How to mount an elkhorn fern

Gardens and plantings do not need to be limited to garden beds and pots – vertical spaces present heaps of opportunities for great plantings. Josh shows us how to successfully mount an Elkhorn Fern (Platycerium bifurcatum), a great architectural foliage addition to just about any garden. Being an epiphytic fern means it will grow without soil on the surface of a tree, or, in this case, a backing board.


Materials
- Hardwood for mounting (Josh uses reclaimed Jarrah)
- Picture hanging bracket or mounting hook
- Tacks or screws
- Hammer or drill
- Wire, string, plant tie or fishing line
- Coir chips
- Coir pot liner


Method
- Using a circle of coir matting (or hanging basket liner), cut and fold to make a triangular pouch leaving an opening at the front.
- Place the coir pouch onto the backing board with the point facing down, and trace around the pouch with a marker
- Using a drill, insert 6 – 8 screws around the sides of the outline on the board – these will act as anchor points for holding the pouch. Leave the head of the screws 5mm out of the board to allow wire or plant tie to be twisted around them.
- Remove the Elkhorn gently from the pot, removing as much of the existing potting mix as possible. It is important to ensure the “scales” or “shields” at the base of the fern remain in place – they will eventually secure the plant to the mounting board by enveloping it.
- Insert the plant gently into the coir pouch, tucking the coir under and around the scales.
- Secure the top of the coir pouch with a metal clip, wire or similar
- Fill the inside of the pouch with a mixture of hydrated coir and seed raising mix, and pack in around root system
- To secure planted pouch to board, lay pouch on the backing board and run wire across the front of the pouch and twist around the screws
- Turn the board with the attached fern upright and mount in position on a wall. Ideal position is in a sheltered spot outdoors, receiving broken morning sun and afternoon shade.
- Water in well, keep moist (but no wet) and provide an organic fertiliser (and a banana skin) every few months.

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