can you tell me what kind of care this one likes? It's on a SE facing window sill - it's growing and some of the leaves are tinged red. So far so good. But, should it be blooming? (The pubicalyx and carnosa and kerrii next to it are blooming.)
It's a cutting that now has stems a little over 2 feet long. Does it like water? (If it does, I should water more, as I am a chronic underwaterer....) It's kinda sparsely shrubby - should I be pinching, training, or doing anything else to it? Is it *very* sensitive to cold? (The window sill gets a bit chilly in the winter, but it's a new office so the glass is quite well sealed.) Or maybe it's the other way and likes a slightly cooler winter?
Much thanks,
Ki
Hoya odorata (cembra?) help please......
It took my cembra 2.5 year to bloom for the first time and now it seems it can't stop blooming! I have mine in an east facing window and it's almost constantly in a draft from an open window. It's not the hoya closest to the open window but it gets a nice breeze now and then. Since I put my cembra in that window I've found it to benefit from the cooler temps during the winter and also during the nights in the spring and right now. It's growing like a weed and has been blooming constantly since beginning of May. Don't know if any of that helped you, but it's the way I treat my plant and it seems happy!
//Christina
This message was edited Jun 27, 2006 10:20 PM
Mine has bloomed once. Only two flowers the whole umbel. It bloomed late in the fall when the temps here were what we call cool. Your climate is much different from mine.
It is an upright grower, and mine is also sparse. Only three upright vines. I recently just cut each tip to see if I could get it to branch.
Hang in there. They seem to do what they want to do, just like kids.
H. cembra does like water...not soggy wet...but it is from the Philippines, I believe, where they have two seasons: rainy and rainy. It also like air circulation. Mine gets morning sun, lots of rain and is constantly blooming....
ah, thank you! more water, cool winter, and lots of patience.... I think I can manage. ....
I did pinch some tips to encourage branching, but it decided to zigzag instead... silly thing.
With the uprights (cembra, cv. Iris Marie, cumingiana, lobbii) I find that the branching happens where I clip...so if I tip prune...I get another branch from the tip. So I am starting to cut back to the 2nd or 3rd node from the pot to encourage bushier growth....and propagating the cuts, to incorporate with the Mama later on in a bigger pot.
Hey Ki!! Nice to bump into you here! Hows those stapelias doing? =)
I'm glad you asked this question about Cembra/Odorata. I, too, have a small plant and was wondering how to get it to be bushier. Unfortunately, I pinched a couple tiny tips a while back hoping it would cause more branches farther down but it did exactly what Carol said....branched out AT the point I pinched. Ah well, live and learn,,eh?
Betsy
I'm so glad I read this thread as I was just getting ready to do something with mine..it is falling over. I thought about another trellis, but I like the idea of just prunning and starting more better.
Marcy
Wonderful info! THANKS for letting us know this Carol :)
I have a couple of these upright types and I was wondering how to get them to branch.
My variegated multiflora has one branch but would like to see them get more :)
ahhhhhhh, I was impatient! or anyway, it likes to bloom in the fall here or something.
although, yes, yet again I am counting too soon.
I have buds in quite a few axils - woo hoo!!!!!!
now I'm just scared they're going to abort or something.....
Let your patience be the key! If it is happy to begin to bloom, don't change anything and it will probably keep blooming!!! Mine never stops....and the fragrance is breathtaking!
I've found cembra (odorata) and 'Iris Marie' to be kind of obstinate in that when I have cut them the branch makes exactly ONE new branch, growing off at an strange angle. Carols idea sounds like a good one. I think Christina trains hers on a trellis, and it looks really nice that way. Maybe a small bamboo U?
Marcy, if you do any pruning of your cembra, I would love to pay for postage to get some cuttings. I can't keep these guys alive. Hello everyone, sorry I haven't posted for sooo long. Lots going on here. Happy Belated Birthday's to everyone I missed. I will be checkin in whenever I get the chance. Hope all is bloomin.
Heather
Aw...sorry Heather, I did prune it in 2 spots, but took the cuts to my neice to try. I will no doubt have more next summer.
Marcy
Here's my plant when it bloomed this summer. Like Mark said I have it on a trellis and wherever I seem to "bend" it it grows new wines.
Christina
PS. There's no photo in the preview so I guess it doesn't work right now. Will try again later...
So, what I'm understanding from Christina's comment is that we don't necessarily need to take a cutting for H.Cembra to grow new vines, just stressing the vine will cause a new vine to grow. This is very interesting. I'm off to buy some bamboo U-Hoops anyway this afternoon so I guess my little H.Cembra will be "trained" tonight, and we'll see how she likes it.
Christine
I'm giving it a new try with the photo. Didn't work, so I'm trying a link instead: http://www.myhoyas.com/Hoya%20cembra%20hela.htm
Christina
That's really lovely Christina! I just love all the flowers!
I also had a problem posting a picture, so reported the picture problem to DG admin and I got an email back telling me they're having problems uploading pictures. I'll get an email once its fixed, but I'm going out in about 20 minutes so if I hear back before I leave, I'll let everyone know.
Christine
Sorry so late in checking back in, thanks for the response Marcy.
That's OK heather, just sorry I don't have any cuts for you right now.
Your link came through OK this time Christina. That is a great looking hoya. Hey, how do you tie your vines to the trellis? I don't see any butterfly clips holding anything down, or any other clips either.
Marcy
Thanks Marcy and Christine!
Marcy, I tie all my hoyas with green cotton yarn. On most hoyas you can't see it. However, I also have the butterfly clips to hold the new growth. Then when I'm running out of clips I take out the yarn and replace the clips.
Christina
an update! it took months from when the buds started to form, but they are finally opening. I lost a few but......
one of the stems
and a closer look :-)
Really pretty keyring, thanks for keeping us updated.
Now...tell us about the fragrance!!!
believe me, I have been sniffing and sniffing..... It's only slightly fragrant - more in the mornings (sun) than the afternoons (shade)..... But not all that much. It's a nice scent though - not powdery and no wierd undertones... :-)
Congratulations Keyring. Your hoya is beautiful.
Patti
Nice!