My Luck with rooting hoya

that is one good thing about the perlite, I pull them out of it all the time, at least every couple of days. Then just dig a little hole and cover it back up. So far none of them seem to mind.

The pictures of the roots are very encouraging! I plan on checking mine often!! Would it make any sense to put a plastic dome (with holes poked in it) over the tray? Thanks - Karen

Wow...seems I have missed this thread. Lali...send me a dmail with your address and I will send you some Maya cuttings.

It just occured to me that a chef's thermometer would work...just stick it in the pot and you can tell if you heat is too high. I remember when I used the heatpads...they were separated the actual cuttings by a cookie sheet with pebbles then a tray with the pots. Maybe it would be cheaper to just get a temperature regulator....and you can sleep!!!!

Great thread...I have learned a lot...

Carol

karen, at first I thought the dome was a 'MUST HAVE' and so I drove 40 miles r/t to get one and after a few days I had trouble with the dome, got too moist and rot happened. So i think there is enough ambient humidity (not sure if that's the technical term) just around the tray (at least in my case) that I stopped using it. Plus if you're running the humidifier you should have plenty of humidity. But i think like every thing, you'll just have to try and see what works for your environment. My AV and begonia leaf cuttings were mush after a very short time.

Carol, i should splurge, but with two mats running, and at $35 each, I can ingulge myself in a lot of plants for that. As long as our daytime temps stay under 70º i'm ok. When it warms up, I might have to add another towel. They're pretty free, I have a whole big tupperware storage box full of em'.

I'd love Maya. I had 15 cuttings from a trade I did earlier ( I really don't know a thing about brugs so I was winging it with my bubbler). I had them all rooting in my homemade bubbler and they did great. I may have one or two that are problematic with virus, but I separated them out and I'm watching them pretty close. I could just be stress too. I potted them all up in 1 gal cans today.

I'll Dmail you. P.S. Carol, if you find me on your doorstep in the next day or two don't be surprised. We've had solid gloom rain for about 10 days now and I think I'm suffering from SAD! I miss my Maui trip and need to get a big dose of Island sunshine! (only kidding, you won't really find me....well maybe not)

Good advice - think I'll just watch them, and see how they do!! Thanks for the idea! Karen

Well I decided to jump on the band wagon and try BC's rooting method. I put 2 cake racks on top of the propagation mat before putting my plant tray on. I also put a small 3 ounce cup of water in the middle of the perlite to help with the humidity even though I have the whole thing sitting in a Big lots mini greenhouse. Right now the humidity is 75.

Blessings,
Awanda

Very cool. Awanda, the Ruthie cutting you sent rooted lickety split! It was so fast! It was like 4 days, not sure if you recall, but it didn't have any adventitious roots even started, just a smooth green stem!. And I had it in the ziplock for like 2 or 3 weeks with nothing. So this perlite really worked.

On a side note. Karen asked about watering. And the more I think about it, if you have enough drain holes, you almost can't overwater. The excess with drain out the bottom and so long as the tray isn't sitting in water I think you'll be good.
At least that is my experience.

I really don't get where that is draining into. Do you have it double trayed with space in between? Did you poke holes in one of the trays? I have some of those trays that I got at the hydroponics store, but they don't have holes in the bottom.
At any rate...good job on the roots you gals.
Marcy

Mairzee, go to the photos at
Dec 18, 2005
8:02 PM, 8:03 PM, and 8:05 PM

You'll see a shallow tray with groves in the 1st and 2nd photos. In the third photo you'll see in the lower left corner one of the deeper trays. I use a soldering iron to poke lots of holes (melt holes) for the drainage which gets caught in the lower flat groved tray (no holes in that tray)

so the deep tray is filled with the perlite and it sits in the shallow tray to catch any runoff, in my case I used two shallow trays to keep it from getting too hot on the mat since I'm too cheap to buy the thermostats.

If you need more photos, just let me know.

Bumping to see how all of you are doing that tried this method?

I haven't tried this yet, but am planning on it soon. I am curious too as to how it is doing for you gals that set up your own versions.
Marcy

Hi begoniacrazii and Marcy! I did try the method, with mixed results for me. I tried to root fungii, merrilli, cembra, cv ruthie and coronaria. Fungii and cv ruthie rooted liked crazy in the perlite setup. The others - not so much. I ended up putting merrilli, cembra and coronaria in baggies, and they got tons of roots fairly quickly. So, for me, mixed reviews, I guess. I will try it again, though, as I figure having more than one method of rooting is a good idea! Karen

Like Karen I had mixed results too. While several rooted it took about 2 weeks or so to see roots. Several I have put back into plastic baggies.

Blessings,
Awanda

About a month ago, I put cuttings into the same perlite tray (I've since changed the perlite and it's new) which sits on the heating mat and I've had some pretty great results! Pretty exciting for me.
I lost only one cutting H. megalaster 'Big Mac' (if anyone has one to trade, I'd be very grateful)
Here are a few shots of the roots after one month in the trays. (watered daily or every other day depending on the weather and temps)

H. annulata

H. species 334 (is there another name?). I know this method wont work for everyone, but I'm having pretty good success with it.

H. cumingiana. Very tiny thread like roots on this one.

H. cinnamomifolia (very robust rooter!)

H. arnottiana (need to check the spelling I think my tag is wrong)

H. diptera

Close up of H. cinnamomifolia roots

Close up of H. annulata roots

I've had some great luck using this hydroton too. I got the 'fine' grade and the size is 1/8-1/4 inch more or less. I've been putting a layer of it in the bottom of the pot (1/2 " or so) and then even adding it to the soil mix. So far the roots love it. AND it keeps me from over watering (guilty guilty guilty!!) the hoya because it drains well.
Seems I read that tip here (to use the hydroton) but cant recall.

So...looks like an ideal set up!!! I am going to try it, too!!!

How/how often do you water? Any special program/setup? Please divulge all!!!

Congratulations!!!

Carol

I water as the perlite starts to dry. Since the temps are lower now, it's not drying as fast. But I'd say I keep it fairly moist which is sometimes once a day or every other day. There's a heating mat set at 73º with egg crate as a buffer so I don't cook them (guilty of that already)

It's very similar to the set up we use at the arboretum where I volunteer. Just a much smaller scaled 'home version'. We also use different mixes with vermiculite (which in my experience keeps stuff more wet and warmer, as if it has insulation qualities) Which is great for certain cuttings but since I'm 'in charge' of the hoya department (with all 6 of our hoya species LOL) I put down a dozen cuttings of h. polyneura and they did not like the vermiculite. Once I switched them to the perlite and removed all the yellow leaves, they were much happier.

But other than that, I just stuck them in the perlite and forgot about them. I didn't think they were as well rooted until I decided to check them. After one month, that's what their roots looked like.

Here's a shot of a small area of the propagation trays at the arboretum. Under all the pots is a heating wire mesh grid like thing. There's a misting system controlled by an 'electronic leaf' which is a light weight piece of sheet metal type stuff that when dry sets off the misting system.

Sending this back to the top to see if Begoniacrazii is still rooting in perlite and how it's going for her. I'm still rooting with perlite, water and spagh moss and all work great for me.

Blessings,
Awanda

Begonia is still rooting in either perlite or a mix of perlite with vermiculite (20% give or take) with almost 100% take on hoyas.
I am still doing all the hoya propagation at Strybing Arboretum now and use this method there too. So far so good. I also use this method on all the begonias, gesneriads or misc. house plants that I root. I even put down some fig tree cuttings and have roots after about 4 weeks.

I went to UC Davis arboretum about a week ago with Kell and bought an amazing H. cumingiana for six dollars!!! in full bloom no less!

I root the same way except I have them in an aquarium on the mat...and it works great for me as well, esp in the winter. I've rooted things in this I could never get to root otherwise. Great setup!

:) Kim

Begonia, I like to start my cuttings in a mix of perlite and vermiculite as well. I haven't lost any yet. Seems I learned of this mixture from Annie. The mixture seems to hold the cutting in place alot better than just the perlite, nothing worse than a floppy hoya cutting :)

I was just reading this thread and thought I'd add my two cents on the shelving from Costco...I have one in my guest room closet with all my quilting stash organized on it and just added another at the east facing window in the room for my plants. at this time I only have one grow light on it....these shelves are sturdy, easy to put together (adjustable shelf heights), and they have wheels so when we have guests I just roll both into my sewing room....I love them...Deb

I have been using this method since you first posted it and I love it. I have a couple set up. Anything that looks like it might wilt goes into the one with the dom on it. I prop up one side if needed. I have gone around and grabbed cuttings of everything and had great sucess with this. In 3 weeks my abutilons had huge balls of roots. I couldn't believe it.
Seeing this thread again reminds me to go about doing a whole lot more cuttings again. I have been busy with seed but you can bet when those babies grow up I will multiply them:)


Bea

OOOOH! Depsi, I spy with my little eye! A BIG begonia! Nice growing!

Yes, you do....trout wing....if you need cuttings let me know....your earlier post made me homesick...we moved here two years ago from Elk Grove and man, I miss going and finding just about any plant I could want from places like the UC Davis Arboretum or Capital Nursery, etc.....that and grocery stores and good restaurants are the things I really miss....other than that, I absolutely love it here.....I'm going to try this vermiculite method....I really seem to be having troubles getting my Hoyas to set roots....especially the Kerrii Varigated....I did the baggie method & it started to get roots then just stopped and when I potted it up it rotted.....Jeez.....Deb

oh Deb you are sweet to offer. I have that one and more than I can say Grace over! I'm a sick puppy with a plant collecting addiction!
ID is lovely but too cold for me!

Here's a shot of the H. cumingiana mother plant at the arboretum. It spanned the entire walk way easily!

I think this is H. curtisii? anyone know for sure? it was easily a 10 inch basket.

Hoya Imperialis (these are from the UC Davis Arboretum collection)
This was a huge thing all wound around a topiary support

I know I'm getting a bit off topic here, but here's H. nicholsoniae

Last one. Dischidia latifolia

begoniacrazi.... Wow what great shots! I want to say that curtisii is unbelievable what a gorgeous plant... I have to say that though about all of them,,,,,, I have never seen them get to be such beautiful specimin plants. We are planning a summer trip to California are these really all on display?? Oh my I can't wait to see them upfront and personal:)
Thanks for sharing.

Bea

Hi Bea, actually I had a private appointment to go view their conservatory. The UC Davis Arboretum is free and open to the public.
But if you are coming to San Francisco, a trip to the conservatory there is WELL worth it. It's an incredible place. I go about every other month just to drool!
If you do go, the arboretum is right there too (Strybing) it's free and also well worth the trip.

Hi Begonia,

Do they sell hoyas at the Strybing arboretum? Very curious. I live in Noe Valley (SF). And have a couple dozen hoyas, thanks mainly to Carol Noel. (Hi Carol!)

Thanks, Julia