# Paph charlesworthii



## SlipperKing (Jan 3, 2017)

Finally opened (4 days). I have NEVER been able to charlesworthii here in Texas. Maybe there is something to Rick's basket culture.

















A back shot


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## Justin (Jan 3, 2017)

Super dark!


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## SlipperKing (Jan 3, 2017)

Well Justin, not quite this dark. Its lighter on my home monitor then my phone! 

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## blondie (Jan 3, 2017)

Very nice amazing colour on the flower


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## Ozpaph (Jan 3, 2017)

nice colour intensity


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## bigleaf (Jan 3, 2017)

Very nice. I should try this growing method by Rick.


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## Gilda (Jan 3, 2017)

:clap: beautiful and congrats !!!


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## Rick (Jan 3, 2017)

Nice one Rick.:wink:

Any new starts with the bloom?


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## NYEric (Jan 3, 2017)

How do you charlesworthii!? 
Nice, thanks for sharing


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## Spaph (Jan 3, 2017)

Great growing! So great you got one to bloom.


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## SlipperKing (Jan 3, 2017)

Rick said:


> Nice one Rick.:wink:
> 
> Any new starts with the bloom?


Yes, a bump  

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## Don I (Jan 3, 2017)

Nice one. I like the little fern as well.
Don


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## SlipperKing (Jan 3, 2017)

Yes Don, that's a companion plant but can take over quick! As seen below






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## tnyr5 (Jan 3, 2017)

Impressive flower, Rick.


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## SlipperFan (Jan 3, 2017)

Nice flower, but get rid of the ferns -- their roots will take over and eventually smother the orchids.


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## abax (Jan 3, 2017)

I'm not a big charles fan, but this one is nicely colored and
the dorsal doesn't overwhelm the rest of the flower.


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## SlipperKing (Jan 4, 2017)

SlipperFan said:


> Nice flower, but get rid of the ferns -- their roots will take over and eventually smother the orchids.



I really don't believe this to be true Dot. Why at the turn of the last century tree fern and osmunda roots were the main growing media. Although the media was dead, but does show no toxic affect as a medium. In situ there are many symbiotic relationships between orchids, ferns, mosses, lichens and on and on.. This particular fern has a massive, wirily root system that actually opens up the NZ sphagnum. Especially as the sphagnum breaks down the openness is needed. In essences, the sphagnum media is being replaced by fern root media. Its known that aged sphagnum holds excessive water, in this case, the fern removes the excess. Eventually the sphag disappears, I just stuff fresh moss into the sides, the top and the process starts all over again until the basket rots away!


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## Rick (Jan 4, 2017)

SlipperKing said:


> I really don't believe this to be true Dot. Why at the turn of the last century tree fern and osmunda roots were the main growing media. Although the media was dead, but does show no toxic affect as a medium. In situ there are many symbiotic relationships between orchids, ferns, mosses, lichens and on and on.. This particular fern has a massive, wirily root system that actually opens up the NZ sphagnum. Especially as the sphagnum breaks down the openness is needed. In essences, the sphagnum media is being replaced by fern root media. Its known that aged sphagnum holds excessive water, in this case, the fern removes the excess. Eventually the sphag disappears, I just stuff fresh moss into the sides, the top and the process starts all over again until the basket rots away!




I also have been letting the ferns go wild, but periodically cut them down so have a bunch of impaired fern root providing a good matrix for paph roots to grow into while old dead moss washes away.


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## gego (Jan 4, 2017)

Like nature. Pretty soon, a man made limestone cliff with all sorts of mosses, ferns and others with sorts of paphs clinging to the cracks, in your greenhouse. What a site to look at while seeping your first coffee. 

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## SlipperFan (Jan 4, 2017)

Well, just from personal observations at a local orchid greenhouse. I've found very often, especially with seedlings, when ferns take over, the orchid loses. I'm glad to hear that is not always the case.


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## SlipperKing (Jan 5, 2017)

I wouldn''t be quick to associate the decline of the orchid do to the ferns as much as, the GH grower not understanding the needs of the orchid.
Dot, were these orchids all in baskets? Probably not. A pot full of ferns is different then a basket.
I bought this charlie 4/2013 and it went straight into this basket and has done very well without set backs. I cannot claim the same the for any previous charles in pots. 

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## Rick (Jan 8, 2017)

I think it might be worth a discussion on cause/effect of the concept.

The term "smother" implies that the ferns are blocking air passage to the paph, but I can't see how you can get the roots that dense to preclude gas exchange.

Now some plants do exude toxins from their roots to beat kill out competition.

Competition may be the key word to use, and you can compete for nutrients or water.

My guess from what I see in my system is competition for water may be a big issue with huge live fern growth. And since IMO most orchid growers are excessively stingy with water (for fear of root rot) then I could conceive of excess fern growth causing water deprivation with the orchids.

What I see in my systems is that when it gets hot and dry and I skip watering the ferns all die back.

A fern with the leaves cut off isn't much of a water hog. So periodically I cut down the ferns but leave the roots behind (which often resprout)


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## SlipperFan (Jan 8, 2017)

Well, let's see what happens to the roots a year from now, if you don't repot.


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## SlipperKing (Jan 9, 2017)

Here Dot is your philippinese. Placed in the basket 8/2012 then in 2015 moved the 6 inch into a 8 inch. The fern has been its companion for 3 maybe 4 years now.











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## Happypaphy7 (Jan 9, 2017)

IMO, ferns roots may interfere with the orchid roots, but they might actually help with water retention in the potting mix. 

I had a small pot of neo with a fern growing in it.
I liked the look of it until the fern got too big, so I would trim it back every so often. Last time I cut back, I cut back almost everything and then dried out the pot for a while. The fern has never came back in months, so it was definitely more sensitive to the drought than the orchid. The neo is happily growing in the pot.

What works good for you is fine. 
The only thing is that those ferns are growing and covering up that paph in the basket in the photo. oke:

Back to the point, congrats on finally not killing charleswhortii.
My ablbum, which I paid good money for the darn little thing, is not looking too well.
I'll never buy this species again. lol


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## SlipperFan (Jan 9, 2017)

SlipperKing said:


> Here Dot is your philippinese. Placed in the basket 8/2012 then in 2015 moved the 6 inch into a 8 inch. The fern has been its companion for 3 maybe 4 years now.
> Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk



It is blooming now? I should photo my plant so you can see it w/o ferns... If I thought it would help to bloom it, I'd plant a fern in it.


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## Ozpaph (Jan 10, 2017)

Some ferns have such matted roots I think the paph roots have trouble growing and they do 'steal' water and fertiliser (probably out compete the slow paphs). I find my plants decline if I allow the ferns to go wild.


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## SlipperKing (Jan 10, 2017)

One thing about this fern, I think it must be epiphytic. It grows very well in the baskets but not so good in pots. Also, I have 3 house plants in the GH in dirt and the fern never has grown in any of them. The fern does grow on the floor but the floor is red brick (walk way area) or lava rock (under the benches) with a accumulation of potting mix, dirt and areas of thick native moss growing. So the assumption the fern needs plenty of air around its roots as well, like the orchid.


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## eaborne (Jan 11, 2017)

Fabulous Rick!


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## My Green Pets (Jan 14, 2017)

I like the charlesworthii and I like the ferns. I would like to have ferns too


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