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aurorawa

The secret to successfully growing flagellata?

aurorawa
9 years ago

Okay, so for the past couple of weeks, it has been hectic here. The holidays, then the moving of plants into their new home, etc. In the midst of all the chaos, I had moved flagellata out of the humidity dome, along with all the other plants that were rooting (they have since rooted, so it's time to meet the "real world", lol). Well, um, I never put flagellata back in. Just noticed that it is out, in a NORMAL cell tray (kind of normal, it's the one with caudata and all the other humidity hungry hoya, so there is a humidity tray surrounding the cell tray). And here is what I saw (apologies in advance, the darn camera wanted to focus BEHIND what I was trying to focus on):

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See that (albeit, blurry) tip? THERE ARE NEW LEAVES GROWING!!!! :D

This thing has sat and done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING since I got it. When I took it out of the humidity dome, there was nothing but a node there. That was 3 days after Christmas. So, does this plant actually do better in open conditions, like caudata? Did I crack the flagellata "code"?

Comments (10)

  • aurorawa
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Okay, that photo is really bugging me! Here is a clear one!

  • greedygh0st
    9 years ago

    I think it's wonderful your flagellata is prospering!!! I don't think you can draw many conclusions from your experience, though, since time is a confound. It could be flagellata would have put out the leaves if left in the humidity chamber during that interval of time, simply because it was finally prepared to grow.

    My only flagellata died young, but after Rainforestman talked about his experiences growing very enthusiastic caudatas in a super high humidity environment (I especially love the story about the caudatas growing into the floor and the wooden bench) I moved half of mine into my best-performing aquarium. They do grow measurably faster there. The collections that remain outside the aquarium, with the other Hoyas also grow fine, though, at a slightly slower rate. I think this would be my finding with EVERY Hoya. I think they all grow better in high humidity lol, as long as the airflow in the space is also decent.

    The main thing I have experienced with caudata is that, in my non-intensive, open air conditions, every collection took over a year to really get its butt in gear. Oh, they'd grow a pair of leaves, but they didn't really exhibit steady growth until after they'd lived with me for quite a while. That makes me feel that it is just one of those Hoyas with a longer adjustment period, not necessarily a super slow or delicate nature.

  • greentoe357
    9 years ago

    GG makes a really good point in her first paragraph.

    In addition, check your light levels where the humidity dome was, vs. where it's growing now. Last spring when I took a bunch of my well-rooted cuttings out of the humidity dungeon (it was dark in there) into the open room and closer to lights, many of them reacted by growing noticeably more.

    To answer your question more directly, no, flagellata as well as other hoyas should not grow faster in lower humidity, assuming all other factors being equal. So, I agree with GG - your other factors are not being equal.

    But in any case, congrats on flagellata growth! Take what it's giving you. Mine committed suicide - never any roots, no growth at all, just slow desiccation. There were a few like that in that batch of cuttings. I'll try again though, so I'll be interested in any observations you and others can offer.

  • aurorawa
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I will take my assumption and throw it right out the window, then! However, since cranky flagellata has been doing so well where it currently is, I won't move it unless it starts pouting!

  • greentoe357
    9 years ago

    There is another thought that came to mind just now. Humidity can be very localized, and higher than you think it is. A lot of grouped plants act essentially as a powerful humidifier to each other (their wet mix does, and the plants's tissues themselves to a smaller degree).

    I've been watching some of my humidity-loving species for early signs that I need to put them into a humidity container, now that winter has started here for real, and so far so good. I attribute that entirely to them being in the middle of a tray, next to other trays full of plants. If they were even as far as inches from other plants, I believe they'd suffer more in my low humidity.

    So, maybe your flagellata IS getting enough humidity, depending on where it is?

  • aurorawa
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Maybe! It is in the middle of the carrying tray that has the caudatas and other humid-growing hoya. That tray also has the only humidity tray underneath it. I have a mixture of small pebble and coarse sand (same size) layering the bottom of the humidity tray. Filled with just enough water to cover all but top layer of pebbles. Hygrometer for the room I have them in now never goes below 40% (it is adjacent to the laundry room, so that helps. Plus, I do live in WA State, Puget Sound area - it is always raining here, except for late April - mid-Sept), so maybe that is enough?

  • greedygh0st
    9 years ago

    It's wonderful that you so easily have such good humidity measurements for your grow room, A. I think I read that for Hoyas 40% is the low end and 50-60% is more ideal. I fight hard to reach and maintain 40% myself and if I didn't run a humidifier constantly and keep water in the drainage trays, it would be more like 23-25%.

    I also agree very much with GT's points about the microclimates in groups of plants and considering the light level of the aquarium. And I agree with you that, if flagellata looks healthy you should leave it where it is. Even though we can't infer that it is doing better where it is, at least we can see it isn't doing badly!

    GT I had the same experience with flagellata. I received it and it seemed okay but instead of getting stronger, it just gradually declined. I'm not sure what the problem was. I think I'd like to try growing it from a cutting next. If it doesn't like change, it might do better being rooted on location.

  • greentoe357
    9 years ago

    GG, you reminded me - my flagellata came to me from Carol as a slightly rooted plant, actually, not a cutting. It was the only one in that batch that came rooted, in a small pot, with smaller grade growstone for the medium. The root ball was small, and on my watch has gotten even smaller by the time I threw it away. :-(

  • aurorawa
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Mine came rooted, from Joni. It just sat there until I moved it and forgot about it.

  • aurorawa
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Update: Flagellata has put out two leaves and is working on two more. What I meant by humidity is that it never drops BELOW 40%. It hovers usually at 65%, but it does drop occasionally. I really think having the washer and dryer in an attached room, my drain trays left to evaporate over the week (couple drops of peroxide keeps everything "fresh" in the trays) plus the humidity trays, has really helped. Also, the humidity dome it was in didn't have as much air circulation...maybe that plays a factor.
    Strangely, while flagellata and caudata 'gold' seem to be putting out leaves left and right, my caudata 'Tioman Island' seems to have stalled in it's growth. No decline, though. I'm pretty sure it is just sulking due to being moved.

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