I have moved all my hoyas outside for the summer - onto my east-facing front porch. However, I have a question about h. coronaria and h. cv Ruthie: all winter I have kept them in my "hoya hut" with lights and a fan going. They have both been "come-back kids" and have grown new leaves and both smile at me alot! (OK, I may have exaggerated on that a little...) Do you think it would be best to put them on the porch with the rest of my hoyas, or would they do better in the greenhouse, where it is definitely more humid? The greenhouse does have an 80% shade cloth. Thanks! Karen
Question
What's the daytime/night temperatures? How much sun does the east facing porch get? Pretty good morning sun? How much of a breeze? What's the avg humidity outside?
Actually Karen, I think the Eriostemma's might be ok without the intense humidity.
Reference Ed Gilding who grows Ruthie and other Eriostemmas on a chain link fence in the beating down sun in Pearl City on Oahu. Known to be pretty hot and dry.
Karen....H. cv. Ruthie is a , uh...ummmmmm 'very hardy hoya' = trollop. As long as she has heat and FULL SUN she is like a pig in 'hay' ... bone dry she doesn't like it...might take a bit of shade at mid day if no humidity.... She is an incredible grower. I find her sister, cv. Optimistic grows the same way..... Here she is on a tree with sun all day and little rain at night if she is lucky....
Don't you hate it when you do that....?
It can't be the wine....!!!
Thanks! Helpful! I LOVE that picture of cv Optimistic - oh no, I feel an order coming on........someone save me........
I want to live on Hawaii!! :-)
Thats a beautiful cv. Optimistic Carol!!
//Kristina
Really, I can put ruthie outside and she wont croak in our heat? I always thought she would be dead by 2:00. Wow very interesting I didn't know this. And no humidity to boot, sounds like this is my kinda hoya. Carol your optimistic is really super pretty..
Tami I would be careful putting Ruthie in full sun, mine can't even take early morning sun without the leaves burning. I have found out that when plants list "full sun" it usually does not mean most parts of Arizona:-).
Blessings,
Awanda
Your sun in AZ is stronger because you are a higher altitude, I believe. In your conditions she could grow under shadecloth or a lattice...and she would like humidity or a periodic spritz. We are closer to the equator here, so actually the sun is higher overhead...but down at near sea level, the light doesn't scorch as much.
Growing plants is a whole series of lessons about the world...I find. Geography, Atmospheric conditions, and all that stuff....
Carol
Oh....my....
Oh, how I wish that I some time in life will see an eriostemma like your cv. Optimistic, Carol, IRL....it would be a dream come true....=)
This message was edited Jun 11, 2006 10:56 PM
When I move to Hawaii... Oh well, dreaming is allowed!
Christina