I missed it as I was out of town but DH captured a photo of the exploded seed pod on H. pubicalyx Pink Silver. He didn't try to save any of the seed so I will be on the lookout for hoya sprouting in the garden.
Seed pod explosion!
What fun, Susan! Maybe you can create some cold tolerant seedlings!!!
Wow, what a neat picture. Do you have other seed pods on the plant? Do you have your plant in a Greenhouse or outdoors? Maybe if you look around the plant you can spot some seeds. You are so lucky to have your hoya plant pollinated. I am happy for you.
Deb
How interesting. It certainly shows why hoya is part of the asclepias family. That is exactly how the seed pods of butterfly weed distributes it's seed. Are these plants self fertile?
Thanks for the neat shot.
Johanna
What a GREAT DH to think to get a picture of that while you were gone. Hope you find some of the babies.
..and here I thought they only got pollinated if one lived in the tropics. Ha.
Marcy
Deb, I had seed pods on H. carnosa var. Picta too! Like the others they just took off into the air. You can bet if the
pod had been on something more exotic I would have wrapped it in a stocking to catch the seeds.
I grow outdoors from late March to the first fall cool spell, which is usually late Nov. early December.
We built a greenhouse last year and everyone goes in from the first really cold spell until spring.
Marcy, my climate is considered sub-tropical. It's very humid here all year round. No need to provide extra humidity any time of the year. Our ground never freezes so I can grow lots of gingers and cannas. I just cut them to the ground and mulch over winter. I also have plumeria in the ground in a protected spot. I had to wrap them with pipe wrap when we had a freak, and I mean freak, snowfall last Christmas Eve. It was the first snowfall in Galveston Co. in 110 years.
Nightbloomer54,
You really are a hoya-head....This is great! I have a non-related hoya question. You have plumerias in the ground....Explain a little more on how they are doing and what problems you have had (if any) I have been thinking about putting some of mine in the ground...but just havent gotten the nerve yet....Well, now I am out of here....I am on a Houston Hoya Hunt....(this should be good) and am going to try to make it out the the Plumeria show/sale out at the Fort Bend County Fair Grounds...One heck of a drive for plants...
See ya
I found another seed pod burst on the H. pubicalyx Pink Silver. This time I caught the seeds. So, are hoya self pollinating or is there a possiblily the H. diversifolia next to it mated with my pink silver?
OH KEWL, Susan! Yes, hoyas are self fertile but if the "visitor" was chez H. diversifolia...you might get a cross. Wow...H. pubicalyx on steroids...you will need to grow a bunch out...you should be able to see early if they are a cross or self.
Nightbloomer54, Wow that's exciting. Are you plants outdoors?
Hoyanut = Deb (Kepi)
Deb, yes all of my plants are outdoors. It's subtropical here so I grow outside about nine months of the year.
I think I will try to grow out those seeds just for the heck of it.
Susan
Susan, have you grown Hoyas from seed before? It's fun. Deb
No, in fact I am not very good at growing anything from seed. I don't even fair well with the packages of Burpees. The problem is my lack of time and impatience with the whole thing.
How would you start these? I could use some tips.
Susan
I have done it two ways...always with very fresh seeds not more than a week old:
Wet a paper towel, but not sopping wet...just wet enough. smear the seeds on it (this is hard because of the airborne tendency), slip the towel into a zip lock bag, zip it up and put in a warm spot but not direct sun. They will sprout within4-5 days...keep the towel damp. when you have the new leaves, gently pull them off the towel and lay on some peat/perlite mix and gently cover each root with mix. I mist them often and keep the soil damp.
Use the peat and perlite mix...put the seeds on it...cover with saran wrap until they sprout and keep damp. when they have 2 real leaves, they can be transplanted to a pot.
I only take the strong ones...eliminating some all the way along.
HTH
I have germinated seeds. Naturally I was completely out of paper towel when I went to do this. I had a brand new micro fiber cloth so I dampened it, put the seeds in a large baggie. Carumba! It worked. Waiting to see if I can get some leaves on them.
I received a Hoya from another DG member a couple of weeks ago the seed pod exploded in transit. Now I have babies growing in with the exchange plant. What a treat.
When my seeds sprouted on the paper towel, it wasn't long before the roots were longer than the seedling, and the seedling was barely starting it's first set of real leaves...they all survived. Out of the mess, I too the strongest 20 seedlings.
Carol