Need some neo-help

[Erce]

I want to start neo´s so bad - and i am going to order from New world orchid soon. i have been looking around ther side and found 5 i want.
But my concern is: can they live with me?

I have a south facing windowsill with humanity trays - i have phals in this windo and they are doing fine - i even bloomed dens in it!

Will the neo´s need more heat then my phals? i have look Neofinetia falcata up on isope and they seem to be cool to warm growing - so am i right thinking i dont need to put them in my terraieum?

the 5 i want to get is:
Akabana
Fu ran
Kinkose
Kirin Maru
Suikuden
Yasuri Takuma

[CoolPhrog]

I have a Neo. falcata in my Orchidarium that has been growing like a weed all season. It hangs about 5 or 6 inches from the top directly under 6 high intensity compacts - the humidity is usually around 75% to 90% and misted twice to three times a day during the growing season and cut back to twice every other day in cooler months.

my falcata bloomed quite nicely late this summer and the scent was heavenly!

Hope this helps - keep us posted!

[Erce]

So by that you mean i cant have them in my windowsill with my phals? i need to have it somewhere hotter?

[RenéeS]

Erce, when I went to an orchid grower and asked for specific plants that could grow on my windowsill, he told me that Neo. falcata would do fine. I now have a Vandofinetia 'Pat Arcari' growing well (just finished blooming) and it seems to adjust fine. I have noticed that this plant was quite sensitive to changes in environment, I moved it 3 meters i my house and all but 1 bud survived. I do think that Neo's and it's hybrids is one of the adjustable ones . Ofcourse they would like a more tropical environment better, like in CoolPhrogs orchidarium Why don't you ask the grower you want to order your Neo's from, tell him/her the specifics of your growing area and see what they advise you?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Neofinetia falcata is from Japan, parts of Korea, and a few parts of China.

They grow on deciduous trees in the wild (according to Jay's Internet Orchid Encyclopedia).

This is one of Charles and Margaret Baker's culture sheets. It's very detailed. Check it out.

Neofinetia falcata Culture

[Erce]

king: i´m just you

[akiko]

I have three of them I grow them in a west facing window with slated blinds. I open them during the daytime so the slats are paralell to the floor. Mine bloomed this summer under that light. I have the phals a little farther away from the window on my orchid shelf. They are very tolerating of both high temps and lower temps. Last winter some nights got down to 55 in the orchid room and it didnt seem to bother them at all.

[DelawareJim]

I grow mine on 2 of my east facing windowsills. Winter temps 65-67'F during the day and 58-60'F at night with 40-60% humidity. Summers are 70-85'F during the day and 55-70'F at night with humidity 50-80% (windows open) and my plants have been thriving.

I think if you're comfortable, they will be comfortable.

Cheers.
Jim

[cathieo]

I've only grown Neos for around 5 years, but I find best success growing them pretty much as Jim does. The main difference would be that my winter windowsill for Neos is South-facing and, they're outside in the summer on an East-facing balcony. I no longer put any of my Neos in my orchidarium because it's too hard for me to keep them dry enough in winter. I basically give them a good misting, w/o any fertilizer, once a week, in winter. I buy virtually all of mine from Orchids Ltd. (they're local for me) and find they have very good plants as does New World.

[Becca]

Originally Posted by cathieo

I no longer put any of my Neos in my orchidarium because it's too hard for me to keep them dry enough in winter. I basically give them a good misting, w/o any fertilizer, once a week, in winter.

When you say it's too hard for you to keep them dry enough in the winter in your orchidarium, how dry do they get (crunchy sphagnum moss dry?) and for how long (days)? I've been afraid of letting mine go dry for two long for fear of stressing them out. Of course I still have mine in intermediate temps, not cooler temps right now. Perhaps next year I can provide them with cooler winter temps since I will have a more permanent growing area for them (I'm in the middle of moving).

Hope these questions will help Erce with some growing tips too when answers are received!