slab mounted neofinetia growing into the mount -OR- I brought this on myself

[DirtyCoconuts]

OKAY OKAY! i see that I basically made this happen as my vision was the whole board to me wrapped in plant BUT i thought it would act more like the bigger vandas who would all grow OUT in this configuration.....




get it out of your system


so it is already well attached and so i am going to leave it and it will figure it out or it will die.

my question is, if anyone else has grown them this way ( i know it is not even close to the norm) was this an issue?

i can release the top of the plant from the upper mount by adding some T usneoides behind it to make a little room back there....?

---------- Post added at 03:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:48 PM ----------

LOL.....

pics help

Neo on a plank by J Solo, on Flickr



Neo on a plank by J Solo, on Flickr

[estación seca]

You'll eventually get the look you want when it grows up from bondage.

[Roberta]

Like it's growing upward and not making new fans? I expect that it will eventually. Since Neos are not by nature particularly tropical (a lot of Japan is cold) it may be growing tall because it is so delighted to be basking in the warmth. Having gotten into Vanda-like conditions, it may have decided that it IS a Vanda... (sort of "gone native...")

[DirtyCoconuts]

Sorry, Roberta, the pics are bad. There is a new fan but it is growing into the slab as opposed to out.
I think it will be okay but I wanted to ask bc of my unfamiliarity with this genus


Thanks

[Roberta]

Ah... you might want to remove the fishline that is over the leaves, so that it can spread out. Or if it is not attached to the mount you could unmount and turn it around... it wasn't clear when you mounted it which way it would go, and it obviously had its own mind about that. Actually, though, these can make new fans in any direction. So you'd probably want just secure the base (root area) so that the new fans can go where they want to.

[WaterWitchin]

A part of me wants to know precisely what you were thinking when you strapped these leaves down to the slab...

Another part of me is worried about you Judah, and doesn't really want to know...

And a third part of me doesn't have a neo and wants one... I think perhaps you should set that thing free and send it to Kansas!

[Roberta]

Thought occurs to me that in the warm, humid climate of south Florida, medium isn't needed particularly. A small basket (in fact, the classic Vanda basket would would work), maybe just a little medium but not much, drape roots over it. My climate is a lot less humid, I have found that little wood baskets with either a bit of moss, or small bark, works well. Roots start out in the medium, then just poke through, or attach to, the basket. But these plants are definitely 3-dimensional. Big part of their aesthetics, especially in their traditional display which sets off their natural inclinations.

[DirtyCoconuts]

LOL@WW

so, the fishing line was intended to be temporary but the plant did not wait for my timeline.

i am going to remove the line and place tiny bit Spanish moss behind the main fan to open up the area for the growth.

there is no medium, just one layer of hygrolon over the roots and they very quickly both mounted and went out exploring LOL.

I'll doctor her a bit and post more pics for approval

WW, i got this baby from Hausermann for a song and it was a double....the other one is mounted to that half a lava boulder... i think you might need to make an order BC neither of mine will be dividable for a while...like longer timeline that 'purple rain' (which has two new growths btw!!!)

[DirtyCoconuts]

here is the new angle when i tucked the Spanish moss behind the top

Neo II by J Solo, on Flickr



here is a shot of the new fan coming....slightly better

Neo II by J Solo, on Flickr



and the roots on the back of the mount....i tried to get shot through the hygrolon bc i can pretty easily see through it but the camera, no no

Neo II by J Solo, on Flickr

[Roberta]

Looks better! That gives the plant a chance to produce new basal growths (fans) in whatever direction it wants.