Never Thought I Would Find This!

I found this burst seed pod on my H. cumingiana on Sunday. I was floored because I did not think it was possible for one of the flowers to get pollinated in my short greenhouse season. What makes it even more amazing is that I had cut all the flowers off from the plant, before bringing it back inside in September. The plant was so big and dense I must have missed seeing the pod. I just happened to see this big puff of fluff that was hanging off the plant out of the corner of my eye.

I didn't know if the seed would be viable, but four days later around half have sprouted. It should be fun trying to grow these things out. I'm glad it was my cumingiana that had the seed pod, because that is by far my easiest to grow hoya. I should have a pretty good chance of growing a few of these out.

Doug

Doug---CONGRAULATIONS!!! It seems like you're having the total hoya experience--growing, blooming, setting seed--all in your little greenhouse in VERMONT...amazing...just goes to show what you can accomplish if you really work at it...Good luck with the "babies" and keep us posted...

Shelley

Thanks Shelley! "The total Hoya experience" is a great way of putting it. I truly feel that sums it up best. 2009 was definitely a great year, and I will keep everyone posted on the seedlings progress.

Congratulations Doug! That is really cool. I'd probably faint away if I ever found a seedpod on a hoya. Wow, they sure germinated quickly! Please keep us posted on the progress. I am still waiting to see any sign of peduncles on my Hoya cummingiana ... maybe 2010 will be the year!

Congrats, good way to start the new year. I've also found Hoya seeds seem to germinate surprisingly fast.

Tropic, your were right! Germination was extremely fast. Here is a photo eight days after sowing the seeds.

Doug

Mine were fast germinating but then slowed down. Almost as though they were anxious to get the photosynthesis started, and then relax.

Wow, that is so cool ... they really germinated so fast!

Mine were so fast that initially I thought they were weeds in the soil.

They are insanely fast! A kind DG'er once, years ago, sent me some Hoya seeds. The silly things sprouted in the mail and were moldy mush before I even got them!

Still waiting for my H memoria/gracilis pod to opn....tap......tap...tap..:))

I am kinda scared.... Recently I have seen lots of seeds floating around...I have seen them on the road. Today I am seeing them stuck to the trees... Have I suddenly introduced an invasive genus?...

That is interesting. They are of the Milk Weed Family, and here in the Northeast, Milk Weed are everywhere, in every field, roadside ditch, and wild place. I would hardly call them invasive though as I don't think they grow to the point where they out compete other plants.

Doug

Doug, what medium did you plant your seeds in?

Dom, the seeds are planted in my regular hoya planting mix. It is made from equal parts fine orchid bark, large perlite, a peat based potting mix - I use Promix, hydroton, and a little charcoal. I barely covered the seeds with the finest part of the mix, which was mostly Promix.

Doug

I am learning alot about fertilizers and soil mixes. Charcoal additives are VERY revolutionary...love them!!!

I'm big on charcoal too, but experimenting with it still. Last year I powdered a couple of hundred litres of charcoal for gardening use. More recently I've let nature do the job - more and better for less work. My H. australis ssp rupicola planter is also loaded up with weathered (but not powdered) charcoal.

TB...learned, yesterday, that charcoal is totally deficient in Nitrogen...that it actually draws it out of the soil!!! (which is probaby why some seeds I planted in it didn't grow). So...what we are doing is soaking the charcoal in a solution of diluted Fish Fertilizer (or Manure Tea) and then adding it to the soil. This way it acts as a slow release fert... AND ...the fertilizer is not leached out of the soil in the rains. Around here we plan on fertilizing every 10" of rain...and with 160" annually that makes it mucho $$$$$. With the biochar innoculated, much better!!!

Yes I knew the nitrogen bit, I usually put the charcoal through the compost bins, or else put it into an unused garden bed and turn the bed into a compost heap for a while. My soil is deplete in clay particles, and humus breaks down too rapidly so the charcoal is the only way to boost soil CEC. And in the dry season it's great for retaining soil moisture.

I suppose using your method would also have big advantages for me by using it around existing plants. You've got double our rainfall, although ours comes in half a year and the bulk of it in 3 or 4 months. I like our balance between wet and dry seasons, although a slightly longer wet would be nice. Not that I ever get to fine tune the weather.

Out in nature I've found Hoya with roots wrapped around lumps of charcoal. It was as though the charcoal had been lasooed by the plant and then tied up with roots to prevent it getting away. But the plants hang on, nitrogen or no nitrogen.

GREAT idea putting the charcoal thru the compost!!!! Then it gets all the micro organisms too... hmmmm. I think I will try soaking some with fish fertilizer plus EM and some molassas...to get the micro organisms in there and happy, too. It is really fun to play with these elements!!!

Growing plants in the tropics certainly presents it's own problems. I have ancient "soils", mostly lateritic gravel. Probably best suited to hydroponics. I started on charcoal about 15 years ago (living elsewhere). It was more of a matter of logic ratrher than knowing what I was doing. The soil there was sand and acidic. My first thoughts were that it would reduce acidity and retain moisture. Since then my ideas have mushroomed. Well, you how it is in the tropics, everything "mushrooms" in the wet, LOL.

I hear you on the Mushrooms...!!!