How Often to Water Staghorn Ferns? Learn the Correct Watering and Division Methods
Staghorn fern must be quite unfamiliar to many people! The staghorn fern is a fern family plant, named for its leaves that look like deer antlers. The staghorn fern is a foliage plant, deeply loved by everyone for its unique and beautiful leaf shape. So do you know how to water a staghorn fern?
How to Water a Staghorn Fern (How Often)
The staghorn fern is a plant that loves shade and moisture, so it needs frequent watering, especially in the vigorous growing season of spring and the relatively dry summer. In summer, try to avoid watering at noon, because the weather is hotter, and at noon the plant opens its stomata to breathe; watering at this time will damage the plant's stomata and is not good for its growth. In winter, when growth is not very vigorous, you can appropriately water a little less.
How to Divide a Staghorn Fern
1. Division time: The division propagation of staghorn fern is best done in early spring (February, March) after the soil thaws, when the temperature is more suitable for the recovery of the staghorn fern's root system and does not affect its absorption of nutrients. At the same time, when the staghorn fern's nutrient fronds grow too densely, you can adjust it together with division propagation, which is good for the growth and development of new sporophytes.
2. Division method: Take the mother plant out of the flower pot, shake off the excess potting soil, separate the tangled root system as much as possible, and cut it apart with a sharp knife into two or more plants; each divided plant must carry a considerable amount of roots. Each small seedling that is separated is a new individual.
3. Division care: After the divisions are potted, water the roots or give one thorough watering. Because its root system has been greatly damaged and its water absorption capacity is very weak, it takes about 3 to 4 weeks to recover and sprout new roots. Therefore, within 3 to 4 weeks after division, watering should be controlled to avoid root rot. However, the transpiration of its fronds is not affected. In order to maintain the water balance of the fronds, the leaf surface needs to be misted 1 to 3 times a day. During this period, do not apply fertilizer either. After division, if the sunlight is too strong, place it in a shade shed for care.
Staghorn Fern Growing Methods
1. Soil mix: For staghorn fern cultivation, use imported peat of 5 to 40 mm grade that is loose and has good drainage and aeration. Crush the peat, add water and mix well. The standard for adding water is that after adding water and mixing well, when you tightly squeeze a handful of peat, water seeps out from between your fingers. Then plant in cups. For a 9 cm pot, the peat amount per pot is about 250 ml. One 300-liter bag of imported peat can fill about 1,200 cups.
2. Potting and planting: For old pots that are reused, they must be soaked in a 1000-fold potassium permanganate solution for more than half an hour, then rinsed with clean water and dried for later use. Small pots are generally planted in pots with a diameter of 12 cm. When planting, first place about 2 cm of substrate at the bottom of the cup, then move the screened seedlings into the cup. Small seedlings should not be planted too deep; it is best to keep them level with the base of the plant. The substrate should be moderately firm, filled to 9/10 of the cup, 2 plants/pot.
3. Fertilizer and water management: The staghorn fern likes a humid climate environment and requires the relative air humidity of the growing environment to be 60 to 75%. During the vigorous summer growth period, it needs more misting to maintain a high-humidity environment. For both potted and hanging basket cultivation, place it in a semi-shady spot and spray fertilizer water once every ten days. Apply 1 to 2 times a month with thin cake fertilizer water or a mixed nitrogen-potassium chemical fertilizer. In winter, control the amount of watering.
4. Temperature regulation: The optimum growth temperature for staghorn fern is 18 to 30°C. During the day, it can also grow well in a 33 to 35°C environment. It is averse to cold and frost, and the overwintering temperature needs to be kept above 10°C. In winter, when the temperature drops below 4°C, it enters a dormant state. If the ambient temperature approaches 0°C, it will die from frost damage.
5. Light management: The staghorn fern fears strong light exposure and should avoid direct strong light or dry wind. It grows well near a bright indoor window. During greenhouse cultivation in summer, 50 to 70% of sunlight should be shaded, and in winter about 30% shading is more suitable. Although the staghorn fern also has a strong ability to adapt to weak light, when light is insufficient, growth is slow and the plant is frail.
Pest and Disease Control
Leaf spot disease commonly harms the sporophylls and can be prevented and controlled by spraying with a 600-fold 65% zineb wettable powder solution. When ventilation is poor, scale insects and whiteflies harm the sporophylls or nutrient fronds. When few, they can be caught by hand or killed by spraying with a 1000-fold 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate solution. Some staghorn ferns are more susceptible to fungal or bacterial diseases, so attention should be paid to regulating the ventilation environment and not watering excessively.
Through the above content, I believe everyone has gained some understanding of the staghorn fern. The staghorn fern is relatively rare in daily life and is a particularly precious and rare indoor foliage plant. It is more commonly seen in places such as shopping malls and botanical gardens.