Great job mersie...Congrats! Do you know how to root Gardenia cuttings? Or is it even possible? thanks...

Ha ha ha, Puglvr, that's really funny! :D

Gardenias, tee hee!! HA HA HA!! ;D I'd be amazed if I could do that trick, hee hee! Hmm, maybe I should try, I mean what's the worst it can do...right? Probably tease me by putting out a new leaf and then when I transplant it to a new pot, it'll burst into flames. :D

Okay, that's what I'm going to do tomorrow, as a diabolical science experiment. :) I'll let ya know what happens! So far I have 2 belmonts, the first one I cut down to the nubs, since it has thrips, if they come back I'm going to have to use that malathion :( yuck that I have, the second one they sent had thrips too (yikes!) so I'm trying to keep the thrips off of that. I'll take pics too so we can see how quickly they all die. ;)

Maybe I should start taking bets! Not sure what the 'winner' would get...hmm...maybe a dead gardenia cutting?

Mersie...You are tooo FUNNY!! Yes, please let me know if you have any luck rooting Gard. cuttings, I put a couple of cuttings in turface/water and the cuttings died after a week or so. Apparently I don't know how to it right. I guess I better stick to rooted, potted plants. I have a little better luck with those, LOL.

Keep us posted, and please post some pics...

Hi puglvr,

Why not air-layer your gardenias instead? You just strip off the bark of a mature stem around a bud 'eye' (removing the leaf in the process), cover it with moist peat moss and transparent plastic and just wait for 3-4 weeks until you see roots emerging. By then, you can cut off the airlayered stem below the rooted portion, remove the plastic cover and plant the rooted cutting in a small pot in part sun/shade until the plant establishes itself.

Rooting a gardenia from a plain cutting is much like rooting a rose. Success rate is usually low for immature/thin cuttings but is very good for larger stems with 2 or more bud 'eyes'. Also, the 'freshness' of the cutting can affect survival rate as cuttings not immediately attended to may no longer be viable.

To root a gardenia, you strip off the bark from a sufficiently mature stem cutting about 5-6 inches long, making sure the stripped portion has at least 2 bud 'eyes' on it. A bud 'eye' can either develop into a leaf bud above the soil, or roots, if placed under the soil. They are found in between the leaf axils.

Leave off 3-4 leaves on the cutting and cut of the rest of the leaves or any flower/bud and plant the cutting in good moist soil with the stripped portion containing the 2 or more bud 'eyes' placed under the soil. Be sure to compress the soil to ensure good soil-stem contact. Protect the cutting from wind or anything that loosens the soil contact around the stem. Place the plant in partial sun/shade in an area with good humidity (to prevent leaf drying).

You can also root the cutting in plain water but better results are obtained with good potting soil or soil mixes that don't become soggy (which may 'rot' the cutting).
Also, the stripping should only remove the soft thin outer bark and not include the hard woody tissue inside the stem.

Here's another method to root cuttings (with photos):

Growing Roses from Cuttings. This method for roses also applies to gardenias and other woody cuttings. Most likely, you'll have higher success rates with a 'gardenia' cutting than a 'rose' cutting using this method.

Hope this helps.

tropical

Hi tropical,

Thank you so much for the very vivid and thorough explanation of how to root/air layer gardenias...If I ever decide to try it again, I will try the methods you recommend. It seems a little more complicated than I thought(not impossible) but was hoping it was just a matter of cutting a stem and rooting, like a Hoya? For now I will just stick with my few established gardenias. I guess I really don't need anymore, just thought it would be intereting to see if I can do it.

By the way, a little off topic...do you have the
Hoya sp. Square available in the Philippines? Boy that is one hoya I would love to find...Thanks!

Thanks again for posting...I'm sure others here will get much use out of it also.

Air-layer Pug's Gardenia???? What??? lol.
Hey Merci, great job. Did you wrap plastic around the cuttings??? Try it w/an azalea, denia and citrus..they will root. I've done it before, but killed the azalea when I tried grafting it to rootstock..lol..forget grafting. It's too complicated.
But try rooting as an experiment..hey, I never use Root-Tone either. Bah humbug..lol.
Congrats again, Toni

Hi puglvr,

It's rare to find hoyas in nurseries here as they are not very common houseplants here. (I don't know if the hoya you are looking for is available here.) The most common and popular houseplants here are 'gumamela' (hibiscus species), 'santan' (ixora species), bougainvillea, yellow bells, 'sampaguita' (jasminum sambac), euphorbia milii, periwinkle (catharanthus roseus), 'white angel' (wrightia antidysenterica) , sanseveria, canna, adenium, dracaena, palms, caladium, coleus and many other foliage plants.

Gardenias (locally called 'rosal') are not as common here despite their being easy to grow in a tropical climate with high humidity.

Plumerias are also very popular here especially in churches and school yards but few people grow them in their backyards because the trees can get huge and the flowers (especially the white varieties) are usually considered here as 'funeral' flowers, much like lilies, chrysanthemums and gardenias are also being associated with funerals in other cultures. (White flowers with strong, heavy fragrances like gardenias, plumerias and lilies are usually associated with the dead in many cultures and are hence, considered 'casket' flowers in those cultures.)

By the way, Toni, all gardenias in my garden were originally sold as small air-layered cuttings with the stem only about 4-6mm thick. Puglvr could indeed try the method on her gardenias next time.

tropical

Toni, I have to agree that air layering plants seems very complicated and intimidating to me...Maybe one day "If" I get enough confidence I will try it, but for now I guess I will leave it to the pros, LOL...

Tropical,

Appreciate the info on the native flowers. I was born in the Philippines, my Dad was in the Service, but moved to Guam when I was only 10 yrs old...I can see that about certain flowers being associated with certain things. I do remember some people with strong superstitious beliefs, I found this to be true in Guam also.

It's such a shame about the Hoyas, not being offered readily in your local nurseries...I have read that several varieties are native to the PI. It has such beautiful blooms, very unusual. I just recently started my Hoya addiction...Thanks again,

Mersie, hope you don't mind your post being hi-jacked, LOL

Here is a picture of my Hoya Krimson Princess in Bloom...
{{gwi:808415}}

Puglvr,

Your hoya is gorgeous! But alas, it seems difficult to find one around here in the local nurseries. It's ironic because many and in fact, the most expensive hoya species are endemic/native here (usually at high elevations in the tropical rainforests).
Here is a bit of research I did...
"According to Dr. Siar, the top five most expensive Hoyas today are H. imperialis ($25-75), H. paziae ($15-20), H. bicolor ($12-25), H. buotii ($12-25), and H. siariae ($12-25). All of them are native to the Philippines."
Source: http://www.bar.gov.ph/bardigest/2007/janmar07_default.asp

I also did quite of a research too why they are not as available here (when they should be). Here is what I found out after scouring through lots of false 'de la Hoya vs. Pacquiao' hits:
"In the Philippines, hoyas can be found all over the islands at all altitudes. As early as 1837, Philippine Hoyas was mentioned in the publication of Flora de las Islas Filipinas. To date there are 51 species which have been identified. It is sad to say however, that most of these species are in private collections especially those avid hoya enthusiast most of whom are foreigners."
Source: http://maidon.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=927&Itemid=674

There you have it. Most locals probably can't afford their high prices. Also, their native habitat (mostly higher elevations and hence, lower/colder temperatures) probably make them 'finicky' to raise as garden plants in the mostly low-lying cities and municipalities here where the coldest temperatures are usually higher than 72F. Also, many endemic hoyas here are listed as 'endangered species' so all the more difficult for ordinary locals to afford them and hence, most nurseries don't carry them.

Oops I think we've talked so much about hoyas already.
Mersie, I hope you don't mind Puglvr and I transforming your gardenia rooting thread into hoya discussion.

Anyway, do update us on your 'rooting' attempts and your 'love-hate', 'manic-depressive' relationship with your gardenias. :)

Cheers!

tropical

LOL! Nah, I don't mind, ha ha! On the topic of hoyas, coincidentally when I worked in an office, there was a hoya that was on the windowsill, no one knew what it was, but I found out online (here I think). It would bloom every once in awhile, but it was just like the hoya in the above picture.

Strangely enough, my uncle and aunt just moved to the island of Cebu, in the Phillipines, his wife is from there originally.

Mersie,

Thanks so much for letting us take over your posts...that's very nice of you. Mersie, go back and get that Hoya from your old office...tell them its yours and you forgot to get it, LOL

Tropical,

Thanks for the nice compliment on my Hoya...

How sad that the hoyas aren't more available there. Explains why none of my sisters and in-laws who also lived there for many years have ever heard of it...Funny thing is most of them supposedly root very easily by propagating a small stem with at least just two nodes...One can buy a plant and cut them and sell a bunch of them once they root. Oh well. I really am very interested in these plants. There are so many different varieties out there, one will never run out if you bought a different one every week, LOL! Well maybe you can find one somewhere, maybe someone out there has a small private collection that might share?

Thanks for all your research/information!

Hi Puglvr! :D Actually Logees sells some varieties of hoyas. Byron called me back and said that they had an outbreak of thrips..but at least they don't attack hoyas...just gardenias! :(

I have to reinstall my digital cam software, but I'll be posting pics of the gardenia mad science experiment...I also cut some sticks off the one 'denia, so we'll see how fast they die. I give them...oh two weeks.

Mersie,

Looking forward to more pics of the experimental gardenia...as always I wish you the best of Luck!! I have faith in you.

Oh well Mersiepoo, can you help me then? I am having trouble rooting hydrangeas.

I love my neighborÂs huge sky-blue hydrangea. So I went over and cut 2 long-green branches in mid-August. The two branches did not flower this spring. I know because the others are still having flowers on top and bent toward the ground.

I stuck them into a pot each and placed them in an empty fish tank. I place them indoor in east window. At some point, I was lost, so I actually watered both pot without realizing what I was doing. The consequence is one of the stems appears black on the outside. I pulled it out, it is still firm. I can still see 2 green knots with leaf-buds in-between the black rotting tissues.

It is already 1.5 months now. I pulled them out today. There is no root at all. What can I do?

Hi Pug,

There is currently an on-going 'ORNAMENTALS and FRUIT TREES' festival/show here in the lobby of our biggest mall (SM City, Cebu Mall). The plant show/festival is going to last until mid-October 2008. Maybe a similar event is on-going in other SM City Mall branches particularly in Manila area (where you may have relatives nearby).

It's a plant lover's paradise where plant sellers small and big (and a few from Manila) converge and sell their plants in one venue.

Lots of plants for sale:
- Assorted orchids (vandas, cattleyas, dendrobiums, oncidiums, aerides, mokaras, etc.)
- Assorted ornamentals (cacti, ardisias, dracaenas, coleus, bromeliads, fortune plants, assorted palms, etc.)
- Assorted tropical fruit trees (grafted and non-grafted mangos, chestnuts, cashews, jackfruit, assorted citrus, bananas, assorted coconuts, water apple, durian, seedless/regular lansium/lanzones, mangosteen, Syzygium Cumini/duhat/lomboy, etc.)
- Assorted flowering plants (roses, catharanthus roseus, euphorbia milii, assorted hydrangeas [pink, blue, lavender etc.], assorted hibiscus, gardenias [plain and variegated], michelia albas, assorted ixoras, hoyas, cactus, etc.

Guess what? Despite the plant diversity available in the venue, there were only 2 varieties of hoya plants for sale! One has variegated leaves and the other one has plain green leaves. Both are not in flower yet and the seller can't remember their flower's colors. (The plants look different to your hoya photo so I assume the flowers could be different to your hoya.)

Anyway, I asked the seller if she has some more hoya varieties for sale aside from the two on display. She replied only the 'more common' hoyas are sold. The rest are 'treasured' plants of hoya collectors which the hoya owners themselves don't sell or give freely. (It's like, "Hey! I'm the only one here with this RARE SPECIE/VARIETY of hoya!" mentality.) Probably the hoya collectors also don't want their priced hoya collection to become commonplace through extensive cloning and propagation. (An ornamental or flowering plant loses its 'collector's appeal' once it becomes overused in landscapes or becomes commonplace and easily available.)

Mersie,

Tell your uncle and aunt who migrated to Cebu to visit 'SM City, Cebu'. Gardenias are very cheap here so you can kill as many as you want... :) hehehe! (just kidding!) Also, maybe they can buy those blue hydrangeas for snasxs. They are also quite cheap here, about 100 pesos (USD$2.00 per mature flowering plant).

Cheers!

:) tropical

Hey tropical,

I have some relatives that live there, and a Brother that goes back a couple of times a year. But the chances of him bringing any plants in the US would be impossible( and against Ag laws)**sigh** But thanks for the heads up anyways.

I can understand where the collectors keep it for themselves so they can keep it "rare", but there are many that are not so rare, that should be more available, for any gardener to enjoy. IMHO

Thanks for the post

Hi Puglvr! Thank you for the encouragement!! :D I didn't know you had relatives in the Philippines, my uncle and his wife just moved to Cebu, where she is originally from. Small world, lol! Thank you for your kind words, I got the software loaded again so I got pictures of the science experiment.

Hi Snasxs! Well, the only thing I can suggest (and take this with a grain of salt because I have no idea why my plants survived and rooted) is that maybe the stem was too long, or maybe you should have taken it off a stem that flowered, or both? I don't know..just a suggestion.

I stuck my plant stems in a dirt filled seedling pack (see pictures) and partially covered them with a plastic bag and kept it out of the direct sun. I'd mist them with water every few days or so. I doubt the gardenia sticks will live, I just can't imagine THAT happening, ha ha!

Hi Tropical! LOL! Yeah, it'd be great if they could send plants here, ha ha! :D They may already know about SM Cebu, but I'll let them know anyway. My aunt has family that lives on Cebu, they're operating a pig farm there, and my aunt and uncle are going to manage it. I'd love to visit them, but our finances aren't really up for local travel, let alone international, ha ha! Maybe they can send me pictures of the plants they have, that would be awesome too. :)

Okay, here are the pictures of my experiment..the one is cut to the nubs, and the other isn't. They both had thrips. I'm taking bets on how long ANY of them will live, lol!

This is my 'rooting' experiment, the two tiny gardenia cuttings are on the bottom right (the bigger nicer cuttings are a wolfberry (goji) the other is a maid of orleans jasmine.

Mersie, those plants look great...you go girl!! Keep up the great job, and please keep us posted. I tried to root mine in water, hoping it would root, but instead rotted **sigh**

You're so right it is a small world. Take care!

Thanks Puglvr!

Oh and guess what..those thrips that were on that belmont..I had to bring it inside because of the cold weather..and now those things are on my wolfberry cuttings. I'm Not a happy camper about this. :(

Mersipoo..you know what? You don't give yourself enough credit. So far, every plant you've posted, cuttings, too, are doing fantastic.
How many ppl do you know who can root denia cuttings, successfully? Not many. Perhaps you're superstitious..lol..think negative, and plants do well. Be optimistic, they die. Also, if one thinks negative and a plant kicks the bucket, 'becuase it was expected,' the plants death isn't taken as bad.
Dr. Toni, analizing Merci. Your bill will be in the mail. lol

Tropical, where did those hoya prices derive? Is that the cost where you live or do you mean in general.
25 for an Imperilous. Wow. I paid 5.99 @ Peppers/Accents.
Tropical, when you have time, go to www.gardenwatchdog.com Click on your country, then type in Hoyas. You never know what you'll find.

Pug, Is your hoya, H. carnosa picta 'variegata?' Found mine on Ebay. Your flowers are gorgeous and there are sooo many. Are they fragrant? How many hoyas do you now have?
I haven't any luck rooting hoyas, but a friend roots hers in water. After rooting, they're potted in soil, and voia!

Air layering isn't difficult. The best way to experiment is by air layering a common, non-expensive plant, like Dracanea, Janet Craig. Slit diaganally, place 2 toothpicks in cut, mist, wrap moist sphagnum moss around cut, remist, wrap with plastic and ti ends of plastic. Every 3-4 days check moss for moisture. If dry, spray more water. Roots will emerge. After they're 4"+, cut area with a sharp knife, and pot in soil. You'll get two plants out of one. The bottom have should regrow.

Pug, denias, hibs, citrus and azaleas won't root in water..they require soil or soil-less mix. Plastic wrapped.

Tropical, if there's one plant I won't take cuttings from, it's Hoya.. If a 'flowering stem' is cut, it will not flower. I don't know a flowering stem from a foliage stem, so none are cut.
I have a Crinkly hoya, bought in the mid-90's. It'd used to bloom 4-5 times a year. I've taken cuttings a number of times, for friends..it's been more than 4 yrs since flowering. Never again.

Merci, keep us posted...Are you going to graft? Toni

Hey Toni,

Yes My Hoya on that pic is Hoya Carnosa Krimson Princess...according to the label from Exotic Angel, bought it at Home Depot/Lowe's? one of them...I have several plants and few cuttings that have rooted. But only three of them have bloomed so far. One of them smells wonderful!! To me the smell reminds me a little bit of Gardenia or Jasmine. Most of my Hoyas are grown outside, few are inside(smaller ones)The pic above doesn't have as much smell as the other smaller variety. Sorry to hear that your Crinkly Hoya hasn't bloomed in a while. I wonder why? I'm sure you've done everything you can think of, knowing you... You know if we can figure out why our plants do what they do, we would be mind readers, and we would be rich, LOL...

Mersie, is doing so well rooting those plants...I gave up. I will stick to plants with roots, its funny I have much better luck rooting Hoyas, so I will stick with those for now...yes Mersie, Please keep us posted!!

Pug..as I mentioned, I've read, pruning hoyas can halt/stop flowering..I don't know the difference between a flowering or regular stem, so when I gave away cuttings, it's quite possible they were flowering stems..it was so dumb. Each cutting were taken from different branches. Since then, it hasn't flowered. All other large hoyas bloom, all are in the same window, west, all get fertilized the same time.

Here's a few pics of my hoyas, some nameless. lol

I dont have a pic of the Crinkly..I would love finding the little Hoya with green and silver leaves.. If anyone knows of a nursery, will you please let me know? Thanks, Toni

Toni,

Your Hoyas are GORGEOUS!! I just LOVE the blooms!! What is the name of the Hoya of the very first bloom picture? That is so pretty!! You have a nice little collection there. The only advise I can give you is when you get a bloom there is that little piece where the bloom hangs from, it is called
either a "peduncle" or "umbel", do NOT cut this or trim it. The blooms are supposed to bloom from this same Peduncle/Umbel over and over again...
These are my guesses to your hoyas...
1. Hindu Rope...Carnosa Compacta
2. Multiflora...Shooting Stars
3. Kerri Sweetheart
4. Var. Kerri
5. Pubicalyx...Maybe a Pink Silver?
5. Carnosa Krimson Princess

By the way I found this today on my Hoya Kentiana , it is my very first bloom since my daugter gave it to me in April, actually she gave me a gift card from H. Depot and that's what I bought...It is a tiny little bloom but so adorable and the color is my fav...I was so excited to find it I forgot to see if it had any scent, LOL...I will check it tomorrow!

Thanks for posting those beautiful pictures!

{{gwi:808437}}
Here is the plant
{{gwi:808440}}

Toni, I forgot to ask you which Hoya are you looking for? Do you know the name of the hoya or are you looking for it but don't know the name? Could it be Hoya Speckled Lacunosa? Do a search and see if that is what you are looking for...if not Can you give a better description of it? Maybe I help you find a nursery that has it...let me know

Hi Toni! You are such a sweetie! Thank you and Puglvr for the encouragement! :) I think the gardenia cuttings are croaking however..I don't think I watered them enough, ha ha! I didn't check on them for a few days..erg. Oh well!

I'll be waiting for your bill Dr. Toni..hee hee! Hope you don't mind a check....it'll be in the mail. :D

Well, (whispering) so far the belmont is still alive and kicking..shh...don't tell him I typed that! I just hope he's not a mind reader....better start thinking of the song lyrics to MacArthur Park...doo doo doo de do do do do do.....and I'll never have that recipe againnnnn...oh Nooooooo...okay, that cleared my mind.

Not sure if you want to buy anything from Logees or not Toni (if you do ask them if they got rid of their thrip problem!)...but they have a variegated heart leaf hoya for sale: http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=R1620-2

Here's one with neat flowers and variegated leaves:
http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=R1343-2

Not sure if that is what you are looking for though.

I doubt I'll graft..I'm too much of a plant killer at heart for that, heh heh! :)

I also found out that wolfberries root very easily. Not sure if that is the case also for jasmine too. Now if I could find a good place to sell these plants, I'd be rich, ha ha!

I've taken to daily inspections of the leaves for thrips, I hope that it will get rid of the infestation! I did that last winter with aphids and it eventually worked. Lucky for me I have fairly good close up vision.

I'll post pics in a few days. Those are awesome pictures of hoyas btw! :D