Training Our Fukiran

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by Pilot

I love this plant and hope its form improves with time but I think that some of that will be me training the new fans to grow in a more pleasing balance. As it is, it kind of looks like the plant is lounging a bit much-- get up and stand straight!

Now there's a good tangent to start a new thread on, something we haven't discussed much in this forum unless I missed it in some very old threads - training our Neos.

So what do folks here do by way of training Neos? So far I've only started with a few, basically just using bamboo skewers to get stray leaves to line up in the same plane as the rest of the leaves in a fan, but I imagine there's much more to it than just vertical alignment, especially for the perfectionists among us.

[Red Orchid]

This is the post I have been waiting for. I have received Neos from OL with training post. I even tried to duplicate the process and totally destroyed a Neo I had the bamboo sticks to close to the middle of the plants in short time leaved died. I haven't tried it again. SMH

[coffeecup]

I've used skewers and toothpicks to help train stray fans. You just have to make sure you're not puncturing any roots or new growth. I also have trained roots and guided them back into the moss/pot.

At times, you just have to divide a plant to make it grow the way you want to. I had to do this with both my Koyo and Kikotome, which tripled if not quadrupled in size in a year's time.

[Pilot]

I have no idea how to train a neo. Sit! Stay? no idea.

Ginger do you think perhaps your training experiment may have been a fluke? Putting bamboo stakes without hurting the plant shouldn't have killed it off.

[Red Orchid]

Originally Posted by Pilot

I have no idea how to train a neo. Sit! Stay? no idea.

Ginger do you think perhaps your training experiment may have been a fluke? Putting bamboo stakes without hurting the plant shouldn't have killed it off.

It could have I blamed it on the training because the plant was so healthy before I messed with. Wish I had a before and after pic.

[brn_thmbs]

My training bamboo stakes just got switched for metal. Too much humidity and they started growing moldy
Not that I don't have ventilation, just I'm still tweaking my humidifier & may or may not have produced a cloud forest in my entire kitchen several times (for like a week) & with that much humidity, it doesn't seem to matter how many fans you run, haha!

Looking forward to seeing what & how others are training their Fukurin, I'm kinda flying blind.

[rangiku]

I use bamboo skewers, toothpicks and my sensei recently gave me 10 clear plastic skewers from Japan made for training Neos. You know she is a good sensei, because she doesn't want to be called that.

Over on the slippertalk forum, Jason Fischer mentioned that you only train bean leaf Neos. Also we are supposed to be rotating the plants to encourage growth all around the plant.

coffeecup, can you please elaborate about when you divide plants? How big should they be?

[Red Orchid]

Can someone kindly post a pic of their plant being trained and indicate why you put each post in that particular area. I need Training 101.

[AnonYMouse]

I let the foliage run amok. I bobby-pin roots.

[Red Orchid]

Originally Posted by AnonYMouse

I let the foliage run amok. I bobby-pin roots.

I hadn't thought about the roots except to put them in the moss. Smart idea I have on now that I'm going to bobby pin. Thanks