Neofinetia falcata 'Tamakongo'

[smweaver]

Bean-leaf variety.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Most excellent !

[DeaC]

Exquisite!

[Shoreguy]

smweaver,

Glad to see there are others in this Neo forum growing and posting their Neos in bark so I don't appear to be such an odd ball.

Hopefully others will follow. Thank you.

That is not to say I don't appreciate seeing Neos posted grown in sphagnum also.

[smweaver]

Thanks, everyone, for your comments and the "likes."

Shoreguy, yes, I just grow them in my standard mix (basically rexius bark with maybe 20 - 30% NZ sphagnum). I do respect the traditional Japanese way of growing them, and all of the history involved with this species in that country. But to me it just looks a little odd seeing a relatively small plant perched on top of a mountain of moss. That's a minority opinion, I admit. It's just easier for me this way.

[Shoreguy]

Instead of adding a little sphagnum to the bark, you would be far better off in my opinion to add some medium shred tree fern broken down to 1/2 to 5/8 inch length to add aeration to the mix. The added sphagnum reduces aeration and is subject to rot. As you know growers in sphagnum have a hollow core inside the mound to provide aeration.

I have been growing neos in bark/tree fern mix for over 50 years with success this way. It is also far easier than sphagnum mounds since if you water and feed appropriately, you generally can get away with replacing the medium every 5 years or even longer as opposed to growing in sphagnum which I have heard requires yearly replacement or even more frequently.

[smweaver]

That's good to know, regarding the addition of tree fern. I do grow them in net pots, which they appear to like, and which allows for a heavier hand with watering--or so I like to tell myself. But I might try to experiment with the shredded tree fern. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Shoreguy]

Just make sure you get medium shred, not fine, and break down as indicated.

[Shadeflower]

so how many neofinetia plants are actually in the pot?

I just realized how difficult it must be to take a picture of the flowers - my camera can't focus on something that small and they come out fuzzy.

[Leafmite]

Beautiful!