POSSIBLE VENDORS FOR HOYA CO-OP

On the co-op forum, Equilibrium is searching for possible vendors for a hoya co-op she will be organizing. Does anyone have suggestions? The number of participants would be limited, so I don't think we would overwhelm a small nursery.
The link for the co-op: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/717618/

This message was edited May 10, 2007 7:17 AM

Cool! Thank you!

No need to mention Glasshouse Works or Aloha Hoya as we have those two nursery names already

How about Top Tropicals? I've ordered from them several times and they were nice healty plants shipped in a timely manner.

Jeri

Well, they've decided to go with terrestrial orchids instead of hoyas. I sure wish someone with the time and energy would step up to host a hoya co-op. I would if I had any time at all. Anyone?

Top Tropicals has really nice plants but... I turned over the reins of the decision to Sandy and after much deliberation, she did decide to go with terrestrial orchids. It will be fun!

Come on stellapathic, you can do it! I'll even volunteer to help you input orders! Inputting orders is sort of labor intensive. The plants can probably all be packed and shipped in one weekend but it's all the detail work before you get to that point that can bury you!

At this time I only get every other Weds off. That's it. Work weekends. So I don't think those two days off a month will quite be enough to manage a co-op. I end up gardening by lantern some nights as it is. It won't always be this way though. When I get some time off I'll for sure want to do a co-op. Sounds like fun and I love organizing.

I don't know what you do for a living but you must love it to work those hours. I know what you mean by gardening by a lantern... I've been forced to garden in a parka by flood lights and it was tough. If you ever go for a co-op, I'll still help you with the data... I so love going blind at midnight pouring over posts of plants and quantities!

OK, I'd collect the money and pay for the plants. Who can do the packing?

how does the co-op work?

Perhaps you could talk the vendor into shipping.....?

So Carol, you're saying you might be talked into shipping to all the participants individually.......as long as there's a reasonable amount of participants that is? I think we're getting somewhere folks.

This message was edited May 13, 2007 6:28 AM

Carol, you have dmail.

This message was edited May 13, 2007 6:40 AM

I second that question: How does a co-op work?

As a rule of thumb, a group of people join together who have a common interest in one type of plant. By banding together for a jumbo group purchase, theoretically the prices drop to that of somewhere near wholesale as opposed to standard retail prices. Normally (mind you anything goes in a co-op), money for plants is collected by the person who is the co-op "host" and normally the co-op "host" sends one payment to the vendor. Normally (again, anything goes in a co-op), the plants are received by one person who then sorts the order, re-packages all plants, and sends them on to each person who ordered. The benefits of placing an order with a co-op is that one can generally buy plants for considerably less than if they went to the vendor direct and the buying power of a large group ensures that minimum orders are met. Lots of nurseries have minimum orders of $250, $500, and I've seen quite a few that have minimums of $1,000. A little person who just wants a few plants can't generally meet those minimums. A co-op provides access to some wholesalers who don't want to spend a lot of time messing around with orders of 3-4 plants a piece.

Sorting and re-packing the order is extremely labor intensive and to be able to get everyone's treats out the door, you virtually have to plan on dropping out of life for about 3 days non stop.

Anybody need help? Maybe I can..I have time..I have few people who can help me out here...

I'm working with Carol of Aloha Hoya on the co-op. I hope to be able to post the information soon. We'll have a wonderful selection at a great price!

Rubbing my hands together in anticipation.!!!! Can't wait!!!

Jeri

Oh cool!!!!!!!!!!! this is gonna be lotsa fun!!

Still waiting!!! Any list yet? Sorry to be so impatient but I can't wait. My little starters are doing good so far and I'm anchous to try some more.

Jeri

I'm still waiting for the list. We've worked out most of the details, including shipping, pricing and minimums (they will be cuttings, not plants). The list should be extensive, but it may not include the 2 that were wished for on Equil's thread.

That would be fine with me. It's so warm and humid here right now that cuttings will root very fast.

I had a hoya in a hanging basket and one stem ran behind my vinyl siding. When I pulled it out the next week it had rooted. You know I'm gonna try this again.

Jeri

Rats! The two I wanted won't be on the list! I feel so deprived! Actually, you two gals probably just saved me from myself. Lord knows I have ordered more plants than what I know to do with as it is... so two less won't hurt me in the least!

Cuttings aren't an issue at all. They root pretty fast in regular old vermiculite don't they?

Mine would root in my hair as I brush by them in the greenhouse. I've never found them to be difficult (well, except for that 20 degree night when the temporary hoop house blew down and froze everything - but I was able to take cuttings root them)

Among the hoya-ists out there, what is your experience on zone tolerance? Any ones better for zone 7 than others?

Of the few Hoya that I have, I'd say that their zone tolerance is zip, nadda, zilch here in zone 5. I have to grow them inside or else they'd be dead in a heart beat. Maybe I don't understand your question but then again, I'm probably not the best person to ask since it gets pretty darn cold where I live and I really don't have all that many. What I do have is mostly alive and doing well though.

Someone asked about zone 7. To me, that's the tropics! I don't know how a hoya would feel about it though.

Hi...I'm in zone 7, and I grow many hoyas and I have never had a problem. I haven't tried growing them outside yet (due to my fear of critter infestation), but I may try putting a couple out there this year. Anyway, they'd be fine growing outside at the end of Spring and throughout the Summer in zone 7.
HTH,
Gabi

There is a thread about Temperature Tolerances in here recently.

Yup, zone 7 is the tropics to me too!

Aloha, do you have a link to that thread you mentioned about temperature tolerances that you could post here?

Sure...here it is http://www.bigislandgrowers.com/ghp/AHtemps.php Remember to take this information as the 'tolerances'...there are also mitigating factors.

Hoyas, actually, are really really REALLY tolerant!!! of everything! I saw a HUGE plant of H. australis growing up in cold misty Volcano, 3500' altitude, facing E. under the eaves of a porch. It gets into the upper 40s there in the winter.... The indirect light was/is very bright.

I was over at a friends house, yesterday. I had given her a cutting of H. cumingiana and she planted it out in the FULL sun and it was growing like a weed. I had done the same thing and it burned up. Go figger!!!

This message was edited May 20, 2007 7:51 AM

Hoyas grow here like weeds...lol...some in sun and some in shade....mmm...must be the humidity here that I have...

I don't bring my hoya inside until it starts to hit 40 F or below. Actually, I lost more when I bought them inside garage,because they received more light and watering, and humidity outside.

I've started the co-op - there are 5 open spots, as of this minute. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/726643/