Staghorn fern grower advice sought

[WaterWitchin]

I have a staghorn gifted me by an orchid buddy. I grew one in the past, very successfully, that had already been mounted on a cedar board. It was in my store, mounted next to a small water fall.

Now I'm retired, and don't have a small waterfall in my house. The fern I was gifted had been growing in a pot. It's big enough I can change it. So I looked up how to mount one. And I read the staghorn propagation thread here. Which led to me looking at keeping it in a basket instead of a mount. For my purposes now, a basket would be easier for me maintenance-wise.

To make a long question(s) short(er): Is there really any difference between mounting and in a basket, healthwise? Will it be okay either way, or is mounting really preferable? If I basket it, does it matter whether it's wire, or can I use a ceramic basket with holes (similar to the decorative orchid pots sold).

Thanks in advance, staghorn fern growers!

[Ray]

Personally, I like sphagnum in a mesh basket with a coconut husk fiber liner. It holds moisture better than a mount, making maintenance simple. Plus, as the plant penetrates the coco liner, new growths will form, ultimately totally encapsulating the basket.

I had a Platycerium bifurcatum planted that way, and over the course of 20-25 years, it ultimately became a sphere 12' in diameter, hung from stainless steel chains suspended by a 4x4 tripod. (Lost to my"big freeze" in January of 1994.)

[Paphluvr]

I've grown smaiier ones mounted on cedar shingles but prefer to grow larger ones in a wooden basket. Line the basket with coir and pot the fern in your prefered mix. As Ray states, over time new growths will emerge between the slats of the basket.

[estación seca]

Read about the different species. They have varying sun and drying requirements and tolerance.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Read about the different species. They have varying sun and drying requirements and tolerance.

Unfortunately, I have NoIDea what this is, other than a "staghorn fern." And neither would the friend who gifted it to me. It was regifted to me by him. Shhhh.....

Would a picture of it help, or no?

---------- Post added at 09:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 AM ----------

I'm gonna take a picture of this ceramic "basket" and see if y'all think it would work as well as metal. I'll get back to ya soon!

And I'm gathering basket culture does just as well as a cedar plank mount. I get the basket liner part. Have no idea what to put in for the rest of it. Bark? Sphag? Dirt? Sponge rock? LECA? Any or all of the above? I know nothing about planting one into a basket. The other one I had was mounted to a plank and I received it that way. I just dunked it into the pond part of the waterfall (fronds and all), soaked 'til it stopped bubbling, and hung it back up.

More advice please?

[WaterWitchin]

Fern and potential basket. about 14" across.

[Dollythehun]

That is a lovely basket! I'll bet that it could even hang from its side! maybe you could establish it sitting upright and then turn it and hang it. Great idea.

Could you fill it with a terrestrial mix put the plants in and put sphagnum around it with some fish lines so that the soil doesn't spill out when you turn it until it takes hold?

[Ray]

Yeah, that looks pretty much like a Platycerium bifurcatum.

You're going to want to hang the container, as plantlets will form on the outside.

Personally, I'd just stuff it with sphagnum and forego any other potting mix.

[WaterWitchin]

Thanks Dolly. I like the color of it. It's a set of three... that rabbit foot fern I sent you a picture of is in the big one (for same purpose of having it grow out of the holes and surround the basket, like Ray was talking about with his staghorn above. This is the middle size. Then there's one smaller I've wintered over a vanda in. Vanda will be moving to something else in spring, and I need a third companion plant for it then. Again, something that will grow out the holes like the other.

Thanks for all the assists Ray! I'll look up care suggestions for that particular staghorn. I have a super thin coco fiber basket liner I can plop in the basket, then I'll just go with sphag and maybe a few chunks of coir and charcoal. Yes, I'm planning on hanging it! Shall I put that banana skin in the middle, like I keep reading about on various culture sites?

When it gets to 12' across, either I'll need a greenhouse, three heavy lifting guys to get it in the basement in fall, or will expect y'all to graciously accept a 3' start of your own.

[Paphluvr]

Why not consider a wooden basket instead of your beautiful ceramic. Once it starts to grow the basal fronds will cover the basket anyway and anything that grows through a hole will make it impossible to remove. A wooden basket can either be sawn off or disassembled.