Neofinetia falcata (Project 6b - Spring 2008)

[stonedragonfarms]

Ross asked if I might post a few tips about what I do for my Neos...so here goes. I will do a follow-up post on this after I repot my new Neo tomorrow...

I see that there has been a lot of discussion about growing on moss in the Japanese style, as well as what sort of light & temps to give your plants; that being said, I can only tell you what works for me in the GH (though the neos that I have were grown for a long time under lights in the pre-GH days...)

First we should probably look at where Neos come from--southern Japan, Korea & China; in most of these areas, the plants occur naturally as epiphytes and are exposed to a wet summer season and a cooler drier winter season. Most are capable of taking temps down into the low 50's (F), provided that they are kept dry and that there is adequate movement of air. It is important to remember that during their season of active growth they are exposed to high humidity and frequent, in most cases, daily rain.

All that aside, I grow my Neos on mounds of moss, which I never let get fully dry in the late spring and summer months. My neos are just beginning to commence with active root growth; I repotted my plants mid March and am beginning to see a lot of vegetative growth in advance of root formation.

I would not worry too much about rotting your neos roots off if you are growing on moss; if the moss feels damp to you, just skip watering your plants for the day; when they are in active growth they are very appreciative of constant water in their root zone. I usually summer my neos outside; typically in a location that gets morning and late afternoon sun, but no direct overhead sun--the past 3 years or so I have grown them on the benches outdoors with my cymbidiums. The plants are watered and fertilized every day in the summer--they get the same fertilizer regimen that I use for my cymbids...and grow robustly as a result. I usually will move them back to the GH around mid-September and begin to cut back on the frequency of their watering, I also cease to fertilize them about this time.
I'm not sure about the light intensity per se, though to me 1500FC sounds like the lower end of where to grow them (except for variegated leaf cultivars...if the light is too high you run the risk of bleaching out the leaves on the entire plant...not good); if you are growing as the Japanese often do to appreciate the foliage, grow your plant in less light, if you are growing for flowers, be prepared to give your plant a bit more light.

I guess all of this brings me up to flowering... One of my plants blooms sporadically from about mid May until mid September; my other plant will usually bloom around mid June. There is no set culture to get your neo to bloom that I am aware of. I do believe that the plant needs to be in a period of active growth in order to initiate spiking though...just like the vandas and ascocendas, I often observe spikes forming while new leaves and roots are developing. I'm not sure if this is a hard and fast rule, but I am sure someone out there can enlighten us.

Hope this is a bit of help, to recap, I am pro growing on moss, pro for giving neos a cooler drier rest in the winter, and pro on frequent fertilizer while plants are in active growth...
More tomorrow (or Sunday...)
Adam