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Re: Monster Staghorn Fern

I favor the Hope Diamond approach.  I have what may be the results of
someone operating on a monster - they were here when I moved in.  I have 3
large ones that are growing daily.  I gave the smallest to a local
restraurant who had had one stolen.  They were thrilled, broke it up and
spread it out around a basket. Now that one is as big or bigger than the
others.  But none of these is as special as a really, really big one.

It looks like these are tied to the board with nylon fishing line - it is
clear  and very strong.  One did not have a board for 4 or 5 years.  It
didn't seem to care, tho it is easier to hang with a board.

I haven't heard about feeding them a banana.  I turn the hose on them maybe
once a month in the summer, if I remember.  They get a good bit of summer
sun, and none in winter.  I am in Zone 24.

Jane


>In the category of be careful of what you wish for, you just might get it
>-- my aging Australian aunt finally decided to give me that Platycerium
>bifurcatum (Staghorn fern) she brought from Australia so many years ago
>-- the one I've admittedly had my eye on for a while now. A
>two-and-a-half-hour drive and a few sore muscles and bruises later, I got
>the beast home and onto the back patio.
>
>When I say "beast," I mean it. This thing is just about too heavy to
>lift. It's four feet tall and more than six feet wide, with
>three-foot-long blue-green "staghorns" projecting in all directions. When
>my son and I attempted to hang it up from a nail under the lath
>structure, the plywood backing -- hidden and almost indiscernible under
>the innumerable forked fronds -- came off and we had to abandon the
>project.
>
>A professional appraiser valued this plant at over $400 a year ago. My
>aunt suggests that I cut it up and give away or sell the scores of
>staghorn offsets, some of which are quite large. That seems to me like
>cutting up the Hope Diamond.
>
>On the other hand, as it is this staghorn fern is way too large and
>unwieldy, and would be a lot easier to control if it were smaller. But
>I'm not sure how to remount it as is, or how to cut it up effectively and
>then mount all the many smaller staghorns that would create.
>
>Incidentally, I've been growing individual staghorns in hollowed-out
>driftwood for a while now, so I do have some experience with
>Platycerium....  It's just that this one is such a monster.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>
>Victoria
>
>Rabbitsfoot Farm
>Benicia, CA
>
>rabbitsfoot@juno.com
>
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_______________________________________________________________________

Jane Reese
E-mail:  jreese@silcom.com
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