I am just wondering how all of you grow your gessies in the wintertime. I am battling a lack of humidity here and usually keep my begonias in humidity domes. However, I wasn't sure if perhaps that would be too humid for avs and streps. Any suggestions? They are all under lights.
Kim
gessies in winter
I put the Begonias in terrariums...the gessies are the last things I worry about regarding dry air....and with the the heat on 5 months of the year...the air is dry here.....lol....it doesn't seem to bother them....
Hmmm, interesting. I have noticed so far that my streps tend to dry out pretty fast and I had one really large one that is down to two little nubbins, I tried keeping it wetter to prevent the drying out and instead it rotted. I have the two little nubbins in a covered tub right now because the leaves were looking kinda dried out. I also thought humidity would help combat some pesties. It is dry in my house year-round since 2/3 of the year the AC is on full-blast and the other 1/3 the heat is on.
How about rooting? Do you use a humidity dome to root streps or av leaves?
Actually, this is my first winter with Streps...........knock on wood, they will be happy in a nice cool window......I've only ever rooted one batch of AV leaves and I didn't use a cover.....I do mist all my house plants daily....
Hi Kim,
Are you bringing you plants in now? They are calling for lower temps this week. I still have all of my hoyas outside. I don't usually bringing them in until it gets to low 40's here. I am setting up an area inside for my Episcia and terrariums.
Patti
This message was edited Oct 21, 2007 10:18 PM
Hi Patti!
I have not yet brought in any of my hoyas. I might start this week, but I think the temps won't be low long enough to cause any real problems. The gessies are all in the house, I am just trying to take care of them as best I can. They haven't done too well so far in my care. Most things I have do better in terrarium environments but I didn't know whether avs and streps would fall into this category or not. My episcias live in the terrarium environment all year long and love it.
Kim,
I can't help you with the AV and streps, because I don't do well with streps for some reason. Do you leave you hoyas out all year?
Patti
This message was edited Oct 21, 2007 10:19 PM
I wish I could, but the greenhouse isn't set up to keep the temps where they would need to be at night for the hoyas. I will start the big migration into the house probably this week and it'll take a week or so to get them all in. It is this time of year when I start wondering if I have too many...lol.
I know what you mean. I tell myself the same thing every year. I thought this year I was doing better, but I was just kidding myself again. LOL
My streps and AV's both did well last winter (my first with them) just in windows or on tables in front of windows. We use wood heat for 6 months out of the year and other heat off and on before and after that so it's a fairly dry environment. When the stove is going there is a big dutch oven full of water that sits steaming on it all winter which I'm assuming helps some.
I have also read that if you group your plants together they have more humidity around them and it must have been true as mine did well. But I figure more humidity is a good thing regardless and although I'm not ready to go to pebble trays under each plant yet (I do have some self watering pots) I have potted the rest all in plastic pots which are then going to go into ceramic cache pots (big sale at k-mart!) I'm thinking that will add to the humidity level around each plant too. Does that sound reasonable? I'm really just experimenting here!
~Brenda
Blue Eyes..........the only sure way to kill a strep (as far as I know) is to overwater it............streps like 55-75 degrees.........my gro lights are fine on the avs all winter..........i am not sure but I think most avs in the winter are kept around 73 during the day and 68 at night...........anyone else know????
hehehe..mine are, cause that what I have the furnace set to.