Reasons Why Your Staghorn Fern is Yellow, Brown, Wilted, or Droopy
Do you have a staghorn fern? Are your staghorn fern’s fronds getting yellow, brown, wilted, or droopy? Well, give all your concerns to us.
Because we’ll manifest all these staghorn ferns problems in this article along with giving you solutions to deal with this problem.
So let’s start the article by giving you a short overview of Staghorn fern’s characteristics.
Overview of Staghorn Ferns
- Botanic name: Platycerium bifurcatum
- Common names: elkhorn ferns, staghorn ferns
- Family: Polypodiaceae
- Plant: Perennial evergreen
- Native range: Eastern Australia, New Guinea, South Wales, Queensland, Java,
- Height: up to 35 inches
- Width: up to 31 inches
- Shade: partial to full
- Soil: acidic or neutral
- Hardy zone: 9,10,11,12
Staghorn Ferns are the most common Decorative fern plants that are widely familiar in Asia and Australia. Including these countries, they are also found in Java, New Guinea, South Wales, Queensland, and Lord Howe Island.
Mostly, their habitats belong to the rainforest areas under a moist atmosphere.
Currently, more than 17 different varieties exist of these ferns in many regional countries including Asia and Australia.
These fern’s fronds have a similar resemblance to deer or elk antlers along with arching heart-shaped features. Their unique heart-shaped fronds spread around 12 to 45 cm long. Because of their availability, they are very frequently grown and planted by many cultivators.
As they are epiphytic plants, they can grow on different plants or any objects as well. Similarly, you can also grow these ferns on any wood planks or hanging baskets.
Why is My Staghorn Fern Turning Yellow, Brown, Wilted, or Drooping?
If your staghorn fern is getting yellow, brown, wilted, or dropped then they might not get their ideal condition to thrive.
Reasons for Yellow and Brown Leaves of Staghorn Ferns
Over Watering
The only possible reason for your staghorn ferns’ yellow leaves is excessive water on their roots. You might be watering your staghorn ferns too much where your fern’s roots remain on the standing water.
And for this Soaking water, their roots might not get proper oxygen and suffocate beneath the water. In time the roots start to rot and the sign is visible in their yellow fronds.
Day by day the yellow fronds will turn into a brown one due to excessive watering issues.
Solution: The only solution I could give you is less is more. You need to keep in mind that you shouldn’t water your staghorn ferns unnecessarily. Because unnecessary watering can lead to their rotten roots and yellow fronds.
So before you fix your watering techniques, check the root conditions. If roots are still in a healthy condition, just don’t give water until the soil becomes dry again.
But if you observe that the roots start to rot, then immediately change the soil with a new potting soil mixture. Now for watering your staghorn fern, try to keep their roots moist and damp, not overall soaked.
For that reason, you can water your staghorn ferns once a week in the warm seasons. But in winter you need to reduce your watering level; twice a month or every two weeks would be enough.
Just soak your ferns in a gallon of water or in a bucket for 10 to 20 minutes until the roots absorb water thoroughly. Then let the roots drip dry before you put them into their previous spot.
Excessive Sunlight
Now the other reason for your staghorn fern’s yellow fronds is excessive sunlight. If your staghorn ferns are getting too much sunlight than they are required, their fronds might turn from yellow to brown in the meantime.
It happens because, like most of the ferns, staghorn ferns also cannot tolerate direct sunlight. If they get direct sunlight, their fronds get burned due to direct sunlight.
Solution: Instantly remove your plant from its current position. Try to place them where they can get dappled or indirect sunlight, not direct exposure.
Therefore, North facing windows or walls would be an excellent place to keep them. Similarly, you can also place them in bathrooms and kitchens as well.
Reasons for Wilted or Droopy Fronds of Staghorn Ferns
Underwatering
Alongside yellow and brown fronds, wilted or dropping fronds are another common issue of staghorn ferns. It happened primarily underwater. Since they are humid lovers, that’s why they love warm humid atmospheres to thrive.
Similarly, they also love lots of moisture in their soil, but not overly water. If you give them water on an irregular basis, then your staghorn ferns cannot sustain the proper hydration that they require. Due to dryness, they will lack moisture and hydration.
Ultimately, their fronds will start to drop downwards. It’s a kind of earlier sign of underwatering your staghorn ferns. Within a few weeks, their fronds will be curled or wilted due to a shortfall of moisture.
Overwatering
Similarly, dropping leaves might also happen due to overwatering into their root system. Their fronds will droopy if they consume excessive hydration from the soil.
Solution: Again, you need to follow the normal watering techniques for your staghorn ferns. Give them a generous amount of water neither too much nor too little.
You can use the thumb press technique to identify the soil’s condition.
Excessive Temperature
If you live in warm or hot environments, then excessive hot temperatures might be another reason for your wilted and curled fronds.
Although they love a warm atmosphere, excessive heat waves would be harmful for them to survive. If they get too hot from heated weather or sun exposure, then their fronds might turn curled and droopy at the same time.
Solution: You can buy a temperature meter to utilize the temperature level every day. It will give you a basic idea about climate conditions.
Since their ideal temperature would be above 50°F, therefore try to maintain the temperature at least 60° F to 75°F to make them thrive. You can use a pebbles tray or humidifier also to make the room temperature more misty and foggy.
Natural Aging
If your staghorn ferns are old Almost for 2 to 3 years, then yellow, brown, droopy or wilted fronds would be their natural aging process.
However, if the plant’s age is almost one year, its aging process starts from there. Although they are evergreen ferns, still they will lose some of their oldest fronds due to conserving more energy for their upcoming growing seasons.
Thus, according to their natural aging, the oldest fronds will get droopy, and yellow-brown and later they will get wilted and curled. Lastly, those fronds will fall off from the plant just to grow new fronds.
Closing Line
In short, if you own staghorn ferns, you might face these most common problems such as yellow, brown, wilted, or drooping fronds of staghorn ferns.
The primary roots of all these problems are overwatering, underwatering, excessive sunlight, hot temperature,s and natural aging.
However, by following the above-mentioned guidelines, you can revive your staghorn ferns condition and can make them thrive again.
