Ask-a-Dave's-Gardener: Staghorn fern just hanging on... Why?, 1 by elementp

elementp wrote:
Hi, I am having trouble with a staghorn fern I purchased off of Amazon. It came okay and I followed the instructions, but is won't grow and has lost leaves. I began to realize it might be the water in this apartment complex, so started adding dish liquid and now apple cider vinegar to the water trying to help all my plants. Other plants have come around, but this fern just survives. I has not grown in a year. I moved it from its original pot to hang on the wall, but still nothing. How fast should it be growing and what can I do to help it?