Can someone tell me the growing conditions they use for h. var. bella? What type of soil do you plant it in and how much watering or fertilizer would you use. Mine seems to drop several leaves or loses a vine or two. The rest of the plant is fine but not growing at all. Thanks, Linda
hoya var. bella growing conditions
Hi Linda,
the variegated Hoya bella seems a little sensitive and for me grows best with very high humidity (70%+)
Milan
I'm curious about this one, too.
Milan....how about light? Does this one like direct sun, bright light, shade...??
I don't have one yet, but hope to obtain one soon.
My 'regular' bella gets some indirect south sun (indoors) and is doing *very* well.
Thanks!
HI Linda
just to add to the thread, i had posted a question awhile back on my var. bella dropping leaves also....it had been doing very well under my fluourescent lights through the winter but started to drop leaves too recently off the vine but they didn't turn yellow, just shrivelled up brown and dropped off....Carol had suggested maybe a bit too much fertilizer and maybe a change of location...i think i was overfertilizing it and moved it from under the lights to my north/east kitchen window were it gets some indirect filtered sun in the morning (when there is sun here that is!) through the blinds.....now i have a bit of new growth and new sprouts from in between the leaves and a bloom coming again on it....I also keep it on the moist side.....i have to agree with Milan that it seems a bit more picky than the green bella .....hope that helps
Sandy
My variegated bellas are very picky. Yes..they like to be watered often and bright indirect light!!! They also need good air circulation...or they get mushy in the middle....
HTH...Carol
Thanks for all the info. The leaves on mine were not turning yellow but just shriveling up, turning brown and dieing like yours too. I haven't fertilized it yet because I just got it last month. I will try moving it to a different location. I have it in an east window right now where it gets just the morning light but the blinds are in front of it also. I also have one cutting in the same window that is doing fine though so I don't get it. My bigger plant is the one losing the leaves.
Linda
If they shrivel up then you may have a non-functional/destroyed root system. Never let the soil dry out completely as this is their doom.
Usually the shriveling starts at the bottom of the stem working its way up if the roots are dead and one has to take cuttings and re-root if that happens.
Milan
Linda...tip it out of the pot, gently, and check the roots. It won't hurt the plant. If they are 'gone', best thing to do is take cuttings. :(
Carol, I took your advice and checked the roots. I found out that most of them were fine but one of the vines shriveled up from the bottom but still had roots. I did take cuttings of that one to save it. Thanks for that advice, Milan. I will start checking the vines more often in case the roots are dead. I also moved it to a different location and will mist it more often. ~Linda