My new Fukiran from SEPOS

[Call_Me_Bob]

I had a great time last weekend at SEPOS! I was behind the sales table most of the weekend, but I snuck out a bit to talk to people and shop! Sunday was the Fukiran judging and Samoti's talk about Furan. It was so fantastic!!!!!!! The judging was awesome and I learned so much stuff! And congrats to our own Jim (DelawareJim) for earning 3rd prize with one of his Fukiran!! Satomi's talk was about Fukiran judging in Japan and how it is so very different than AOS judging is!! I took lots of pictures of that and the judging, so I'll post the photos and a more in-depth summary once I have a chance to process them, but don't hesitate to post here if you have questions!!

I also got some one-on-one potting demonstrations from Mr. Kasahara! He invited me behind his booth to show me just how he mounds his neos!

I got some great deals from Satomi!!! I came home with four total. All together, I spent $60 at Seed-Engei, much less than it should have cost me!


DSC_0426.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr

The first is Nishidemiyako, I had Satomi help me pick this out Saturday and hold it for me until Sunday. Satomi and her dad said that this was the best one they had for the price I wanted to spend. This one was marked at $40, but I got it for $30! As you can see, it's beautifully variegated and Satomi says it looks like it's trying to mutate!


DSC_0427.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0428.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr

Next is an Oonamisekai, it's leaves are not as tightly curved as a regular Sekai, hence the addition of "Oonami" to the name. This one has Namigata tsuke!


DSC_0429.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr

Then I got a beautiful Hisui! It has a small spike and will have green flowers. I was going to get a different green one (cannot remember the name) , but Mr. Kasahara took it from me and put it back, then gave me the Hisui and said that it is much better than the other green form. So obviously I got the Hisui.


DSC_0430.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr

And last is Koukakuden, it will have pink flowers. It also has one small spike! But even better than that are it's amazingly beautiful PINK roots!! I love the roots on this one!!!!!


DSC_0431.jpg by orchidman10, on Flickr


DSC_0432.jpg by orchidman10, on Flick


The Oonamisekai, the Hisui, and the Koukakuden I got all three for $30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the end of the day Sunday and every was starting to tear down.

WOhooo!!! I'm so excited!!!!!! Satomi also gave me five plastic growing pots and five plastic rounded basket-like things that go underneath the mound. A pair of very nice tweezers were also given to everyone who entered the Fukiran judging! It was a great weekend! Satomi and her father are so nice, and we are now facebook friends, hehe

[Jayfar]

Wow, you bargain very well. Very nice selections.

The most interesting bit about the judging that struck me was that the big judging event in Japan takes place before the blooming season. It's all about the foliage, which is the polar opposite of AOS judging. I can relate to this, considering how much better I am at producing leaves than flowers (sometimes my grow room/living room is a sea of green, punctuated by very few blooms).

Do I understand correctly that the spag mounds of these plants we bought are hollow, as is the tradition? I just wanted to be positive to get a sense of how much spag they have so I can water appropriately. The spag on mine was pretty dry today and humidity is low, so I just spritzed the mounds litely with slightly warm water from a spray bottle earlier today, being careful to avoid the leaves.

[s.kallima]

You got beautiful plants Bob! Nice choice, the Nishi and Oonami are very good size for the price
I can't wait to see your pictures of the judging...

Jayfar, from my experience with Seed Engei's plants, the smallest ones don't have any hollow part in the moss, but that's okay because there is not a lot of moss in the tiny pots, the bigger ones like the ones Bob got often have a pice of styrfoam in the center of the moss mound, to kee pthe bottom of the plant away from the wet moss. You can leave like that or if you remound them, you can also use the "bottle neck" method, a tiny plastic pot unside down, or I also use with great success cheap narrow hair rollers from the dollar store

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by Jayfar

Wow, you bargain very well. Very nice selections.

The most interesting bit about the judging that struck me was that the big judging event in Japan takes place before the blooming season. It's all about the foliage, which is the polar opposite of AOS judging. I can relate to this, considering how much better I am at producing leaves than flowers (sometimes my grow room/living room is a sea of green, punctuated by very few blooms).

Do I understand correctly that the spag mounds of these plants we bought are hollow, as is the tradition? I just wanted to be positive to get a sense of how much spag they have so I can water appropriately. The spag on mine was pretty dry today and humidity is low, so I just spritzed the mounds litely with slightly warm water from a spray bottle earlier today, being careful to avoid the leaves.

I watched Mr. Kasahara repotting some behind the booth on Sunday, the larger ones he was potting over a sort of inverted net pot. And the smaller ones he used a version of the bottle neck method, but used a XL sharpie instead of the bottle neck. So they should have some sort of pocket n the middle, but on the smaller ones it might b
e collapsed.

Originally Posted by s.kallima

You got beautiful plants Bob! Nice choice, the Nishi and Oonami are very good size for the price
I can't wait to see your pictures of the judging...

Jayfar, from my experience with Seed Engei's plants, the smallest ones don't have any hollow part in the moss, but that's okay because there is not a lot of moss in the tiny pots, the bigger ones like the ones Bob got often have a pice of styrfoam in the center of the moss mound, to kee pthe bottom of the plant away from the wet moss. You can leave like that or if you remound them, you can also use the "bottle neck" method, a tiny plastic pot unside down, or I also use with great success cheap narrow hair rollers from the dollar store

Thanks! I'm very happy with what I got!

[Pilot]

Quay you got an awesome set of Neos! Thank you for sharing them and please if you ever find out where to get those inverted net pots! I want some!! Lol

Also thanks for enabling me further. I'm on a hunt for some of the ones you got. I love those ruby red roots.

[coffeecup]

Originally Posted by Pilot

Quay you got an awesome set of Neos! Thank you for sharing them and please if you ever find out where to get those inverted net pots! I want some!! Lol

Also thanks for enabling me further. I'm on a hunt for some of the ones you got. I love those ruby red roots.

Satomi sells the inverted net pots. Also, you can use the smallest net pot available here, I think its the 2" one, cut off the solid rim and use that.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by coffeecup

Satomi sells the inverted net pots. Also, you can use the smallest net pot available here, I think its the 2" one, cut off the solid rim and use that.

At the show Kelley's Korner had the plastic Fukiran pots for I think $4 and also had net pots, including the very tiniest ones. Checking now, I see them on KK's website for 2-3/4" for $3 and 3" for 3.50, the latter in straight and twisted styles.

[rangiku]

Ryan, I get the net pots at Kelley's Korner. Daryl and Carl are a pleasure to speak to and are members of two of the orchid societies I go to. Tell them I say hi - they were at SEPOS last weekend and Rochester OS show the last two meetings.

Quay-kun, excellent job!

[Call_Me_Bob]

Thanks guys.

Ryan- satomi apparently sells them, you'd have to email her though because I don't see them on her website. But she does have the plastic neo pots for $3 I think.

[Red Orchid]

Thanks for sharing in detail your experience this weekend. I know I would have loved to have gone for all of the reasons you told us about. You got some great Neos and met the expert growers we buy our Neos from. I learned to use that net basket after seeing it used with a new orchid I transplanted. It not only helped me to shape the mound but facilitated the open center of the mount. I also got my plastic baskets from KK. Thanks again for sharing and I am so jealous. Lol