Moving from bark to traditional mount?

[Reeses]

Hello lovely orchid people,

I just bought a new Neo (tag simply says Neo. falcata x Neo falcata) at the Indianapolis orchid show. It already has a spike full of flowers, and three more spikes!
However, it is potted in bark, unlike other Neos I've had in the past. I am a fan of the traditional Japanese sphagnum mounds, and would like to eventually move this one to that style. Are there any potential risks in doing that? Is there a certain time of year it is better to repot than others?

Also, the last time I tried to repot my neos into fresh moss, two of them died Still not sure what happened--all of a sudden all the leaves turned yellow and fell off, within days of repotting. I would certainly like to avoid that in the future! Any ideas as to what the causes could be or what I can do to avoid that?

[jkofferdahl]

Congratulations on your new Neo!

Honestly, I wish I could help you. All of my Neos are in bark. I love the appearance of the sphagnum mound but have never tried it.

[Salixx]

Sounds like a nice find!

I recently got another Neo. It was already potted the Japanese style but fell out of the pot after it was shipped and I had to redo it. I found this video by Orchids Ltd. helpful:

[Tim S.]

I have repotted from bark to moss several of mine as well, and they are doing great. I let them dry out a couple more days longer than usual when watering them for a couple of weeks. I did not spray them though I have lost leaves from sprayiing. when watering do it early so as to allow the leaves to dry.

[estación seca]

If I had killed two healthy Neofinetias by moving them from bark to moss, I would not try that again. The moss mound method may work well for people living in a climate similar to that of Japan through the year. For people in other climates it may not be such a good idea.

[Leafmite]

I always grew these in red lava rock/basket pots and treated them like Vandas. They did well for me this way. I was convinced by many at my OS that the moss would be better and put all but one in moss (I ran out of moss). I now have just the one left.

[Reeses]

Thank you for the feedback, everyone! I am not planning on making the switch anytime soon (I had used that very video when repotting the first time!) but I am a bit gun-shy about it.
A few more flowers have opened up, and the scent is just divine! I have it on my nightstand so I can smell it while I'm falling asleep
It makes me want to get more of them

[MattWoelfsen]

Reeses, did you buy your Neo from the first booth as you come into the vendor hall? I am assuming you live in Indiana? I live in Fort Wayne. I have bought Neos that were growing in bark. Unless the bark looked decayed and there is an odor of decay, I leave it as is, and wait until it has grown in my environment for at least 6 months--especially if your plant is in bloom.

Like you, when my Neos are in bloom, I place that plant on my bed stand so it's scent can waft me to sleep. This is a practice I observed several years ago when I visited a Neofinetia collector and spent the weekend learning about this plant in his home.

Too bad your previous experience with converting a plant from bark to moss was disastrous. I convert bark grown Neos into moss mound because of practicality. I cannot provide one-off care to one plant. It is my experience that growing in high quality sphagnum moss works best for me. Fort Wayne is miles away from Japan and yet this growth style, kokedai, works. It does take practice and a little bit of attention.

I would enjoy seeing your plant, can you post a picture?