# Neo - s/h to traditional (Warning - Image Heavy)



## Marco (Jul 14, 2007)

This is a benisuzume that was in s/h for about 3 months. I gave it a shot. Here's how it went.

1) beni in its s/h pot






2) the supplies - unpotted neo, traditional plastic neo pot, label, sphag already moistened and lined up, coconut husk fiber (not shown), bamboo skewer to check moisture inside sphag (not shown) and serving tray with grape designs on it cause its so manly





3) beni going through a pyhsan bath





4) the coconut husk lined up like the sphag





5) the beni after being wrapped with coconut husk





6) the sphag





7) the beni after being wrapped in sphag, I also lined the bottom of the pot with sphag and arranged it so none plop through the hole in the bottom





8) the final product(s) neo. benisuzume on the left and neo setsuzan on the right


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## NYEric (Jul 14, 2007)

Slippertalk - the best Neofinitia forum...


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## Marco (Jul 14, 2007)

i always try


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## NYEric (Jul 14, 2007)

All good!


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## Candace (Jul 14, 2007)

I didn't know you used cocunut fiber for them. Why the physan bath?


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## Marco (Jul 14, 2007)

the physan bath is just a little ritual i do everytime i do a repot. I don't know if you can use coconut fiber either. But I figure it would give it a bit of extra air yet keep it moist at the same time. Instead of just have a cavity in the mound.


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## Heather (Jul 15, 2007)

Interesting to see how you do it, Marco.

My Shutennou came out much better after the second try but I find it is a bit more difficult with the larger/many growth plants than the wee ones. I love the long fibered moss!


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 15, 2007)

Marco, they look great! What size pots are those, 2.5 or 3 inch? I was thinking about getting one to mount mine, but I don't know what size to get.


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## Marco (Jul 15, 2007)

Heather - yeah I just repotted the standard white i have with the roots all over the place and it wasn't as easy as the benisuzume.

Duke - They're in 2.5" pots. Bad thing is I only had 2 of them. I need some more. I ordered some 3" pots from Jason recently but he didnt have any of the 2.5" ones listed. Hopefully, I can get some at the PA.


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 16, 2007)

Marco, you know you can get them on ebay right...2.5 and 3"


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## Marco (Jul 16, 2007)

Yea I saw them. But you'd be paying about 25% more. I believe Jason will be bringing some to PA so i'm going to go take a risk. Otherwise I'll probably get them from that vendor.


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## Jason Fischer (Jul 20, 2007)

I will bring some to PA.... or were we going to ship you some? Who is selling them on ebay? I've never seen anybody carry these before.


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## Marco (Jul 20, 2007)

Jason - http://cgi.ebay.com/UNIQUE-IMPORT-3-NEOFINETIA-PLASTIC-ORCHID-POT_W0QQitemZ110122271137QQihZ001QQcategoryZ20515QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem . It's actually about 50% more than what you have listed. It would be great if you brought some extra of the smaller pots to PA. I would like to purchase at least 10 of them when I pick up that seikai order. Hopefully things settle down a bit and I'll be able to pick up some more neos too.


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## NYEric (Jul 20, 2007)

Marco is not too out of control...


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## Marco (Jul 20, 2007)

still gotta shop around for the best prices.....its the best space filler at work


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## goldenrose (Jul 23, 2007)

I'm new to neo's - what's the reason for the big mound above the pot - saves on repotting? doesn't dry out as fast?


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## Marco (Jul 23, 2007)

golden - neos are wind orchids, they love air around the roots


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## Heather (Jul 23, 2007)

Hi Rose, 
The way you make the mound is by building it on top of something such as a plastic waterbottle so that you leave an air pocket for the roots to breathe better.


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## goldenrose (Jul 23, 2007)

Got it! Thanks! I'm trying my first one. After seeing Ron's post of the monster neo mount - I'm tempted!


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## Heather (Jul 23, 2007)

There's a lot of info here on Neos if you do a search. Also, potting instructions are on the New World Orchids website and in a recent Orchid Digest publication there are great images of the process step by step.


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 23, 2007)

I just repotted mine this weekend, I made a cavity in the middle (some places say you can do it with or without) The only difference is that I used live sphagnum moss. Does anyone think that is a bad thing? I didn't have any dried at my house and have LOADS of it growing in a boggy area in my woods. It came out pretty good though. I'll post pics later.

-JOsh


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## Marco (Jul 23, 2007)

Here's a link to NWO step by step on how to mount a neo.

http://newworldorchids.com/pages/neopotting.htm

Josh - im interested to see the live sphag mount. I've never seen one before.


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 23, 2007)

Marco, neither have I till I did it... , I'll post a pic later on. I just wonder if it would affect it in any way being live...??


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## Marco (Jul 23, 2007)

Well, I don't know what kind of conditions live sphag needs to grow but I'm pretty sure neos like to somewhat dry out in between watering. I don't know if live sphag will take to kindly to that. How long is the sphag that you're pulling from your backyard?


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 23, 2007)

It's not that long, some is maybe 2", some less. I know the sphag will die after a few days...I mounted a Masdevallia with some of the live moss and after about a week, even with daily watering it still died.


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## Marco (Jul 23, 2007)

2" or 2'? and what died the sphag? I was talking to NY Eric about them one time and he told me they weren't all the easiest to take care of


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 23, 2007)

No, not 2 feet, 2 inches, maybe 3, but I might be lying. yes, the sphag died. But I have some that I didn't end up using and it is growing fine on top of some fine PA in a shallow dish (well it's really a mushroom container). I'm going to go and take some pics right now...


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 23, 2007)

Here are some pics...

moss...






Neo mount...





And the other side


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## Marco (Jul 23, 2007)

cool. looks great. I really like how the live moss looks. that neo looks fantastic as well


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## Heather (Jul 23, 2007)

Nice looking Neo! I'm interested to see how the Sphag. changes over time - can you continue to update us? 

We have sphag. growing in the garden where I work and it is in a very sunny local, but I think it must always keep its feet wet enough to stay alive. 

Brian - (likespaphs) - think you might be able to weigh in on this? Oh moss king? Moss king...wherefore art thou moss king???


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## DukeBoxer (Jul 24, 2007)

Marco and Heather, I can't take any credit for how nice the plant looks, I've only had it for about a month..we'll see in about a year how nice it looks. Heather, thats true about the sphag, it needs to be contantly wet to be green, if it dries out it turns white and dies (or looks like it's dead) but when it gets wet again it will green right up. There is some in my woods that is a little higher off the ground and dries out for most of the summer but in the spring and fall it is green again. I'll post some more pics later on. I actually planted some phrag penns creek cascade sedlings in live moss about 2 weeks ago (I got 8 of them and they all had 1 or 2 roots each) and the moss is still very alive, but they are in plastic pots so it stays more moist.


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## elvinwei (Jul 31, 2007)

hey, where'd you buy the nice moss from? also from New World?
are those betta fish i see in the background? i love them too!
like neos, you can't get just one, and the real pretty ones cost a lot


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## Marco (Jul 31, 2007)

Elvin - Yeah I got the long moss from New World it was 25 bucks for 150 grams of the 5A stuff. yeah those are bettas.


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