag of composted chicken manure and gives them all a few handsfull . Also I knew people who got old hydroponic fert' from a lettuce farm . They sprayed it all over and were amazed at how fast all of the self sown seedlings from the many Platyceriums they had .

[Gbarce]

Here's a few more that I was intending to post yesterday too-- but I lost DSL connection for some reason.

[virtualpalm]

Any idea where I could buy a couple small P. superbum here in the US?

[keysjim]

Any idea where I could buy a couple small P. superbum here in the US?

>

Try http://www.fernfactory.com/frontend/proddi...spx?co=10000314

[SubTropicRay]

I'd love to attach mine like Gene's but it's way too massive.

[Jeff Searle]

I'd love to attach mine like Gene's but it's way too massive.

Ray,

If your staghorn is really big, then yes it's too hard to mount on a trunk . Your other option would be is to cut the plant into smaller sections where you would have a better chance of mounting it and it sits flush up against the trunk. You then have several pieces to spread around.

Jeff

[Brad-Tampa]

I'd love to attach mine like Gene's but it's way too massive.

Ray,

If your staghorn is really big, then yes it's too hard to mount on a trunk . Your other option would be is to cut the plant into smaller sections where you would have a better chance of mounting it and it sits flush up against the trunk. You then have several pieces to spread around.

Jeff

Ray-that's the way to go. You can cut it up and position around a tree and in a few years its a staghorn collar. The base fronds will merge together.

[SubTropicRay]

I will try to attach one piece as an experiment. If the squirrels decimate it, I will be forced to go the chain route.

[waykoolplantz]

we have purchased quite a few from Charles Alford in Vero Beach. He was devastated by hurricanes a few years ago, but should be back now. Rare & Exotic ferns

to me its like the Floribunda of ferns

http://www.rareferns.com

[Eric in Orlando]

I saw this nice specimen of P. wandae at Bok Tower Garden. Its a native of Papau NG

[Walter John]

I've had two staggies on the go for a few years now, I went out and bought another a couple of weeks ago and have attached this to my Dictyosperma. I use panty hose to tie them to the palm trunks, once I put a ladder in them, they're no good anymore, hello Cyril

The new fella on the princess palm.

The other two, one on a cunninghamiana and the one on the right is living with a lucubensis. These guys love palm trunks and adds a natural feel to the jungle. You all should try this.

[Walter John]

Here's my smallest Elkhorn ferns,