- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossom
- use
- Is staghorn poisonous?
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- Propagate antler fern
- sowing
- Antler fern in the pot
- In the greenhouse
- Pour staghorn
- Fertilize staghorn properly
- Cut staghorn correctly
- repot
- hibernate
- pests
- fungus
- brown leaves
- sorts
Antler ferns attract the viewer's attention because they develop strikingly different shaped leaves. This property is not the only botanical peculiarity. The ferns have adapted to special habitats and require special conditions as an ornamental plant.
The staghorn fern is not an easy ornamental plant
Table of Contents
Show all- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossom
- use
- Is staghorn poisonous?
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- Propagate antler fern
- sowing
- Antler fern in the pot
- In the greenhouse
- Pour staghorn
- Fertilize staghorn properly
- Cut staghorn correctly
- repot
- hibernate
- pests
- fungus
- brown leaves
- sorts
- Antler ferns like temperatures between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius
- from 22 degrees Celsius spray the plants once a day with soft water
- well-ventilated location
- lower temperature limit is ten degrees Celsius
- orchid soil
- pieces of bark
- gel balls
- when the plant has lost a significant amount of weight
- at the latest with drooping leaf fronds
- as soon as the substrate has almost completely dried out
- Platycerium bifurcatum: leaves dark or light green, leaf lobes of different lengths. Fertile leaves grow up to 100 centimeters long, sterile antler leaves grow up to 25 centimeters long.
- Platycerium grande: Young leaves have velvety hairs, leaf fronds are light green. Sterile mantle leaves more curved and slightly wavy. Fertile fronds up to 140 centimeters long.
origin
Hidden behind the staghorn ferns is the genus Platycerium, which belongs to the family of the spotted ferns. There are 18 species worldwide, most of which are found in tropical regions. Antler ferns are found in South America and Africa, southern East Asia, Australia and New Guinea.
growth
Ferns grow epiphytically. They live as epiphytes on trees to get more light. Adult specimens can reach a size of more than 100 centimeters. They develop a short rhizome that gives rise to roots and leaf fronds. Within the genus there are solitary and colony-forming species in which the rhizome branches out or the root tips form new rhizomes.
leaves
A special feature of the staghorn ferns are their leaves. The spore plants develop differently designed leaf fronds, which differ not only in shape but also in their function. Spore-bearing fronds droop in most species. Your leaf blade is elongated. It divides like antlers at the top. On the underside of the leaf there are numerous spore receptacles in which spores are developed. These are spread with the wind and germinate on surrounding trees under optimal conditions.
The sterile mantle leaves resemble a kidney or shield shape. These leaf fronds protect the rhizome and roots from drying out or damage. When the leaves dry up, they don't fall off. They remain as a protective cover, provide the plant with nutrients and are overgrown by the freshly sprouting leaves. This creates a crown that opens upwards, in which nutrients and water collect.
blossom
As spore plants, staghorn ferns do not develop flowers. The fertile leaf fronds develop spores, from which the next generation arises. These young plants develop sexual plant organs, which are responsible for reproduction.
use
Antler ferns are used for indoor greening. Since they require high humidity, they thrive best in heated greenhouses. The plant can also be cultivated in the conservatory or as a potted plant on the windowsill if the temperature and humidity conditions are right. In planters, the staghorn fern decorates potted gardens with its aesthetic leaves. Due to its expansive, overhanging growth, the fern is perfect as a traffic light plant.
Is staghorn poisonous?
The staghorn fern is considered slightly toxic because of the saponins, tannins and flavonoids it contains. Symptoms of poisoning occur mainly in small children who have consumed large amounts of the leaves. This can lead to diarrhea and vomiting. The gastrointestinal tract can become inflamed. Similar symptoms can occur in pets.
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Which location is suitable?
The polypody family prefers a bright location with partially shaded conditions. In their natural range, the plants grow in the upper layers of trees, where they are protected from direct sunlight by the foliage of the trees.
When cultivating indoors, make sure that the fern does not get direct sunlight. The radiation burns the leaf fronds, causing them to fade or turn brown. Rooms that are too dark impair growth. Since the plant absorbs moisture from the air, it needs a humid and warm location.
You should pay attention to this:
What soil does the plant need?
Use nature as a guide when cultivating the staghorn fern. They offer the tropical plant optimal growth conditions if you attach the rhizome to a rough piece of bark with a strong cotton thread. To provide optimal moisture conditions, you can encase the rhizome in sphagnum moss.
Alternatively, the ferns can be placed in a planter or a hanging basket (€11.99). Use a coarse fibrous substrate mixture of sphagnum and peat or coir. Soil is not suitable for the cultivation of the spore plants.
Suitable substrate:
Propagate antler fern
Rarely, staghorn ferns develop side shoots that emerge from adventitious buds between the mantle leaves. You can separate these offshoots with a sharp knife. Be careful not to damage the mother plant and offshoot. In humid and warm conditions, the section quickly forms new roots. Put the separated part of the plant directly into a mesh basket that has been filled with sphagnum.
sowing
New plants can also be grown via spores. This method is lengthy and requires specialist knowledge, because the actual fern does not grow from the spores, but a tiny sexual generation. This heart-shaped body of vegetation develops sex organs. If the nuclei of different sexes fuse, a new spore plant grows.
method
Between September and December, the spores are sown on wet peat mulch and covered with a thin layer of sand. The seed boxes are covered with foil and placed in a dark place. The sex generation grows at temperatures of around 25 degrees Celsius. It takes some time for the plants to be fertilized and for spore plants to grow. Only then are the plants brought to their final location.
Antler fern in the pot
Conventional planters made of clay or plastic are unsuitable for the cultivation of staghorn ferns because of the poor air circulation. Use a shallow dish as the plant spreads more in width than in depth. Mesh baskets that you can equip with moss are ideal. Coconut shells offer the plants support and at the same time store moisture, which is constantly released into the air. Antler ferns grow optimally when their rhizome has been attached to an epiphyte stem.
In the greenhouse
If you cannot offer the staghorn fern optimal conditions in your home, we recommend cultivating it in a greenhouse. No specimens grow in a greenhouse on the windowsill. Place a bowl of water next to the plant to keep the humidity constant. Check the water content in the substrate regularly.
Pour staghorn
The staghorn fern is in the growth phase between spring and autumn. During this time he needs regular watering. Use soft, room-warm water. Filtered rainwater is ideal.
Make sure that the mantle leaves do not get any water. Because they spread close to the substrate, dipping is an optimal alternative to watering. Leave the fern in the water for 20 minutes so that the substrate can soak up the liquid. In winter, the plants are in the dormant phase. During this time, staghorn ferns are moderately watered. Soak the roots in a water bath for a minute or two. After the immersion bath, the excess water should drip off completely.
When the staghorn fern needs to be watered:
Fertilize staghorn properly
Antler ferns have low nutritional requirements as their dead mantle leaves are broken down and utilized over time. Larger specimens enjoy two to three fertilizer applications in a growing season. Soak the piece of bark on which the fern is attached in a weakly concentrated fertilizer solution for a few minutes. You can use a commercial green plant fertilizer. To avoid burning the roots, do not place the plant directly in the solution.
Cut staghorn correctly
Cutting measures are not necessary. Withered leaves should not be removed as they act as a source of humus and as a protective cover.
repot
Irrespective of whether you cultivate your staghorn fern on a piece of bark or in a pot, transplanting is necessary every three to five years. At the latest when the stability of the plant dwindles or the substrate dissolves, you should place the staghorn fern in a larger pot or on a piece of fresh bark. The roots are fragile and must be very carefully detached from the old base and substrate.
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hibernate
In winter, the incidence of light is significantly reduced, so that the staghorn fern goes into a resting phase. During this time, the spore plant tolerates temperatures between twelve and 15 degrees Celsius. Water the plant sparingly and do not use fertilizer.
pests
Occasionally, staghorn ferns are attacked by scale insects that settle on the underside of the leaf fronds. They turn out to be stubborn pests against which many pesticides are ineffective. Carefully scrape the insects off the leaves with a knife that is not too sharp. This measure must be repeated regularly until the infestation has been visibly contained. Alternatively, you can dab the parasites with a brush soaked in spirit.
fungus
In poorly ventilated locations with high humidity, fungal spores find optimal growth conditions. If the staghorn fern is affected, you should remove affected parts of the plant. Treat the plant with a fungicide. With adapted irrigation units and sufficient fresh air, you can prevent fungal infestation.
brown leaves
The plant regularly renews its leaf fronds, causing old leaves to brown and wilt. If only the tips of the leaves change color, this indicates a suboptimal location. The staghorn fern does not tolerate draughts. Drought also causes the fern fronds to turn brown.
tips
A hollowed-out trunk provides the ideal substrate for the staghorn fern. Put the rhizome in the hole and hang the tree trunk on a wall. A root stump is suitable as a table decoration, in the spaces between which the staghorn fern finds good growth conditions.