Staghorn fern not looking great
Plant: Staghorn fern
How long have you had the plant? 1 to 6 months
Concerns:
My mom gave me this plant 6 months ago. It started browning at the tips and even lost a frond. The antler fronds have gotten brown and crunchy.
Light Situation:
How do you determine WHEN to water: I wait for the soil to become completely dry.
Describe HOW you water: I mist it every day, then on watering day I let ice cubes melt into the soil.
What fertilizer do you use? I recently started using Superthrive organic all purpose plant food.
When was the last time you repotted? Less than 6 months ago.
Darryl:
Environment:
This window and location looks adequate for the staghorn.
Effort:
Your fronds are dying off because of the planting media is inadequately watered. Misting every day and a bunch of ice cubes melting will not properly moisten all parts of the media. When I water my staghorn, I run it under the shower for a minute or two.
Here is the video showing the process: staghorn fern watering
Expectations:
Your plant still looks okay so I think it can recover in a few weeks or months. Water it thoroughly when the medium is nearly completely dry. No need to mist or use ice cubes – don’t waste your time.
Want to understand both the mindset and care techniques for maximum houseplant enjoyment?
Learn from my book or my online course.
Tired of your houseplants dying on you?
Sign up and I’ll do my best to help them live their best lives!