All of us growing hoyas are faced with many questions about Fertilizers...which to use, how much? etc. I found this information and thought everyone should enjoy it. http://www.firstrays.com/fertilizers.htm BTW - I have begun to use the MSU Fertilizer for RO or Rainwater...it is excellent and very balanced!!! I have bought it from FirstRays.com and am very pleased with it!!! VERY!!! It was especially formulated by MSU for growing in artificial soils. We will never find information specifically mentioning hoyas...but growing orchids is VERY close... Enjoy.
Fertilizer Information
I received mine yesterday, I'm thinking I need to order the RO as well so I can use it with the rain water when we get some !!! I ordered for well water usage, and in the powedered form.
Carol what results are you having since you started using this Fertilizer? Has anybody else been using it on there Hoya's?
Tami...I am noticing healthy growth, and very healthy new roots...I use 1/2 teaspoon everytime I water. I know that Mark has been using it too and is very pleased with it. Ray also has a forum where a lot of information about fertilizers is talked about. I am using ONLY the MSU...
The difference between the formula for RO/rainwater and wellwater is due to the fact that well water usually has good calcium levels while RO and rainwater do not. On city water they recommend the RO formula.
You have mail.
Thanks for that link Carol!!
I can't afford the shipping right now, so I went to my local hydroponics store and got something very similar. I'm going to use it for a while and see if it makes any difference. If not, I'm gonna buck up and get it from Rays. I also liked the homemade fertilizer that Joanne gave me but I just don't have the space to store all that stuff in my tiny apartment. I need to go be Carol's next door neighbor so I can have space, sun, humidity, and a nice friendly person to say hi to every once in a while!
:-)
Ann
Ann...the 5 gal. container of the fert. fits EXACTLY into an 8.10 flat rate box. Total for my fert. plus shipping 23.10. and that is good for about 600 gals.
Thank you Carol!!! Can I just request they put it in the flat rate box, or will they do it automatically?
Thanks for this information, Carol....think I'll try some too - Karen
I'm going to have to go back and read it, I think I messed up. I ordered the one that was for well water, as that is where our city gets it's drinking water. I ordered 5lb of the powder which makes 840 gallons, the fertilizer and the shipping was only 13.00. I didn't think that was bad at all.
OH? Ray includes the shipping in that price????
Ann, I had to ask him to do it...and he was reluctant...gotta ask him if the shipping is included.
Tami I don't think you messed up, it says on the container for use with well water or municipal tap water. You could also order the RO if you want to use it with the rain water you collect.
Blessings,
Awanda
Unless you are using RO or Pure Rain Water...I think you would be OK!!!
I really like getting information, opinions, ideas and things to try from all of you. I've tried the "beer formula" fertilizer, with pretty good results. The plants seemed to "green up" alot, and put off quite a bit of growth. The information on this fertilizer looked interesting also, so I ordered it and received it today. I got the "well water" type. It was $13, with shipping costs of $10.22. I'm anxious to see how this does. No scientific experiment here, just a hoya newbie trying some different things! Karen
I really like this fertilizer! I have seen new healthy roots on questionable pots! I used it outdoors on some sort of stagnantly growing plants and they are bursting forth with growth. Of course, it IS spring...but I am confident with this fertilizer from all of the information I read. I am using 1/2 teas. with every watering...and I spray it on my rooting cuttings. I am NOT using Eleanors nor ST NOR anything else in the meantime.....
It IS Spring(???)
It still seems pretty "winterish" here. :-)
I thought I would wait until mid Feb. to start with the fertilizers again.
It's actually a good thing I wasn't getting a bunch of new growth last week...it just would have died back with the cold weather.
Marcy
I did check my costs and I was charged for the Flat Rate shipping I asked for. More and more I am liking this fertilizer and after using it out on some 'really hungry' plants in the garden...the growth rate has improved LOTS!
Karen, that is really weird, I was never charged anything but the 13.00 and that included the shipping. I better go check my credit card just in case I've made a mistake. When you checked out on he's website did it add the shipping charges on the invoice? Well I'm not one to complain if I got a deal, I wish I would have known I was going to get one though I would of ordered another one.
I can't see any changes in my plants yet, but heck I've only watered once with it.
Tami - the shipping charges weren't on the website checkout - I thought I got a deal, too! Sadly, they were on the shipping invoice I got.
Just wanted to weigh in on this fertilizer - please keep in mind I'm a newbie, so nothing really 'experienced" here. But, I've been using this fertilizer for about 3 weeks. I decided to start a little early with the fertilizer due to the trauma my hoyas had been through. My thought was that maybe this would give them an extra boost in heading for spring. Anyway, besides noticing a nice "greening up" on all of them, I have also seen ALOT of new growth on my hoyas - almost all of them. Plus, I have buds forming not only on lobbii and limoniaca as I reported on the Feb. bloom thread, but I've now discovered two more peduncles on limoniaca, and little tiny buds on aff. finlaysoni, lacunosa, crassicaulis and, I think, on carnosa krinkle 8. Coinicidence?? Maybe, but I can tell you I WILL be continuuing with this fertilizer. Just my experience....Karen
More and more I am pleased with this fertilizer!!! No miracles...no epiphanies...just good solid growth and healthy plants!!!
Hi Carol,
I have a shooting star hoya someone gave me. I know nothing about them, except to leave them alone and don't water them. I just put them on the top shelf in the green house, and it's blooming. This is probably what I should do with all my plants just leave them alone.
This guys is bone dry, and I'm afraid to water it before it blooms..I'm hoping to solicit some quick tips, as I'm battling freezing temps in the garden this week.. I usually have everything out of the green house by now..
Yes..that was a big whine...:)
thanks..
Rj
I posted a picture of it here. I like this new feature of just linking one post..it's cool
http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3194297
Rj,
My gut feeling is that if you don't water your 'Shooting Star' you will lose the buds...and probably the plant. That hoya LOVES water and can live in a saucer full of it!!! It is one of the few hoyas that can stand their feet wet. Hoyas actually do well with watering before they get 'bone' dry!!!
Carol
told you I didn't know a thing...last time I watered it the buds did fall off. so I should water it a bit today then... So they still like to get dry at some point then?
Not H. javanica...probably dropped off with the shock of water!!! LOL
LOL...I can't win with them....
Well I want to put my 2 cents in about MSU! I am definately seening changes in my hoyas, especially some cuttings that were recently rooted. One, H. Tomataensis has a bloom spur, Australis has several bloom spurs, several noids and a couple more I can't remember. I'm also using it one brugs, epi's and will use it on my plumies when it gets warmer!
Blessings,
Awanda
I noticed today that DavidC, griffithii, and variegated verticulata have bloom spurs!!
This message was edited Feb 17, 2007 1:34 PM