My neo collection

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by jeremiah.chua

Another alternative is we should all just learn Japanese and hop onto Japanese Neofinetia Forums and we can learn from there and build off from that. No need to start from scratch.

AND.... that is all for now. I don't know how I got from root cutting to this.

Great post! I wonder how well google translate works between English and Japanese. At worst we could give them a good chuckle over our clumsy, robotic attempts to dialog on their boards.

Shades of "All your Fukiran are belong to us." Hehehehe!

[Red Orchid]

I get what you are saying Jeremiah we all grow Neos and most of us do a good job with them. We need to trust our success with the plants and pool that knowledge we have gained with confidence. I always feel that I have to repeat the words of our "experts" for I certainly cannot know enough to just express what my experience has been with cutting a root etc. This a good thread! Thx.

[LinhT]

Originally Posted by jeremiah.chua

To top it off, most people only post photos of their plants and don't really give much detailed information on their specific growing conditions and their observations in whatever conditions their plants were in. Photographs of progression, changes in growth, what conditions they were in to obtain that growth for that specific type, etc, are all important data that we, as US keepers, should have and share.

Anyway, perhaps this is just the Science major in me talking and I've always been the type to want EVERY SINGLE DETAIL POSSIBLE. Others probably don't care as much, so forgive my ramblings. But for those who think alike, I say we get together and start gathering information from our OWN personal experiences. Things we tweak for ourselves and begin to try our own experiments with these plants.
Example Scenario:
Person A receives a Neofinetia 'kogane-nishiki'. This is a yellow tiger stripe variety. At the moment, it does NOT have very bright yellow leaves yet. Person A decides to put it on an EAST facing window that gets direct morning sun and only bright (shaded) light afterwards. No lighting supplementation.
Person B receives a Neofientia 'kogane-nishiki' as well. Not necessarily from the same plant (aka not a direct divison but rather a seed clone). Person B places his/her plant in a South facing window and receives no direct morning sun and instead, gets direct afternoon sun with a % shade cloth to prevent burns.

Person A and B can document and photograph the original state in which their Neos came in. After an X amount of months pass by, Person A and B can take a photograph again to see if yellow variegation intensified. Who has stronger yellow? Maybe it didn't change? Any sort of information would help. Of course, this isn't exactly the most scientific way of doing things because there could have been other factors that could've played into these situations. Perhaps person B's shade cloth got torn down by a cat and burned his plant for a day or two? Maybe Person A forgot to water his plant for a week? Nonetheless,as hobbyists, any sort of data like this is extremely beneficial, don't you think?

I've always wanted to do this, just no one to do it with. So I only have documented the difference in my own growing conditions from year to year, just to compare. So if you really want to try this, let me know what plant you want to use as the subject plant.

[jeremiah.chua]

Originally Posted by LinhT

I've always wanted to do this, just no one to do it with. So I only have documented the difference in my own growing conditions from year to year, just to compare. So if you really want to try this, let me know what plant you want to use as the subject plant.

I'm definitely interested. Especially with one of the first few who went into the neo hobby. I would be honored really I really liked your thread of before and after pics with years that have gone by with your neos!

All we really have to do is when we show a specific neo, just list the conditions we grew them in. A before and after photo as well, to show improvements. Even if they don't overlap now, some eventually will. Soon enough, people can do a simple search and find different growth patterns with varying conditions from various people (that sentence sounds funny to me).

Example (Rough draft):
Houmeiden 1/24/13
Neofinetia falcata 'Houmeiden' / 'Bountiful Bright Palace' | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Houmeiden 3/18/13
Houmeiden 3/18/13

Houmeiden update 5/1/13
Houmeiden 5/1/13 #1
Houmeiden 5/1/13 #2
Houmeiden 5/1/13 #3


Name: Neofinetia falcata 'Houmeiden'

Growing Condition: Open East Window. bright indirect morning sun, bright indirect afternoon. Never receives direct light, only bright indirect. I do this to avoid burning white variegated leaves and to promote the white variegation to stay. I do not use humidity trays. They endure whatever San Jose, CA humidity is. Although to be quite honest, I don't think humidity is much of an issue for Neofinetias.

Media: 100% Sphagnum moss

Cold Season Water: Receives water approx once every 7-10 days. Media is allowed to dry completely for at least 1 day before being watered again.

Warm Season Water: Receives water approx once every 2-3 days. Ideally, I don't allow the media to completely dry out (although it has happened a few times, but not for too long). Ideal situation, it gets watered with the media still very slightly moist - almost dry.

Fertlizer: 20-20-20 fertlizer, once a week (or if I remember). Only when root growth is visible.
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Perhaps there may be more to add to this list. I'm too tired to think of anything else, but hopefully this can start a movement somehow in the Neo community. Doesn't have to follow my exact layout, but somewhere along the lines would help. Let me know what y'all think.

[AnonYMouse]

This is where you'd start:
Fuukiran Society of America

I think it was Delaware Jim who provided the original link.

[vjo]

I am sure you are correct that it won't hurt to cut off a stray root but I just don't think I could do it! Good roots are hard to come by on some orchids, I don't have trouble with the neos but my other orchids have me well trained....Jean

[Oscarman]

We just had Terry from Flora Peculia give a talk on Neos and it was very interesting. I certainly have a greater appreciation for them now. Nice collection you have there. Thank you for sharing with us.

[Pilot]

You made the right choices in getting these plants as they are gorgeous!!!

[jeremiah.chua]

Bought this 'Manjushage' from Seed-Engei at the POE back in February. Naomi told me it will bloom true. But I'm not a 100% believer until I see it myself. Well, this photo proves it! What she told me was true
Can't wait to see it fully bloom. Been patiently waiting for it for over two months! If all goes well, I should get three beautiful flowers from it. Super excited.

[Red Orchid]

Wow keep us posted on the progress of that bud. So cool...congrats.