It seems that I have a problem with both var. and green varieties of bella root rotting. The stems shrivel toward the bottom and I have to take cuttings to save the plant. Other vines seem to do fine and are producing new growth but I constantly have to re-root due to root rot.
I am thinking maybe it is my soil. What are you using for bella? I know it likes to stay moist but not with wet feet. Maybe I need something that is more fast draining???
Thanks,
Linda - WA state
Bella root rot
I have found that H. bella really likes good air circulation...the kind they get when hanging outdoors. Without it, the soil seems to get sour and root rot sets in. I have the devil of a time with the variegated H. bella...and find her very fussy...my green one is a real soldier!! They both love to swing in the breeze.
My potting mix is one I make up....because the stuff other folks on the mainland can find, we don't have. I use coarse peat moss, fine orchid bark, #3 perlite, black cinder (pumice would work) and some fine coir (that has been soaked and rinsed twice) because it rewets so easily.
Hope this helps....
Carol
Linda,
I have been using Fafard mix #3. It has lots of perlite and small pieces of bark. I also like Pro-Mix BX or jungle growth. If you can't find any of those, you might try adding perlite to the soil you can find. Also, watch for that soil with wetting agents and fertilizer added in.
My bellas both do really well growing in my sunroom. My regular bella has been blooming for months! Hang in there and keep trying and I'll bet you will master it!!!
Mel
Thanks for all the advice. It appears to me that I need to change the soil mix and try for more air circulation. I am determined to master this little stinker.
Linda
Carol, I just got my first two hoyas and I like the sound of the potting mixture you make for yourself. Can you tell me the proportions? Do you use equal amounts of peat moss, orchid bark, perlite, pumice, and coir?
Zuzu...yes I do... In fact, Today I found a bunch of outside hoyas growing UP out of their pots...and I am going to add an equal part of compost and cover the pots with the mulch! It really is a great mix.
You can exchange the pumice with cinder with any volcanic rock...as long as the cinder isn't red.
TTFN
Carol
Oh, that's interesting. What's the problem with the red volcanic rock? I have a lot of it edging my flower beds. Does it do something bad to plants in general, or just to hoyas?
Red volcanic rock, I have been told, contains lots of iron...(hence the red) and it is used for roads, paths and borders because it doesn't grow weeds (plants) as quickly...infact...hard to grow them. I know only one grower here who uses red cinder...and when his plants are put in black cinder they languish....so perhaps it is possible...for the short term. 99.999901 of the growers here use black. I would not buy a plant grown in red. It is used as a weed control.
Carol
That's good to know. I appreciate the information, Carol, because I'm planning to chisel holes in some of my big volcanic rocks and try to grow alpine plants in them. I know they grow well in tufa, but that's not as readily available as volcanic rock and pumice in California. I'll stay away from the red ones from now on. Thanks.