Pls. be careful if you do try some of these things, some are OK outdoors, not indoors. (Coffee grounds outside may be OK, but indoors may contribute to rot.)

Epsom Salts (when overdone) can damage the plants (memories of Cena's DH's Epsom Salts soak & the damage it did to some of her plants, Sans. I think, not Hoyas, I forget).

I'd take some of these ideas w/ a big grain of salt.

I've used both the H. Peroxide & the Epsom Salts, not so convinced it was helpful as I didn't do it again.

What would be the purpose of a small sip of coffee for them?

I don't believe in doing these things unless I know why, like what it's supposed to accomplish.

Still, interesting ideas.

I agree, unless there is a problem then treatment is not necessary. You have to know what your remedy is intended to treat. If a plant likes a low pH growing media then perhaps coffee would be helpful but messing with pH with a potentially large swing in pH can be disastrous.
There are some interesting ebooks etc on the web about this kind of stuff, mostly for yard and garden. The info is out there and I am sure it's useful in the right applications but be wary about fixing something that isn't broken because it can be a disaster. I speak from experience on that one and have learned not to tinker with stuff unless there is a well defined reason to do so.

Mike

I was just using those all as examples I'd heard in the past to try to start up a list of things that peole may have tried and the results they've gotten :)

Superthrive is something I believe in; others don't.

Misting several times a day (maybe morning and evening)

Fish emulsion (new recommendation from a hoya grower to those hoyas that seem to fail to thrive).

Growing tips point up on a hoop or trellis.

alcohol mixed with water for pests (don't do this with plants in really bright light or sun)

dishwashing liquid and cooking oil mixed together for pests. Don't use the antibacterial liquids.

Susan

I use the dish liquid..sunlight or palmolive in a sprayer. No oil mixed in with about a half tsp per cup of water. I use it for pest control when I see an outbreak. Also I have used the yellow brown non mint mouthwash full strength in a sprayer for scale. Do not use them together and out of sunlight until they have dried, I place them in a shower stall. I have not experienced damage to my hoyas using these methods. ~ Mary

Good topic, Karen. Some of my favorite hints & tricks...

Use a chopstick to poke holes in moist soil to make holes for cuttings. Leaving a couple leaves on the bottom helps hold the cuttings in the soil, and a hair "clippy" will secure a heavy cutting to the side of the pot.

Lowe's sells these nice "s" hooks, short ones that are truly "s" shaped and long ones (about a foot long). I've taken to using them on my curtain rods. If you use a short one, a long one, a short one, a long one, you can hang more plants in front of your windows, the varying lengths allowing you to hang more in a short distance.

I put a little sticker on a pot with the date when I treat with BATS so I don't treat too often.

Denise in Omaha

Denise, could you explain BATS?

I use the clothes racks (found in Wal-Mart) (the 2 row ones) for hanging plants inside. Usually can get 12 or more on them if you maneuver them right. This keeps the plants in one compact area.

Susan

Hi All,

Denise, it wasn't me it was AlPanther's thread.

Hey Susan,

the Clothes rack is a great idea!!! Clever,smart & space saving, now maybe I just need to find out where I can make room for one & go get one!

From my own experience, I believe in Eleanors VF-11, have seen its benefits/effects.

I don't believe in SuperThrive, never saw its effects no matter how often I tried. (No disrespect, but someone prominent on GW calls it SuperJive, which always makes me laugh!)

I've used the systemic Marathon (for mealies), tho' I qualify that by saying that while I grow indoors only I have no kids nor pets who might be harmed by proximity to this.

BATS is Bayer Tree & Shrub, which is what a lot of us use to combat critters.

Denise in Omaha

Alpanther...I love the results of using epsom salts. A friend on this forum recommended epsom salts to help my H. lasiantha...the plants' leaves became very pale, then would yellow and fall off..leaving a long stem without any leaves. I started using epsom salts...one 1/4 teaspoon to a gallon of water...within 2-3 weeks, the leaves on H. lasiantha turned green...and now, months later, the leaves are very dark green and the plants are finally "bushing" out. I used this on all of my plants, but only noticed a signifcant improvement with the H. lasiantha's. I find no good in SuperThrive, would never use coffee, and love Eleanor's VF-11, using a "bloom booster" a couple of times each year...otherwise, it's just VF-11 at every watering. I love BATS...it controls the pests quite well, but I find the BATS doesn't last a full 12 monts...needs to be repeated every 6-8 months. BTW, I only use BATS indoors...never outdoors. 2 tablespoons per gallon of tepid water...water well..let stand in the solution for a half an hour, discard any water that fills the saucer or tray. I hope this helps. Fondly, Patrick

Hmmmm! Epsom salts, I need to get some. I recently thought I had scored great deals on hoyas on Ebay until they started arriving with dehydrated leaves. After 2 doses with Fish Emulsion, I don't see much difference so I'll try the Epsom Salts.

Unfortunately I can't find Eleanor's around these parts.

Susan

I would second checking into why home remedies are supposed to work. Then you understand if they are beneficial to you.

For example, some people swear by MgSO4. Some people see no effects. If you think about what it does, supply Mg and SO4 then it makes sense. If your culture is lacking in Mg or SO4, then it is beneficial. But if your normal culture is not, then you won't see an effect.

Coffee grounds - other than pH adjustment supposedly kills snails and slugs by interfering with their nervous system. And apparently they love it.

Superthrive - it is hormones which are extremely unstable and break down in UV (sunlight) and high temps. So if you buy a bottle from the box store where it has been sitting outside in the heat all summer - well, the hormones have broken down. And if you premix up a gallon in a clear plastic bottle, well it is not going to work, the hormones have broken down. But if you get a fresh bottle, keep it in the fridge in the original container - then it will last. Again this may be why some swear by it and some see no effect.

The only home remedy I tend to use is aspirin in the winter. My growing conditions in the winter are not optimal so I disolve a little aspirin in the water I use for the plants. Supposedly this boosts their immune and helps them fight off disease. Whether it works or not???? But it doesn't see to hurt.

Renee

Hey Susan,

For Eleanors VF-11, search them, & write to send for their sample bottle, used to be for a couple of bucks, they'd send a first timer a sample for just postage or minimal additional fee, I've forgotten. That's how I tried it, & memorable was that it was an 8 oz. bottle. Plenty to see for oneself if one liked it. I'll have to order more for myself. I last got some from Charlie's Greenhouse somewhere in the PNW I think.

Thanks for the tip, PG!!

Epson salt for yellowing leaves has worked for me.

Match sticks have worked for other plants to help promote blooming.

I like superthrive but didnt know all that great info regarding it - Thanks Renee

I mix mycorrhizae with my medium when potting up plants and I have really good luck rooting cuttings without any additional aides such as terrariums.

Keep the tips coming.

-David K

Susan just so you know neither epsom salts nor fish emulsion will help to help rehydrate a plant. Epsom salts are Magnesium sulfate and can help with the production of chlorophyl while fish emulsion is essentially a fertilizer. For a dehydrated plant you need high humidity and a good root system to form before you see improvement. Are your dehydrated plants rooted cuttings or established plants?
Applying the wrong remedy for a problem could very well make the situation worse. Years ago I killed what would have been a couple hundred orchid species from my collection because I tried something new on my entire collection. I will never do that again! Anyways I just wanted to be sure that you were thinking the problems though and applying the proper remedy vs just trying a whole bunch of things to see if they help.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks for posting. This is the weirdest thing. They look well established with lots of roots but the plants have dehydrated leaves. I just don't know what kind of scam this person is running on Ebay. She's right and ready to take them back if I'm not satisfied so why send out dehydrated plants in the first place? From the time of shipping to me is only 2 days so healthy plants could more than survive.

Do you think they will improve with a watering schedule only?

Susan

There is no way that two days shipping would cause dehydrated plants. I suspect the plants were not doing well before they were sent to you.
Perhaps try setting the pots in a tray of water for a day and let them get a really good drink. If the roots are ok this will help them plump back up.

Mike

Lot of good advice here! I should toss in my own--for my hoya compacta, I put it in a ziploc bag during the summer time to help speed up growth as it really seems to love the humidity :)

Matches and blooms? I've never heard that one before!

Hi Susan,

Epson salt worked for me regarding my yellowing lasiantha, Thanks Patrick, you gave me the tip! My lasiantha lost almost all its leaves, it was getting yellow and falling, but I could save the remaining one leaf and it is not yellow any more, at least not as it was before!

Superthrieve never worked for me, but I don't have superthrieve here (I live in Brazil) so I had to import it, as per Renee explanation probably it lost its conditions, superthireve and nothing for me is the same thing!

Mitzi