We started organizing a spring swap on the Stemma forum- anyone here interested? It is shaping up to be a random swap, one person sending to a random recipient, that person sending to a different random recipient, and so on.
Spring Swap 2009
Thank you Mark, I'd love to join. I have a couple of questions, would it be a problem if the cuttings are "common"? I wouldn't send carnosas but I want to make sure I don't disappoint anyone. Also, around how many cuttings are we talking about?
Thank you for organizing this and please count me in.
Lourdes =)
Maybe three or four cuttings as a minimum. The "common" question always comes up, but I don't think is really an issue. The point is to share, so those with lots of different Hoya and those with only a couple can both participate. Those with big collections only had two or three at one point, right?
Also, I think last time on DG we decided that Bromeliads and Epiphytic cacti were okay to include in the swap, for those who had few Hoya but wanted to participate. Why not do that again?
Thoughts?
I'd have an interest in a swap like this too but have a couple of questions. My Hoyas large enough to take cuttings from are the common carnosa clan with maybe a pubicalyx noid. I do have a few Rhipsalis I could share cuttings from and one Dischidia, and a couple of common Epiphyllums if those would be ok? If not, I will wait until maybe a trade next year when I would have more Hoya's to swap.
One question in particular ... is this a U.S. swap only? There could be possible problems and fines shipping across the border and I don't feel comfortable going against those regulations. I don't mean to sound like an old fogey, but I kinda am old, and set in my ways. ^_^
I feel the same way as PLL...I can't ship internationally...and I would love to take part in the Swap! I think that it is the generosity and thoughfulness....not necessarily the number of new and exotic hoyas. Any hoyas I get are always welcome...and if I have them already, they are fun to grow out and see if they might not be different...and gifts for friends are always useful...especially here. It is called Omiyagi...a gift to take. Even going to a friends home I take something...
Great, Mark!!!!
Carol
I think Epi cactus and other epiphytes (bromeliads, orchids) would be fine. Some Canadians are participating, but I could make sure that those people uncomfortable with sending across the US/Canada border have swap partners in their own country.
And remember, common Hoya are just fine. I, for example, don't have any of the plants commonly sold by EA except linearis, and I would be glad to get cuttings of any of them.
I say lets get this party started ! I love swaps !
And just would like to ask - if we grow ONLY hoya, can
we specify that ? I don't have space for anything else,
and wouldn't know what to do with it anyways !
I'm in! Woo Hoo!
Kelly
I love to share!!
Joni
Mark,
I agree with you a 100%.
Thank you.
Lourdes
Ok, I'm in! And, I love any and all kinds of plants as long as they don't have thorns! So ... I'm willing to accept cuttings of non fancy hoyas, or whatever anyone has to share!
... as paulahawaii said ~ ~ ~ "Let's Get This Party Started!" ~ ~ ~
Lin
Wait...I don't have anything to wear..... OH, i can go in my pjs!!!
LOL, Carol. One of those "Come as you are" parties! I'll vote for PJ's!
Paula, I guess the swap wouldn't be STRICTLY random- I can accommodate those who only want Hoya, those who don't want to ship across national borders, and anything else within reason that comes up.
Hey ya Mark ... when is the swap going to take place? Will you be d-mailing/e-mailing us with the name and address of who we are sending to? I can't wait ... already making a list of stuff to send to my swap buddy!
Maybe in June? What does everyone think about that?
Sounds great to me ... June is just around the corner!
Sorry to sound finnicky or picky - its just that the ONLY plants I grow are Hoya.
I wouldn't know what to do with something else.... Hope that doesn't cause
any trouble ?!?
June sounds great to me too !
Thanks again Mark...
Not at all, Paula. They're all I grow too, except for one white Thai hybrid crown of thorns.
June sounds good if it's late mid to late June...vacation the early part of...
I'd like to join in on this, but need to see if I have enough hoyas large enough to take cuttings from.
I'll be on vacation the week prior to Father's Day (6-13 thru 6-21-09), so I could participate right after the 21st of June.
If you wanted to start the swap earlier, I can wait until the next time one of these swaps takes place.
If I participate, I'd like to ship just within the USA, also
Thanks,
Mike
(edited to add shipping preference)
This message was edited May 14, 2009 10:22 AM
Any time is good for me, I rather ship within U.S.
Thank you Mark!
Some of my Hoyas have a sticky coating on the leaves and some cactus below them have a sticky coating on them. I thought I saw some tiny bugs on the stems. Is it aphids. soap & water? helllllpppp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It could be aphids, mealy bugs or scale. All three of these insects produce a sticky byproduct from eating the plant sap. Aphids are the easiest to treat. Mealy bugs and scale are a tossup since both are quite difficult to control.
I use a 50/50 mix of 70% rubbing alcohol and water with a couple of teaspoons of Ivory or Dove dish soap added to 32 oz of the mixture. This mixture will kill both the aphids and mealies, but won't really touch the scale. Depending on the type of scale, scale is brown-ish bumps that will be attached to the stems and leaves of the plant. (pray it's just aphids!) (:o)
Good luck,
Mike
Mike, Thank you so much. I'll give it a try. Wouldn't you know it would happen after I put several together in a large pot. !
Paula: You don't sound finicky or picky at all! A lot of folks have one type of plant that they love and grow and don't have room for anything else. LOL, I keep saying I need to get rid of a lot of the plants I have and just concentrate on one type, but then I see something else that catches my eye and I just have to get it! I do have a lot of space to grow, hmm ... if I got rid of the hundreds of generic house plants I'd have lots of room for LOTS of Hoya's! ^_^
Mark: How will the swap work? Are we supposed to let the person whose name we get, know they should expect a package from us? I think it would be fun to find out who got your name when the package arrives! As for those who are going to be away at some point in June/July - if you could post a list of names, and make a notation next to each person's name as to when they will be gone, we could look for whose name we got and ship accordingly. I'm not going anywhere this summer so any ship time is good for me.
I hope we aren't making things more complicated for you. I appreciate all you are doing in getting this swap up and running, I know it will be fun.
Here's how it will work:
Names will be randomly selected for each person to send to. I'll look over these names to make sure no one's sending/receiving preferences are thwarted.
The person you send to will not be the person who sends to you. it will work like a "Secret Santa" gift exchange. You won't know who is sending you a package until you receive it in the mail and see the return address.
Hoya are preferred, epiphytic cati, bromeliads, and other epiphytic plants that will grow in the same general conditions are acceptable. Each package should contain three or four (at least) generous sized cuttings (over three nodes for large-leaved species, at least eight nodes for very small-leaved species).
Hoya of any sort are welcome, regardless of being relatively common or exotic.
Those who wish to participate should send me a D-mail with their mailing address, proper name, and any shipping/receiving preferences.
How about June 1st for a shipping date?
June 1 sounds great! Sending you d-mail with my info.
I'm in, and June 1 works great for me!
Doug
I'm in too. I've sent you an emal Mark. Can't wait for it to start.
We have about twenty participants so far, and probably will have a few more sign up before June 1st, so we're off to a good start.
I haven't responded to all of the private emails yet, but I will save them and look over any special requests before the beginning of the swap.
If you haven't sent your data in, send it to me in a D-mail when you have a chance.
Mark
Sounds wonderful to me! I love Hoya swaps.
Count me in, Mark!
Mel
I would love to join except I don't have any plants to trade. I have 2 hoya but don't know which variety. 1 is a small plant which tried to bloom once but the blooms fell off & it never tried again. the other is 2 rooted leaves in a pot that have been in there for 5 years and never done anything. They both came from a cutting my mom took 35 years ago from my grandmother's plant in Germany. Just wanted to say that if any of you who have an abundance of plants that you would like to share, I would love to try some different ones. Maybe I can participate in a swap like this next year.
Shelly
I would bet anything that your hoya is Hoya carnosa!!! It is the 'grandmother's hoya' 99.9% of the time.
I am super excited for this Swap...time for some new babies!!
Thanks so much for arranging this Mark.
Gabi
Am I understanding this correctly--I will send only one envelope with 4 cuttings only once and receive the same? I only have 2 hoyas, can I send 2 of each variety?
cactuspatch: I'm not sure about shipping in an envelope, I usually use boxes to ship plants unless it's seeds. Envelope's are good for shipping seeds but with plant cuttings I'd think they would be squished going through the postage machines. I hope others will chime in on this.
I think you are understanding correctly that we send at 3 to 4 cuttings (minimum) to the person who's name you will receive, and you will receive at least that amount from whoever gets your name (it won't be the same person who sends to you.)
For newbies, I hope someone will again explain the length of cuttings that should be sent, I can't remember if it is 4 node cuttings, or six? I can't find the post where I read about that.
Thanks, I was typing and not thinking again--I meant a box not envelope! Of course that would be a bit safer way to send fragile cuttings. Would sending 2 cuttings of 2 different types of hoya be fine since that is all I have?
Lin,
This is Mark's post #6548808 It explains how swap works and the length of the cuttings, etc.
"Here's how it will work:
Names will be randomly selected for each person to send to. I'll look over these names to make sure no one's sending/receiving preferences are thwarted.
The person you send to will not be the person who sends to you. it will work like a "Secret Santa" gift exchange. You won't know who is sending you a package until you receive it in the mail and see the return address.
Hoya are preferred, epiphytic cati, bromeliads, and other epiphytic plants that will grow in the same general conditions are acceptable. Each package should contain three or four (at least) generous sized cuttings (over three nodes for large-leaved species, at least eight nodes for very small-leaved species).
Hoya of any sort are welcome, regardless of being relatively common or exotic.
Those who wish to participate should send me a D-mail with their mailing address, proper name, and any shipping/receiving preferences."
Lourdes