Help with understanding neofinetia tamakongou

[judyzhusf]

Hi all, I just received a very very healthy specimen but the roots are massive and are past 8 inches. It seems like this specific type of furan tends to grow really long roots straight down and clump in formation. How do owners usually address this if the roots surpass the normal lenght of pots?

[Roberta]

First, Welcome!

I leave it to those who grow Neos in the traditional manner to figure this one out! I am definitely not a connoisseur, just grow a few that have come my way, completely undisciplined. Can't speak for this one, but I have a big Amami Island type that started out in a standard plastic pot, the good roots are now all around the outside. I hate to disturb what works, it blooms well so I just let it be.

Your plant sounds like a maverick, not wanting to be controlled. Maybe the seller has some ideas on the topic if they grow traditionally?

[judyzhusf]

Thanks Roberta, I will actually reach out to the seller. I have no idea how they managed to wrap this in moss so neatly in a small pot before I messed it up. I am even debating growing it in a hanging basket! But not sure if San Francisco is humid enough to keep these roots alive... once green maybe they can not longer adapt to just air.

[Roberta]

The wild roots on my Neos do fine in southern California. The various ones have roots popping out all over. You have much better humidity. I do water a lot though. If it were my plant, I'd go for the hanging basket approach, not even try to get it back into the small pot or a moss mound.

[judyzhusf]

Thanks Roberta! Are orchids roots able to convert from moss bound to straight air or will it damage it and I have to wait for new roots to come to adapt to the air?

[Roberta]

If it were my plant, I'd just put into a basket with the moss around it...wouldn't try take the moss off. Then, they'll likely just reach out to the air and keep on going. After all, in the moss they were getting air too. The plant, I think, will just revert to its "Vanda" nature.

[Jmoney]

if you grow traditionally in moss mounds you can wrap the roots around and around (very well rooted plants might have quite large moss mounds) and some growers do trim the roots if there are a ton (personally I don't, not that I have that many monster plants).

if you are growing like other orchids, in pots/baskets, I second Roberta's recommentation for a basket. neos are reclassified to vandas (cue eye roll) but they typically do like some more moisture, hence the moss mounds. I would definitely incorporate some moss in the basket although I have seen them grown like a big vanda - if your humidity is high enough and you can spray/water enough!

[Roberta]

Here are some of my "wild Neos". The Amami Island type came to me in a 6 inch x 6 inch plastic pot with roots all around the outside. There was no way I could repot without damaging those external roots, so I just left it. By now, I'm sure there's nothing in the pot, but there are plenty of new ones on the outside. (And a volunteer fern)

The others are just some examples of Neos that started out in sphag in baskets, and took off doing what comes naturally.