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Finding the right sized pot. . .
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Posted by maidinmontana 5 (debirosin@bresnan.net) on Tue, Nov 24, 09 at 9:52
| Hello fellow Hoya lovers,
I have a situation on my hands I need some help with.
I decided to re-pot the 4 hoyas I got from our Hawaii friend. One of them, H. pubicalyx 'Red Buttons potted up with one she didn't disclose the name of but says it is the true H. pub. (solid green and leaves that are as big as 'Pink Silver'). When I tried to get it back into the same pot with the new soil it didn't fit. The roots were way too big and I didn't want to fuss with them too much. For now I put it in a pot that is way too big, I think (9 1/2"). The roots are still in tact and are 6 1/2" in diameter.
What sized pot should I buy for this plant? I know they like to be snug in their pots, but in order to get enough soil in the pot it seems the standard pot size doesn't apply here. I'm having a hard time finding a pot bigger than 6" but not as big as the one it's in.
I've been looking for a deeper 6" pot to no avail.
What would you guys/gals do?
Thanks, Maid~ |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Finding the right sized pot. . .
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Hey Maid, I got this last year at Kmart, not sure if they have any left...but it measures out just a little under 7", just enough when the 6" is a little too snug.
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RE: Finding the right sized pot. . .
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| Debi, I'm not of the "snugger is better" mindset. I'd use the 9.5" pot myself. Denise in Omaha |
RE: Finding the right sized pot. . .
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| Actually, Denise has a very good point. If you use a very good soil that drains well(not stay wet long) you can use almost any size pot you want. Sometimes I don't want to go too big on the pot because of space issues and has nothing to do with fear of over potting. If I really like a plant and want it to grow a little faster, I use a bigger pot and hope that it would promote faster growth, I just have to keep an extra eye on my watering habits. |
RE: Finding the right sized pot. . .
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| Really, you guys think the 9 1/2 pot will be OK. I thought so too, but didn't want to take any chances. I didn't want to be posting here wanting everyone to diagnose my sick looking hoya, and come to find out I have it in too big of a pot. That has happened to me in the past, not with hoyas but with a big scefflera plant. It did OK for about a year in a huge pot,I combined two plants, so I didn't think it would be a problem. Come to find out, it was dying a slow death. I don't think watering will be an issue, as I am pretty careful when it comes to watering these guys. When I think they are dry enough, I wait a day or two before watering them. Except the ones that don't like to go dry. And I do use a very fast draining soil mix (soil, perlite and bark) Will it tell me if it doesn't like the big pot? If so, what should I look for as far as signs go? Thanks ladies, Debi |
RE: Finding the right sized pot. . .
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| Maid, its your call, but if it were mine I would pot it up to 8" pot. There is usually a lot of 8" pots to choose from, its the odd number sizes that's harder to find for me...like the 5",7" or 9". But its up to you...how does it look to you? If it looks like there is too much soil on the 9.5" I would go down a little bit. Just my opinion :o) |
RE: Finding the right sized pot. . .
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| Thanks Nancy, There doesn't really seem to be *a lot* of room in there, in other words, it doesn't look like the plant is swimming in an ocean of soil. There are 5 seperate plants and they do fill it up or should I say fill it out. From what I understand the Pubs. grow pretty fast so I'm hoping it grows some massive roots and come spring I'll see lots of new growth. Thanks, Debi |
RE: Finding the right sized pot. . .
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| Debi, When you think about it, if your rootball is about 6.5", and your new pot is 9.5", that's only about 1.5" extra space around the roots. They usually recommend moving up to a pot size with 1" or so of space around the rootball. An extra 1/2" is no big deal, unless you tend to overwater. More root room = faster growth. Can't beat that!! Denise in Omaha |
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