Did you see this?

I was wandering through the PF forum and saw PalmBob's hoya photo and wanted to share it here since I think it so great!

http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2980829

WOW!! Thats a Whole Lotta Love There! : ) That is truly amazing.Looks like alot of work but Oh the rewards would be wonderful.What a Great Grower he is.Thanks for sharing the pic.

This message was edited Dec 8, 2006 2:26 PM

That's how the Thais propagate them: they split the main vine down the middle so each leaf has some meristem and then root them....

So Carol, how long from leaf to sizable plant to sell with that method? Wish I was in Hawaii with you!!! I'm so over winter already!!

I really don't know how long it takes. I know they produce them by the gazillions.... I received an offer to order from a Thai company...ONLY H. kerrii...and the minimum order was 400!!! Seeing the size of Asiatica's hoyas, I reckon they ship as soon as they have any roots at all. Someone on the forum bought a plant at a box store that was just a rooted leaf...I think my memory is right, here.

I bought some aboutb3-4 years ago form wal-mart around valentines day. Kept them for well over a year and never got either of them to make a vine. They came 2 leaves per pot and you had a choice of all green or variegated so I got one of each!

But after a year and still no vine I threw both of them out.

dmichael

That has been experience with leaves, as well, dm. It IS a fun project if you are not really wanting a plant in this lifetime!

Ok, If I am understanding this right; IF you are able to get a leaf to root, you still may not get a vine right? I stuck an Obovata leaf in water and I have roots now. Will I get anything from this?
Thanks,
Dawn

I rooted about four leaves of my mothers carnosa (they were the only bit of the plant not infected with mealies...) I don't know whether they had a bit of stem on them or not, but from the four I did manage to get one plant that grew and became my beautiful carnosa. So it does work, sometimes.

From what I understand that you have to have a piece of the stem with the leaf like a heel piece. If anyone has the HousePlant Expert book, the instructions are in there. It even shows a picture.

S

LOL! Stripped that poor plant(s) bare to do all that propagating!

I've heard of many persons purchasing these near Valentine's Day...but I have never seen them, myself, nor have I heard as to whether those plants ever did produce vines.

I've had two leaves of variegated H.Kerri since August of 2005. I'm hoping 2007 will be the year they give me a vine or two... I heard it can take 2-3 years, so haven't been stressing about it.
Christine

The roots on the leaf posted above have gotten long. I'm going to pot it up this weekend and see. Neat experiment anyway. I have to try it, if it put out roots then it wants to live right?

Has anyone tried treating these leaves with giberellic acid? You may be able to induce the meristem to shoot up a vine.

gibba what?

Gibberellic Acid Info Sheet

http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/GibberellicAcid.htm#GA-3%20Information%20Sheet

Thanks, I printed the sheet!
Dawn

Still need a leaf bud for the gibberellic acid to work, get some stem!