Hoyas root fairly easy just in soil and on a windowsill. However, I will add that I like a little better "odds" when I'm getting cuttings that I'm buying (as opposed to trading) and that are coming from far away (which puts more stress on them.) I've gotten the impression that the folks here have had very good success with David's cutings, so I'm participating this year for the first time. I was hesitant because I bought cuttings last year from two different sources - the two I got from one souce came to me very dehydrated and neither made it. I had about 75% of the larger order from another vendor make it. But at what I spent, it made me "gunshy" to try again...

So, I contacted David Liddle and he was kind enough to give me good advice on setting up an aquarium in which to root Hoyas. I spent about $75 all together, but I figure I'm constantly rooting Hoyas to sell in the fall at our local C&S club auction anyway, so I'll get my money's worth out of it... So this is what David told me to do:

An inexpensive propagator can be made with a fish tank. Surround it with polystyrene foam sheet, fill it to about four inches with water, put in a submersible fish tank heater to warm the water and create humidity, place a grid above the water for your pots. Place a cover with plant lights on top and away you go. It is basically a fish tank as used for tropical amphibians. Don't buy plant products buy fish and amphibia products as these are more accurate and usually of better quality. The size of the tank will be your choice but second hand fish tanks or suitable plastic tubs can be used for the container. Insulation and light are very important in this sort of system.

Right now, I've got one regular incandescent bulb in mine and one flourescent, because I haven't been able to find a grow bulb in the right size. Also, I lined mine with aluminum foil instead of insulation because I figured the foil would reflect both the light and heat, and it's not like I'm keeping it in a cold room... As for the grid - that was a little bit of a challenge. I ended up getting one of those eggcrate-type diffusers you put in drop ceiling light fixtures. It was a 4x8 sheet that I had to cut down to the size I need. I figure you can get 3 more out of the sheet, which made it pricey (it was $18), but I'll probably be able to sell the others to people in my plant club eventually and recoup some of that. And I used 4 smallish clay pots in the corners to hold the grid above the water.

HTH!

Denise in Omaha

Take a look at the Stemma journals especially the issue on rooting Hoyas, there is lots of good information. I have tried a few methods and I am convinced that the above mentioned rooting chamber is the best and certainly the fastest way to root cuttings.

Mike

Anyways I am going to try and order a few hoyas and see how it goes. And thanks again - I'll definitely give that a try!
Heres a photo of my av babies (I hope its ok to put a few photos on here that are not hoyos?)

These are a few of my avs grown up

And this was my stephanotis in flower last year

By the way, Stephanotis are cousins of Hoyas (both in the larger family of Asclepiads) if you didn't already know that. Maybe we can talk swap in Spring, some Steph cuttings for Hoya cuttings? ;>)

I'm guessing photos of AVs are OK here 'cause you folks are discussing propagation set-ups; rather than Hoyas or AVs per se.

Wow, lovely AVs you got -- I can grow 'em & prop them but not bloom 'em. Nice set up too!

You've gotten good advice here, I don't use set-ups, just water or soil propping for my Hoyas. But folks who've written here know what they're talking abt. I've swapped Hoyas w/ Denise for a couple of yrs. now, she knows her stuff & grows GREAT Hoyas.

Welcome & good luck, we're a nice & pretty friendly bunch w/ lots of folks who are happy to help & really know their stuff!

And this is now - (getting a little over grown & kinda lopsided lol)

This is my stephanotis plant started by seed (seeds from Park seeds)

And this is the seedling now

I like the way you have the African violet in the tea cup, is it just a regular tea cup or are there holes for drainage? I had often thought that some of the smaller Hoyas would look nice in a tea cup pot.

Mike

Since you really do seem to have blooming these guys down pat:

What kind of fetilizer do you give them?

Are you fertilizing weakly weekly, or on some ther schedule?

What exposure are these in?

All so pretty!!

Thanks!

Gabi

Mike

I like to go to garage sales or Goodwill and find things I can turn into pots. I've gotten pretty good with my drill to make holes - although sometimes, it takes some time and patience to get through, for example, ceramics. I have an oriental teapot that's one of my favorites. I just lost the plant I'd had in it for years (a Begonia) and look forward to putting one of my Hoyas in it.

Denise in Omaha

Mike

I've got a beautiful quartet of identical pretty little ceramic pots which I'd love to drill for smaller Hoyas, but don't know anyone w/ a drill. :(

Denise in Omaha

Please feel at ease here w/ us. No question is stupid & we do remember that we were all newbies once.

We welcome all questions & actually I've never heard this one, but it's quite a good one as Hoyas come in quite variable sizes, from small to large; from compact to sprawling.

Lacunosa or bella are smaller leaved & stay fairly compact. Australis is larger & climbing, sprawling. Pubicalyx(es) are medium sized leaves on quite long, often bare vines which like to entwine on or with anything they can attach themselves to, including each other.

I grow indoors only, so I tend to avoid the big ones but they definately exist, I just don't know them personally (MacGillivraii, Loyceandrewsiana & maybe Lauterbachii, these spellings are rough).

Accepted practice for Hoya cuttings is generally a 2 node cutting, each node having at least 1 or 2 leaves (nodes being the joint from which the leaves emerge).

It CAN be done w/ 1 node & a single leaf, but I'd suggest that's not for the beginner.

Do come back w/ any questions you wish, there's usually somebody around to address them.

David Liddle told me that you should root the whole cutting first, then you can take cuttings after it's established. That's how I usually do mine anyway, but since the expert suggested it, it's how I will always do it in the future!

Denise in Omaha

I'm always tempted to subdivide them & try multiple techniques if the cuttings are big enough.

Recently Cena had give me some Australis, big sprawling cuttings from that large plant she'd show here, done a big repot & shared.

So I tried them each in different setting, different mix or different light. One a shallow potting, one a deep potting based on the individual branches. Added bonus, there was a Pubicalyx cutting inadvertently mixed in!

Karen

So I would say it depends on how big the cutting is....if it's very long, I'd cut it at least in half and root both cuttings - that way, more energy can be put into root growth and you now have 2 cuttings in case one doesn't make it...and also a fuller pot.

Gabi

It's possible for some Hoyas to survive in water only for quite some time. But they really need nutrients to thrive. I would consider semi-hydro for your water-grown Hoya. It would probably be the best alternative with well established water roots. Google "hydroton" to get details. I've got one Hoya growing this way (with a few others I've started...) I'm very impressed so far!

Denise in Omaha

Denise,
Kelly talked about how well her plants did in hydoton. Since the mold in the soil of houseplants some times bothers me, I have been switching everything over. The biggest problem I've found is finding hanging baskets and pots that don't have drain holes. I've been using self watering baskets, but that limits how much water can be added. I think soil can hold more water for a longer period of time, which can be good or bad, depending.

Sande

That's been a limitation that I've been thinking about, too. The vast majority of my Hoyas are hanging plants. I've concluded probably the only way to convert hanging plants to hydroton would be to use a ceramic cache pot with no holes and the hydroton inner pot inside of it. Which means you'd have to use the knotted or macrame hangers, which some people don't like. (I, personally, do like them if they're not some gross color...)

Now, someone needs to manufacture hanging pots for hydroton!

Denise in Omaha

Here is a photo of the roots from one of the cuttings I recently got from David Liddle, the roots develop all along the stem and these ones just happened to be close to the glass at the top of the aquarium and they took hold. The root systems of the cuttings are quite impressive and after about a month the plants are very well established and often have new growth.

Mike

Mike

Kelly

Mike

Mike