Thank you Mike, you are always helping me!!!!

So how are the Hoyas from your first shipment doing, the ones in the first photo you posted. Any signs of roots yet, did the leaves fall off?

The Hoya dennisii that I got that was so dry is now just a few inches of stem and one leaf, the rest fell off during the overnight soak so I cut back the stem in hopes that what is left will have a better chance of rooting.

Mike

Hi Mike,

The first one shipment from SQR are ok, they still have all the leaves. I potted them so I have no idea if they are rotting or not! Do you rot yours on water????? Because some people leave the stem on water but I never did it.
The others from Paul, is already potted:

Mike,

Take a look at the first ones:

Two I covered with plastic bags, and two I left by their own. Right now is very hot and humid here.

Hi Your cuttings look very happy.I'm sure they will all root and grow.
I would like to say that it would be a good idea to make new name tags for the PS cuttings if you haven't all ready.I made this mistake with this cuttings and once there in the baggies.The name tag rots and you will not be able to read what you have.I have a few that I have no clue what there names are.

Cindy

Cindy,

Thank you very much for your advice. I need to buy plastic tags (I only have paper lables). This is the only consideration about PS, he should write the names in a plastic tag. I already made a confusion with the tags and I think I change it LOL, because it got wet while I was soaking them! It's going to be an hoya surprise!

The cuttings do look good but I was wondering about the ones from Thailand, can't remember if you mentioned those latley.

Mike

Mike,

The ones from Thailand I think they are going to die (if is not dead yet). There is no leaves at all, 1 has green stem the others I think is completely dried. But I still taking care as if they are alive. Once I had the experience that after two months of "hibernation" some leaves appear. I hope this happens again. Only imperial red is progressing with two new leaves.

Mike do you know if PS has others hoyas besides the ones in his page? I haven't seem megalaster, benguetensis, vitellina and others that I would like to buy. Vitellina and benguetensis I bought twice but they did make.

Joni has those but his prices are the double of others.

Yes Mr. Shirley only puts the plants up that he can take cuttings from but he has many more. Every year you will see new Hoyas offered and you can try asking for others in case he can sell you a piece. Hoya vitellina goes under the name Hoya fusco-marginata on Mr. Shirley's site. I don't believe that Hoya megalaster is available and the Hoya sp GPS 9076 you got is very close to Hoya benguetensis but in my opinion it's a more attractive bright orange and pink.

Search for Hoya aff benguetensis and you will see photos of it's flowers.

Mike

Mike,

I read somewhere that the vitellina's flowers last for one day. Is it true??? Only one day is very sad.....

At least one source says 4 days, so maybe longer? I hear they are stinky, though! ^_~

Here is a link that might be useful: Vitellina @ Growing Hoyas

Stinky????? I hope not!
It's interesting because I saw a picture of vitellina in Paul Shirley's facebook album and it is different from vitellina of Plumerin's site! Plumerin's site is prettier....

I can't find the Paul Shirley photo of vitellina, but the Plumerin one is interesting. It's much much paler than other photographs I've seen of the flower. Also, it's not fully reflexed, and I always think that makes Hoya blooms look prettier ^_~

As for the smell, hoyor.net says she thought she'd forgotten to take out the garbage. Of course, since you grow outdoors, this isn't such a problem.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hoyor on Vitellina

Incidentally, if it's just the color of the bloom that differed in the two photographs, that is often due to differing growing conditions and you'll just have to wait and see how vitellina blooms in Brazil!

GG, It will not stinky in Brazil, it will have a wonderful smell!!!! The climate will transform the stinky odour in nice perfum!

ROFL! Understood, mitzicos... understood!

GG,

I don't grow outdoors... I live in a small apartment (really small) but I grow in my apt! I don't go everyweek to the farm, so I prefer to grow here, where I can check development every day. I only take my plants to the farm when they are healthy and big!

Haha. I see. That's the way I grow too. Small apartment FTW! I go ahead and grow the stinky plants anyway.

I found a mealybug the other day so now my whole bedroom smells like peanut butter due to the neem oil. I hate that! It's like sleeping in a kitchen. And I think that's why I'm dreaming about accidentally drinking mealybugs in my water glass.

GG,

Sorry but what means FTW???? LOL............... remember that I don't speak English...........

Sorry, mitzicos! Actually, I doubt you're alone in not knowing its meaning. FTW = For the Win! Or, in other words, I was saying (jokingly): Small Apartments are the Very Best!

GG,

Thanks for translation. Regarding small apt I love my apt the only reason I would like to move is to have more space for my plants!!! My plants takes all the remaining space and I cannot buy anymore, my husband said that If I buy any other plant I'll have to live by myself because he is going to move to the farm... LOL But he loves plants also!

I love my small apartment, too. The need for expansion is inevitable, but I like to enjoy living in a cozy space where everything is so simple and manageable for as long as I can.

I don't think you are alone in having a spouse who is putting their foot down about new plants! I am lucky to have found a guy who still thinks it's cute. Maybe I just haven't hit his limit yet. :3 I still feel guilty anyway, but at least it's less expensive than when I collected kitchen equipment.

GG,

In my case is the husband (I'm the spouse LOL)and for sure he prefers my taste for plants better than electronics!!!!
I just would like to have more space for my plants... most of them needs direct sun and I cannot provide it! I collect cactus and epiphyllum also, besides other plants like orchids... but most of them I need to move to the farm due to the lack of space!

Hello to everyone, I'm from Brasil too but I live in Amazonia. I'm collecting hoyas, it's amazing. Hi Sonia and Mitzi... Looking to buy cuts.

Hi George,

Welcome! Here is where I'm getting excellent information about the hoyas and good links to buy it!

Mitzicos: Yes, I have the sunlight issue too. Unfortunately, the long side of my apartment faces North, so most of my plants end up competing for the more limited East & West exposures.

George: Welcome! ^_^
It's a Brazilian invasion! Fun!

Pg,

I love the expression... Brazilian invasion!
George lives at the forest state Amazon! Considered the lung of the world. Many species not known yet, our treasure, but government does not take care of it properly.

Hey George Welcome,

Maybe we should ask you to investigate if they're might be any naturally growing Hoyas in the Amazon, yes I know it's BIG. WHo knows, maybe they're could be, since they naturally occur in Southeast Asia & live in & climb the canopy, maybe the same could exist in Amazonas. Since it's the biggest canopy in the world, who knows?

Karen Hoyas are only found from India to the Pacific Islands althought there are plenty of climbing vines from the Asclepiadaceae family found all over the world. South America has some really neat species of Asclepiads but they are generally not in cultivation.

Mike

Here is a great page showing the Central and South American plants that are related to Hoyas. There are some very attractive species but you never see many of them available, even from the International Asdclepid Society's seed bank.

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Kew Neotropical Apocynaceae/Asclepiadaceae

PG,

Hoyas I think is not available at the rain forest in Amazon. What we know is that is hundreds of orchids not catalogued (listed, studied) yet, because a large part of the forest has never been explored. We always heard that some cientists came to our forest to make their research (to take away our plants) but unfortunatelly the forest is too big and there is no way to take care of everything.
Orchids are very commom in Brazil and very easy to find in the forest at its natural habitat. I know it is out of the hoya context I'll give a link of orchids exposition... I know that Mike likes orchids.....

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.orkut.com.br/Main#Album?uid=11624724218877522264&aid=1284787669&p=4

Is that is hundreds, please read is that are hundreds of orchids......

Mitiz have you ever thought about trying to find some of the Brazilian Hoya relatives? I know there are some very attractive species from the genus Oxypetalum in South Eastern Brazil and probably Cynanchum species as well.

Brazil does have many orchids and I grow plants from a few different Genera, Brassavola, Leptotes, Catasetum. It's sad that the forest is being cut down in many areas but there are so many poor people that have no other choice, it's a difficult and complex situation to say the least.

Wow this thread has gone way off topic. LOL

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Oxypetalum photo from the web

Mike,

I don't remember to have seen Oxypetalum before, but believe me I'm not a good observer!!!! When I visit gardens I only see what I'm looking for! Cactus orchid (epiplhyllum) we have, althought the nice ones I bought from overseas....

Hi Mitzicos, if you import plants that travel several weeks you may find interesting information about the use of plant hormones to break your plant dormancy. I read on aleyagarden blog a story with a video about Jean Henkens, responsible for Tropical plantations in the famous Center Parcs in Europe : this man injects gels to plants to make them sleep for weeks and wakes them up once they arrive ! The TV broadcast says only 1 plant in 1000 dies after several weeks of travel. That is really amazing and shows that we buy from far and grow tropical plants but we know very little about the process I think. ( but that makes shooting competitors more easily ) Here is the link : http://aleyagarden-chitosan.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-plant-is-stick-with-no-leaves-on.html

synsepalum,,
Thank you very much for your explanation, very interesting. I received an email from Aleya and he gave me some tips regarding plants travelling such a long way. I'll see the link you told me, it is very interesting and we must learn with the experts. Thank you very much.

synsepalum,

Very interesting article, although he does not teach his techniques! So it is his secret formula: "he has invented a unique gel that allows the plants to sleep in order to remove them safely and then to wake up, once they arrive. A formula that has been proven to avoid the tree to suffer difficult conditions of transport: absence of light, low temperatures .... only one plant in a thousand dies after arrival"

Have you discovered his magical formula? It would be excellent for sellers!

Thanks for the link, synsepalum. It does make one wonder whether this is in the distant future for even hobbyists. That would be pretty convenient if all we needed was "wake up serum" in our cupboards and our plants wouldn't skip a beat. I wonder what our cuttings/plants feel during their current modes of travel.

I wish the article said more about what the Ficus religiosa had been dying of. I'm curious now!

I have enjoyed reading this thread ;) My spouse is from India...and he laughs at all the tropicals I buy to fill our small house! In India he was used to dropping a mango seed on the ground and having a small tree there in a few weeks (and for him that's more of a nuisance than anything!).

I'm relatively new to hoyas, but within the past year I've accumulated about 20 of them, generally more common species (but these are in addition to the other things growing in our house like banana, gingers, jasmine, lemon etc)...

Fortunately for my husband our winters are very long, so he's guaranteed no new plants at least until April!

I do think this conversation about cuttings v. rooted plants is fascinating. As a new hoya grower, cuttings have always intimidated me a bit. So it's very intriguing that many of you prefer cuttings! I guess next year I'll have to try my hand at cuttings and see how they do.

lightning96

For me the main problem with rooted plants is that they do not survive during the long trip, cuts are more resistant.

The ficus was simply rotting : the roots were still in the soil but part of the tree was lying in the river. It is the biggest tree ever planted in Europe ! I thing these kinds of formulas are not new but for sure the guy has found some good ones. The broadcast also says that he injects symbiotic bacterias before the departure in sea containers, but I guess there are fungi too. From what we know about hormones there could not be a single formula for all plants : basically ratios of hormones must be found for each species and situation !.

Hello everyone!
I am very grateful for sharing information for growing hoya.
Is already underway to Brazil, my purchase paul.
After many negotiations, could persuade to sell hoyas Aleya garden, but released only two cuts.
also are coming to Brazil.
pirate_girl, What features does a plant must have to know is hoya?

George, I'm glad you're here, welcome!

Mike, I wonder how good it would naturally find a hoya vegetating in Brazil! hehehehe
I have some epiphyllum that were collected in several regions of Brazil, without flowering. I hope some flowers for the summer.
I have two varieties of oxymetalum. One is completely white and the other has yellow sepals.

I also received email from Aleya. about ficus religious thought fantastic.
I hope it comes quickly to carry hoya technique hibernation.
So no more would lose our hoyas after long ships.
good Bye for now
Hugs
sonia polonio

Thank you Sonia. It's fantastic to share about this forum.

Thanks for providing the remaining details of the story, synsepalum!

My cuts are doing really well!!!
I'm very satisfied with cuts, no more rotted plants!!!!!

Today I received three more cuts, this time by envelope. It took 23 days to arrive, but arrived well, regarding the travelling time.

I'd like to share with all of you the pictures, and it is interesting that some developed some roots during the trip:

Hi
Congratulations on your new hoya cuttings.Looks like you have a head start on the rooting.What hoyas did you order from Aleya?They look good after the long trip.

Cindy

Hi Cindy,

The hoyas are excavata, finlaysonii and chunii.
The roots are good sign right?
I hope the next envelope arrives in good condition also!

Mitzi

Mitzi-
Those cuttings look great. I really love finlaysonii leaves. They look like they will root great for you. How much longer before Summer ends in Brazil?

-David

David,

The summer ends this month, two more weeks! But now is much better for hoyas because before was too hot, the hoyas could not make the trip with such high temperatures.

Mitzi