Suggestions Please From You Neo-fans!

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by AnonYMouse

I've only purchased neos from Seed Engei at shows (I've not had a winning bid on ebay yet).

Besides the 3 I bought from Seed Engei at SEPOS, I managed to snag a Bean Leaf from their ebay last week, but as with anything on ebay, last minute bidders are brutal. I had a couple other Neos fly away from me in the final seconds at way higher than my max bid. The one I got started at around $15 and I managed to win it just short of 60 (but I actually set my max bid at 90 for that one; I really wanted it).

Neofinetia Falcata BEEN Leaf Nice Shape Japaneseorchids Kirinmaru

This will be arriving tomorrow. Something to look forward to on my days off.

[lambelkip]

Originally Posted by AnonYMouse

I've only purchased neos from Seed Engei at shows (I've not had a winning bid on ebay yet). I think their show prices are the best I've seen (standard furans and Amami's start at $10 for 1+ mature blooming sized fan(s) + multiple babies). The one annoying factor about them is not knowing what their inventory is (and I have asked and they haven't answered).

They usually have just about any kind of Japanese orchid you could want, but might not update their inventory list as often during show season. How did you try to contact them?

[AnonYMouse]

Originally Posted by lambelkip

They usually have just about any kind of Japanese orchid you could want, but might not update their inventory list as often during show season. How did you try to contact them?

I used the contact email on the Seed Engei site. I tried back in September/Octorber and just last week (to enquire about pre-ordering for an up-coming show). I don't really want to go to this show unless I know I can get the plants I want (I don't like the venue and the potential for icky hot weather).

After reading all that's being said about NWO, I do want to order from them. I think I will call this week and see if they have the two I have my sights on (I know one is on their inventory list) and maybe get talked into another or 5.

Argh. See what you're doing? You bleeping bunch of enablers!

---------- Post added at 04:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:17 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Jayfar

Besides the 3 I bought from Seed Engei at SEPOS, I managed to snag a Bean Leaf from their ebay last week, but as with anything on ebay, last minute bidders are brutal. I had a couple other Neos fly away from me in the final seconds at way higher than my max bid. The one I got started at around $15 and I managed to win it just short of 60 (but I actually set my max bid at 90 for that one; I really wanted it).

This will be arriving tomorrow. Something to look forward to on my days of.

Knowing how they are priced at shows, I'm careful with my max bids (plus I'm cheap). I've lost out on more than a couple in the last few minutes (one was actually less than a minute). Imagine my when I went to pay and saw that I lost!

Enjoy your kirinmaru (giraffe? Wonder why its named for a beer?)

[cbeule]

I have been growing Neos. for many years. Glen Lehr of New World Orchids is a friend and compatriot. If you want to call him he would be willing to give you any advice you may wish. See website for his #.
The plants start out as a single "fan" like a Vanda, but progress to making additional "fans" that grow and multiply from near the base of the plant. A single growth plant may be a seedling (very young plant) or it may be a fan pulled from a mother plant with numerous fans and many roots. I would suggest you getting a many growth plant with as many fans as you can manage. They are far easier to establish and grow. While the varieties you mentioned are all wonderful (and I have them all) it might be better to start on a simple Fukirin with white flowers and normal habit as a starter plant. That is what I did about 7 years ago.
A plant will not flower until it has about 4-5 leaves on each side of the fan, which means it is mature enough to produce flowers. That means the bigger the plant you get, the closer to flowering it is.
As for where you grow, I would suggest outside under a shade cloth (or tree) for the Summer and inside close to a very sunny Southern exposure window in the winter. Hope this helps.

[Jayfar]

Hi Matt and welcome to Neos from another Neo newbie. I stumbled across a great overview article that you might find helpful. This is in the Ontario Orchid Society January 2013 newsletter, a transcription of a presentation given by Terry Kowalczuk of Flora-Peculia. Scroll down about half way in the pdf file for the Neofinetia article.

http://www.soos.ca/Newsletters/2013/...anuary2013.pdf

[MattWoelfsen]

Thank you for the link jayfar. I am ordering plants from New Vision Orchids, Al's Orchids, and OrchidWeb. I'm going to restrict myself to only three plants. That is all! (But I'll probably get more if I'm successful.) My problem now is space. I just separated my huge Sharry Baby original, and now I have five plants that I guess I'll donate to my orchid society to give away as door prizes? I did the same thing with my Laelia Anceps (4 plants), another Sharry Baby Red (4 plants), and an Oncidium Chaculatum (4 plants). Oye!

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

I am ordering plants from New Vision Orchids, Al's Orchids, and OrchidWeb.

I'm thinking you meant to type New World Orchids (Dr. Glenn Lehr). There is a New Vision Orchids, but they don't appear to have Neos.

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

I'm going to restrict myself to only three plants. That is all! (But I'll probably get more if I'm successful.) My problem now is space.

When the problem is space, the answer is Neos.

[MattWoelfsen]

Yikes, I'm getting my vendors mixed up! New Vision Orchids is in Yorktown, IN, about 90 minutes drive south of Fort Wayne, IN. The owner is a really nice guy named Russ. Russ is a member of my orchid society. He raises Oncidiums, Masdavillas, Phalaenopsis, and Praghmipedeliums. Russ was our society meeting keynote speaker in May. He brought several just finished blooming Oncidiums that I acquired--another reason I'm orchid rich and space poor.

[cbeule]

Matt;

FYI, Al's Orchids get's it's plants from Seed_Engei. Glenn Lehr imports from Japan.

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by cbeule

Matt;

FYI, Al's Orchids get's it's plants from Seed_Engei. Glenn Lehr imports from Japan.

Thanks for that tip cbeule. I went over to Seed Engei and found their website hard to access on my iPad--kept getting Forbidden messages or "sorry not available". But I did get to their Neos and pottery. WOW! Beautiful pictures, gave me good idea of what the plants and pots would look like.

Seed Engei sells their plants as one entity--you can get their plant for $100, it has three growths. Al's plants are available per growth with established minimums. I found a plant "Tenkei-fukurin" that both vendors offer. Seed Engei offers the plant for US$180 with six growths. Al's offers this plant for US$40 per growth with two growth plants available. The thought of buying a plant for $180 is beyond my ken. But on the other hand spending $10 more per growth seems excessive!

There comes a point in the researching process where you have to say, bite the bullet and just make an order.

Is Seed Engei a Japanese company doing business in the US? This information is not found on their website, still under construction.