What is y'allses preferences in pots; clay or plastic?
I am torn because I have some in clay and some in plastic pots, and I am contemplating making them all the same. (I have this freakishly strange aversion to mismatched pots. :) AND since 99% of my Cacti & Succulents are clay.......).
No, seriously ~ I really don't care if they match, however, what have you found to be the best pots for growing healthy, happy Hoyas?
And, even if we are having a horrible heat wave thingy going on here, I know it will soon get cooler (I hope) and eventually the plants outside will have to come in, what about grow lights in the fall/winter? Way back about a 100 years ago when I was a youngun, my mother had a greenhouse in Norway and during the winter she actually used infrared lights (pretty purple glow) and the plants all survived the cold, long, dark Norwegian winters. How about if I get some hanging light fixtures for my windows where I keep the Hoyas and use grow lights/bulbs? Not that VA is anywhere near the Norwegian winter, however......any and all input would be welcome, when I return from MT I am getting ready to do some serious investing in lots more Hoyas!
Clay versus plastic? Also, what about grow light?
Becky...
In my own humble opinion...there is alot to be said for clay pots...however:
If the soil/pot dries just a tad too much...the tippytips of the roots dry also...and then you can begin the spiral downwards. I prefer plastic: it is more forgiving; it tends to be more even tempered in heat waves and cold waves... I have found that a good solution is a clay pot - Oh, very attractive and it does insullate somehwhat with a plastic pot set inside....
Have a super time in Montana...one of my favorit e spots...
PS I know diddly about lights...there are those on the forum knowing a LOT more than I....I am sure they will chime up.
I like plastic for all my Hoyas. I have an aversion to mismatched pots too- somehow it looks sloppy to me even though I know it isn't. The plastic retains moisture better- and most Hoyas don't like to dry out TOO much. They also don't show salt or chlorine buildup, and are easier to move around, being lightweight. For some of the taller ones, on trellises, I sit the plastic pots down into a terra cotta pot for extra stability.
Another reason I don't mix and match- you develop a feel for the weight of a pot that needs to be watered. I can tell just by picking up any of my 4" pots if it needs to be watered or not. A different pot material throw me off.
I've used different grow lights before. The really expensive halide ones are great, of course, but really costly and bulky. The flourecents have to be so close to the plants- looks like a laboratory to me. The best overall that I found were the incandescent grow-bulbs from the hardware store, in hanging sockets on long cords. They don't have to be super close to the plants, and give off a nice quality of light.
Great answers! I can have my cakes and eat 'em to!! (Plastic INSIDE the clay pots...purely aesthetics...LOL) No, I do keep all my C&S in clay pots due to the fact that they DO dry out faster, and as I was assuming the Hoyas want it completely opposite! Mark, I agree on the weight thingy, I know exactly when, and when not to water with the weight part! So when I come back I have some re-potting to do!!
I love the idea of the grow bulbs, I can wire them together on the long cords and actually use shades on them so they look good as well in the windows, make a valance to hide the cords, awesome! I wasn't too keen on the long fluorescent ones ~ they look a little too "institutionalized" for my liking.
Becky,
What everyone has said so far is excellent advice!!!
I would simply add that if you have an out of the way space you could use to grow some of the plants that you don't have space in the windows for (like a spare bedroom, etc.), then you could do some grow-lights on the cheap:
Purchase one of those cheap 4-foot flourescent light fixtures (around $10-15 at a big chain store), and one warm flourescent and one cool flourescent bulb (about $1 each), and that combination will mimic the sunlight.
You need to position the light around 16 to 18-inches above the plants and have the lights on for between 12 to 16 hours (preferably closer to 16 hours) per day.
Keep a fan going so there is air circulating and, if you can, have some pebble trays or glasses of water to keep the humidity at a level the hoyas like.
Make sure to position all the plants directly under the light fixture or they won't get enough light.
Have fun in Montana!
Ann