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Re: staghorn fern

At 11:24 AM 6/25/98 +0200, you wrote:
>Marcia, jack of all trades, master of none
>
>
>> You don't have trees in Sweden? :O)  Any kind of bark will do, really,
>> as long as it's rough enough for the roots and the clasping frond to
>> hold onto.  The basket may be too big.  It's hard to tell with
>> epiphytes, though, as the planting medium isn't usually one that causes
>> drainage problems if the roots don't fill the space.
>
>> If you go with the basket, use orchid type soil, fir bark or osmunda
>> fiber.  Remember, this fern is an epiphyte and doesn't want to come
>> anywhere near regular potting soil, which is way too heavy for it.
>> 
>> -- 
>> Botanical Name of the Week: Pachystachys - pretty plant, silly name...
>> 
>> If the last fifty years have produced 90% of the laborsaving devices in
>> the world, why doesn't anyone have time to get anything done?
>> 
>> Jim Gray 
>> jjg@c-cor.com
>> Altoona, PA: Zone 6A
>
>
>
>Thanks for your advice! Trees are not exactly scare up here but proper bark
>might be. This far north the only trees that thrive are birches and pine
>that have the chunky little bark pieces. However, I shall keep my eyes open
>while I'm out picking wild blueberries and mushrooms!! Thanks!
>
>	Marcia
>

Marcia,
Several years ago I bought a "small" staghorn fern with two fertile fronds
and one shield-like clasping frond (after one of our trips to Hawaii where
I saw them nailed to, and growing on the sides of palm trees). It was
established on a chunk of tree fern..After a year it had grown to a
"medium" plant, and was difficult to keep upright on the tree fern slab, so
I decided to pot it on.

I put it in a large wire hanging basket in sphagnum moss, with the tree
fern base completely covered by the moss..

Now, several years later, I have an *immense* staghorn, a ball about 4' in
diameter, so heavy I can barely lift it. The outside of the basket is
completely covered with overlapping clasping fronds and fertile
fronds...It's awesome, and the wrens like to build nests in it. I've
considered donating it to the hort department at the Univ of Tenn, just
because it's getting much too big for me to schlep it in and out of the
greenhouse twice a year, but I can't bear to give it up.

Gerry
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