Q.I Have Been Growing Staghorns For More Than 30 Years, But The One I Have Now Is Puzzling Me. My Plant Is About 3′ In Diameter And
at one time was covered in basal and foiar fronds. In the last year all but a few have turned brown and fallen off. I tried more water, less water, feeding, etc. New basal fronds start but then brown out. Only a few foliar fronds remain. Suggestions? I live in the mountains of the New River Valley in south west Virginia. My staghorn hangs from wheeled frame, and in the winter months it is kept in the garage with grow lights. Attached a picture from 2017 when healthy – currently only a few foliar fronds remain.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
These have a lifespan of anywhere from 30 to 50 years. This depends on the care and cultivar, but it looks like yours is well cared for. Another thing to think about is how much light that it is receiving throughout the winter. As an aged plant, it is quite large. You'll want a light big enough to provide the correct amount for its footprint. It may be getting too big for fluorescent lights. If you are using those, you may consider LED's. Modern LED's can provide a lot of light without using as much electricity. It can be bright enough to provide plenty of light, especially to low light plants, with much less chance of burning them.
Other than that- I can't think of much else that would be wrong. As an aged plant, this can be expected.
This collection of articles will offer quite a bit of information on these plants:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/staghorn-fern
