Question
Dear Dan,
I am living on a 12 acre property in the hinterland of Byron Bay, the eastern most point of Australia. The area is considered to be sub tropical and gets quite a lot of rain.

There are pekan trees on part (about 1/4 of an acre) of the property and naturally grown staghorns thrive on them. There are over 200, big and small. There are staghorns elsewhere on the property but these are scattered, while there is a concentration on the pekans. The pekans lose all their leaves in winter and are well covered in summer and I suspect that the variations in seasonal sunshine getting to the staghorns may be the reason for the concentration.

I have been thinking of starting a business mounting and selling them, but only if I can propagate them myself as I don't want to destroy the natural beauty of the property by harvesting the existing stock of staghorns.

Two questions: (i) how long does it take to grow a mounted pup into a staghorn with fronds of, say, 40cms in length?  
(ii) what is the typical life span of a well looked after mounted staghorn?

Thanking you in anticipation,

Regards

David Dennis

Answer
Wow I'd live to see some photos!

As to your questions, obviously the variance would be quite wide, depending on species, conditions, etc.

Generally, I would say 9-12 months would be the reasonable timeframe to get to the size you want.  Make sure that your mount can sufficiently accommodate the desired size.

The ultimate size shall be limited by the size of the mount.  If it is free hanging, it will grow no further.  However, if attached to a wall or large tree, it may spread enormously over time (I have seen staghorns as large as small cars!)

As to expected life span, well, under the right conditions...longer than you and I!

Specifically, as long as they don't freeze, burn, dry, drown, or get afflicted with incurable pest or disease, one could claim that these plants (or their divided offspring) are pretty eternal.

I guess my answers are pretty vague.  Commercially, we produce an 8" basket with a 50cm spread in about 9 months, and the average consumer can expect to enjoy them under the oak tree for at least 5 years.

DC