Inquiring...... about growing mediums....

Since we are all spread all over nearly half the globe...I thought we could do a bit of 'comparison growing' with respects to potting soil. Since much of the success of a potting soil involves how it partners with our ambient humidity, where we grow etc., it might be helpful for others with our same conditions to learn or 'tweak' their patterns. We might be able to make this a sticky thread..... so let's keep the comments on topic, OK? Shall I start?

GENERAL CONDITIONS: Near the equator so the lengths of days does not vary much. Plants do not go dormant but they do slow down their growth a bit. General humidity is above 65% tho' sometimes we get dry winds (and I spray down the plants if it lasts longer than 3 days). Hoyas growing outdoors get very wet with a lot of rain or very dry during dry periods when I have to water. Our average rainfall is 150" yearly...mostly at night.

FERTILIZER: I use Miracle Gro foliar feed on EVERYTHING about 3 x year. Other than that, I use MSU fertilizer in water in the smaller pots and I use Chicken Manure (aged) on the hoyas in the ground or in big pots (about every 4 months).

POTTING MIX: My general potting mix - the BASIC: 1/4 Fine Orchid Bark, 1/4 Hydroton, 1/4 #3 Perlite, 1/4 Black cinders about the size of a garbanzo bean or a little larger.

GREENHOUSE Plant - a bit more Orchid Bark
OUTSIDE Plants - more black cinders for drainage

(NOTE: I put the pure Hydroton/Perlite combination in the bottom 1/3 of the pot for drainage)

GREENHOUSE - I mist daily in the summer and water about every 4 days if needed.

PS The photo is H. flagellata...one I have killed as many times as I have killed H. linearis!!!!

Good thread!

GENERAL CONDITIONS: Central Illinois - Zone 5. We experience all four seasons, so length of days can vary as much as 3-4 hours. Although I once grew my hoyas in my greenhouse (and may again someday), an almost total loss due to a week-long freeze inspired me to bring them in. So, I grow my hoyas indoors, in a sunroom, most of the year, with the exception of 3-4 months of summer when they are on a screened-in-porch. I run a humidifier in the sunroom to keep the humidity above 65%. Humidity %age on the porch is less consistent. Sunlight in both the sunroom and the porch is bright, indirect. I have tried hanging them from trees, but japanese beetles, locusts and a geographic proclivity for high winds/tornadoes have caused me to pull them back in. I do use grow lights some, but am not impressed with the amount of growth I see on the "low shelf" hoyas that have the grow lights vs the ones that receive "real" light.

FERTILIZER: I use MSU fertilizer on 4 out of 5 waterings, and then I "flush" with plain water on the 5th watering. I should note that my water is well water. I only fertilize once a month during the winter months. I use Eleanor's as a foliar spray about once a week or so on my rooted plants. I use it daily on my rooting cuttings.

POTTING MIX: I use 1/3 Promix, 1/3 Orchid Bark, and 1/3 hydroton and perlite combo. When I didn't have hydroton or perlite, I have been known to use pebbles to keep the mix fast-draining! I have NOT had good results with straight perlite, or with using perlite in the bottom 1/4 of my pots. Although the roots are quick to develop, for me, the perlite turns into cement, the plant looks distressed, and I have actually had to tear (YIKES) roots away from the sides of the pots when repotting.

WATERING: I water about once every ten days in the winter and fall, and about once a week during summer and spring. I did experience alot of yellow and/or limp leaves this winter, and I believe it's because, in the sunroom, all the hoyas, hanging and in pots, have saucers. Although I try to be cautious about not letting the hoyas have wet feet, it sometimes happens. So, I think with them on the screened-in porch, where they are allowed to play sans saucers, the water will flow through, the plants will experience better drainage, and I will see less yellow and limp leaves....I guess that's my experiment for the summer!

BRIBERY: I am not above this if it would increase the number of blooms I get on my plants!

Photo is of cv Iris Marie which finally fully bloomed!

Karen

This message was edited Jun 4, 2008 8:11 PM

Good idea, Carol!

GENERAL CONDITIONS: All plants indoors except a few very cold-hardy (for Hoya) species. The house stays cool, between 60 and 76 most of the year, except for heat/cold snaps. Warmth loving Hoya (like Eriostemmas, subcalva, some australis clones) sulk and don't grow well, plants from cooler environments (serpens, carnosa, lanceolata, fusca) seem to grow more reliably, and all year long. Humidity is obviously fairly low.

FERTILIZER: Dynagrow Foliage-pro or MSU at half recommended dose watered in weekly, occasionally heavy flushing with plain water. Occasionally maxi-crop or KLN.

POTTING MIX: My general potting mix- 1 part fine orchid bark, 1 part hydroton, 1/4 part charcoal. I use this for all Hoya except for rooting cuttings. This seems to dry out more evenly, I guess due to the large amount of air that gets into the mix because of the large particle size. Most plants get watered once a week when they are actively growing, root-bound, vigorous or moisture loving species may get watered twice a week during growth, when I remember to do it. With this coarse mix when the top inch feels dry the whole pot is probably close to dry, unlike heavy mixes which can feel dry on top and be quite damp in the center. Hard to over-water this mix.

ALTERNATE POTTING METHOD: Semi-hydorponics, as detailed in the First Rays site. Pure hydroton (expanded clay pellets) in a plastic container with a solid bottom, holes melted in the plastic about 1" from the bottom to create a reservoir. I have four plants in this setup, and they seem to be responding, although there is an adjustment period. As long as there is water in the reservoir the hydroton will wick it up, so that the pellets are always damp yet surrounded by air. Depending on the humidity these pots only need to be watered every week or two weeks.

ROOTING MIX: Pure perlite in 4" pots, sealed in a plastic bag (with the top slightly open). Fastest, most reliable method I've tried yet, although I guess the perlite packs down fairly quickly, so is only for rooting.



This message was edited Jun 4, 2008 11:52 PM

Northeast/mid-atlantic

General Conditions: indoors most of year - coolish dry air, lower light in most areas, outdoors for summer- humid and bright

Fertilizer: whatever is around (fish emulsion, Peters, Miracle gro, beer fertilzer - usually small amount w/ each watering)

Potting Mix: standard commercial soil mixed with orchid bark and perlite, about 1/3 of each

Alternative Potting Method: semi hydro (clay aggregate in hydro pots or in glass) Have had plants growing this way since late 90's, trying more recently, all the hoyas do well

Rooting Mix: same as potting mix (small pots, lower light windowsill, mist alot) works 99.9% of the time - rare times when it doesn't, I use perlite

Central Florida-East Coast (right now-hot and humid)

Hoya outside all year, except when temps near the 40 degree mark.

Potting Mix: 1/3 African Violet mix,1/3 orchid mix (phalanopsis mix). and 1/3 perlite.
I use this mix for rooting also. The humidity here helps them to root with no problem.

Fertilizer: I use 1/2 strength of Schultx orchid food (19-31-17). I feed them at same time as the orchids, which is every other week. Rest of time watering is from hose. Most of them are cuttings acquired since November 07. The few older hoya were potted in 6" pots, and after 6 years, are finally blooming.

What a great thread, Carol!

MY LOCATION: East Central Florida

GENERAL CONDITIONS: Most of my hoyas stay outside unless temp's dip below @45F. I have three still in the house (H. multiflora, H. imperialis and H. carnosa possibly motoskei) - don't know why I haven't moved them out yet, I think it's because I was babying these particular plants - now that they are looking really good I need to move them out with the others. A couple of large ones remain outside even in cold weather and get moved up against the south side of the house with other plants, covered by old blankets on very cold nights. Fairly high humidity here on the SE Coast almost all the time. Some of my hoyas are located on my front porch, east side of the house, and get very bright filtered light, a little morning sun. Other hoyas are on the SW side of the house in the screened pool enclosure. These are on a plastic shelving unit on the west side of the screen enclosure and just outside that area is a huge Schefflera tree, so they are shaded from the intense late afternoon sun. I also have a couple of plants hanging on the north side of a covered deck right next to the screen. They get bright north light most of the day. I have a few hanging in the Schefflera tree on the southwest side of the backyard. I can't really say any plants do better in one location or the other. They all really seem to be doing well and growing like crazy this spring. Maybe it helped by feeding them.

FERTILIZER: Geesh, I'm a bad plant mama ... I don't take the time to fertilize often. When I do, it's either Miracle Grow using the hose end sprayer method, or if I'm not being real lazy I will mix up a batch of VF-11 and a bit of fish emulsion in my watering can. It's just a 2 gal container so it takes forever feeding plants this way. When my orchids were in the same area as the hoyas I would use the orchid fertilizer (bloom booster) for the hoyas as well but now the orchids are out in the backyard in a tree, which reminds me I need to feed them. I keep saying I am going to make a point to get better about fertilizing on a regular basis. I think I will get my MG hose end sprayer and put it right by the hose so I will remember to use it!

POTTING MIX: I use a mixture of Miracle Grow potting soil, perlite, orchid bark (or the orchid bark mix that has charcoal in it) - I don't measure, just get a large tub and pour each in and mix it up until it looks "right". I use this mixture for all of my house plants, not just hoya.

WATERING: Right now I am watering every day or every other day. We have been having extremely hot, humid weather early this year and with the mix I use, everything dries out quickly.

Rooting Mix: Well, I tried the perlite in the zip lok bag method ... did not work with hoyas - had the zip lok bags out in my Florida Room which is not air conditioned, it was hot as h - - - , and I had zipped the bags closed ... duh? Was I having a blonde moment or what! I have used this method for rooting other house plants with no problem but never left the plastic bags completely closed in a stifling hot, humid room! I will stick to rooting hoyas in my regular mixture of soil, perlite and orchid bark.

East central Kansas

General conditions:
Most of my Hoya stay inside because of the extreme winds here, we live in the very open flinthills. This year we built a shadehouse and I'm trying some in it for the summer. It's open on the east (allthough the house isn't far away ) and the west, lattice on the north and patio fence on the south and clear corrigated plastic sheeting is used for the roof and this sets under a very large tree.
Air movement around here is never a problem.
Plants go out sometime in may and back in around sep/oct.

Inside I have a very large east window wall with good morning sun filtering through the trees and large picture window, patio doors and kitchen windows to the west also sheltered by trees.
They seem to like their location and some are blooming allready and more forming penduncles.

Fertilizer:
I use orchid food whenever I think of it and not nearly often enough

Potting mix: I mix a good potting soil with perlite and fine orchid mix. I don't measure anything just pore it into a large plastic tub and mix.

Watering:
I don't have a schedule for this since so many things can determin when it's needed, like location and pot size.
I just know about when to check them. During hot summer months the ones outside get a regular misting with the hose.

Rooting mix:
I use the same potting mix and start them out in a large clear plastic storage box with lid for a couple weeks and mist daily.