Neofinetia neophyte-advice?

[Dalachin]

I am the proud owner of two new neofinetia falcatas (one is robusta x holy cow and diamond x Figueroa mt). I’m off to a bad start, on the very first day I put them on a west windowsill (nearly no natural light, that side of the house faces a slope) where I have a little led lamp set up and they got burned. Now they are in a north facing window, no lights, about 70 degrees and around 50 percent humidity. They came in bark, I soak them once a week and mist or give a quick water midweek.

Any advice on how not to kill them and to someday smell that apparently legendary neo scent? Can they really live with so little light or should I try easing them into an led light situation? Days are getting shorter too, I’m pretty far north. How can I tell if they are getting enough water (I grow mostly phals and it’s sort of obvious to me when a Phal needs water).

[estación seca]

They can't tolerate being cool and moist. At 70 F / 21 C I would let them get dry for a couple of days before another light watering. Soaking is for warm weather. Give plenty of light short of burning. An 8-10 hour winter day should be OK for this since it comes from so far north. Equatorial orchids prefer longer winter days to flower well.

If they ever need to experince quite cool nights, be sure they are bone dry.

[Dalachin]

Should I put them on the grow shelves? It’s 80-85 during the days there, and 75-80 at night. There are led lights, but I could shade them.

[Roberta]

If you can keep them cooler in winter that would be better. Remember, they come from Japan. The samurai lived in houses without central heat. So they can tolerate temperatures down to near freezing. In winter they want to be cool and fairly dry. I'd put them in a window where they get filtered light (and as winter approaches, they can take whatever direct light they get) Close to the window they will stay cooler. And that is what they want... these are not "tropical" orchids. In fact, they are bred with other members of the Vanda family precisely because they impart cold tolerance to their hybrids.

[Dalachin]

Thanks! So I’ll stick w my north window this winter and see how they do. Maybe I’ll look into a weak light for that location though, a north window is so dim in winter.