Playing plants

I played plants really hard this weekend! I treated them all with BATS and/or half & half alcohol and water. I looked at and touched every single one, checking for mealies or other disgusting things. Then, I brought them all in - either into the house or the greenhouse. I have new windows in our new addition - just for the hoyas! I've included a picture - as you can see, we're still under construction, but I was able to convince DH that it was ok to bring in the plants, as the shelving unit is on wheels!! We can move it around to finish painting and laying the floor!! With our temps going down to the mid-fifties at night, it won't be long until our first frost :0( Anyway, thought I'd better get them all to their winter homes. Anyone else play plants this weekend? Karen

Here's the rest of the ones that came inside (the rest went to the greenhouse).

Not as vigorously as you, Karen, but yes. Aside from daily putterings, I got four new cuttings yesterday in a trade, which I've potted up - H.Obovata, H.Macgillvray, my very first Dischidia, a NOID, and a speckled philodendron, just to mix things up a bit.

Happy weekend here!

Christine

Oh dear Karen is it that time again? I spent the weekend repotting most of my babies into their new squat pots and putting them outside for the next several months. I know you've heard this before, but you're always welcome to send your hoyas to Arizona for the winter:-). We have lots of winter visitors from Illinois anyway, you can just send your hoyas with them.....rotflmbo!!

Blessings,
Awanda

Karen...what a cool setup!!! Very clever to put it on wheels...and everything looks so neat and tidy. I am off to neaten up the Greenhouse today...at least my potting bench...after I water the outside pots. You have inspired me!

Carol

Hi Karen,

It's getting to be cooler at night here in London too, and I have also begun to bring some of my plants in to the greenhouse. I've also had to turn on the greenhouse heating, to counter those really cool nights here (low 50's). Cleaning up the plants and training wayward vines is one of the jobs I especially enjoy at this time of year. I find it really satisfying. Your plants look great, by the way!!....You obviously enjoy it too!

Matt

Yes, Karen it looks as if it was a big Hoya weekend for eveyone. Since the weather is so monotonously the same in SF, (10 degrees colder in winter + rain, is the only difference) I don't have to worry about taking things in. The down side of that is that it never really warms UP enough in the summer to take anything out but the cold growers, and those plants that are always stuck inside tend to get more bugs. Right now, obnoxiously, I have a very slow wave of spider mites going through, which show up randomly on about every 8th plant. So far no big ones, thankfully, but the pattern is so unpredictable, I'm having to inspect every plant carefully in bright sunlight to try to catch them. It is time for BATS for me too- while it dosen't provide complete coverage against spider mites, I have heard that it slows them down, and could be a good preventative. But no mealies!
I'm waiting for my David Liddle order to really "play plants" with a vengance, as I'm sure we all are! Arranging them throughout the house according to thier needs and my space IS the most fun thing to do, and the most challenging, since there are too many plants and too little space! Well, too little space anyway.
M

Playing plants seem to go worldwide! The past week has been hoya-care-week, showering, untangling etc. Photographing for the website, which I've updated the past few days.

Now I'm just waiting for an order from David Liddle, one order from here in Sweden and also little cute dennisii from Lotta. :-))

I have no room for any new hoyas, but who cares?!?! I'm sure I'm not the only one with that problem!

Karen, your shelves look really nice and organized. Just the way I like it!

Christina

This message was edited Sep 5, 2006 8:51 PM

Karen, I'm gonna get me one of those shelving units! Between you and Sandyc, I am convinced! Unlike all of you good hoya parents, I was neglectful this weekend.
Ann

I see we were of the same mind this weekend!

Same thing here! Yesterday I decided it was time to go through all my hoyas, one by one, to inspect as well as take some cuttings. Found a couple buds I hadn't seen before, including a couple nice peduncles on my minibelle. I also have been dealing with the bugs....aphids have been especially bad outside for me this year, also spider mites have hit a few. Time to pull out the big guns on them I suppose....lol. Next are the cacti and succulents.....this summer has been hard on them, lost quite a few to rot thanks to the few infrequent drenchings we've had. I still don't have a good covered area for them, will be working on that this fall. The haworthias and aloes have been particularly vulnerable.

Kim

Nice room, Karen! Your Hoyas look super healthy and happy!

Yep, it is time for that fall migration of plants and I have been working like a dog to get ready. (Like my dogs work!) I am cleaning out the sunroom and greenhouse and treating all the plants housed there and will start treating the outside plants before moving them in. I have taken this week off work to get a handle on this project and call tell you it will take every minute to just get started.

Mel

Karen, wonderful new addition, congrats. Your plants look nice and cozy in there. All my windows have there "curtains" back up too!! I brought the last of the hoya's in yesterday, including fungii, carnosa's, bella, and heuschkeliana's, and wow was I greeted with a wonderful smell last night when I went to bed, 4 blooming heuschkeliana's is a little overwhelming. You forget what wonderful smells your missing when there all outside.

Thanks, Tami! So, what do the heuschkelianas smell like? I've never had one bloom.......Karen

In my opinion they smell like butter cream frosting. I know others have mentioned butterscotch. They are just heavenly... You really do need one in your collection. Mine have been in bloom the whole year. Although I must say the yellow one doesn't bloom as heavily as the pink one.

YES! It reminds me of the Popcorn area at the movies...but nicer. Such a tiny dainty flower with such a powerful scent!!!! I love them.

CAUTION - the fragrance can be fattening!!!