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First time for me,,,
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Posted by okie_deb 6 OK. zip 737 (My Page) on Fri, Jun 26, 09 at 23:33
My serpens is in bloom for the first time!
I've had my plant for probably 8-9 years now. The only change was this year in Spring I put it outside on the north side of the deck while nights were still cool. I'd never put Hoya serpens outside for the summer before this year.
I've had lots of spurs form on it through the years and they would get pin point buds but they always blasted. This year with the change of putting it outside I was rewarded! So far I have 2 umbels open and lots of other spurs making buds.
I then got excited and started looking at the other Hoya's out on the deck and found Hoya linearis (west side of covered deck) is making hair thin spurs! They are still in the early stages but spurs none the less! I am wondering now if this Hoya will play with me for years like serpens did or go ahead and bloom in time. haha.
I have 2 Hoya pandurata's and both have a spur forming also. One is on my front porch and the other is inside the house.
Here in Oklahoma I've had temps over 100 all week so I'm surprised anything has strength enough to make spurs much less bloom.
The Hoya Gawd's are rewarding me and I'm not gripin'!,,,Debbie
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: First time for me,,,
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| First off Congratulations - and secondly what are spurs? |
RE: First time for me,,,
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Most here in the forum I think call them peduncles,,,I call them spurs. haha. I've been a member of this Hoya forum since it began and GW even longer and some habits are hard to break,,,me calling these spurs is one of my bad habits. When we were first learning about Hoya's we called them spurs but then learned the proper name. I stuck with the old name for some reason.
It's the stem that sticks off the vine that the buds/flowers form on. If someone can explain it better please do so she/he understands.,,,Debbie |
RE: First time for me,,,
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Debbie, congrats!! I've killed my serpens, they don't like being in Florida or me. I need to check my linearis to see if peduncles are forming, that will be exciting for sure.
Please post photos. Jan |
RE: First time for me,,,
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Fantastic, Debbie! I can't imagine having the patience to anticipating a plant to bloom for 8 years. You deserve to be blessed with many peduncles and blooms this year.
Sande |
RE: First time for me,,,
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| Hi there: Can any of you tell me how to care for serpens? I received my plant in the mail a couple of weeks ago (another two thumbs up for Tom at Pike Lake Greenhouses, Saskatchewan), and don't really know how to care for it. I've done a search, but came up with a lot of 'chaff' so to speak. Your thoughts would sure be appreciated... Kelly in Victoria |
RE: First time for me,,,
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| Wow...you defintely deserve flowers, 8 years is a very long time to wait. I'm glad you were rewarded. I love Serpens, the blooms are so pretty. |
RE: First time for me,,,
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As far as caring for my serpens I started my plant way back from cuttings I started in a terrarium. I kept the soil moist and it loved the humidity. It also got some west sun through mini blinds.
Hoya serpens resides in the same window in Fall and winter but in a hanging basket these days. Inside I allow serpens to dry out before watering. If kept too wet the leaves will yellow and the new vine will yellow also. Strangely though outside with the heat I haven't allowed it to dry out at all and have kept it moist and it's doing great. But then being outside it won't stay wet like it would inside because of the heat working to rob the moisture.
When I think of it and am not too lazy I water with VF-11 and I also water once a month usually with Bayer Rose granules. I take a tablespoon full of Bayer Rose into a 2 liter pop bottle of warm water. I let that set overnight and the granules melt a bit and the water will smell of the insecticide. I shake the bottle prior to watering. As the granules melt I add more and keep a bottle or 2 going all the time.
I really think since I put the serpens outside early Spring while nights were in higher 50s that's why I got the flowers this year. I think it needed the warm days but chill at night. Inside I would get spurs and pin point buds on the head but they would drop before going any farther. I'm wondering now if I will get rewarded again as Fall approaches in Sept. and Oct.?
My soil mix I use on all Hoyas is a mixture of soil mix, orchid bark and perlite. The Hoya's love to find the pieces of bark to attach roots to.
Some Hoya's I root in spagnum moss others in my soil mix. Depends how sensitive to water the one I'm planting at the time is.
Hoya serpens is one of my favorite Hoya's. I tend to lean towards and mostly grow the smaller and tiny leaf Hoya's. Just a personal preference. I'm not knocking you big leaf lovers in any way though. haha
If I didn't cover anything Kelly just ask and I will do my best to answer you.,,,Debbie |
RE: First time for me,,,
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Congratulations on your blooms and spurs...hehe.
When you said that you have been a member since the beginning I started wondering when the beginning was. I've been a member a long time too and until today I haven't seen anyone who has been a member longer than I have.
Congrats on your longevity! March 13 2001...you beat me by a month: April 19 2001. |
RE: First time for me,,,
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Laura realize I've slept since then but if I remember right the Hoya forum is around 7 - 8 yrs. old. Hoyas become so popular in GW that Spike (owner then) was approached for us to have our own forum. He gave it to us and the rest is history!
A few ladies in the beginning vied to be the so called Hoya Queen and things got rough and some members were banned and some left to just enjoy their plants in other forums. It's nice to see that it's back to being peace loving and tranquil in this forum.,,,,Debbie |
RE: First time for me,,,
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| Deb-I haven't grown hoyas for long (4 years?) but was active on the rose forum. It got nasty there too and I took some time off. When I came back I started with the Florida forum which I found much nicer and more relaxing. Now I skip around between Fl, hoya and succulents. I've got enough stress in my life who needs it on a gardening forum!? |
RE: First time for me,,,
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Exactly! I don't have time nor patience for it anymore.
Happy growing!,,,,Debbie |
RE: First time for me,,,
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| Debbie: That's great, thanks for the info. There isn't much out there for info when you start looking, so thanks. Kelly in Victoria |
RE: First time for me,,,
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| Congrats on the blooms, Deb! I, too, love the smaller leaved hoyas since they don't seem to take up so much space (or, at least, that's my rationalization!) and I can grow more plants in the same amount of space. I'm going to put my H. serpens in a hanging basket and see how it does. I had the plant in a 4" pot in my south window and it bloomed, but I missed it blooming! That's the only time the plant has ever bloomed for me. The plant went down hill after that and I had to take cuttings and restart the plant. Now that the cuttings are rooted I need to get them into a pot. If you can, please post photos of the flowers.
Thanks and congratulations on your plant blooming!
Mike |
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