Hi Jan. I have found the best thing to put behind the Stag or Elkhorn is Sphagnum Moss, may be hard to come by now but any thing else I have used has not been as successful.
Some folk put some banana skins behind the shields every now and then, I have heard they attract cockroaches so don't use them myself, they are supposed to be a good food for them though. I usually leave them just with the leaves that fall down behind the shields, but do on occasion add just a few pellets of a slow release fertiliser.
I prefer to use the nylon clothes line cord to tie them to a tree, you need something that will hold them there till they can attach themselves, I think fishing line may cut into the plant.

Cheryl.

Feeding: We always put our apple cores into the elkhorn - havent seen cockroaches yet! obviously not to many, dont want it briming with apple cores!

Jan,

I never put anything behind elks or stags and do not fertilise them. They get leaf and bark litter from surrounding trees.

I use stocking to tie the smaller ones and rope for the really large ones. The trick is to tie as tightly as possible. Mine are all tied to trees like ironbarks; not bark shedding eucs. There seem to be different types of elks. Most of mine get filtered sun with some growing in full sun.

Hazel.

Thanks for the advice.
Cheers Jan

I heard they like banana skins and I put one behind a new one (Elkhorn) I 'transplanted' - it certinly grew well!!!