Update on cuttings from the Spring DL Co-op order

I didn't want to post on someone else's thread so thought I would start a new one to share pic's of the progress of the cuttings that I got in the Spring David Liddle order.

I wasn't sure I could get cuttings to root and survive so I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I only ordered 6 cuttings and they have really done well, most took off like crazy with the heat and humidity!

I had ordered IML #1600, pimenteliana but received cagayanensis with the same IML # so I'm assuming the name changed. That one looked dead upon arrival, it was in pretty bad shape after the long ordeal of travel and other problems. It's still very small but did root so I have hopes for it as well as memoria, which has not put out much growth either.

Here's the picture of how they look after the summer here in Florida.


edited to say: Hope everyone who participated in the Spring Co-Op will post updates here on how theirs are doing too!

Back: magnifica, pubicalyx royal hawaiian purple, citrina
Front: memoria, cagayanensis, acuta



This message was edited Aug 26, 2008 10:07 AM

Nice plants! Congrats!

What method did you use to root them?

Thanks Chatnoir!

I use the same mix for all of my plants. I don't measure, I just have a large tub that I dump everything into and mix it up. I use a combination of Miracle Grow potting soil (because it's the only thing I can find locally), orchid bark and perlite, mixed to a consistency where it is very chunky. This makes for a light well draining potting mix which works for me because I tend to have a heavy hand when watering. Most of my plants are outside and I use a garden hose to water.

Well Lin, I was even more cautious than you and only ordered 4 cuttings...but the whole experience was pretty disasterous for me...The cuttings arrived in poor shape, and here in Pittsburgh it was much too cold to even think about putting them outside....I set them up in pure perlite in a 10 gallon covered fish tank, but with no bottom heat...most of them did put out a couple of tiny roots after several weeks, but then rotted...I would cut the rotting bit off and re-root them only to have the same thing happen again.,..only 2 of them made it to the point that they could be put outside, and then one of them died too.... I now have ONE rather feeble looking cutting in my standard mix (which is identical to yours!) outside under a tree. This cutting has put on a tiny bit of new growth, but I feel like I could still lose it at any time...All in all I would say I suck at rooting cuttings, sigh.....I MIGHT try it one more time, but hopefully the cuttings would arrive in better shape initially and I would definitely use bottom heat the next time...

Shelley, I am very sorry about your cuttings not doing so well, they sure went through an awful lot before finally arriving at their final destinations! I really didn't expect mine to survive when I saw how they looked upon arrival but I guess they liked the warm, humid conditions of Florida.

I didn't know about bottom heat, but that makes sense. A friend gave me a couple cuttings about a month ago. She advised a specific set-up:

Plastic shoebox with holes punched in the bottom set in a slightly larger plastic bin. Keep about 1" of rainwater in the bottom bin at all times. Fill the shoebox with a mix of perlite and vermiculite. Weight down the cuttings so that the nodes are in constant contact with the moist medium. Wait 6-8 weeks.

It's been 4 and one of the cuttings looks like its putting out tiny amounts of new growth. Can't tell if it's leaves or roots - I'm brand new to this! The other cutting isn't doing anything yet, but still looks good. Same for another cutting I made of my own plant for my friend. Laughingly told her she should have rooted her own cutting to make certain it took! Well maybe not laughingly...

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I have the cuttings inside in an eastern window with a sheer blind in it. So bright light but no direct sun. All my hoyas are here and they seem happy so I thought that would work.

I was told by the person who gave me their entire hoya collection (16!) that he never puts them outside. He tried for a number of years and they never seemed to like it . They always did much better if they lived indoors year round. As this is my first try with hoyas I was not brave enough to put any outside this year to see for myself.

And shelley, I really think the condition of the cuttings you start with would absolutely influence your ultimate success rate. Mine were snapped fresh from the plant and 'potted' up the next day. Otherwise I'm certain my results would be quite different.

I've heard a lot of folks use heat mats for bottom heat when rooting cuttings of different kinds of plants but down here in Florida we don't need heat mats so I have no experience whatsoever with using the bottom heat method for rooting.

I have so many plants and not a lot of light inside my house so my plants stay outside most of the time. There are a few I bring indoors if we are predicted to have a cold night or two during the winter. The only plants that stay inside all year are on two plant stands with lights - Gesneriad's (African Violet family). I also have a couple of house plants here and there and some jars/vases in the kitchen window and on a couple of shelves with plants growing in water.

Your hoyas will probably do fine inside in a bright window but would enjoy the fresh air of being outside in summer under the shade of a tree also. I don't know why they didn't do well for your friend when he had them outside, could be location, light etc. After all, they do live outside in nature ... it's just finding the place they like best. I am fortunate that I live in an area of the country where most of my plants can stay outside all year round. I have heard of many folks who take all of their plants outside for the summer and then have to move them back in when the weather gets cold. That's a lot of work!

Yep that's me! Orchids, cacti, succulents, jasmines, gardenia, bananas, etc. etc. all come back in within the next 2-3 months. It's quite a jungle in the house. Especially when I start all the cannas, elephant ears, dahlias, seeds etc. in the spring.

I'm trying to convince my DH I need a greenhouse LOL!

Lin,

Wow! You've had some wonderful growth - awesome job!! I am so envious of how HUGE your magnifica has grown! That was the one hoya I was so excited to get from this order, but I unfortunately lost it (I ordered about 12 or 13 cuttings and lost a handful). Never happened before...I usually have great success with rooting DL cuttings or any cuttings for that matter, but I think the trauma they went through was the reason for the death of so many of mine. Oh well, better luck next time.

Thanks for sharing your growth, and you really do have a green thumb!

Gabi

My hoyas all survived from the spring David Liddle order. I didn’t order any really finicky ones though. Most were only $7 each.
Front – left to right
IML-0713 erythrostemma
IML-0965 caudata Sumatra
ML-0832 hueschkeliana (pink)
IML-0952 flavida 'Lungga Plateau 5'
IML-0083 diversifolia

Back– left to right
IML-0772 benquetensis
IML-1076 inflata
IML-1622 aff. macrophylla var
IML-0198 naumanii
IML-0152 magnifica

I am sorry some people lost their hoya cuttings.

Wow! Yours look great too! I guess they just love our climate down here in the South!

It looks like your hoya cuttings have really grown a lot in 4 months too, that magnifica is Magnificant! Wow, so huge!

Holy cow! I need to move to Florida!!

Nice growing, both of you!

That's it! My house is going on the market and I'm heading to the southern states!

Great growing everyone!

LOL you two! I have been reading on a couple of threads where some folks say it's getting cool at night where they live!?%*. We've been having very warm nights, It is NOT supposed to be 76 or 78 degrees at 1:30 in the morning! I know there are some folks in Florida who do not have air conditioning ... I don't know how they stand it! I cannot imagine trying to sleep at night when it is so hot and humid ... a fan just doesn't cut it! Our air conditioning stays on @ 8 months a year and sometimes 9 months! And we have a ceiling fan in the bedroom that is on high all night too!

Plants love the heat and humidity but the older I get, the more I hate it! I can't imagine living somewhere that gets snow and ice in the winter but I sure wouldn't mind some nice, coolish fall temp's! ^_^

I hear ya, Lin.
If I were to move to a place that had warmer temps (than freezing NY!) I would probably pick Arizona. Florida is great but the humidity would kill me. However, hoyas love the humidity, so basically if it's a choice between my comfort and my hoyas.....HMMMMMM - touch decision!!

Gabi

Hate to brag...but we sleep with blankets at night in the summer and it is in the 80's during the day. It does rain alot but what is water? The hoyas love it!

Oh my goodness ... I would love to have it cool enough at night in the summer that I needed a blanket! Our thermostat is set at @ 75 but I would love to have it at 50 at night .. just can't seem to convince my DH though! We also keep the ceiling fan on high all night but it's still not as cool as I prefer.

Now ... as for rain!%$*! We've been having our share of that lately! My plants love it as long as we get good air circulation too, which sometimes we don't. I hate summer when it's hot, humid and no breeze anywhere to be found! Wow! Listen to me ... I sound like a real complainer! ^_^ I need to count my blessings ... I have it waay better than some. So many are suffering with floodwaters in their homes right now and others worrying about the next Tropical System forming!

Way to go Lin and dtm1966! They all look so healthy!!

Does anyone know if there is going to be a fall order?

:) Donna

Donna,

I haven't heard about any more hoya co-ops. I think there was a Canadian order and a U.S. order this past Spring but those are the first and only ones I've ever heard about. I know if there's an one next spring I will definitely want to order again!

Shucks that I missed out on the Spring order. I haven't been on DG very much due to my heart problems. Did have one procedure done but still having problems with out of breath and exhaustion.