staghorn fern - Platycerium bifurcatum

Yes, boards or baskets provide much better drainage, though pots are okay if you can avoid overwatering. Growing stags in a large greenhouse, I frequently mounted them on boards during the winter when they were dormant and less likely to be damaged, being careful not to pack too much sphagnum around them on the board, and to run them on the dry side until they start to produce new sterile fronds (spraying the foliage, but not the rooting medium, lightly on bright days may be helpful).

Don Fitch, Covina, CA.

Thanks for your reply. I shall mount it soon then. Is it likely to have formed a large rootball in the pot? How would you recommend dealing with that when I mount it?

I'll go lightly on the sphagnum as you suggest. I'm in the habit of keeping most things on the dry side during the winter anyhow (fungus gnats can be a problem), so it'll be easy to do it for this too.

Thanks again Bonnie Punch