Neofinetia culture

[Roy]

I've looked at a number of websites and posting on Neo's and they all appear to be planted in the traditional Japanese style, the fancy pots and Spag moss.
According to one website they can be grown similar to Ascda's, Angraecum etc only with a finer mix. Is this true ??
I ask because I would like to try one or two but spag moss culture for any plant for me is not a good option, they don't seem to like it in my GH.

 

[SlipperFan]

I've looked at a number of websites and posting on Neo's and they all appear to be planted in the traditional Japanese style, the fancy pots and Spag moss.
According to one website they can be grown similar to Ascda's, Angraecum etc only with a finer mix. Is this true ??
I ask because I would like to try one or two but spag moss culture for any plant for me is not a good option, they don't seem to like it in my GH.

Roy, I've been growing my Neos and various hybrids in straight diatomite in clay pots. Seems to work well so far.

 

[Ron-NY]

I even have one mounted.
The traditional Japanese method has a hollow core in the Sphag and the plant's base sits way above the rim of the pot, so it is not like growing it in moss. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

Let me see if I can find pics of some of my traditional planting for you. Here is a group shot...they all need repotting, which I do annually

Here is a large one that has been established and is growing and blooming while mounted on the bottom of a 10" clay pot

Here is one that I am mounting on the bottom of a clay pot

 

[Roy]

Thanks Dot & Ron. That helps me greatly. When I can obtain a plant or 2 I'll give both ways a try to see which way suits best.

 

[Heather]

Ron, can you re-post after repotting? Yours look like mine, with the roots everywhere, and I'm concerned about the ability to get them into the moss mound!

Oh, and when do you plan to repot?

 

[TADD]

All of my neos are mounted on treefern or cork. I grew them in the traditional way, but wasn't impressed witht the root growth. I mounted them last year and they seem to like it alot. They bloom and root real well. I have seen them gorwn in all forms of media, just depends on your preference.

 

[Roy]

Thanks Tadd, that helps as well. I have difficulties keeping up enough humidity in summer for them to succeed as mounts so I use pots and with no apparent problems with mix type I can use what I normally use.

 

[philoserenus]

ya i find that neos are quite tough and can be grown in many different methods. the normal bark mix, straight s/h w/out reservoir, mounted in many different media. however i find that mounting seems to make them happier so i mounted mines after this year's bloom on cork with sphag. dries out every 1.5 days--but a little dryness never hurts

 

[Phil]

I grow mine under lights in a mix of perlite with a little charcoal. It seems to be happy enough.

 

[Ron-NY]

Ron, can you re-post after repotting? Yours look like mine, with the roots everywhere, and I'm concerned about the ability to get them into the moss mound!

Oh, and when do you plan to repot?

Heather...I have been busy repotting this week and took a few pics...so you are in luck.

First I take a bottle of beer, perfectly chilled and drink it while pulling the plants from their pots and removing the old moss.

Then I use the bottle for potting. I drape long strands of quality NZ Sphag over the bottle and place the plant onto it.

I then drape more moss over the roots turning the bottle as I add them. I lift the whole thing off the bottle and I place a couple of styro peanuts into the hollow formed by the bottle

I then slide this into a pot and voila...repotted.

If you really want to have fun with this...use a new bottle for each plant, LOL.

 

[NYEric]

Ron, I thought that was going somewhere else completely! :rollhappy:

 

[Heather]

If you really want to have fun with this...use a new bottle for each plant, LOL.

Haha, I have a reserved water bottle I use as I really cannot drink beer any more. (But the gin and tonic was nearby last night when I was repotting.)

Thanks for the help, that's how I do it too, I'm amazed at how flexible the roots have been but I have my monster one left to do today and it's roots are very unruly. I have to say I haven't been totally amazed by the moss I got this time; it's not as long as in the past but it may be I am handling it too roughly when I break it from the cube so I'm going to try something different today.

Are all of yours in clay? The only thing I do differently is to use the black plastic neo pots and make sure I can get my finger up the bottom hole. That way, in the winter when they need to dry out, I can check to make sure they are really dry before watering.

 

[streetmorrisart]

If you really want to have fun with this...use a new bottle for each plant, LOL.

:rollhappy:

I need to figure out how to wrap moss over the top of a martini glass.

 

[Bodil]

I've looked at a number of websites and posting on Neo's and they all appear to be planted in the traditional Japanese style, the fancy pots and Spag moss.
According to one website they can be grown similar to Ascda's, Angraecum etc only with a finer mix. Is this true ??
I ask because I would like to try one or two but spag moss culture for any plant for me is not a good option, they don't seem to like it in my GH.[/QUOTEA mysterium to me. They need a lot of air around their roots, and acording the old traditional way, I have had no problem. Have you seen culture of Neofenita in the New World Orchids homepage?