New to Neo - Bonsai Pots OK?

[chiirioz]

Hola Hola - I just got back from my vacation in Japan a few weeks ago and I've discovered a new found love for Neos. They are so compact, small, aesthetically pleasing, and fragrant.

And well, I've gone and done it again... got ahead of myself and went and purchased a Kuroshinju (and waiting on a bid on a Suikaden) without doing any research. OF COURSE I WOULD!

I'm obsessed with the fuukiran way of keeping it - it's so lovely and I've already gotten a lot of ideas on how to display it in my home! I have a few questions though...

Could I theoretically purchase a 3" tall bonsai pot a put the moss ball in there? Would this work with any old succulent planter with a drainage hole? Would that be enough airflow? I also saw THIS rock mount by websherpa on a bonsai pan.

How do you water your mounted or fuukiran neos. I reckon I'll be treating these the same as any other phal. I currently soak all my orchids for 3 waterings and just do a fresh-water runthrough on the 4th one in the sink. If on a rock, do you just pour water (mixed fert) over the spagh?

[jkofferdahl]

Neos are both adaptable and quite vigorous. In my opinion, ANY potting method can work with them, which is why so many different potting methods are used! I currently have three in my collection, one potted in bark, one in a basket with a few blobs of sphagnum through in, and one mounted. The mounted one is in a slightly cooler, less humid area than the other two, though by necessity rather than design. All three plants are in uncontrollable growth phases right now.

I never soak my potted plants, as I've discussed in the recent "Flush or soak" thread. Occasionally I'll soak a mounted plant, but once the roots are wet, additional water is a waste of time. My mounted Neo gets watered twice a day when actively growing or blooming and once a day when not; I use water slightly warmer than room temperature sprayed from the kitchen sink sprayer.

[Hakumin]

If you're going to grow them in the traditional sphagnum moss mound, just be careful about the density of the moss. Because most bonsai pots are either glazed or made of impervious stoneware, they'll make it more difficult for the moss to dry out all the way through. I suggest using the hole in the middle method as it helps the moss dry out and avoid root rot.

As long as you take care to avoid root rot by adjusting the moss density and the frequency of watering, you should be fine growing in bonsai pots.

Remember: Neos like to dry out almost completely before watering. Personally, I make sure that the moss is crispy dry on the outside, and the inside moss is dry to the touch but not yet brittle before I water. The big bottom hole in Japanese Neo pots makes it easy to gauge the internal moisture level.

[chiirioz]

Originally Posted by Hakumin

The big bottom hole in Japanese Neo pots makes it easy to gauge the internal moisture level.

Hey! I've found THIS bonsai planter. It's quite small but the seller has a good array of different sizes so hopefully I'll find something. I'll keep an eye out on the moss - I'm a notorious underwaterer but I haven't had a chance to care for orchids in full-sphag. If this doesn't work out, I'll probably transplant the neos to bark. Thank you so much for the advice!

---------- Post added at 04:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:31 PM ----------

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

I never soak my potted plants, as I've discussed in the recent "Flush or soak" thread. Occasionally I'll soak a mounted plant, but once the roots are wet, additional water is a waste of time. My mounted Neo gets watered twice a day when actively growing or blooming and once a day when not; I use water slightly warmer than room temperature sprayed from the kitchen sink sprayer.

Thank you for the advice! Are your mounted Neos still in sphag or is it just mounted on rock/wood? I do a flush once every few waterings just to flush out any mineral residue - how do you fertilize with the flush method?

[Hakumin]

When I say big hole, I mean BIG hole.



If you use a pot like that one on ebay, I really would suggest the hole-in-the-middle method, the moss ball should look something like this on the inside:





Here's an easy way to get the same result basically:



While the hole in the middle isn't absolutely necessary as long as you control the watering and density of the moss well, it goes a long way to help preventing overwatering and root rot, especially when using non-porous pots.

[chiirioz]

Originally Posted by Hakumin

If you use a pot like that one on ebay, I really would suggest the hole-in-the-middle method, the moss ball should look something like this on the inside:

Hahaha wow! I'm trying to find cheap ones but they're all so intricate and cost an arm and a leg - too much for a newbie who may kill these babies. LOL I should have picked some up in Japan when I was there - I wonder what the word for it is in Japanese... kicking myself now!

Yes! I'm definitely planning to do the hole in the middle method! Thank you for the images as well <3

[estación seca]

A local ceramic artist will be able to make something for you. Almost any place with lots of gardeners has ceramicists who make plant containers.

Hakumin, in the middle photo, right side, is that a cut section of PVC pipe being used to raise the moss ball off the bottom of the pot?

[Hakumin]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Hakumin, in the middle photo, right side, is that a cut section of PVC pipe being used to raise the moss ball off the bottom of the pot?

Ignore that. Yes it's a piece of PVC.

The photo is from a website selling pre-made moss mounds for ease of potting. The mounds are sized to fit short Neo pots and it's just explaining how to prevent the mound from settling too deep into taller pots. It serves no function in terms of plant growth.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Hakumin

Ignore that. Yes it's a piece of PVC.

The photo is from a website selling pre-made moss mounds for ease of potting. The mounds are sized to fit short Neo pots and it's just explaining how to prevent the mound from settling too deep into taller pots. It serves no function in terms of plant growth.

I AM FUKIRAN THE GREAT AND MAGNIFICENT! IGNORE THAT PIPE BEHIND THE MOSS BALL!

[Hakumin]