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klyde_gw

kind of embarassed to ask this...

klyde
12 years ago

Hi all

So here's the thing. I grow smaller hoyas that don't trail a whole lot. Then a generous lad sent me a chunk of buotii (thank goodness, as the others from Florida up and died). It's doing well and growing pretty darn rapidly. Looks like b is going to require some sort of staking, but I've no idea what to do.

I've seen them looped round and round with monstrous carnosas at local garden centres. I went looking for some kind of stakes, but nothing suitable. You see, I've just upped her pot to a 4 inch and there isn't much 'soil' there to sink a stake into.

I'd sure appreciate some ideas. My brain isn't working too well these days I'm afraid. My digestional system isn't working well, and I spend most days in pain - messes with my ability to be creative about staking...

I'd sure appreciate some thoughts :)

Kelly in Victoria

Comments (6)

  • mdahms1979
    12 years ago

    Kelly I grow the mother plant on a four foot tall bamboo hoop and it's a wild mess of growth. You could either look for a bamboo hoop or simply buy those thin bamboo stakes and then build a little ladder with sturdy string or cable ties to hold the cross supports. I have built a nice tower using this method and it has worked very well for another of my Hoyas.
    If you have any sturdy wire handy you can also make an extra long wore hanger for a plastic pot. By using two or three foot lengths of wire (or those dainty little chain hangers) to suspend the pot you can let the plant climb those.

    Remember that this Hoya likes lots of food so fertilize often or it will not bloom. Have any peduncles formed yet? The peduncles are quite thin in comparison to many other Hoyas and they form often on this Hoya but only seem to mature if there is enough nutrients to sustain the rapid growth of this plant.

    Mike

  • mitzicos
    12 years ago

    Kelly, I have the same problem as you, I looked everywhere to find bamboo stakes but did not find exactly what I was looking for, and here we have lots of bamboo.

    So I used the rashi and built a grade/grating, it was just perfect, it is very simple to do and the results was good at least for me!

  • monet_g
    12 years ago

    I find the problem with stakes in such a small pot makes the plant top heavy and it tips easily. I put the plant pot into a larger pot. Fill the outer pot with soil and put your stakes in it.

  • Laura_Carnosa
    12 years ago

    I use plastic coated dollar-store coat-hangers and shape them to a "U". A thin wire like the coat hanger isn't too hard to find space for. Good luck!

    *Apologies to anyone who thinks this a poor idea, I'm prone!*

  • greedygh0st
    12 years ago

    I just use the plastic coated bendable stakes. They come in various sizes, so you can make small hoops just big enough to prop up a start or medium hoops big enough to handle most Hoyas started from average cuttings for several-many years (depending on plant & your conditions). You just make the hoop broad enough that it sort of presses outward against the sides of the pot, keeping it in place no problem. I upgrade to the bamboo only after my plant has reached a quite large size.

    This does not solve the top heavy problem. I tend to just nest my plants tightly together in flats so they sort of support each other, and then move the flats carefully, but you can also use rocks in the bottom or put your pot inside a ceramic or terra cotta one.

    So sorry to hear you're not feeling so great... :(

  • klyde
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks everyone! No use re-inventing the wheel. Dandy ideas one and all.

    Thanks GG. Got GERD and gastritis. Messing with my Zen thing!

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