Question

Staghorn fern   Hello,
Recently my 16 yr old staghorn fronts are wilting and dying.  They get limp, turn yellow and die.  The fronds in the middle are upright and reaching for the stars, while others are limping and dying.  it is in a pot with soil.  Could I be watering it too much? if so, why are some fronds doing great and suddenly others are limp and dying?  I haven't had this problem since I've adopted it 16 yrs. ago.  In fact, I merged 2 together a year ago and repotted it, and it took off and was beautiful.  Why the sudden change?  It is indoor with direct sunlight, nothing changed there.  The only thing I can say might have triggered this is that recently I accidentally left it in the tub soaking overnight in a couple inches of water.  Root rot?
Thank you.

Answer
Brandi hi;

From the appearance of this fern (and thanks for the picture!) I would say it has clearly outgrown its container.

Staghorns of this age and size need A LOT of space to continue to thrive and be happy.

It is not uncommon for staghorns to 'sacrifice' older fronds for the sake of new ones, especially when resources are scarce.

I do not think a one-time event of soaking in water will have any long-term damage, but I would not be surprised if it contributed to some of the short term symptoms.

Also, you mention that it is in a pot with soil, which is exactly the worst situation for this plant.

Now, I see the plant is indoors so there may be limitations as to the space you wish to allocate.  Also, once in a larger container, it may be hard to move and water...

Assuming you have the appropriate space and are able to handle , I would recommend repotting into an 18"-24" wide wire basket (not a plastic one).  It can either be empty or lined with those nice fiber liners.  Instead of soil, you should use Sphagnum Moss (commonly available for orchids).  Use gloves when you handle the moss.  You pre-soak the moss in water until it expands, and then stuff the basket and repot the fern as you did before.  Also, give it a couple spoonfulls of slow-release plant food (any brand).

If that does not sound reasonable due to space and practical limitations, it may be time to divide the plant into 2-3 smaller ones, and then you could use the same type of basket like you have, only with moss instead of soil.

Remember that staghorns are epiphytes (they grow on trees with no soil at all and very little standing water).  In our homes or gardens, we try to give them as close a setting to their natural one as we can.

All in all, from the photo, and considering you have kept this plant indoors, it is absolutely remarkable!  I think that, with the few minor changes I suggested, you will be able to enjoy it for a long time to come.

DC