H. obscura

I nursed and nursed this plant and was on the brink of just throwing it away. I thought I would try the ole putting the perlite in the bottom of the pot trick on it, and poof, this plant has tripled in size over the winter and has just turned into a little beauty. I don't no what I am going to threaten it with now to get a peduncle out of it this year !!! Speaking of H. obscura this one was labeled H. obscura "major" I know we have had a discussion about it, with the major having larger leaves. Do you think there really is a difference and should the major just be dropped from it's name.

And what ever happened to Night Bloomer, I wanted to see how her obscura did after she threw it out under the tree !!!

Tami: That is a beautiful Hoya! I love the vareigation in the leaves! I'm fairly new to Hoya's and have a few I got in trades since joining DG in early October. I have never seen this one before, what color are the flowers and is it a fragrant variety of Hoya?

Tami...I think the 'major' is just dealer-eeze or something similar. It isn't part of the published name and it isn't a cultivar. Yours has great coloration from the light!!! I will bet you will have blooms SOON!!!

When I can, I am putting that splash of perlite in the bottom of the pot, too!!! They (hoyas) seem to really love it!!!

What do y'all mean by perlite in the bottom of the pot? Won't perlite just wash out of the bottom of the pot? I use a lot of perlite in my soil mixture, but never heard of putting it in the bottom of the pot. What holds it in place?

Thanks,

Lin

Lin, you can put a coffee filter in the bottom of the pot to help hold it in. But if you use the big perlite, sponge rock which it is also called, it will not wash out. I just fill the bottoms of my 4.5" pots about 1/4 or 1/2 depending on the root system of the plant and then put my potting soil in on top, which also consist of some perlite. It really helps to keep the root system nice and airy. I have had really good results with my hoya's doing this. I also tried to use hydroton but I am not having so much luck, but I am planning on trying it on some different hoya's. If you check up in the plant files you will find a photo of the flower, as for the smell I am not so sure, I haven't had the luxury of sticking my nose into a bloom :(

Carol I wonder about the name, I tried to find the last discussion about it, as I think something was mentioned about the nodes being farther apart, but I can see by this plant that just the difference in light has made the nodes further apart on the newer growth. So many names are attached to hoya's nowadays that I wouldn't doubt for one minute that they are one in the same.

Wow Tami that is a good looking hoya, you did good!!

Blessings,
Awanda

Tami: Thanks ... I do use the coffee filters in the bottom of all potted plants, just to keep soil from washing out. I've never heard of sponge rock .... the only perlite I've ever seen is the little beady kind!

It did turn out to be a nice hoya, I'm glad I didn't throw it.

Lin, I have to order mine in, I can't find it anywhere local. If you google some orchid sites they will have it. Sometimes you can find orchid mixes at Home Depot, Lowes, or even your local nurseries and they will have it premixed, but I still add perlite to my mix.

Beautiful hoya, Tami!

Do you mean you use the orchid mix (bark, charcoal, etc.) for your Hoya's? I have one small Hoya I got a couple of months ago and it's not looking too good, so I re-potted it in the orchid bark stuff to see if it would do better. I am new to Hoya's so I don't have a clue what's going on with this particular one. Maybe I should ask Carol, since I got it from Aloha Hoya's ... Duh, I'm having a blonde moment here.

Hey Carol ... the one I am having trouble with is the cv Sunrise .... looks like the leaves are curving, warped? I can't really explain it. I will take a photo tomorrow and post it and maybe Carol, or some of you pro's out there can give me advice! It was gorgeous when I received the baby ... even had a bloom on it that smelled heavenly. I sure hope I can save it! I probably should try and read up on each different kind, since someone told me that certain hoya's like cooler temps while some like very warm temps. Anyway, I will post a photo tomorrow on a new thread and see if y'all can tell me what you think might be going on with it by looking at the photo!


I sure do appreciate all the wonderful advise and imformation I get here from all the wonderful folks in the garden!

BTW - the large Perlite is #3. It will not flush out of the holes and is a great size to use.

Lin...your cv. Sunrise may have some cercosphora fungus....easy to control. It loves to attach the H. lacunosa and the H. obscura group...and their cultivar. DACONIL is an Off the Shelf product to control it. Spray every week...and isolate from other hoyas. Hopefully put the plant somewhere where there is good air flow.

Fungi are all around us...and something in the plant just happens to invite it in. In my greenhouse I systematically spray a fungicide every 7-10 days, alternating between 3 broad spectrum fungicides.... In this cool damp weather, it is something I watch out for.

Hope this helps.

Tam-When you get everyone out into your greenhouse you will see a big change in the flowering of your babies..................if not send them north to Aunt Sandy...............

Lin, I do use orchid bark, perlite, and a small amount of peat. You can use charcoal if you want, it's up to you, just experiment and see what works for you. Everybody on here uses different soils, but basically the same. Ya want those little roots to get some air.

Sandy, thats if I don't cook them first !!

Tami: Thanks ... I think I will try the orchid bark method .... that will provide more air flow to the roots which should help.

Lin I use the fine orchid bark. Sometimes you can find premixed bags at HD, but just make sure it is the fine stuff. Others may have an idea where you can get it.

You can also try in landscape supply (fine orchid bark is used in landscaping) or orchid supply stores.

I even talked to someone who cut up plastic/cork wine corks and used them in the bottom of their pots.s..anything will do. It is important that the roots not get clogged up.

Carol

Would lava rock work????????

I use lava cinders...but the black kind. The red cinders get their color from iron it contains and while we use it on roads and paths, most plants don't like it.

Thanks, Carol...all I have right now is red...using it for my orchids that are being grown s/h.
I remember seeing the black...will check.
=0)
Sharon

Beautiful Hoya Obscura, Tami. This has been quite an education - large (#3) perlite, fine orchid mix, recycled(!) wine corks. Thanks so much from a H Newbie! Cindy