Question
QUESTION: Dear Dan,
our staghorn fern was doing great, but we moved to a new house and a few
months after moving we lost first one leaf and then the other. Is our fern dead?
We've continued to water and take care of it. Is there something we can check on
it to see how it's doing? Thanks!

ANSWER: Dear Bahareh;

I will try to offer a few potential answers to your question.  If they do not seem adequate, it would probably help if you sent me more information (and photos, if possible), such as what size container it is and where it is located (in the house, the yard, etc.)

Since you mention you recently moved, my first suspicion would be any abrupt change in conditions between the previous and current location.  Is the plant in a much darker or colder spot?  Is it sunnier and drier?  In many cases, the plant will recover once it is acclimated to its new environment.  Keep in mind, however, that staghorns are tropical and will not survive deep, sustained frosts or full direct sunlight.

You also say that you have continued to water, which in many cases should not be needed for mature staghorns.  They are mostly epiphytic and should be able to gather what moisture they require from air and rainfall.  If it feels heavy, I would not water it at all.

I would also check the underside of the leafs.  If the tips are covered with brown fuzz, then the plant is sensing stress (possibly from the move) and is trying to reproduce by spores.  This is a perfectly natural reaction and will cease once the plant recovers.

Also, if there are tiny white scaly spots on the leaf, then your plant is infected with scale insects.  If that is the case, let me know and I will offer you some solutions.

I am quite confident that, once the stress causes are eliminated, your plant will recover nicely.  Staghorns are extremely durable.  The only incurable condition I know of is bacterial blight, which will show as large black, water soaked, smelly spots.  These are very rare but, if they exist, then your plant is probably doomed.

I hope one of my answers ends up being correct.  If not, feel free to follow up with more information.

DC

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you Dan! The problem is, all the leaves are lost. Does that mean the plant
has died? We have it in our bathroom and when the moss surrounding it dries
out, we give it a quick dunk. It gets a little less light than it did before.  

Answer
If all the leaves are gone, well...the plant will probably not recover.

For a staghorn to survive indoors, it would need plenty of natural light.  If the old home had a south-facing window, that may have been enough.  In tropical regions, we grow our staghorns outside under the oak tree.  In colder areas, I would keep them outside under the tree in the warm season (and water as needed), and only bring them inside when weather forces us to do so.   

Sorry about your plant.  I wish you better luck next time.

DC