Gracious! No one warned me how fast these grow. Received H. multiflora 2 1/2 months ago with two old half leaves and two new small leaves. It now has added four new BIG leaves and is preparing to bloom. I'm so excited!!! :D
Milan, thanks for your advice of giving it lots of moisture - even keeping it soggy! Something worked!
Crasulady, you were right that Hoya will bloom at any size.
It's still in the 2" pot it came in - I've been meaning to repot it - I probably shouldn't do anything now to upset it? But, it doesn't seem right having this beautiful 'big' plant in such a tiny pot.
Where do you buy coir peat/coco fiber? I'm curious about experimenting with it.
edited: can't spell
This message was edited Apr 16, 2004 6:01 PM
A budding baby H. mutiflora!
Congrats sveiks, hope that your H. multiflora didn't "bud blast", they do like to do that especially when still small. H. multiflora is a persistent bloomer and You'll notice that each new leaf node will get a flower peduncle. BTW the myth of Hoyas continuously blooming from the same flower stem doesn't apply to multiflora (and many other Hoya species), so don't be alarmed when yours looses the stem after flowering.
I would say go ahead with re-potting. There may be an adjusting period for the root system after re-potting but it shouldn't upset your plant :).
As for Coco fiber; check at local or on-line Hydroponic supply stores.
Use horticultural grade only and stay away from the cheaper Coco husk material sometimes sold in pet stores as it may have a high salt content which is detrimental to your plants.
Note that the fibers will decompose and should be renewed every 2 years or so (on top it may look good but at the bottom of the pot it can create a gooey mess that blocks drainage holes).
Milan
Also...sometimes a H. multiflora can be wet enough and warm enough and WANT to bloom but there might be one little thing preventing it: drafts. If it gets any kind of cool blasts from a vent, or opening door, or window it can get really prissy and blast! Funny thing is that they will live outdoors in the wind and not be bothered at all!!!
Milan, I am glad that you said that they don't always keep their rachis for further flowering, some do and some don't. I don't think plants know the rules.
I getting 23 new plants species of Hoya, can't wait. I don't think I will get all that I ordered. So I will send another list a month later. I do want to fill in on some of the more unusual species that I have yet to find. I don't want ho hum plants.
I want them to say WOW look at me to our visitors.
Hi folks - major computer problems for the past month - I can read but can't send without it crashing. Anyway, I am the proud owner of a fully blooming H. multiflora!!! The buds finally burst open a few days ago :-) . . . and none of that dreaded "bud blast" LOL . . . and each new leaf node is getting a flower peduncle! I'm eager to see if it will keep its rachis for further flowering. Now all I have to do is get up the courage to repot it (I'm embarrassed to say that I've been afraid to do this and that's not like me at all.)
Oh my, Norma: 23 new plant species - WOW. I'm curious about what some of the unusual ones are!?!
This message was edited May 25, 2004 1:35 PM
Sveiks -
About the coir peat: I am not sure if the companies that make it all make the same.... I checked with 2 nurseries here that I admire and t hey both use the one sold here. It comes in a compressed block...no problems with salt. I tried it, added 10 gals of water and out came a wonderful medium...mixed it with #2 perlite...great stuff!!! I tasted it (yes, I did) and no salty taste...so... I threw away the wrapper but I will get the name tomorrow when I go to town. The product expands 5 times...so you might want to get some friends.....
Thanks Carol - I appreciate that! I've checked with my local nurseries for coir peat with no luck. There are a couple more places further away that I've yet to check out - otherwise, I'll have to order it from the internet. -sveiks
Congrarulations, sveiks. I lost the first buds on mine until I learned to keep it wet. You'll find that it blooms constantly.
Norma, 23 new ones? Please tell us more. Which ones, from where?
Do H. multiflora have a scent?
I've read several places that the H. multiflora has no scent. Well ... I beg to differ ... mine certainly do!!! This a.m. there were tiny drops of nectar and I couldn't resist giving the flowers a sniff -- they DO have a perfume sort of like a very light gardenia. --sveiks
I also smell a light sweet fragrance from multiflora but gotta stick by big honker very close to it :).