Fern in a Nepenthes pot

[LLeopardGGecko]

I have a N. singalana in a 4 inch pot that's recovering from some neglect. A few months ago a little fern popped up in this very same pot, and being the nice plant guy that I am, I let it grow.

Well, this little fern took it upon itself to grow bigger than my N. singalana. I honestly have no problem with this, seeing as I like ferns and this one happens to look nice, but I'm starting to get concerned that maybe the fern will start to choke out my Nepenthes.

Should this even be a concern of mine? If so, then what should I do? I'd rather not kill this fern, but then again I would rather not re-pot my Nepenthes because it's just starting to recover nicely.

 

[seedjar]

I'd get rid of that fern if I were you... ferns are very effective competitors and I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually choked your Nep. If you don't want to unpot the whole setup, dig around the base of the fern and see if you can find its rhizome, then take some scissors and cut it out. Some new ferns might grow back, but they should be small enough for you to remove by hand.
Best luck,
~Joe

 

[LLeopardGGecko]

Thanks for the tip Seedjar. I think I'll actually try to dig up the rhizome.

 

[tonyc]

Hi,
I'm plagued by ferns in my terras , mostly Dryopteris dilatata as far as I can tell. It's native to North America as well as Europe, I think. It's best to dig them out ASAP, but you can pot them up separately if you're a fern fan (like me) and they usually do well.
Here's one I grew out in order to ID it: