Neofinetia falcata loosing leaves !!!

[Roly0217]

I've noticed that my Neo has been loosing its bottom leaves lately Is this normal or am I doing something wrong. It was potted in coconut fiber but I repotted it into spaghnum moss. I keep it on my windowsill which gets good amount of indirect sunlight. Should I take it outside under the shade and see what happens??? Maybe since the AC is cold at night it might be affecting it. Need some help here !!!! Thank you !!!

[philoserenus]

well it really depends. if u're saying that it dries up completely and falls off, im just going to assume that its just a natural process and nothing to be alarmed about

[unhappykat]

if your leaves are just yellowing then browning before falling off its natural, if your leaves are yellowing then falling off it might be stress from repotting, is the plant growing in a pot or a basket, also keep in mind that neo finetias can take cooler temps than regular vandas so there is no need to stress about it being too cold, but make sure it stays barely moist between waterings, dont let it go bone dry for more than a day or it will start loosing foliage for water stress.

[Becca]

You mentioned you repotted from coco husk fiber to sphagnum moss, is there a reason for this? Perhaps it is just adjusting to its new potting medium? I have been thinking of trying one of my neo's in coco husk fiber in a clay pot.

[unhappykat]

Originally Posted by Becca

You mentioned you repotted from coco husk fiber to sphagnum moss, is there a reason for this? Perhaps it is just adjusting to its new potting medium? I have been thinking of trying one of my neo's in coco husk fiber in a clay pot.

You might try growing in a coco lned basket with a small amount of shag moss inside for the moisture, my mother plant grows this way and has sent roots all over the place.

[shakkai]

Rolando, If it is one leaf, I would say that it is probably part of the plants natural cycle. If it is more than one leaf in a short period of time, I would start to look for things that could be causing the plant difficulty. It may be as Becca suggested and the plant my just need to adjust to its new growing environment. How are the roots doing? Is there space in the sphag for good air circulation? Neos (like vandas) really enjoy lots of air at their roots. I wouldn't worry about low temps - that shouldn't bother them at all. (But just check that the AC isn't blowing directly onto the plant!)

In Miami, I would think that you could grow it outside in dappled shade all year around. But at the moment, I would want to figure out what may be stressing the plant first, then slowly acclimate it to being outside.

[Roly0217]

Thank you all for the quick responses

unhappykat - The leaves turn yellow at the base and then fall. I think that it might be that it was getting too dry but I don't know yet.

Becca- I repotted into spaghnum because in the coconut fiber it would get too dry too fast. The water would pass right through it and by the end of the day it would be really dry.

shakkai - The roots seem pretty healthy and turn green as soon as they get water. I potted it in the spaghnum loosely so that it wouldn't retain so much water. The AC didn't blow in it; anyways I've moved it outside. I don't know if I've done good or not I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

[shakkai]

Keep us posted on how things go! I'd be interested to know how it likes being outside.

[Roly0217]

Originally Posted by shakkai

Keep us posted on how things go! I'd be interested to know how it likes being outside.

Will do; thank you for the support and the interest on my chid !!!

[Swamper]

Roly, good luck with your neofinetia. I don't have one but I sure learned a lot about it after googling yours. Im pretty sure I want one now. Again good luck.