The temperatures in Illinois are - alledgedly - headed to the warmer end of the thermometer. Well, certainly not this week, but soon. Here's my question: how many of you keep your hoyas outside during the summer months? Do you worry about wind, too much rain, bugs (we get alot of japanese beetles), temps too hot, etc. What are the benefits of keeping them outside v. inside? Thanks - Karen
Question
Texas is all about insects and extreme heat. My hoya have all been outside since mid March as the daytime temps maintained in the 60's and nights stayed mostly above 55.
I don't worry about wind at all. Bugs are a constant problem but I spray with Orthinex if it gets out of control. Aphids just love H. multiflora. Japanese beetles would probably feast on the leaves. We don't have them but we have every other kind of insect, plus some.
Summer daytime temps in Houston can be very intense. I move them into the dappled sunlight under my huge pecan trees and pray for a breeze.
I say, move them outside when the night temperatures stay consistently above 58 and they will take off. They should like the rain unless it is cold and damp. Keep them out of the intense afternoon sun unless it's an eriostemma. All of them are different which makes it a delicate balancing act.
Just my opinon.
Susan
Mine too. Move em out as soon as the nights are warm enough & they will love it. You can spray for bugs, or use the Bayer Tree & Shrub (I used that last fall & never saw a bug all winter, Just now starting to get a few mealies).
The one thing I would really caution about is the sun. Plants in the house are not used to it and will get burned leaves if you put them where anything much more than dappled, shaded, or very early morning sun hits them. Just find a shady spot on your porch or under a tree to hang them & watch the growth take off.
Oh...one other thing I learned:
It is much easier to forget them after you put them outside where they are not hanging around right in front of you anymore, so it is important to make a point to check the water needs OFTEN. Don't forget that they will dry out faster out there because of the breezes and heat....especially the smaller plants. One of the ways I have for dealing with the little plants is to put them outside on the shady side of the house in one of those biglots greenhouses with the door of it partly zipped. Then they don't dry out quit so fast. Another place I have some small plants is sitting around the outside of a bigger potted palm that sits right next to my hose in the shade. Then whenever I turn on the hose to water the outside, I check the little plants in there (trouble is..I tend to OVERWATER those...ha ha).
Marcy
They will love the airflow thru their little arms....
I live in Illinois (Chicagoland area) and have put most of my Hoyas outside for the past two summers. I don't put them out until after Memorial Day (our usual last frost date) and am sure to put them in a shaded location; under a tree or hanging from a tree. This was the only way I was able to get my first Hoya (an old time green carnosa) to bloom for the first time.
I think they really benefit from the increased humidity (since we use AC in the house) and heat, and they grow much faster than inside and will set buds more readily for me.
Before I bring them back in in the fall (usually early October), I check them for bugs, but haven't had to use pesticides yet (knocking wood). I haven't had any problems with any other bugs eating them outside either.
HTH
Sue M
Good, helpful information, thanks!!