I don't know anything about artificial lights, so I can't be of any help with that (although I'll hopefully know a little more after going to a nearby hydroponics plant store after work today...it's only 6 miles away from my house and is HUGE!!! - I heard they might have hoyas too!!)

As for hoyas that like "no light", I find that hard to imagine! I know there are shade-loving hoyas, but I don't think there are any hoyas that "like" to be in the dark. Maybe I'm wrong (?).

In general, I think that if you are more interested in getting blooms, then the more light the better. But if you're more interested in foliage, then stronger light can "bleach out" the foliage.

I keep ALL my hoyas in an eastern exposure (regardless of whether they are sun-loving or shade-loving), and I have no complaints. I personally think that eastern exposure is great for hoyas.

HTH,
Gabi

Since you dont grow yours under lights, how far from the window do you tend to keep them, what is your set up like? The reason I have the lights is because I am afraid that 3 feet from my east window is not enough light for them. I am a terrible judge on the light in my house.

And for those who do grow their hoyas under lights....what is your set-up like? How far are the lights from the tops of your plants?

I guess my hoyas range from an inch away from the window to maybe 2 feet (I'm just guessing on the 2 feet though).

Here are some pics for reference. This one is an older picture...now, I have about double the amount of hoyas on that table! Anyway, you can see the hoyas on top of the bookcase...those are the furthest from the window than any other hoyas I have (maybe that'll give you an idea of how close my hoyas are to the windows)...

Here's a pic of a hoya that is literally touching my balcony door, and then there is a plant stand to the left of it (with hoyas on it of course!). The stand is a little further away (and I guess the hoyas get some shade from the big multiflora on the floor):

Here's another pic I have of a set-up in my bedroom. I keep a bunch of hoyas on a table right next to the balcony door...

And I have a bunch that are hanging right in front of the window. Here are 2 of those:

The rest are either outside on the balcony (until it gets too cold for them) or spread out around the other windows (but all are pretty close to the windows).

Hope that helps,
Gabi

As for the round-leaved hoya in the 4th pic, it's H. serpens. The leaves are adorable. They are each about the size of a dime, and really fuzzy. If you do a search for that hoya you'll see that the blooms are GORGEOUS. Here's a close-up of mine:

Nova,
I went to the hydroponics garden center after work today, and they had so many different choices for lighting. If you have a hydroponics store near you, I'd suggest going there. They had a really nice unit with T5 bulbs (I *think* that's what they were), and they also had other flourescent fixtures/lights that you can buy with a stand. So if you only have a few plants it might be a good idea. It would cost me way too much money to have lighting over all my plants.

Gabi

I love your serpens! Look at all the peduncles! Mine is still just a wee little cutting, but its starting to grow, it'll take me years to achieve the size of yours. How many different types of hoyas do you have Gabro?

I hear you on wanting your hoyas to be near you. A basement is no place for hoyas!

By the way, I can't take credit for the serpens...I bought it at that size and with that many peduncles (at a great price...only 25 bucks!).

Saludos Herman

I know about the space issues! I live in a 1 bedroom apartment and I just squeeze them in wherever I can. My whole east wall is wall-to-wall windows, so if I wanted to I could hang hoyas in front of EVERY window! But I'd be out on the streets if I did that!

Jan...thanks :) I love that candleholder idea too. I tried it first with my heuschkeliana, and it worked so well that I bought a bunch off of Ebay and I put some of the little ones in them...I can fit a 2 or 2 1/2 inch pot into it (I also have some in solo cups. You should try it! I would think a whole table like that would look really nice.

So I updated my set-up pics (the 2 tables I showed above):

Here's a pic of my bedroom table, but this time I took it from outside on my balcony to get a better view:

And here's a pic of that corner living room table...only with a lot more hoyas on it! I am planning on putting a hanging plant (or 2) above the table when I have to move them inside for the cold weather. I hope it'll look good.

And a close-up of that table:

Thanks for looking guys! And I would LOVE to see set-ups of your hoyas. It's always nice to see how people display their hoyas. Any takers??

Gabi

(Actually, my sigillatis HAS grown some, but its the loheri that really went nuts - I was able to send two people cuttings this summer from that one, yet barely made a dent in it)

My sigillatis isn't doing anything either!

I think it's probabloy good that you're supplementing your natural light if you're keeping them 3' in from a window. I do have a few that I grow hanging a couple feet in, but my sunroom is very bright in the mornings, then gets bright reflected light from the house next door in the later afternoons. Then, when I water these plants (about once a week...), they spend a day in the GH drying out (I don't like drippy plants above my carpet and furniture), so they get around one day a week of stronger sun. It's not enough to shock them, but gives them a little "sun boost."

The rest of my Hoyas that are in the house pretty much rest against the glass in my windows, mostly on the east. The ones in the GH also get east sun (as it sits on the east side of my house, access from the kitchen...) Like Gabi, I think east is the ideal exposure, but I don't think any of them like TOO much shade. Though I wouldn't personally grow them like Herman does, only because I prefer more lucious foliage, even if it means fewer flowers. We all have our preferences... But Herman's comments about smaller leaves got me thinking about my javanica I got from Lowe's, which came with HUGE thin leaves, which I thought were magnificent. The new leaves, however, are smaller. Perhaps instead of giving it MORE light (which was my gut feeling...), I need to give it LESS light! I'll have to try it!

Denise in Omaha

Saludos Herman

Gabi

Thanks for all the great pictures, guys! But where is the linearis in Jan's pics? Someone mentioned it but I don't see it??