Bean Type
 

Hi Everyone,
I am new to the world of neo's. Since I seen them on this board (before I registered), I have been captivated by them. My favorite type of leaves are the bean type. Also, I have learned about New World Orchids via this board and want to say thanks. I have just gotten a Onami Seikai and Seikai, they seem very healthy, was packed nicely on receiving them.

So, anyone have any tips on keeping them alive. Also, I would love to hear about your mistakes with your plants to maybe avoid them myself. Especially if you live in Massachusetts or the New England area in general.

Welcome to the Neofinetia side, Stormzy! Starting your collection with Oonamiseikai 大波青海 and Seikai 青海 is a good thing. If I were to start over, I would begin with the Bean Leaf category too.

Bean leaf Neos seem to me to be the easiest Neo to grow.:
1. Water them completely, early in the day.
2. Put them in bright, in-direct light.
3. Give them plenty of humid, moving air.
4. Let them dry out completely before you water again.

This is a great time to get Neos--the weather is mild. Add a weak solution of fertilizer during this time of year.

Please post pictures of your new plants! Welcome!

Thanks Matt!!

I will post pictures once, I figure out how. Right now, I water the little guys real early in the morning. Around 5:30 or when I wake up later, which would be 6:30.

Then I move them outside under a pine tree in the back yard. I live on a large hill and it is very rare not to have any wind, so they get good air. They seem to be drying faster then I anticipated with the moss. They completely dry out in 2 days. I am bringing them inside the house around 8pm. I been nervous because the temperature has been going into the 40's.

The other day I spotted some aphids on them. I quickly made a solution of water, soap, and alcohol and misted them. Seemed to work so far. There is a huge infestation of aphids in the yard this year. That and these little green caterpillars, that turn into a moth called a winter moth.

---------- Post added at 12:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:20 AM ----------

Here are the little guys, don't mind the pictures, I don't have the best camera.



http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...pshjq2feec.jpg

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8hxcw9pw.jpg

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...psqdf04vqm.jpg

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...psbvcrv8ty.jpg

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...psvrjiobdi.jpg

Hope I don't kill them, I will need all the help come winter time, that is where, I have trouble.

Beautiful photos of lovely plants! Thank you.

I think it is okay for them to dry quickly,. Although Neos are hardy below 50F, I would bring them in at night. Their spring growth could get a set back.

Winter seems to come too quickly, but as long as you give them good culture--I also feed them during the warmer days of late Spring , through Summer, and early Autumn.

You have plenty of room to add a couple more bean leafs! <S>.

Thanks Matt,
I plan on getting a lot more plants in the future! Do you have any suggestions on, which bean leaf should be next? When would you stop the fertilizer? I do bring them in at night before it goes below 55. I am kinda nervous about leaving the plants outside 24/7 when temps are higher.

Bean Type
 

Comparing your plants with other bean leafs, I recommend these plants. I have chosen these Neos, because they are relatively inexpensive., they are easy to grow, and they produce additional fans relatively quickly.:

Large Bean Leafs compared to Oonamiseikai 大波青海:
Tachitaiho 立大鵬
Tamakongou 玉金剛
Yodo-No-Matsu 淀の松

Small Bean Leafs compared to Seikai 青海:
Kuroshinju 黒真珠 (This is considered one of the smallest bean leafs and is the most expensive plant listed.)
Kasen 華泉
Isechabo 伊勢矮鶏

Once the overnight temperatures remain consistently above 55F, I will bring my plants out to their summer homes. Orchids seem to flourish when they are outside.

I begin fertilizing when they are all outside. I fertilize in a rotation basis. First watering: Fish emulsion/KelpMax, next watering I use a balanced powdered fertilizer, third watering plain water. The fertilizer is a very weak solution: .25 teaspoon to one gallon of water. I stop fertilizing when overnight temperatures drop below 50F and when I bring back inside for the Winter. In my geography that was the first of October.

Your geography is probably closer to what temperate Asia experiences in the Spring to Autumn period. I have seen pictures and videos on the internet that shows Neos growing in deciduous trees under a layer of snow. Google "Botany Bou" and you'll find this American living in Japan, talking about Neofinetia.

Awesome Matt, thanks that helps a lot. How do you care for them during the winter rest? Do you just mist them a little? I will look at those plants online tomorrow. I will take a look at "botany Bou" also. I appreciate all the help. I am heading to bed, have a nice night Matt and everyone else on the boards.

Bean Type
 

Oh oh, misspelled....Botany Boy NOT bou...sorry!

no problem Matt :)

I looked at your recommended bean type, I really like

Tamakongou 玉金剛 and Kuroshinju 黒真珠

When browsing, I found Kinkujaku 金孔雀 peaked my interest. Do you own one?

Yes, I have Kinkujaku 金孔雀. Photos of this plant do not do it any justice. My plant has suffered crown rot and has lost a couple of leaves but when it was healthy and given the right amount of light, the top of the leaves have this golden sheen color contrasted by the dark green underside.

Most bean leaf plants that have any variegation are very expensive. However this one is reasonably priced.

The next one I get will probably be Kinkujaku 金孔雀 then.
How did yours get crown rot? Also would love to hear, how you got it under control. Thanks for the help Matt!

You are welcome! Mine got crown rot early December 2014. I was misting my Neos, the water was on the cold side, it stayed in the crown too long, night fell, and the temperature dropped. crown rot within two days.

How did I get it under control? I stopped misting. I increased the relative humidity, started getting air moving with an oscillating fan, and when I watered (early in the day) I ran a small heater to get their space drier.

Re-reading the above paragraph, I realize that this is a lot of effort just to mitigate any potential problems but when you have as many plants as I have.....hmmmm...,Neos are not hard to grow compared to other plants.

I better stop now! LOL!

Hi Matt,
I wonder if the situation arises that at night fall there is water in between the leaves, you could use a blow dryer on cool setting? Not sure if it would hurt the plants or not. Just something that popped into my head reading your post.

I am real nervous about bringing them outside and leaving them. This year, I have noticed a lot of aphids and spider mites all over the yard. I already found a few on the little guys but got them off in time.

How many plants in your collection? I also stress over my plants, even over the little things.

Hi Storm, I'm surprised that you and I have carried on this conversation without anyone else giving input. I guess it is the holiday effect. Anyway.....

My collection comprises 184 different kinds of Neofinetia falcata. I did not realize I had so many different kinds until I did an inventory last week! My collection is basically the most available and average price. I have no problem with the idea of spending US$100 but I stop at $200..

As far as using a blow drier...in Japan, our Neos are called "Furan" which means "Wind Orchid." During the winter, I did spend time blow drying the plants and that did help reduce the potential for crown rot. I tried to shield the roots from being blown dry.

If your outdoor area is infested with spider mites and mealy bugs, I would support your anxiety. The last thing you need are these pests sucking the life out of your plants!

It is my pleasure to share information about Neos. This OrchidBoard has been a font of knowledge for raising orchids, in general, and particularly aquiring, raising, and growing Neofinetia.

Yes, Everyone might be to busy, or on vacation :)

That is a lot of Neos, I don't see myself getting to that number. Do you get them from one place? Do you have a favorite vendor to buy from? I am not sure where else to get them. I know they are on ebay but I am not a big fan for bidding on things.I need to find a places to buy those hangers for the neos also.

I cant stand the bugs this year, for some reason they are all over the place, so I am going to keep the little guys inside. I won't be so nervous about them inside.

Well Matt it was a pleasure, I am retiring for the night. Have a great night and holiday weekend.

There are basically four vendors in the USA:
1. Seed Engei. They sell on eBay as "japaneseorchids". They do email order--get on their mailing list, produced more or less monthly. Or you can send them an email asking for a plant. If they don't have it, they can get it from their parent company Seed Engei of Japan. The manager of the US branch is Satomi. And finally, you can check out their website: Neofinetia falcata/Japanese orchid/Samurai orchid/SEED ENGEI

2. Orchids Limited. This vendor is out of Plymouth, Minnesota. They used to sell the Neo wire racks, but I do not see it in their catalog, but you can contact them and see. Unlike Seed Engei, Orchids Limited sells their plant by the number of growths. Jason Fisher is their company's expert on Neos. Jason wrote an article about Neos in the magazine Orchids. That article got me hooked on Neos (along with this OrchidBoard). They have an extensive offering of Neofinetia, they offer many other orchids. Here is their website: https://www.orchidweb.com

3. New World Orchids (NWO). This vendor is out of Manchester, Michigan. I believe your plants came from them. NWO was started by retired Dentist Glen Lehr. But recently he sold the business to Kristen Uthuis (spelling). She is a pHD Botanist, so she knows a lot about plants. Her plants are sold by growth as well. Here is NWO's website: https://newworldorchids.com

4. Al's Orchids. This vendor is in Leesburg, Virginia. They offer not only Neofinetia, but other orchids. Their Neofinetia is sold by growth. They might also offer the wired stand. Al's was the first vendor I bought my Neos. Here is their website: : Home & FB Feed

Thanks Matt,

I highly appreciate your time, and knowledge!

I did get my Orchids from NWO and Kristen is great!

Becareful putting these little guys outside. They are so light that mine got blown sideways a few times when they were just on my windowsill.

Thats for sure Jackie, yesterday mine blew over twice. Had to bring them inside. The gusts where 40 mph. They are like children, you need to always keep watch over them. Some how mischief is what you get if you don't :rofl: