Platycerium (Staghorn) Ferns As Epiphytes
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Prehistoric Platycerium Fern Cultivation , Continued
When Attempting To Touch Base With The Cultivating Needs Of Any Plant Species , Even If The Plant Species Are Roses , Platycerium Ferns Or Petunias , The Task Can Be Very Difficult , Because The Species May Be Being Cultivated In A Totally Different Environment Than Where You Are Cultivating The Species , Which Is Usually The Case . Platycerium Ferns Being Cultivated In Different States , Country's Or Localities Have Different Cultivating Requirements . As An Example , It Is More Difficult To Cultivate Platycerium Fern Superbum , Veitchii And Platy. Fern Willinckii Outside During The Summer Season In Southern Florida Than It Is In Southern California . This Is Due To The Greater Amount Of Rain Received In South Florida During This Season Compared To Southern California . Its Just The Reverse For Species Like Platycerium Fern Coronarium , Elephantotis , Stemaria And Platy. Fern Ridleyi , If The Species Is Absent Of Peat Or Sphagnum Moss As A Cultivating Medium . Those Living In The Midwest And Northeast Must Bring All Platycerium Ferns Inside During The Winter Season , If No Greenhouse Is Available . As A Matter Of Fact , All Species Of Platycerium Ferns Must Be Protected From The Cold Temperatures And Cool Rains During The Winter Season , No Matter Where You Live .
Madagascar Tropicals Is Located In Southern California Within The City Of Altadena And The Cultivating Conditions Here Are Mild And Also Harsh . During The Summer Months The Air Is Very Dry With Temperatures In The High 80's And 90's And The Air Has Very Little Or No Moisture In It . This Type Of Environment Will Bring Any Platycerium Fern Being Cultivated Outside Year Round To A Growing Halt . During The Winter Season The Air Is Moist With Day Time Temperatures Between 40 And 65 Degrees And Night Time Temperatures Between 35 And 40 Degrees , With Some Frost Sometimes . The Non Tropical Platycerium Ferns Like Superbum , Willinckii , Veitchii And Bifurcatum Being Cultivated Outside Cultivate Very Well If Protected , From Direct Sun Light And Frost . They Also Cultivate Well Outside , In Southern California , Until Nature Decides To Bring On Its Unforgiving Winds . The Epiphytic Plant Species Require That They Be Protected , From These Winds .
When Speaking Of Cultivation , Horticulture Or Plant Care We Are Attempting To Reproduce The Natural Living Habitat Of The Platycerium Ferns , Which Is Necessary In Order For Any Of The Species To Survive Outside Of Their Natural Habitat . If Nature Had Intended For Any Of The Platycerium Fern Species To Naturally Live And Survive Outside Of Their Natural Cultivating Habitat Or Just Anywhere Man Decided To Place Them On Earth The (18) Platycerium Fern Species Would Have Been Naturally Placed There . If You Are Cultivating These Species , It Is Very Important That You Attempt To Reproduce Their Natural Living Habitat , In Order For The Species To Live , Grow And Survive .
Within This Platycerium Fern Cultivating Section You Are Presented With The General Cultivating Needs For The (18) Platycerium Fern Species And A Few Of Their Cultivars . It Will Be Up To You To Adjust These Cultivating Tips To Your Growing Environment In Order For The Species To Live , Function Well And Survive .
Listed Below You Will Find The Main Platycerium Fern Cultivating Requirements Common To All Platycerium Ferns And They Are Something The Species Must Receive In Order To Grow And Survive , Within Or Outside Of Their Natural Living Habitat . With Any One Of These Cultivating Needs Not Being Provided The Chances Of The Platycerium Fern Species Growing And Surviving Is Next To Null . Take A Look At The List Of The Most Common Cultivating Requirements For Prehistoric Platycerium Ferns .
Light - All Prehistoric Platycerium Ferns Require Between 30% And 50% Filtered Sun Light . There Are A Few Species Which Can Tolerate Very High Filtered Sun Light , Without Too Much Damage , But Never Less Than 30% Filtered Sun Light . Shade Cloth Works Like This , Shade Cloth = 100% Which = 100% Filtered Sun Light . Therefore 10% Shade Cloth Would Give You 90% Filtered Sun Light , 30% Shade Cloth Would Give You 70% Filtered Sun Light And 50% Shade Cloth Would Give You 50% Filtered Sun Light .
Air Movement - Fresh Air Is Needed By All Living Things And The Best Fresh Air Can Be Found Outside . If The Platycerium Ferns Are Being Cultivated Within A Controlled Environment Such As A Greenhouse A Means Needs To Be Put In Place To Introduce Fresh Moving Air Into The Greenhouse .
Temperature - The Average Temperature For The Platycerium Fern Species Is Between (40) And (75) Degrees , With Some Species Growing Well Near The Low End Of The Scale , Some Needing The Mid Range And Even A Few Needing The Upper End Of The Scale . Temperatures Below Or Above This Range Produces Problems .
Water - Water Can Be A Problem For Every One Unless You Have Access To Well Water . Most Have Public Water And This Water Is Full Of Chemicals , Salts And Chlorine Which Is Bad For Platycerium Ferns And People . During The Summer Months The Chlorine Level Is Usually Increased And Causes Problems Cultivating Platycerium Ferns . You May Need To Invest In A Water Filtering System To Reduce This Problem .
Humidity - This Term Refers To The Amount Of Moisture Contained Within The Air . A Few Species Such As Platycerium Fern Fern Superbum , Veitchii And Platy. Fern Bifurcatum Require Very Little Humidity If Any At All . Other Species Such As Platycerium Fern Elephantotis , Stemaria , Ellisii And Platy. Fern Alcicorne African Require A Mid Range Of Humidity Maintained Between 60% And 75% For Them To Cultivate And Survive . Also , To Much Humidity Produces A Tender Plant Species And If You Would Like To Enter The Species In A Plant Show You May Have Problems With The Species At The Show Or When Its Returned To Its Normal High Humidity Cultivating Area .
Fertilizer - Any General All Purpose Plant Food Will Do "No Bananas" Along With A Very Small Amount Of Root Hormone , From Time To Time . Plant Food Should Be Given At (1/4) Strength Per Gallon Of Water Beginning In Early Spring And Through Mid Fall , But Not To Often . We Do Not Regularly Feed Our Platycerium Fern Species . With Most Of The Species No Food Should Be Given During The Winter Season , Unless The Species Is A New Pup Or Newly Mounted Species You Are Attempting To Get Established And Even Then Not To Much Food . You Can Also Use A Very Small Amount Of Slow Release Plant Food Tablets , During The Summer Season .
Patience - All Prehistoric Platycerium (Staghorn) Fern Species Are Very Slow Growing Plants , By Nature . Therefore , When You Decide To Tackle The Task Of Cultivating These Species You Will Need Plenty Of Patience In Order To Perform The Task . It Will Take A Few Years To Obtain A Species Of Any Size And See The True Character , Of That Species . The (18) Species Of Prehistoric Platycerium Ferns And Their Cultivars Will Only Grow As Fast And Within The Time Span Nature Has Given Them To Grow , Which Is True For Every Living Thing In Life .
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