Show me Your Bamboo U hoops

I've had 2 for the longest, but haven't been able to put them to good use yet. Today, I wrapped my Philo 'Brasil' around one. I think I will put the other one either in the pot with Pothos 'Marble Queen' or Scindapsus Pictus 'Satin Pothos'. I just need to buy more because I have several viney plants. Does anyone else use these? I'd love to see pics if you have them. Thanks!

GH

Are these what you are talking about? If so, yes, I guess I do use them *lol*

How ya been friend?

Kim

I have been looking for these hoops. Where do you find them?

YES!!! That's what I'm talking about. Oh, Kim, I love them in the Hoya pots! Is that one on the right 'Multiflora'? Hoyas look really good wound around one of these. I think I first got the idea from Carol(AlohaHoya on DG). Alas, all of my Hoya babies are just that- babies. Too small to get the U hoops just yet.

Hi Cindy, I bought mine from a local garden shop a couple of years ago. I think Carol on the Hoya forum sells them along with many beautiful Hoyas!!!! I think her website is bigislandgrowers or something like that.

Kim, are you still using the Beer potion on your plants? I used a batch and saw "okay" results, nothing spectacular. However, my christmas cacti LOVED it. Got blooms in the Spring and I never get blooms in the Spring. LOL

I've been well, my friend. New love, new car, new job. Uhm, here's a pic of the new car. My old car was 12 years old and was on it's last leg. It was a wonder if I'd break down on any given day!

Here's the Philo 'Brasil' on the U hoop. I'm hoping it will fill out the entire hoop by summer's end!

I was lucky and found my bamboo hoops at a store called Marden's in Maine. Marden's is a salvage store that buys from stores that are going out of business, go bankrupt, overstock, get hit by natural disaster etc. You never know what they are going to have so you have to buy it when you see it. I have a real knack of finding "the only one in the store" when I go. I have found so many unique items there. They had the hoops in packages of 3 for $.99. I bought 6 (cheap me, could only spare $1.98 *lol*) and wish I had stocked up so that I could offer them to everyone here at Dave's. For $.33 each I should have :(

What a nice car GH :) I love those little PT's! Congratulations on your new love....wooo hoooo you go girl. You are so beautiful both inside and out, it's no wonder he fell in love :) New job too? WOW, that's awesome!

I am working out a 2 week notice and will soon be looking for a new job (again) as I can't work for this man any longer.
I got a new car too *lol* but I'm sticking with my old love *lol*. We've been best friends since we were 12 and quite honestly, I don't think anyone else could handle my plant addiction *wink*.

Your Philo looks beautiful on your hoop! I wish I could train the princess to climb a hoop. I'm going to attach an updated picture of her for you. I don't think I make her very happy though as the leaves have continuously gotten smaller and smaller. She is still producing leaves though so I know she's alive. Do you think I should put her in a bigger pot? What do you think I'm doing wrong?

Here is an updated picture of my hoyas on their hoops. Yes, that is Multiflora and one of my very favorites as it blooms many times a year and has lots of flowers.

The gardens are finally looking green outside and the daffs are blooming which is really nice.

I'm debating about whether or not I should put my houseplants outside this summer. I'm fighting mealies left and right even with alcohol they still come back :(

I haven't been using the beer formula much as the batch I made smells quite rancid and I'm not sure it is helpful. I have been just using whatever my hand touches. Sometimes it's ST, sometimes messenger, sometimes bloom, sometime miracle grow, sometime osmocote, and sometimes just warm water *lol*.

Here is a picture of "Dianna". What do you think?

Feel free to D-Mail me, I miss you muchly :)

Kim

I'm definately going to buy more now that I see how lovely your Hoyas look twining around the hoop! I'm in awe of the 'Multiflora'. What is that one growing in the middle? I see a Phaelenopsis in there too? Girl, you have got it going on!!!!!!!!!!

So, your boss is a wack job, huh? That's unfortunate. If he's stressing you, please do find something less stressful. Life is way too short to be caught up in a situation like that. I took a 10K per year paycut to alleviate the stress. It was worth it. I actually HAVE a life now. LOL

Is hubby still going to build you a GH this summer?

I think the spot you have it in may be fine. Does the sun shine in during the day? The leaves are small when they emerge and get larger as they mature. They don't emerge large, so don't worry. The fact that you've given it something to climb will help tremendously with the leaf size as well. Still giving it humidity?

Yeah, my boss is something else. Never met such a mean person in my life!

I am awful but I throw the names away on all my plants. Some I remember, others I can't. I think I have 2 or 3 different hoyas in the middle pot. I think there is carnosa in there and also some sort of speckled leaf one. Not sure of it's name. I think I need to unpot my hoya's (yet again) and loosen the soil up for them. They don't seem to thrive like they should. I am forever unpotting things ..... if I would just leave them alone!

The sun does shine in a little on "Dianna" but not full sun. I have to admit, I don't give it the humidity it deserves. I should mist more than I have been :( Do you think she needs a bigger pot?

Here is a shot of my "sun loving" table. Having a real hard time with the Adeniums. Think I'm going to put them outside and see if they like it there better this summer :( Zora it totally bare belly and not looking happy at all :(

I'm at the point with some of these plants that I think I'm going to put them outside and if they make it they make it *lol*

Kim

What size pot do you have it in? I think the one I sent you came out of a 6 inch pot??? I can't remember. I can't really tell if you need a bigger pot or not. Are the roots coming out of the drainage holes? I'd err on the side of the pot it's in, rather than potting up.

I would say it's still in a 6 inch pot but part of me says she needs more room as the pot is having a hard time holding her up now. Maybe this fall when I unpot the hoyas it will be time for her to move into a "hotel" pot *lol*

Kim

If you are going to pot up, now is the time to do it. You want to give the plant all summer to try to fill in the extra space with roots. Happy potting!

I found some of these hoops at a 'local' (75 miles away, though, cuz we live in the boonies!) greenhouse, too.
I bought several of them at the time, as they were really inexpensive, AND they had 3 sizes/heights.

I'm not sure they're *real* bamboo, though, as some that I'd place outdoors did rot:(
I was, (perhaps mistakenly) under the impression that *true* bamboo would last at least a couple/few years?

I've found them very useful, though, not just for vining plants, but for propping large plants, and for keeping tender plants from getting bumped into, too.

I've actually found them more useful outdoors than indoors - (their height kind of limits where I can place the pot) especially to mark a plant's location, since my DH and DS don't use a lot of discretion whe using the weed-eater!! I have a peony planted on a bank/slope that would flop over completely without one of these hoops in front of it.

They're really a great item that I'd be lost without these days!