Orchid companion plants

11 years ago

I was thinking about the way orchids grow in rain forest canopies with other plants densely packed around everywhere. Given the way orchids manipulate insects for pollination and how they manipulate fungi to germinate seed, wouldn't it make sense if they also used other plants around them somehow? Of course they use trees to mount on and I guess for shade, but what about other plants ?

I noticed this fern sprout last year and thought about plucking it out a few times but decided to let it go an see what happens. I don't know where it came from since I don't own any ferns of this type. I know if I tried to do this on purpose it would never happen.

So what do you think, are they helping each other or trying to kill each other.

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Comments (12)

shavedmonkey (Harvey in South Fl.)Z10b
11 years ago
I think in New Jersey it is OK. But here in Florida they will take over the pot. Bad news down here. I have that fern in my yard. One must be careful where it is planted as they are quite invasive. There are some that are less invasive that grow in my yard. Cant remember the name...

If that pot gets Florida like conditions then you may want to get rid of the fern.
zzackey
11 years ago
It's a sword fern. I would yank it out. It will only drain the fertilizer and suck up the water meant for the orchid.
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James _J
Original Author
11 years ago
I'm giving the Cymbidium a cool dry rest now, which I don't think the fern will be happy about.

I like the look of moss covering a pot but I don't know if that is good or bad for the plant either.
cooperdr_gw
11 years ago
I just think that ferns don't last indoors- maybe there are some exceptions. I think that if there aren't air roots most kind of moss are okay and it does look nice.
bouldergrower
11 years ago
Mine came from Trader Joe's:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/crypto/msg1014151324132.html?3
gyr_falcon
11 years ago
"...a cool dry rest now, which I don't think the fern will be happy about. "

IMO, you are underestimating a sword fern's will to survive by quite a large bit. :)
garyfla_gw
11 years ago
Hi
gave me a laugh when I seen the pic lol nephrolepis grow everywhere in my yard including raingutters and every orchid and palm lol. More obnoxious from orchids are Bears foot ferns they form a fuzzy root which is almost impossible to remove from the pot once formed .
In your case don't see how it could become too invasive and it's easy to remove ?? gary
jane__ny
11 years ago
I get both too, Gary. What a nightmare. The only way I can rid the plants of them is during repotting. My Date Palm is overed in this fern but can only keep cutting them off. Their roots are down in the trunk.

Couldn't grow ferns in NY. In Florida, they grow everywhere.

Jane
garyfla_gw
11 years ago
Jane
Personally ,I've always thought palms look more interesting with the second growth. One year I planted impatiens in all the grooves didn't stop the ferns BUT was a riot of color over winter lol Have also tried trailing begonias and cissus vine . Ferns overpowered both of those .lol If you grow Canaries you also grow ferns!! lol gary
arthurm
11 years ago
Sword fern is known as Fishbone Fern here and it is a weed. When I saw the heading I thought the topic was going to about Broms which are grown by many orchid fanciers.
cooperdr_gw
11 years ago
Guess I was wrong- in most of the country ferns are perrenials that don't like indoors but sword ferns are evergreens.
James _J
Original Author
11 years ago
So I decided to yank it out. I was afraid that if I let it get too big it would be hard to remove. I put it in a pot on it's own to see if it will survive.

I do have some tillandsias growing in my Vanda baskets but that is more for decorative reasons. I don't think they would have an effect on each other.