greedyghost!... thanks ever so much.. I used to be an old hat at using the forum... orchids and desert rose!... it's been a while and I seem to have forgotten about the "threads".. (as well as a lot of other things...LOL).. but I do appreciate the time you've taken to give me the information I need as a hoya novice!... I will most likely order something online.. but will not be able to resist the local garden centers!... and the pictures of "trellising".. another word I forgot.. great pictures.. and I have the clips from my orchids!... I will happily read anyone else's tips on growing hoyas... thank you.. I'll be back!... E

Hi Eileen,

And, of course, you don't have to grow them all neat on hoops. I like the "jungle" effect myself and love the look of a meandering plant and grow very few in a neat, compact way. Carnosas and the like I grow in hanging pots and let them twine within the confines of the triangle made by the hangers and let them dangle and, in the case of some very large ones, I let them wander hither and dither. I have a large pubicalyx in my GH that wanders 6-8 feet from the plant, across the top of the GH. GG would probably have a cow if she saw how WILD mine grow! (Hee-hee!)

Glad to hear you were able to salvage a piece of your carnosa. And don't worry about your move. Just start it out in a spot that gives it conditions close to what it had at your old house and it will be fine. Best of luck with your move!

Denise in Omaha

Eileen this like will be just what you need, local Hoya info! I believe that the owner of this site posts on (Hoya) Cubits.

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Vermont Hoyas

That has to be my worst typo yet, I sound like a 15 year old girl! lol
Please excuse my typing blunder.

Mike

LOL! You a funny dude, Mike!

Denise in Omaha

Nice idea, teen-Mike! I totally forgot he was from Vermont. Yes, he does post on cubits. I'm just a very occasional cubits lurker, because I don't have the energy for more than one forum, but he seems like such a nice guy/great resource!

/Denise.

LMAO I'd love to see your wild growing jungle. I'm actually quite envious of people who can grow this way, as I think most Hoyas look prettier left to their own devices, and I bet many of them grow better this way. I always feel a little guilty when I corral a wandering vine that has gotten long enough to go around the loop. But in my small quarters keeping them orderly is the only way I can reasonably grow so many... :X

OMG... Such fun... thanks to all of you for your posts!.. Denise thanks for your info on letting them roam free!... I will have to have them hanging b/c 16 year old cat still thinks he's outdoors and all my plants are above my head!...Someday (he is 16), I'll be able to put my plants on tables and window sills etc!... As long as the Pug doesn't take to eating them!... I think I will let mine grow as you described for the time being... sounds easiest. greedyghost.. thank you for creating this tread for me and I'd like to say that I took a wire hanger last night and it took some work but got the "hanger" part off and bent into a trellis shape, but just couldn't get myself to stick in the pot.. and my carnosa (name unknown) seems happy sprawling on the top shelf of the bakers rack.. I just decided though she needed the dust washed off her leaves..and is Mike from Vermont? also!... Since that is where I dwell! Nice to meet you Mike... and thanks for the site... I will check it out... I'm so into them now that I'm feverishly typing at home while on lunch break and have to get back to work.. couldn't resist checking in... and to announce that after hours on the forum last night, I ordered a Lacunosa Snow Caps from Joni at SRQ... it was on an August special.. so saved a couple $$... and how appropriate for a Vermonter... Snow Caps... can't wait to meet her !... I generally refer to most all my house plants as she!... Gotta run... thank you all.. please continue to guide me.. I love it... Eileen (btw... great typo Mike.. a good out loud laugh here)

You might just stick her in the shower then and giver her a nice long rinse to get the dust off - Hoyas enjoy that. Just set the water temperature around room temperature.

Mike, as I'm sure he'll tell you himself, is not from Vermont, but Doug (the owner of that website) IS.

Great news on the Snow Caps! That's my favorite lacunosa and Joni's too, if I remember correctly. So pretty and perfect for the snowy north.

No worries on not putting the trellis to use. It might come in handy for some future Hoya. I don't grow my big carnosas on hoops either. I like the way their vines are robust enough to perform gravity-defying twists and turns midair.

My cat doesn't bother Hoyas and I'm not sure why not. He only attacks miniature violets for some reason.

So, we have more pug photos to look forward to, then? ^_^

I don't want to stray too far off topic, but GG do you know where I can find some of those green wire hoops you have in your plants in the first post?

I have some bamboo hoops but they are way too large for my new starts and though I generally go the OCD route and put every new hoya in a 4" white hanging pot (it's like dressing twins, everyone has to look alike), some just go into a 4" regular pot until they prove they are going to survive. It's for those 4" kids that I'd like to try the green wire. I do use the bamboo shishkebob (sp?) stakes but they do rot over time and sometimes get funky.

Thanks in advance!

I've mostly been buying mine off of Tindara, because I am usually putting together an order for other stuff at the same time, but you can find them cheaper elsewhere, (like here!) just do a search for "30" Green Metal Plant Stakes." This size seems to work pretty well until they're big and then I move them up to bamboo hoops.

I've been thinking about getting some smaller stakes too, because I like the way some of Joni's plants come with these nice tight little baby hoops that are good for small plants where a tall empty hoop would wobble.

I need some more hoops atm and it's so annoying because I get my dragonfly clips elsewhere and I always need to buy them at the same time, so why can't the same vendor carry both (at a reasonable price) ARG.

so.. greedyghost.. in your advice re trellising you said "...not to tie the growing points so they are facing toward the ground, or the vine will die back to the last node (bump where leaves emerge)." So now as I look at my carnosa, who is maybe 2 years old at most.. there are 4 branches (vines) coming from the main plant.. one of those has grown off into 2.. so total of 5.. and at the end of all of them, the tips are kind of shriveled and "dead".. do I dare say. Now I don't believe I've managed to break of the tips of all of those.. I did however at one point last summer, take some thin ribbon and loosely looped it around a branch and then gently pulled it up to tie to the curtain rod above..there was plenty of freedom for the branches to go their own way, but just didn't want them dangling kitty height above the floor.. they weren't fastened or tied, as in the ribbon was looped.. but now I wonder if I caused the damage! Until Pookie, the menacing old feline passes over the Rainbow Bridge for kitties, I cannot leave them hanging.. actually have a large wind chime hanging on the front of the bakers rack so the minute he even thinks about putting a paw up and jumping, it scares the hoot out of him... well enough for him to touch down and rethink the plan!... Do you think I caused damaged by allowing the end to die back? Really makes me hesitant to trellis any... Denise's jungle idea sounds safer.. though my upcoming apt will have less room than my current 3 b/r house!... downsizing you see!.. thanks in advance!

LOL Eileen, your posts are always so charming. Hoyas can be a little sensitive about new growth points dying back if they feel offended by your treatment. This might happen because of the watering schedule or because you handle them too much or because they don't like being directed in a certain way, but it's no big deal in the end. They will just start over again from that point when they're ready. You didn't do enough harm to worry over.

Just to clarify, if you were to grow a Hoya on a trellis and you bound the vine so it was pointing down, it would die back to the node and then start a new vine pointing upward. So, it's like the plant is thinking: I don't want to grow down, I want to grow up! Why am I suddenly growing down? I don't remember doing that! I guess I better start over. (Yep, I know I'm humanizing a plant there, but you know what I mean.)

Certainly, if you leave them to do as they will, you run less risk of overhandling them or otherwise disorienting them, but carnosa is not oversensitive in this regard. I'm sure the measures you took to keep vines away from Pookie were no more than your plant could handle. The cause of the dieback could be any number of reasons and we ALL experience it regularly. I wouldn't overthink it, in other words. I think Denise was mostly just encouraging you not to feel restricted by Hoya trellising conventions, since either option is A-okay. :) So just do as you like!

Imo, ONE carnosa takes up no more room grown hanging than it does growin in a hoop, so you will be okay either way. It is when you have 200+ young Hoyas that growing them on hoops becomes necessary, because you can nest them closely together. As I said above, my original Hoya grows hanging, as you can see here:

Denise is a super greenthumb and if growing wild suits you, you should take her advice and go for it because she's awesome and her Hoyas are awesome. There, I've said it. :P

I should have said: "They will start a new vine pointing upward from the same node."

So just clip off the dead vines and let the Hoya start fresh. ^_^ No worries at all.

Thank for the encouragement... and for the great picture!.. I love the birdcage!.. I will snip off the tiny ends and pay some loving homage to my carnosa.. if I'm guilty of anything here, is was in perhaps "neglecting" rather than too much attention.. I was actually trying my hand with the 6 orchids growing nearby.. I now have 4 orchids.. and I pay minimal attention to them.. they're doing much better! So its feast or famine... have to find that perfect balance.. Do you have any suggestions on just what to do with the lucanosa snow caps when she comes...? Will she be potted? (I bought that from Joni)..hope she comes soon.. closing on my house is currently being decided !.. thanks so much ... I appreciate everyone's help (Now... where can I find a birdcage?)... E

Thanks for the links GG! =º)

Are you using the green ones with the 'don't poke your eye out' rubber tips and just removing the tips?

/Eileen.

Joni's plants come potted in 3.5" clear square pots like this:

In fact, that IS a plant from Joni right after I received it, in its original potting mix. Personally, I usually leave Joni's plants exactly as they are until I have some good reason to repot them. They do well in her mixes and they haven't been in it long, so there is no real pressure.

Joni, like most Hoya vendors, ships out once a week, on a set date. She ships on the Saturday morning following your order placement, and your plant will arrive on Monday. She sends an email confirmation when it ships, too.

/Begonia.

LOL Yep, those are the ones. I leave the non-eye-poking rubber tip intact and bury it. I think it actually helps secure the hoop, like a grip. Wish they were on both ends!

GG... thank you... again... I can't wait for my new "baby"... Amidst my packing up my home today ..seems like everyday... I took the time earlier to give my other carnosa, as you suggested she would enjoy... a lovely shower!.. of course the result was that 4 of those lovely little flowers fell off!.. but they must have been there for since... well 8/9 is when they opened and perfumed the bathroom.. so that's quite a while.. and others still remain.. though that is the only "bouquet"... not sure of the correct name here!... but nevertheless, a distant cousin is on its way to keep her company! and I'm glad to see that I won't have any decisions to make about potting it up, or repotting or whether to use 2" or 4" or clear or not!... just find the perfect perch for her!.. no reference to your lovely birdcage idea!..(hmmmm!)

Hello ... I wasn't sure which thread to go to... so decided this would be best since GG started it for me.. a newbie to the Hoya world... today I received... OH JOY... from Joni/SRQ ...I'm so excited I want to do a drum roll! ta da... Lacunosa Sno Caps!... she's sooooo beautiful... I couldn't wait to open the box!.... Christmas in August!... still tiny.. and definitely in need of some "refreshment" from her long journey to Vermont.. a quick and gentle spritz, a drink.. and she's currently sitting on thick papertowel padding to remove any excess moisture (changing when needed!)... under the lamp on kitchen counter (CFL bulb).. like a new chick!... How silly.. but that's how excited I am.. I can see how tempting it is to order more... frugality... I must remember to use restraint.. b/c now in one week I have gone from having one 2 yr old cutting bloom.. never knew they did!... a younger cutting from that one growing like a weed (learned it is (they are) carnosa!.. and then picked up a beautiful variegated larger plant at HD on Saturday (no name only Hoya).. and now.. the new baby!... How lucky am I ... 2 turned into 4 in not even a whole week!.. And thanks to everyone here who has given me such good advice... GG!!!... I'm sure that # will grow.. now I can only hope my new apt (in 3 weeks (I think) will have enough room at the windows! and the perfect light.. Any special advice on my new acquisition would be greatly appreciated!... Eileen :)))

So happy to hear that your plant arrived safely! I think the way the plants come all snugly wrapped in tissue and shredded paper and peanuts makes it an even more dramatic unwrapping than Christmas.

I think we've all had our experiences with being bitten by the bug. It feels a bit shocking, doesn't it? I originally bought plants to beautify my space. Now I fight to prevent my entire apartment from transforming into some kind of fluorescent-lit Hoya warehouse. ^_~ I do feel super happy there, though.

Regarding lacunosa 'Snow Caps' (and all other lacunosas), I've been following the Quinn method and I'm very happy with it. In a nutshell, you just water it more than the average Hoya (e.g. your carnosa). Much like watering an African Violet, it will need to dry out a little, but there should always be some moisture. Quinn uses coir, which provides better drainage, and allows her to water more liberally. Since your plant is in Joni's mix, you might want to be just slightly more conservative. (Remember that Joni is growing in FL and her plants probably dry out faster than yours will.) I usually water my lacunosas and other water lovers about twice as often as I water the rest of my Hoyas, but you will need to feel it out for yourself. I am posting Quinn's original thread on the subject below.

I believe the plant you mention buying at HD, in the other thread, is {{gwi:977195}}. This is a very beautiful cultivar with stable variegation - congratulations!

Here is a link that might be useful: Quinn re: Hoya lacunosa

Thanks GG!... funny to note that not all hoyas like the same level of moisture/dryness!... my new little Sno Cap... the little pot has several very young cuttings in it.. and the medium was very if not completely dry when I opened the tissue.. and the poor things were limp and flopped over..but credit to Joni's remarkable pkging system, they were still in the pot and when set upright, lost very little potting mix. I tried to carefully rearrange the separate ones.. noticing that some of the teenie stems had what appeared to be tiny roots wanting to connect (or reconnect?) to the soil surface.. I started watering only by a few drops... and then I could see that it was really dry and it took quite a bit to actually run through the bottom.. thus now sitting on papertowels.. but in no time you could see they were no longer limp; and were looking happy.. phew!.. The tiny leaves are speckled; is that the same as what I've read as a "speckled" hoya!... And OMG... thanks for your IDing my HD NOID.. Krimson Queen... the pic you sent... perfectly matches.. but mine has even more deep pinkish/reddish in varying places!... I LOVE it.. thank you again.. and the link to the thread regarding AV soil etc... a lot to digest on day one!.. but will get there!..

One other mention... since cool weather is trying to work its way into New England these days as is usual for mid/end of August... Winter is not so far behind.. and indoor heating.. my new apt doesn't have baseboard as my house does... but propane "furnace" and what I noticed while looking at the apt... something on the ceiling... when I asked was told it was where the heat comes from... and about 2 feet at best from 2 lovely plant hooks already installed in the ceiling.. so heat coming from above.. my lacunosa may want a drink more often.. maybe I'll keep her in the b/r.. (I generally have plants everywhere.. orchids, AV's, some cacti.. desert rose.. and a plumeria!... so.. we're a close family of Beings... but assume my watering habits will have to change!.. and a great need to humidify!... Eileen

Yeah Joni tries to send most of her plants on the dry side because most of them don't like being shipped wet. When it is a particularly moisture sensitive plant, she will send it quite damp, but lacunosa is pretty tough even though it likes water. I think that situation, where it arrives needing watering and gets a nice long drink from you, is optimal.

She has shifted to starting pots of several small plants, when practical, because that way if you get off to a rocky start with the plant (as the two of you are figuring each other out), you have something to fall back on if part of it dies. I think I must have lost half my nummularioides when I started growing it, so I was really happy that she sent me a whole potful of babies. Actually, most of the EA plants are this way, too, and in that situation it can be deceptive, because a plant might look more mature than it is.

You'll be amazed at how big your little lacunosa gets in one year's time. It will really fill out that pot. I think this is one species of Hoya that one should always grow from a small start because it's so rewarding to see how much progress you can make in a short time. And then you get to say: I saw it from when it was just a baby. :)

Yes, that's usually what people mean when they say a Hoya is speckled.

It's not such a bad deal moving into a new apartment right before the weather changes because with new plants you kind of have to learn how they handle the seasonal changes anyway and living in a new environment might help remind you to be more watchful. It took some serious casualties for me to figure out how seriously I need to take autumn when it comes to Hoyas. Of course your Hoyas are pretty tough so you shouldn't worry too much. I used to let my original lacunosa dry out a lot and it didn't perform well, but it didn't die either. I'm sure yours will love all the attention you're giving it though.

I just set up my humidifiers and rearranged everything for winter this weekend. I'm clearly starting to tweak already. But to be fair it hailed all night last night!

GG... where are you located that you're getting that ready for winter? We've had a few bad storms in the past 24 hours and some places in VT got hail as well!.. I didn't.. on the western side of the state... about 2 hours from Albany NY!... Your info is so appreciated.. I should have been packing today.. but in between other needed chores.. read about HOYAS!.... and took down the old bakers rack in the bathroom... along with the plants living there!.. now all grouped together on top of MW cart by a d/r window same side of house and other available windowsills!. Many have been "test fitted" in larger ceramic (sturdy) pots to help in the "drive" to the new apt... which is only about .. well, less than 10 miles!... no one will fall over that way...

Bought little hair clips to use in place of the cutsie clips I will get when my life moves to next stage... they were there,.... inexpensive if not so cute! and they work!

I appreciate the idea of many little ones instead of one for the reason you mention... great idea! I will certainly buy from her again... May I ask one more question? (for today).. the tiny leaves on these little babies were very thin and flimsy upon arrival.. but now I can feel that lovely fleshy succulent texture to most of them.. a few at the very tips of each "plant" are still very fragile/frail. What is the best lighting for this little pot of loveliness for the next couple of days... or is it longer to expect some incubation? Present on kitchen counter under the lamp (CFL) bulb.. it seems I should leave it there for a while.. but shouldn't need the light over night (the darn cat will be out skulking about the kitchen!..) Thank you.. I'll try some pictures at some point... after I'm settled and this whole business is over with... though I still don't know an easy way to reduce them (or any way for that matter..LOL) Eileen

I live in Nebraska, so I've got plenty of time before winter hits but here is my logic.

Last fall I had just moved to the state and I was all lah-di-dah about it because I figured it would be cake compared to Minnesota. So, I was still ordering plants and making trades right up into October or November.

Two things ended up happening: 1. I had a bunch of new cuttings that were slower to root than they would have been in spring, but I had run out of space in my aquariums, so I couldn't offer them much extra support. So, I had my hands FULL trying to give them a proper start.

2. A number of the plants I had started in the spring started to freak out and be temperamental as temperatures declined and it took them longer to dry out. I didn't know my collection well enough to know which plants were actually easy and which plants were 'easy in the summer.'

The lesson learned was that Hoya troubles do not start in WINTER, they start in FALL. Really, the pace of things start to change around midsummer. A late summer plant just isn't in the same headspace as a spring plant, if you know what I mean.

Thus, this year I decided I wouldn't trade/buy in the fall (at least in no great quantity) and I'd have everyone in place for winter at the BEGINNING of fall, not by the end of it. And because I am way overcommitted, it takes me starting in August to get that accomplished LOL.

It sounds like you're so organized with your plants. When I moved mine I wedged them all into big clear tupperware bins, so they couldn't wiggle around much, and then I just left them in there for a while for the extra humidity, while I was trying to deal with more pressing matters.

Your lacunosa leaves will get more firm (1) as it rehydrates and (2) as the leaves get more mature. The leaves on the ends are the new leaves and it's normal for them to be flimsy until they're done developing. It's interesting, it can take Hoya leaves a LONG time to finally be finished developing, even after they reach their mature size.

I wouldn't worry too much about the light you provide your plant over the next couple days. It is a bit stressed, yes, but it is rooted and you can stick it in with the other plants, np. An east or south facing window would be ideal, and artificial light is fine too. It doesn't need extra hours of light or much fuss. It may take a while before it starts producing new growth. I think for all of the lacunosas I've started they always had a little delay period in the beginning, and then they'd take off when they were ready. So, don't be surprised if it doesn't take off immediately, just know it will make up for lost time when it does.

Good luck with the packing! Don't give yourself too hard a time for taking some Hoya breaks. Moving is HARD!

GG.. Nebraska!.. Can't imagine living anywhere that is any colder than where I am... sometimes I wish I were living someplace warmer when I see how so many ppl can grow their favorite plants outdoors... all year long!... I'd miss the Fall.. and I would hate the constant humidity... and think of all the bugs in the warmer climates... hmmm!.. guess Vermont isn't so bad.. but you must get soooo much snow!..

Put lacunosa sno caps on the window sill this morning in the daylight... she looks fine tonight.. but still has few limpy limbs.. I have confidence!... Checked out Joni's site again last night (OMG)... and found 4 that I put on the wish list... and I was notified only this morning... 2 of them are now available... yikes... I have to take a long breath here until I get settled in new place and really see what my space is!... your advice on planting/germinating Pachyclada seeds (Sue Tran sent me an email that she mailed mine off today and to plant upon arrival)... yippee!..

I can't really comment on Nebraskan weather yet. Last winter was my first winter here and we did get a lot of snow, but everyone did, and certainly my sisters were getting more snow back in Minnesota. I had a coworker fresh from Vermont, though, and the weather was the ONE difference she never commented on, so I imagine it must not have been a very dramatic change for her compared to the lack of maple syrup and solidarity with local businesses.

What's on your wish list? Curious cats want to know!

Sue's the best! I'm waiting for my pachyclada seeds with baited breath. This will be my first time starting Hoyas from seed,too.

GG... We did have a lot of snow in VT last year... and it ended with a severe "dump" on March 7!... I lived in Rochester NY for quite a while and have to admit... the snow fall there!... way more than I have ever seen here... but winter is longer here!... and summer.. way too short... can't really plant veggies outdoors until June and still not safe w/o having to cover on many nights!...

As for my wishlist at Joni's... I scribbled them on a piece of paper the other night so I wouldn't forget.. so reading them back, might have some misspelling:

1. H. Marginata - IML 2727; 2. DS-70 - SRQ 3011; 3. H. Flavida; 4. H. Heuschkeliana - IML 9043 (I think)!
5. Neoebudica - SRQ3040..!.. So that's 5!... I found that most of my choices had to do with the leaves!.. #5 on my list has the most gorgeous red leaves!

I have to not give in to compulsive behavior here, ie spending $$ on the internet!... easy to do... but will need to take care of apt!... see what I need there first!.. and then.... !!!..

...and I am most grateful that Sue easily accepted my request for whatever she cared to share with a complete novice!... can't wait to hear how everyone else makes out.. I will be soooo beside myself if I fail completely.. though I've always had a green thumb.. and plants in my life forever.. except in times when life took over.. so I should be able to bring one seed to life!... thanks for all advice here... E