Yipeee My first bloom.

Today while watering my plants I discovered my Alsobia cygnet has two blooms. It just loves being out on my deck.

That's a stunning plant & congrtats on the blooms!!!

MsC

Waving hi ~~~~~~~~
Thanks Lottie:O)
Patti

Waving hi ~~~~~~~~right back at ya....& sending a hug too.

MsC

Patti, I didn't even realize that you could let one get that big................how breathtaking is that one!!!!!!!

I am going to move mine outside on the front porch and see if she will grow.....she is just slowly growing under lights.....

Thanks Gail. I have under a covered deck with 70 % shade cloth, and the best investment I ever made.

And, I have a big covered front screened in porch facing south............i don't get enough sun during the summer........only east sun coming in about 10 ft. and west sun coming in about 10ft.............bummer, I wasn't thinking when I did that.....but the sun is soooooooo low in the winter coming from the south that it makes a great place to overwinter plants......

Oh My Patti, that is one Beautiful plant! I had no idea they got that large! I have two small ones in 4" pots and I think I will transplant them to a small hanging basket and move mine outside! That is sooo Lovely! What size pot is it in? What type of fertilizer do you use?

Beautiful! They love being outside don't they.I put mine out about a month ago it went crazy growing but no blooms yet.

Wow Patti! That's amazing! I've never seen one that big. Mine's going out today. I've been meaning to put up more hooks and this has inspired me to get out there and do it! Congratulations on growing such a beautiful plant! :o)

Thanks Lottie, Gail Lin, Rain, Jannick for your wonderuful comments. I am just praying I don't kill . it. I am really enjoying this plant.
Patti

They're hard to kill...trust me. They won't flourish like yours if they're poorly cared for, but they tolerate a LOT of neglect.

RG,The humidity here ranges between high 60% to low 80% . I just need to keep an eye on watering. It is doing well in the EA soil so far. I been told I should repot all my EA plants,but with this plant I am so affraid of doing it. What would you do?
TIA
Patti

Hmmm...good question. While I agree that all EA plants should come out of their soil as soon as possible, I am the world's worst about actually doing that. And with the hanging baskets, I honestly don't know how to go about it. I've got a Pothos with 3-4 foot long vines that I have to water every day, and it really needs it twice a day, because the soil is in such awful condition, but I just don't know the best way to do it. My Aeschynanthus 'Black Pagoda' is an EA plant, and needs to be repotted as well. I guess just take it out of the pot and carefully knock off as much soil as you can. Not easy, with the mix that EA uses, I know. When I do get around to it, I won't try to get all the soil off the roots, just as much as I can without damaging them. Perhaps work off as much as you can with your hands and then use a soft shower of water to see if you can gently rinse anymore off. Then pot it back up (which is a circus show for sure when I do it) as best you can. They're pretty forgiving plants, so I wouldn't fret too much about it. Snip off a few stolons and pot them up separately, just for insurance, though.

Surely someone else here has experience repotting these hanging baskets full of roots. Come on! Tell us your secrets! LOL

Thanks Rain I am just trying to get up the courage.
Patti

hee hee ... Y'all are so careful with your plants! :)

I just pull them out of the pots and lay them on my deck and turn the hose on and keep washing all the old soil off until I have mostly bare roots, and then mix up my own batch of soil and replant them right back in the same pot with fresh well draining soil. But, I've never seen this Alsobia Cygnet plant for sale anywhere! I had never even heard of it before joining DG and reading about it on this forum! I have two small ones that I am going to repot today ... together in a small hanging basket. Then I will leave it out on my deck to see how it does there. It is VERY humid here! Yesterday was 94 degrees and the humidity was in the 90's too! Miserable! Days like that make me feel very Blessed and Thankful for Air Conditioning! It's supposed to be in the low-mid 90's here the next few days. Talked to my Sister in Fort Lauderdale yesterday and she said it was so nice down there, about 81 degrees and breezy!

Sound like we have the same weather here as you do Lin. Summer is here, and staying.
Patti

Yeah Patti ... I know it gets hot and humid in Texas too! And, some areas out your way are much hotter than here ... we are only a mile from the Ocean, so we do get breezes once in awhile and the Atlantic side is cooler than the Gulf area!

Patti, i don't know what your temps are like today .......but I was out and never been so hot in my life......the temps are in the early 90's but the humidity makes you not able to breathe (LOL)

It sure is hot here too! 4:40 p.m. and still 94 degrees! Humidity is waaaay up too ... not pleasant being outside!

Gail. The temps here have been in the mid 90 for the past week. I go out on my deck for a short time and then go back it. The darn mosquitoes think I am their walking banquet.
They are on me like white on rice. LOL
Patti

Patti, Home Depot makes a product to mix with water and spray your patio, yard and everywhere......I used it when I lived in Houston....my son told me about it.......it will keep the mosquitoes away for at least a month. I guess all Home Depots are set up alike. I used to buy mine at the Home Depot there on the 610 loop right past the Galleria going towards Bellaire......They always put it on the first aisle parallel to the outside wall of the gardening center....when you see the mowers then take a turn on that outside wall (inside the main building)

Do you happen to know the name of it Gail? I can sure use it.
Patti

Yeah, Gail ... what's the name of that stuff? I've never heard of any spray that will keep those dratted "Skeeters" away for long! Is it toxic to humans and animals, or just the mosquitoes?

One product i've used is the Bayer Power Force One Mosquito control

Like this one http://www.yardlover.com/products.php?pid=77715862

Maybe gail has something different , it never hurts to alternate products for sure.

MsC

Thanks Lottie. I am running to Home Depot now. I make any excuse to go there, and maybe I will accidentally stroll through the plant department. LOL .
Patti