Please help with a Neofinetia Falcata.

[Shandra]

Hi, so I am very new at orchid growing. My dad and I went to a Toronto Orchid Show about 10 years ago and bought Neofinetia Falcatas in several flasks of agar. I am not sure exactly what kind it is, my dad is trying to find out the exact name (he has it written down somewhere from when we bought it). He thinks it is a Neofinetia Falcata Amani Pink X Syouju Red. Not sure on spelling or if this is correct since I have been unable to find anything about this kind. He just gave me one of them about 2 weeks ago. He has been doing the bare minimum to keep them alive since we bought them. I am not 100% sure what to do with it and have alot of question.

My dad potted it in a plastic pot in sphagnum moss. He has had it under a light for the last 10 years with no sunlight. I would like to keep it on my windowsill. Should I gradually bring it up to sunlight though because it has been under a lamp it's whole life? Or can I keep it in natural light but out of direct sunlight? I was reading that in the spring and summer it should be shaded so I was also wondering if a child car window shade would do the trick if I have my plant in the window?

Also wondering about repotting. Should I wait and give my neo a chance to settle in it's spot before repotting? I would like to pot it in the traditional style with a cavity in one of the twisted plastic pots I fould on Kelley's Korner Orchid Supplies for now. I am looking at getting a traditional painted clay pot in a few months. Would I be able to repot now and again in a few months or would that be to much? Are there different kinds of sphagnum moss? If so what kind should I use?

As for how my plant looks, there are white marks on the leaves. I tried to wipe them off with a damp paper towel and they won't come off. What is this?

And as far as watering goes, I am home all the time and able to water every day but my dad has only been watering them about once a week and letting them dry out in between waterings. What should I do?

About flowering, if I provide the right conditions will mine flower even though it has not flowered before and it is 10 years old?

Please help! Lol. Sorry about all the questions but any input and advice is greatly appreciated

[WhiteRabbit]

Glad you found us!

The white marks look like mineral deposits from water and/or fertilizer. Foliage can be cleaned with some lemon juice (can't remember if this should be diluted - I'll look), or milk (same thing, need to check if it needs diluting) - just a paper towell lightly dampened with the juice or milk, and wipe the foliage.

The moss it is potted in looks very old - I'd repot it - that way you can also see what the roots look like.

Neos do like to dry out inbetween waterings. Also check out Growing Neofinetia falcata in winter months
for winter care info.
They do want some sun even in summer - dappled sun, or a bit of morning or afternoon/evening light. In winter they like a great deal of light. They grow on deciduous trees, so summer they are shaded/receiving dappled or some angled sun; winter they receive direct sun. I don't know the light intensity it received under artificial light - I'd ease it into a windowsill (start with a quite shaded window - or move it during a spell of overcast weather)

The names you have sound right to me - those are different cultivars of Neo falcata - should bloom with reddish/pinkish hues, I believe.

Good luck!


eta: ok, just checked at First Rays' Home Remedies - lemon juice (or other citrus juice) undiluted; milk diluted in half with water; diluted mayo can also be used, as well as stale beer - can be used to clean foliage.

[Kelo]

I would try to ease your plant into light that would equal being behind a net curtain over the period of a week if your plant is not used to natural sunlight.

Look online for neo sites - there are several and those will give you all the info you should need. All of what WhiteRabbit is correct.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Kelo

I would try to ease your plant into light that would equal being behind a net curtain over the period of a week if your plant is not used to natural sunlight.

Look online for neo sites - there are several and those will give you all the info you should need. All of what WhiteRabbit is correct.

thanks Kelo - I think you know more about Neos than I probably, some I appreciate your feedback. After I killed my first one, I did more research so that wouldn't happen again! So far, so good - my Amami Island I've had a couple of years has been doing great! Bloomed well last year, and has the beginning of spikes now. Added another last year, doing good so far.

[Kelo]

I lost two of mine this winter! At least it wasn't my (possibly) expensive one!!!! lol Can't be perfect tho', huh? lol Just takes a little getting used to growing something a little different. I'm not sure whether to put mine into the greenhouse or not.....

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Kelo

I lost two of mine this winter! At least it wasn't my (possibly) expensive one!!!! lol Can't be perfect tho', huh? lol Just takes a little getting used to growing something a little different. I'm not sure whether to put mine into the greenhouse or not.....

dang - but yeah, it happens - that's why I don't like paying much for plants. The Neo I got last year, while not probably considered expensive by most, is one of MY pricier orchids, so I'm anxious to do right by it!

[Wynn Dee13]

Hi and welcome! The previous members have given you good advice.

I would transplant too, the moss looks really really old! As far as what kind of moss, the best is long fibered New Zealand spaghnum moss. Moss breaks down faster than other mediums so you will have to repot about once a year or so. If you repot it in the pot you want to get at Kelly's Korner go ahead and then when you get the fancier one you could probably just take the plant with the moss and all then just transfer it from one pot to the other without changing the moss and disturbing the roots. That should be fine. They don't like their roots disterbed too often. That goes for all orchids really.

The plant will flower if you give it the right conditions even if it hasn't bloomed before. It just didn't have the right conditions before to bloom.

I don't know what kind of lights your Dad had it under and I don't know how bright it was so I would just ease it into natural light slowly so it doesn't burn.

I grow mine in New Zealand spaghnum moss in a clay pot and it grows under florecent lights in the winter months and then outside during summer. I water it and then let it dry out before watering it again. Mine also has two spikes right now so I'm pretty excited! I don't know much about the different varieties. I think mine is just the normal common one. It doesn't have a variety name.

Well good luck and there are quite a few members that know a lot about Neos so they probably can give you more specific advice!

[Kelo]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

dang - but yeah, it happens - that's why I don't like paying much for plants. The Neo I got last year, while not probably considered expensive by most, is one of MY pricier orchids, so I'm anxious to do right by it!

My most expensive one was the one I paid £150 for because it came from seed and not a division - Neo. Manjushage/Manjusahwa. Can hardly wait until it flowers to see if it is the real deal.

[LinhT]

Originally Posted by Shandra

Are there different kinds of sphagnum moss? If so what kind should I use?


About flowering, if I provide the right conditions will mine flower even though it has not flowered before and it is 10 years old?

Remounding can be done with just the regular New Zealand 4A. However, the nicer moss, that IMHO is so much better to work with and dries out faster than the 4A or 3A, is the 5A moss. The strands are much longer, thinner and does not break as easily as the 4A or 3A. If you have a good number of neos to remound, I think the 5A is worth the money. If it's just one, maybe just use the 4A for now.

Sounds like this hybrid was made from varieties that are regular bloomers. So I think it could definitely bloom if it has enough roots to endure a cool, bright, dry winter. It looks like blooming size to me. Also, the leaves look a very nice dark green color so perhaps with more light, it could eventually spike. I have some varieties that only bloom if given high light. You just have to ease it into the higher light levels. Otherwise they can get stressed.

[Shandra]

Wow. Thanks for all the info everyone. Does anyone know a good place to buy the New Zealand Sphagnum moss?