Dust on a Staghorn Fern – Do Staghorn Ferns Need to Be Cleaned
Do your staghorn ferns get dirty more often? Are you having problems keeping them healthy and clean all the time?
Well, staghorn ferns might need cleaning and maintenance in order to hold their elegant beauty. Don’t be afraid to think how you will manage and clean their big fronds.
In this article, I’ll talk about how you can remove dust from your elegant staghorn ferns and keep them clean. So, let’s start the process.
Overview of Staghorn Ferns:
- Botanic name: Platycerium bifurcatum
- Common names: elkhorn ferns, staghorn ferns
- Family: Polypodiaceae
- Genus: Platycerium
- Plant: Perennial evergreen
- Native range: Java, New Guinea, Eastern Australia, South Wales, Queensland
- Height: around 35 inches
- Width: around 31 inches
- Shade: Partial
- Soil: acidic, neutral
- Hardiness zone: 9,10,11,12
Staghorn Ferns basically resemble deer or elk antlers with heart-shaped arching fronds.
These ferns exist in 17 different species in Asia and Australia currently including Java, New Guinea, South Wales, Queensland, and Lord Howe Island. Besides, they are fond of habitats that are rainforest areas with a moist atmosphere.
Gardeners and plant enthusiasts very frequently grow and plant these staghorn ferns for home cultivation. Besides, these staghorn ferns have unique heart-shaped fronds around 12 to 45 cm long.
And so, their gray-green arched fertile also similar to a horn shape, forked, or strapped shape which spread usually 90 cm long.
Staghorn ferns are generally epiphytic which means they can grow on different plants or any objects but these are not parasitic ferns. Similarly, You can grow these ferns on any hanging baskets or wood planks.
In order to create your staghorn fern, try to create a subtropical natural environment such as a dappled atmosphere, moisture, and indirect sunlight.
Alternatively, these ferns can be a little invasive on rare occasions. For instance, if they get their ideal condition; especially in Florida and Hawaii under a warm atmosphere, these staghorn ferns can grow invasively.
In such cases, they need to go thoroughly under maintenance.
Staghorn Fern’s Cleaning Maintenance
Certainly, Staghorn ferns will require cleaning to look flourishing in your house. Let’s find out how you can clean your staghorn fern at your house.
Indoor Staghorn Ferns Cleaning
If your ferns are placed indoors, then they probably get less dust than the outdoor staghorn fern plant. However, indoor cleaning might be a little more hazardous than outdoor cleaning.
Use Wet Clothes or Sponges
Nonetheless, for cleaning purposes, take a sponge or a wet piece of cloth. Then gently wipe off the fronds dust and dirt from the plant. Also, wipe the pot or container to keep it clean and dust-free.
You can do this process twice a month to keep the plant tidy.
Use Spray Bottles
Similarly, just mist the plant with water while you are watering. It will also reduce the dirt and dust from the plant. You can spray twice or thrice a week. It will also keep your plant clean and dust-free.
Showering With Water
Staghorn ferns love a humid and moist atmosphere. So showering the plant with water is not a bad thought to remove their dustiness stage.
Take out the plant outdoors or bathroom as well. Just simply rinse the whole plant with water properly. Then leave it out for a couple of hours so that all the water gets drained out properly.
Then you can again place them in their previous location. By doing this process on a monthly basis, you can keep your staghorn ferns dust-free.
Outdoor Staghorn Ferns Cleaning
Well, outdoor cleaning could be a little easier than indoor cleaning. So for your outdoor staghorn ferns, you can use the showering water technique as I have already mentioned earlier.
It will be a lot of time-saving as well as keep your ferns clean at the same time. For your outdoor fern, you can avoid wet clothing if you want. You can just simply use any spraying bottle or showering technique to clean your plant.
Similarly, you can use this whole giving them water. Just shower the whole plant every time when you are watering your staghorn ferns. This would also be fine as well.
Simply shower the plant in this process once or twice a week just like you water your plant. It will keep your staghorn ferns neat and clean all the time.
Recap
On a final note, Staghorn ferns are elegant perennial evergreen plants that give a house a little wilderness view.
Therefore, if you want to maintain their evergreen appearance, then you need to keep your ferns neat and clean. Because dust and dirt might reduce this fern’s charming features.
In order to clean your staghorn ferns, you can use wet cloths, sponges, misting, or showering water techniques. You can use this cleaning maintenance for both your indoor and outdoor plants.
Thus, by doing this cleaning maintenance you can have fresh, evergreen, and cleaned staghorn ferns at your house.
