So I moved my hoyas outside in May, where they've been lounging around, putting on new growth, and lots of them have developed bloom spurs---including h. lobbii, h. bella, h. serpens, h. "minibelle", h. carnosa, and h. "mathilde"---BUT, then the spurs just sit there, in some cases for months, and never show the least sign of actually putting out buds or flowers..grrrr...I'm thinking I may need to change something I'm doing (or not doing)....the plants are on my east facing deck, under a walnut tree, where they get 5-6 hours of dappled sun/shade a day....no one gets prolonged direct sun, so maybe that's an issue...also, it's been very rainy here this summer, so I think any fertilizer I give is probably washed out of the pots fairly quickly....OR, I could just need to develop some patience...ha!....what do you guys think? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated...thanks...
Shelley
lots of peduncles, no flowers...problem?
I would start fertilizing with the MSU fertilizer applied with a mist sprayer. This seems to work much better and faster for my plants than anything applied to the soil. And moving them closer to the light source also improves success. When I lived in Illinois, it seemed it took ALL summer for my plants to finally bloom, and then I had to bring them back inside!
Suz - good idea. I never thought of foliar feeding with the MSU!
I have been using about 1/2 Tblsp. - 1 Tblsp of chicken manure in my pots that sit out in the rain...they LOVE it!!!
Shelly....the blooms will happen....
Thanks both of you---I am using the MSU, but like the idea of misting it on the leaves and will definitely try that...I live in Pa. and like you Suz, I fear that by the times the buds develop I'll have to move everyone inside and everything will blast (blast it!)...
Shelley
Shelley,
Our zones are far removed from one another, but bloom the hoyas will in time. Mine has been blooming nonstop since early summer, and will continue to do so the rest of the growing season.
I've mine in canopy shade, lots of indirect sun light, but never direct exposure from our southern's summer heat.
Sometimes, I think, hoyas take a while to adjust to growing/blooming outside of their 'comfort zone' (wherever they are from). It took my first H. schneei 3 years to bloom - and new cuttings only rooted 2 months are blooming now. Go figure!