Hoya linearis new growth

Here are some photos of the new growth on my linearis.

It looks like a fuzzy head with all the new growth sticking
out all over.

I wish it would bloom, but I am happy it has so much growth
on it!

Great looking plant! I've managed to save mine by starting a few cuttings in semi-hydro. I couldn't keep it alive in my regular potting mix.

Doug

Looking good , Alison

Dominic

Good Growing, Alison!
My theory is; no worries as long as the plant is growing.
Mel

Great job Alison! Your H. linearis is really beautiful!

That's one that isn't doing well for me, seems as soon as I received it a couple of months ago it began to decline. I'm surprised it's not totally dead yet, I still don't hold out much hope for it, but it hasn't turned out to be one of my favorite Hoya's, so I'm not too bothered. I'd probably like it better if it liked me, LOL. ^_^

Mine is hanging on...I just need to keep it from being watered on the top.

Glad to see you back, Mel...!!!!

Carol

I think that was the demise (or almost thereof) of mine ... spraying it with the garden hose! I should have watered from underneath.

Talk about a controversial plant!! Mine is indoors, hanging in a plastic pot and gets late afternoon full-on sun. I let it get 100%, completely, dry between waterings, and I only water from the top, totally soaking it when I do. It's a happy, happy plant; its nowhere as lush as Alison's - but then I got it as a single cutting in 2007. Dry is the key to this plant, I'm quite sure.



Christine

Here's what my linearis looks like today. It has been in a shady area, no direct sun and watered from the top with the hose, and the top is dying off.

Gosh, my pictures are so bad. Let me go take a picture looking down on it and you can see the dried out growth

Lin,

I'm going to guess that plant got too wet at some point. This is the weirdest darn plant. How the heck does EA produce such a lush plant in their usually heavy soil mix without killing it. Someone needs to take a field trip to their greenhouses and see how they do it. I have two starts and both are starting to put out new growth in the semi-hydro. The little clay balls are always damp and the roots have shot down into the water reservoir.

Doug

This message was edited Feb 11, 2009 4:20 PM

My linearis is bone dry right now which I'm sure it isn't happy about. But, it was hanging out on the deck after I got it a few months back, in rain and also I was watering some things under the covered deck with the hose. I'm sure I kept it too wet ... didn't even realize it until someone on this forum posted that linearis did better on the dry side. And, I think someone said it is one that likes it cooler? With the heat and humidity we have and all the "extra" water it was getting, I'm surprised it's still green in places!

I keep saying someday I am going to get over to Englemann Greenhouses: http://www.exoticangel.com/AboutUs/ to look around! When I buy one of their plants, no matter which variety, I immediately remove it from the pot, rinse every speck of that heavy soil off and repot in my own mix. I think a lot of the nurseries plant with the heavy soil because they don't keep them around for long .. they are shipped off to garden centers around the country. The heavy soil is probably good for holding up during their travels!

Thanks Carol! Jeanne tells me that she had a lovely visit with you. She was blown away with your little slice of heaven and said that Rob and Bob really hit it off.

I am letting my EA linearis go dry as a bone before watering it. I am holding off repotting it until late spring, but, can't wait to get it out of that spongy soil. I have lost more than my share of linearis plants and plan to just enjoy it as long as it decides to live with me.

Doug, have you stuck with semi-hydro? I remember you moving that direction last spring. Perhaps EA knows that the soil is great for growing on crops and not concerned with the effect on mature plants. They may also know people will likely overwater the plants and come back to buy more.

I have it in my greenhouse and it gets cool. Average 55 but can get
to 50 if it is a very cold night.

It is in very bright light and I have to turn it because it grows to the
light. Also, high humidity which it seems to love. I mist it heavily
when I mist the orchid roots and fern rhizomes.

I let it dry (not really bone) and then water from the top until it
is very wet. I go in and lift it up off it's hanger daily to see if
it needs water. Depends on how hot the g/h gets during the days.

So far so good with my linearis...I am letting it stay in the spongy stuff and watering from the bottom. I have not had luck transplanting so I will keep on this tack for a while. I put a big H. lacunosa I was sent that is EA...and for about a year I only watered it 5 times!!! It is now hanging outside under some trees and IN the rain and growing like crazy!!! The rain actually runs off the leaves so the soil doesn't get much at all.

We both had fun with Jeanne and Rob, Mel...neat folks. One of these days I am going to take her up on her invitation to go to Campbell River and paint with her... She is very talented!!!

Carol

Mel,

I'm really only experimenting with semi-hydro. So far I've pretty much only used it on plants that I was going to lose anyway. I have had some pretty interesting results, but I still have a lot of unanswered questions. Early observations suggest it may work best in a fairly humid environment. When used in the dry air of a typical Northeast house in the winter, I have to water the container almost daily, because of the high rate of evaporation. The frequent watering is causing a fair amount of mineral build up on the media - so far there are no adverse results from the minerals. There is algae beginning to build up in some of the containers as well. I've yet to try getting a trellis inserted into one of the containers - that should really be an adventure. With all that being said, I have to say that some of the growth on these plants both above and below the media has been amazing. At some point when I get a little more time, I will take pictures and report on the progress in a new thread. I'm really glad to see you posting again!

Doug

doug,
i too have been experimenting with s/h and have a couple of tricks i would like to share.

covering the top of the s/h pot with sphag moss keeps a little moisture to stay in there, being in the desert i have to keep as much moisture as i can in there.

putting activated carbon ( for fish tanks) in the water at the bottom of the s/h pot helps to keep down the algae i suppose mixing it into the media would keep algae from growing higher up.

i use wire hangers, taken apart and bent in half for support, the springiness of the wire holds it in place in the pot. they hold very well. Although i would suggest covering the ends with plasti dip (for the handles of tools, home depot, lowes) to keep them from rusting.

i too have seen plants perk right up when they get put into s/h

hope this helps

Jsainz,

Thanks for that information. I never thought about the sphag moss on top. That should really help with the dryness; I will definitely give that a try. I'm growing some Rex Begonias in semi-hydro in a terrarium, and I almost never water them, and they are doing beautifully. I appreciate those hints very much.

Doug

GREAT ideas, jsainz!!! Clever! And it is wonderful to realize that s/h means Semi Hydro....I thought it was for Shade House and have been confused!!! but then...that is not unusual!

Good to see you too, Doug. I have never done well with begonias (esp Rex) in the winter. I would love to see your set up. Is the entire terrarium semi-hydro? I think it is time for a little show and tell! Where do you buy the clay pellets without paying more for shipping than product?

It took me some time to figure out the s/h too, Carol.

Alison, I am guessing you do not have to use heat if a cold night is 50 degrees. Heat zaps humidity. I have 4 good size fountains that run constantly. We had some of coldest nights I have seen in many years. I had a difficult time regulating the temperatures in my greenhouse and many of my Hoyas with thick leaves lost all their leaves, but, the vines appear healthy. Twas a sad site to walk in the gh and see all the yellow, mushy leaves.

Oh, Mel, that makes me sad to hear. I am glad at least
the vines are in good shape!

I do have to heat. I use a gas heater that reflects to the floor.
It seems to me that the sunny days really soar g/h temp
and that will turn it to a desert!

So, when I water /some/ things (ones that can tolerate cold
hosepipe water) I let it wet the floor generously. It is mostly
dirt. So - it gets nice and wet and the hot days become
muggy ones too. Then it is all about ventilation. A fan runs
24/7 and I open the vents on sunny days.

I really hope all your damage heals very quickly.

Mel,

This is their warm humid little home. I've gone through many plant phases in my life. The Rex Begonia phase lasted a couple of years until I got sick of caring for plants that I could only keep successfully under glass.

Doug

Tiger Kitten in semi-hydro.

Pink Surprise in Semi-Hydro. This is the last picture of a non-hoya in a thread that started out on H. linearis!

Those are pretty, Doug. I have never been able to keep a Rex Begonia alive! I love terrariums and have quite a few, from a 10 aquarium planted up, to different sizes and shapes of glass jars. Maybe I should have tried growing the Rexes in a terrarium!

Terrariums are the only way to stop their leaves from turning crunchy in the winter - at least at my house!

Beautiful, Doug! I will have to give your method a try as I love the Rex's.
Mel

I have two linearis plants that are both doing quite well and have bloomed for me.
I, too, grow it very dry in very bright light with some direct sun. I also water it from the top.

Both of mine are hanging directly in front of large windows, and do, indeed, get quite cool (this time of year) especially at night.

Now to me....s/h has always meant 'shipping and handling'! lol!

I have started a collection of orchids growing in hydroton and the person I bought them from told me to rinse out the hydroton each month to wash out the excess minerals by removing the inner pot and flushing with warm fresh water. I haven't done this with the hoyas that I'm also growing semi-hydro, but perhaps I will start if I see mineral and algae build up. So far, s/h has worked well with hoyas I couldn't get to develop complete root systems in perlite or my planting mix of 1/3 potting soil, 1/3 orchid bark and 1/3 perlite. I haven't tried s/h with hoyas growing successfully in my normal mix.
Sue

My Linearis is growing and doing really well. I've only watered it twice in the 5 months I've had it. No flowas, but it's healthy.

Blessings,
Awanda

How pretty your H. linearis Awanda.

Wow, that's an impressive linearis, its so healthy and lush!

Awanda, Great job growing that one! It looks amazing! Mine is still partially alive but I don't have high hopes for it!

Thanks all, I really don't do anything with it, except careful watering. When it starts to feel really light, I sit in in a bowl of water until it feels heavy. I did put a bit of fertilizer in the water the first time.

Blessings,
Awanda