Stanhopea wardii - yellowing pbulb

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

Wouldn't the fern lead to faster media decay?

Hmmm...I'm not sure that either ferns or orchids have any capability to break down media. Rather, I've always assumed that the media breaks down due to abiotic (heat, moisture) and biotic conditions (bacteria, fungi, etc) not associated with plant (or fern) growth. These are purely hypothetical guesses though!

[Tindomul]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Hmmm...I'm not sure that either ferns or orchids have any capability to break down media. Rather, I've always assumed that the media breaks down due to abiotic (heat, moisture) and biotic conditions (bacteria, fungi, etc) not associated with plant (or fern) growth. These are purely hypothetical guesses though!

I was thinking the fern roots (extra biomatter) would promote decay indirectly as the fern roots die, probably more often than the orchid roots.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

I was thinking the fern roots (extra biomatter) would promote decay indirectly as the fern roots die, probably more often than the orchid roots.

Its possible! Tough to say without any type of study.