The Best Time to Order.....?

Australia, being in the Southern Hemisphere, is in the opposite season (than we are) the N. Hemisphere: their summer is Dec-Mar, their winter is June - August etc. We all know that plants are tuned into the lengths of the daylight hours for their growth times, going semi dormant/dormant with the shorter winter days.

I have often wondered - STILL do - about the best time to order plants from DL: In OUR Spring when they will have started slightly shutting down in Australia yet arrive in the N. Hemisphere when it is time to start ramping up --------------OR----------------in our early fall when they are starting to ramp UP in Australia and still have some growing time left in the N. Hemisphere.

The difference between our summer/winter daylight hours is only about 1 hour on either end - and of course - our winter sun is not as strong as the summer sun. I don't use artificial lighting to start or to grow out my hoyas but I do know that those who DO use grow lights all winter can regulate the 'seasons' for the plants...and that they can have growing season all year long.

SO................for the sake of general information, let's talk about this. Perhaps we can come up with some interesting information we can all use. I will also ask some of the Plant Pathologists at the University ... I will also post my own experiences in the next post. I think it is important, for the sake of comparison, to mention whether you use grow lights (new cuttings or all of your plants), your 'Zone', when you notice growth the most active.... etc.

My zone is Zone 11 - however, we are at about 900 feet altitude which means we are cooler than those closer to the ocean by about 2-5 degrees. Our lowest temp has been 56deg. for a short time at night and our highest temperatures may get around 85 deg.

I do NOT use grow lights but I DO use heat mats to start my cuttings and I set the timer to turn ON at 73deg.

My hoyas grow actively all year long, however, the most active growth for most of them seems to be end of Feb thru to August.

For propagating, I find that striking cuttings March thru July/August give me the best results. After August it gets more and more 'iffy' and sometimes cuttings I strike Sept. or October will never grow at all....it may take years for it to happen (archboldiana is one of those). I don't even bother striking cuttings after October until late Feb.

DL orders -

My order received this year in EARLY sping(HI)/EARLY fall (OZ) has been the most successful for me with almost 100% of the cuttings making it (the H. javanica croaked...much to delicate a leaf).

The order I received LATE summer (HI)/EARLY spring (OZ) also did well -

Sooooooooooooo all of this may be very insignificant...but I think we can come up with some sort of correlation and find the best time to order.

Carol

What a good idea this thread is! I'm in zone 6; we have long cold winters and up to a 4 hour day length difference between summer and winter...to me it does make sense that ordering cuttings in early Fall (OZ time) just as they're hardening off new growth and getting ready for a nap and shipping them halfway around the world to a time zone that's going into INCREASING day length and warmth, would be counter-productive...(and extremely confusing). It SEEMS like the most sensible way to go would be to order in early Fall our time, as the plants are getting ready to put out new growth and flowers, then maintain the warmth and day length once they arrive using lights and extra warmth if necessary....

Of course, I don't have enough experience to validate this theory...I do not use lights or a heat source, but would consider doing so if it meant I could be successful with DL cuttings...what about other people out there that have ordered both Spring and Fall from DL---do you guys notice a difference in how or if the cuttings root?

Like I said in the other thread my fall DL order did fantastic, and my spring order did badly. Both received the same treatment with bottom heat, humidity, and artificial lighting. This however may just be anecdotal evidence, because the cuttings in the spring order arrived in abysmal condition having been dipped in fungicide and having had to spend extra time at the inspection station.

Doug

This spring was my first ever experience with hoya cuttings. I have received a couple of rooted hoyas in trades but the DL order this spring was my first try at rooting hoyas. I lost one out of the six that I received, the other five are doing really well. I was really surprised at how quickly they took off once I finally made the decision to pot them up and just leave them alone. I first potted them, then took them out and put them in water, then back to pots with soil. I am in zone 9 and we have a lot of heat and humidity here so a lot of plants do well in this climate. I don't use grow lights or heat mats to root anything. I do have a couple of lighted plant stands that my Gesneriads stay on and I did place a container of gesneriad seeds under the grow lights but everything else is out on a covered deck at the back of the house or in the screened pool enclosure. I would order from DL in spring and fall.

Interesting point Carol. From my observations.......hoyas have short memories and are quick to adapt and will do best at rooting and growing when they sense that the temps, humidity/rainfall and increased daylight are on the way up. I live in Zone 9b and April tru June seem to be the best for rooting/growing any tropical. I don't think it really matters much where they came from. After being brutally cut, put in a dark box, 17 hours of a bone dry flight and then sometimes dipped in harsh chemicals....then opened by the order leader ( who sometimes feels very tempted to cut them again) who handles then for a few hours then sticks them back into another dark box for another plane trip. Its a good thing they have a short memory or else they would just give up and die. But if David wants me to do a study on the best times to send hoyas to America........he can send me a box of every hoya he has in the fall and again in the Spring and I will provide him with a detailed analysis.
oohh.....I hope has lambii this time :)

Nice move Ric!!!

I talked to an Agricultural Extension Agent this morning...who is really savvy about this stuff. He said that his 'gut' feeling is that in OUR early spring when the plants are ramping up to grow and bloom -----and---------early fall in OZ where the plants are still in good growth mode would be better than receiving them cut in Spring while ramping up in OZ to arrive here when stuff is ramping down. This has been my experience too. And it makes sense to me. I did bring hoyas back with me from Australia when i went one September (our early fall) and had no problem rooting them because i think they still had some growing time to do here.

Granted...y'alls order thru dm this Spring was a stroke of bad luck...and I think that had a lot to do with it. Can't blame anyone but luck!!!!

Carol

Carol,
Its good to know. I'll just continue ordering in the Spring. For that reason and for the fact that I can provide the hoyas with optimal conditions for them to grow. Be on the lookout for some retusas.....they should be getting to your jungle soon.

ric

My zone is 8b very hot and humid from April sometimes March to end of October, reaching daily between 96 to 100 degrees, and heat index can go up to 105-107. Winter very unstable, some weeks we can even get snow, and the next week, temp can go up to the mid 80"s.

All my hoyas (except three that I just moved out to the front porch) grow indoors. They seam to constantly grow, however in the late fall and winter, they do it slower.
Daylight is very different from spring to winter.

I don't use lights, but for cuttings I have a mini green house inside, with heating pads that I turn on in the morning and off at night.

This spring was my very first time ordering from DL too, I lost one but all the other ones are doing very well, I rooted some in plugs and some in a mix of vermiculite and perlite 50/50.
Mist them everyday with MSU very diluted.

Ric, if you get to do the study, I can gladly help you (LOL)

edited to add text

This message was edited May 29, 2008 7:18 PM

This spring was my first participation in the DL order.

Have to admit I'm none too enthused to participate again regardless of the season (although my want list continues to grow!). Am glad to hear other's have had good success with theirs. I use bottom heat, rooting hormones, bags or a dome, and artificial lighting.

Can those who've had success list which ones did well?

Thanks!
Kelly

I just posted on another thread the ones I got. I only ordered 6 cuttings and one, H. cagayanensis was dead on arrival. No chance to save it. The others I thought were all going to kick the bucket too ... my first time at rooting hoyas and even though I have rooted so many different plants over the years I was really concerned after what these cuttings went through to get to us.

The other five are doing great! They are: H. acuta, citrina, magnifica, memoria, pubicalyx royal hawaiian purple.

I would have to go and look at the tags to tell you which is which but this is three of them:

This is all 5 of the survivors. Since it's dark outside, I moved them into the enclosed back porch to take the picture.

I am really happy that they have all taken root and I see new growth on a couple. My conditions here are hot and humid ... we could REALLY use some rain as it's been exceptionally dry. I have had to water every day to every other day. They are out on my covered deck and get real bright light but no direct sun.

Lin,

I have to agree that your cuttings look fantastic. I'm really happy for you that your first order went well.

Doug

Thanks Doug! I only placed the order for six cuttings because I had never rooted hoya before and figured if none of them made it at least I wouldn't be out too much $$. I'm really pleased that they are doing so well. They seem to be really happy in this heat and humidity! We've had exceptionally hot days early this year but at least we've had a lot of breezes and wind so good air circulation for all of my plants out on the covered deck and the pool deck. I hate it in late summer when it's stifling hot and humid and not a hint of a breeze stirring! It's been really dry down here too. We could sure use some rain - they are predicting that hopefully we might get some much needed rainfall next week but there's a chance of severe weather too.

Wow, Lin, those look great! Woo Hoo!!!

Kelly

Thanks Kelly, I am so happy they rooted and are doing well. One even seems to have a new growth showing so I'm just leaving them alone to do their thing! I just spray them with the hose every day and gave them a shot of VF-11 when I was watering a few days ago.