Do you all do any special winter care in the colder climates for your hoyas? Hold back water, etc?
Winter care?
I try. I know some like to be drier in the winter so I'll be more careful watering, letting them dry out more before a soak. That is tricky though, with the furnace running constantly it is a fine line between getting dry and drying up. Plus, sometimes they insist on growing in the winter even though they shouldn't be so those ones I water normally.
I mist twice a day (morning and evening) in the winter to make up for the drier air in the house.
Good question!!!! YES...there are some hoyas that sincerely prefer certain winter (colder) treatment:
The species from Australia - macgillivrayi, archboldiana, dennisii....as well as H. rigida, sp. Thai #3 ( I know there are more) originate from a cool winter (short days) with little or no rain.
Single Monsoon = rainy season/dry season
Double Monsoon - rain during both seasons
Isn't this fun?
Carol
I don't live in a real cold climate but it can get pretty cold here on occasion, even though it only lasts a day or two here and there over the months of Dec, Jan and Feb. I don't water anywhere near as much during those months as I do the rest of the year, sometimes going three weeks without watering!
I don't move my Hoyas inside until the temp's are predicted to drop below 50ºF. Before bringing them in I turn the hose on and water them really well because they may hang out in the guest room for a long while without getting much water. When they are inside I have to drag each one to the kitchen sink to water them because I don't use saucers for catching the excess ... and as I said I'm lazy, but they seem to have adapted to my neglect!
LOL, re: Single/Double Monsoon! Oh NO, something else to figure out! I think I remember some info that Carol put in a Sticky (that I need to go look up again) referring to different temperature tolerances for Hoyas. I think I've pretty much got that part straight now for the ones that I grow, now I just need to figure out the drier/wetter thing, who can take more moisture than who. And, I'm trying to make note of bloom times for each one also.
I have an Exel program with each of my Hoyas listed, and information about each as to who/where I got it from etc. I'm trying to add all pertinent information as I figure it out, i.e. sun, shade, cold, warm etc. Geeze, it sounds like one of those Baby books you keep for your children, although I haven't added photo's at each entry ... yet! ^_^
And now I should be able to remember who's who in my world of plants (thanks to a wonderful Hoya person), because I now have some aluminum plant labels that won't fade!
Lin I am so glad you posted this information. Excel is a great idea! I have been mind-dealing over whether to bring my hoyas in or leave them out a little longer. I brought my linearis and another in yesterday but, linearis has been cring out to me all day... I think she would rather be back outside.
What kind of light does the room that you put yours in have? I don't feel that I have enough light inside. Well in the afternoon I get bright sunlight facing SW but these windows are on the front porch and the porch shades them until the sun gets low enough to enter. Am I being too anal? Will they adapt to less light when the time comes or will they suffer. This is my first winter with hoyas and tender tropicals. I never have plants in the house. I have only sheltered and covered when it gets below 35 degrees in the past.
Just a note....we have had 6 days of heavy rains...NOT one min. of relief....15" in all...and the temps have been in the 60s. The hoyas outdoors are going NUTS....new growth all over the place (probably trying to survive drowning?)...pretty amazing.
Thinking about this post, it occured to me that if given adequate light, airmovement, warmth etc. hoyas should grow all year round... but for those not set up with grow lights etc., if the plants are in a darker environment, they may go semi-dormant...which means you need to cut back on the watering and I certainly wouldn't fertilize until spring when the days get longer and new growth starts happening.....
locoluna: You are in Orlando? You sure don't have to move them inside for awhile yet! We are still having temp's in the mid 60's at night! I don't bring anything in unless the night time temp's are predicted to drop below 50º F and then the only thing that comes in are the orchids and Hoya's. My house is very small and I took plant brackets and hung them on either end of the window in the guest room which is east facing. I put an old wooden pole across the brackets and hang plants from the pole. Others are hung in one of the bathrooms that doesn't get used ... on the shower pole (if they aren't too heavy) and sitting on the counter and on the toilet, wherever I can find room, LOL. I hang a few in the study window which is east facing also, those just get hung on the curtain rod which is already there ... I'm surprised it hasn't fallen from the weight of plants in the winter! There is a very small south window in the guest room where I can hang two to three plants, depending on their size.
I never worry about lack of light for the short time my plants are indoors in the winter. Sometimes they go three weeks without being watered and they get dry but I haven't seen any adverse effects from it ... they usually bounce back quickly once they are returned to their outside spots where I can turn the hose on them. I like to think they just rest and sleep when they are inside the house. It's a pain to water when they are inside because I have to drag everything to the kitchen sink or bathtub so they can drain thoroughly.
Carol, I sure wish you could send some of that rain my way! We had hopes of getting rain from Tropical Storm Ida last week but all we got was a little sprinkle one day. This is our normal dry season but we've not had much rain in the past few months.
Thanks Lin. Yes I am in Orlando. I have to hang all of my plants from the ceiling. My cats are always in the windows. And God forbid a frog or lizard decides to overwinter in one of the plants... they'll climb the walls for one of those little play things. LOL. My hoyas are cuban tree frog condos.
I'm so relieved not having to deal with bringing them in for a while.
Oh yea... while I'm here I might as well ask...
What about rooting cuttings? I received several recently. Do they need bottom warmth or is it still warm enough?
Alot of my hoyas will grow year round. Those in the greenhouse and the ones growing under grow lights inside.
Blessings,
Awanda
Grow lights for Hoyas in Arizona? Wow! No wonder they grow year around. Here, mine sleep the winter away in an east window..
Previous winter experience with the huge plain, old Hoya carnosas... I've left them out till we got down to freezing temps. I would only cover them. I reduce watering when the days grow shorter. I can't imagine these monsters growing year around. It would be the "Hoya that ate east TX"! ! !
I've also have a pair of variegated Hoyas which I have let get no cooler than 50°, again reducing water.
This year (with many new Hoyas generously shared) I don't have any I want to lose. I am breaking in a new greenhouse so lighting should be better but it is not my intention to encourage new winter growth. All but the two huge ones are tucked in and my fingers are crossed.
Oh yes watering. I should add that they get less water now, as they take longer to dry out when there's less light over the winter. I also only water weekly from now until early February so they'll, on average, stay dry a little longer anyway. So even the ones that don't ever dry out will get a little less moist.
It is around eighty degrees during the day and in the low sixties at night. My Hoyas are living on back porch and screened pool enclosure. While I am pretty sure eighty degrees is good for rooting cuttings, could the lower night temp adversely affect their growth rate or root formation? Would the cuttings do better with less fluctuation in temperature with supplemental lighting indoors OR bright indirect outdoors?
If you can bear to wait, its always easier in the spring to root, I find.
Dominic
I cut back on watering all mine. I try to mist them more though. I try to only water when the pot feels light.
Yea... I agree. Late spring till about now. I found that even in early spring, the time was 2 to 3 times slower than summer. Didn't really plan it this way, just they way that it turned out. I can't stop!!! Lol... All but one have a pretty high tolerance for pain. I hope. We shall see? Thanks everyone!! Melanie~