can we see a the whole plant.. and the top of the pot... did you moisten the media before planting...

ken

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your comment and for your help. Before I repotted, I soaked the sphagnum moss for a few hours and lined the coconut liner with it. Then I used dry sphagnum moss, orchid mix, and some potting soil to pot the rest. The soil from the original pot was already moist but not soaking. After I repotted the plant, I immediately watered the entire container and let it drain thoroughly.

Here is the whole plant and a view from the top as well as a photo of the base of the plant at the root shields

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Staghorn is not a terrestrial plant. It should not be in a pot of soil.

Actually, I am going to disagree with Tiffany here; the common staghorn P. bifurcatum does fine in pots of soil. Success in pots really depends on the potting mix, the environment, and the care given with the watering regime.

To the OP: I don’t think you should worry about those yellowing fronds unless the trend continues; the plant looks pretty good.

Is it growing any new fronds? Have you fertilized it? If so, with what, and how often?

I know that typically staghorn ferns aren't terrestrial. However, when I purchased this plant about eight years ago, it came in soil, and I left it there for the past eight years. It did really well. Only when I transplanted it into a larger container (pictured above) did it begin to lose fronds.

I was concerned that something went wrong with the transplant. I am hoping it was just initial shock, and I really can't tell at this point. I have lost three fronds and am losing another. But the ones that aren't failing seem to be just fine.

Any suggestions?

It sounds like you've done your due diligence in researching the best potting substrate for your plant, so hopefully it's just a case of transplant shock and your fern will bounce back. Eight years is a long time, and the sudden change in environment may have been too much for it to take. Try giving the soil a deep watering and keep an eye out for any signs of improvement. If things keep getting worse you may need to consider other options.

I haven't had that kind of plant, just seen some great ones in FL, but that kind of reaction is typical of plants in general in response ot a disturbance, to discard some of the foliage, usually th oldest. I hope it gets back to the happy routine it had before, when it's finished having the hissy fit.