Lol @ mike! I'm bad and have a bank of 'warm' 23W CFLs on one side and a full spectrum (supposedly) 5000k 65W cfl on the other side (I really should be mixing the two)...I just moved the neo to take pics and it was bathed in the bling bling orange glow of the warm lights :D (normally it's right in between the two lights). I don't know what leaf form I have - I think it's just the normal generic one. I used to have a pine-needle type but it died. me_171 - I'm prob not the best person to ask for advice on this plant cause this is just my first reblooming. But I can tell you what I did - my neo stayed outside for the entire summer under dappled shade and it was kept a bit too dry (my bad - didn't keep an eye on it carefully). In the fall I left it outside till it got pretty cold, then moved it into my house, where it was quite a bit warmer. It did nothing for 3 months. I tried to remedy the overly-dry summer by keeping it consistently moist (probably a bad thing in winter, although I did have it under supplemental lights and warm conditions). Then randomly it started growing new roots about a month or so ago, and then bam - here we are! To be honest I think I've performed incredibly bad culture with this plant so I'm shocked that it's blooming. I don't even know whether I can get it to bloom again, but I'm going to try and optimize conditions! :D Has yours shown any spurts of root growth over the years?

Hi. By now you should know if that new growth was a flower spike...was it?? Did it bloom? I have been looking at this specific cross to buy,and wanted to know if the flower is as nice as I see. I have posted my own Psychopsis question tonight. But saw yours and it caught my eye. I do know the more light the better..direct light..dappled shade. So that it doesnt get sunburned from being inside. It is suppose to be a heavy feeder and drinker,as long as it drains well. My old one that I had for years and had 8 flower spikes just up and died last week..out of the blue! After years and years of little care,against common 'care knowledge'. I am in south Fla..and I think I over watered it before the heat of spring/summer set in, and it rotted. BUT it lived on neglect and had perfectly shaped blooms. I JUST bought the exact same cross,blooming size,and am hoping to get the same shape,huge lip and great colors. IF you grow it in moss you have to be VERY careful of root rot! It needs air and lots of it! For the roots and leaves. It is better to plant it into a cypress basket with bark,or on a slab of fiber bark. So you cant over water it. The spots on the leaves are from getting more light. Once it is covered in spots you will know you have the right light! It can handle lots of light...mine handled direct south Florida sun for nearly 8 years,hanging from a plumeria tree...thats a lot of light. And it bloomed a new spike on EVERY new growth. Why it just up and died now..I have put up as a question for the group. But I think it was to much water,to soon after 'winter'. It had a new bloom spike starting, and it is still growing...so...it might have a bit of life left in it. Fill us in on yours. Hope this was of some help.

I got mine in the spring of this year and it had 1 spike with a flower. after it dropped the flower i repotted it in small rockwool cubes and charcoal lumps in a clay pot. it has reflowered ( can't remember if it is once or twice) the flower has dropped and a new one is forming and i can see the beginnings of another one waiting (in the wings, so to speak). it is in a south window but because of the balcony upstairs, it is not getting any direct sun. and i am not using any supplementary lighting and no added humidity. the A/C comes on if the house temp. goes higher than 77F or if I have guests, then the temp is set at 71F: there is some fluctuation in temperature but it doesn't seem to worry it much. i water it every 5 to 7 days and feed it with seaweed at most waterings. I am so amazed that we all grow it so differently and for the most part it seems to adapt so well to our varied conditions. because it seems to like where i have put it i don't think i will put it outside. it has a new 'bulb and the new leaves are larger than the old ones. good luck - they seems to be adaptable and like to flower. sue

Read this (apologize, I don't know how to post a clickable link). Scroll down and read about 'flowering.' http://www.orchidweb.com/OrchidOfWeek.aspx?ID=1357 What I've learned from other growers is that you can really push the light on this plant. Forget Phal light! Mine got sun all summer and is still outside in SW sun. The leaves are purple-freckled. I've been told they are very difficult to spike and to protect the spike with your life. It will flower forever. My one plant had the spike cut down by the sales lady. I almost killed her! She didn't touch the other plant and it now has formed a fat bud. I'm thrilled because that spike appeared dead. I've also been told they do not like their roots disturbed and should only be repotted when the mix breaks down. Even then, they should just be moved carefully to a new pot with fresh mix surrounding the roots. Don't disturb the roots. I was told disturbing the roots can set the plant back years. Who knows, I'm just thrilled to see that bud! I paid five-bucks per plant and they looked like hell (dehydrated), but I knew they'd bounce back. Jane