Things I've learned....

I'm starting my third year of "seriously" growing hoyas. Thanks to all of you, I continue to learn more and more. Here's some of what I've learned this year:

I. Hoyas like air movement.
2. If one of my hoyas has just been sitting there, check the roots..
3. Not to be afraid to cut the roots if necessary (hey,this really works!)
4. That putting perlite at the bottom of pots as well as in the mix, helps the roots, which translates to happier plants.
5. How to spell nummaraloides....nummalaroides....never mind.
5, again. Not to treat all my hoyas the same - some like more water, or less, more light, or less, etc.
6. Betcha I cant buy just one.....
7. Fertilizers are different, and what works for one person, may not work for me. So, finding a fertilizer that I like - which I did!
8. To try putting a baggie over a hoya that I've just treated with Neem oil, to suffocate those nasty little spider mites.
9. To be more observant about my hoyas - describing the leaves, the flowers, the fragrance, etc.
10. BATS does not help with spider mites.
11. It IS important to try, as best as possible, to correctly name your hoya, expecially if you're going to trade with others!
12. Don't over-water a plant that is developing buds - they'll blast!

Still learning:

1. The correct terminology, ie corolla, corona, etc.
2. Everything else!

Guess that proves that even old dogs can learn new tricks!! And thanks, again, to everyone, for all your patience and help!

Karen

And #13 - I STILL need a new camera!!!



This message was edited Jul 30, 2007 8:15 PM

Oh, yeah Karen!
I'm still learning numbers 1-13 too!
In fact, thanks for #12 - I didn't know that!
Ann

Karen...still learning all those myself!!! and they ARE important to keep in mind.

and...yes...you DO need a new camera!! LOL

Karen, I learned the bit about over-watering budding plants this morning, when I walked into my living room to find my onychoides buds in a sad little puddle at the base of the pot. Waaa! Funny, because I'd always heard to give your hoya MORE water when it was budding up!

Julia

One of the important things I have learned is that most of the time...'I' have to learn them from experience. Hoyas, like most tropicals, enjoy certain aspects of culture like air flow and (most) humidity...but so many growing lessons have to happen in your OWN environment. What I do in Hawaii might be deadly in, say, Vermont!!!! So I try to translate it into what the plant needs in order to grow...not what I do.

I certainly can't tell anyone to grow their H. obscura hanging from a pot...because I also have it growing happily up a tree...it loves both. So much of what we are learning is from being clever little bunnies and figuring it all out for ourselves... Two houses side by side on the same street could have totally different climates!!! Nothing is hurt by experimenting and we all have the carnosas to do it...!

I am an old gardener, but new with hoyas. I have lots of questions for you experts. I have a muliflora cutting I received that bloomed beautifully. I potted it in a large pot when I received it and it is looking droopy now. Would it like a smaller pot to grow into? I notice the curtisii likes less light and the Tanna Island is growing like a weed in a small pot. Would they like self watering pots to keep them moister? Can I fertilize them with just Miracle Gro? Or would a specialized fertilizer promote blooms? Thanks!

CP - not to hijack this thread...hoyas like their roots tight. As for MG and other fertilizers, it depends on the medium you use for planting...but MG is OK but it does have lots of salts.....

There are a bunch of old threads on these issues where you might find answers to your questions...and they are easy to find....

Carol

Thanks! I will do some searches when I have the time. I did repot mine into smaller pots yesterday. I used just regular potting soil and put them in pots that have a reservoir. My dry climate has pots drying out pretty often.