That's a nice setup, rennet, and your plants look like they're enjoying it. I too have spent some time both growing purely under lights and growing with supplemental lights in Winter and one of the things I most enjoy about it is the way the lights come on in the morning and it's such a nice light that you feel more awake just being in the same room. I get that good feeling looking at your pictures.

Glad your cuttings that dropped most of their leaves are turning around nicely.

I've been thinking I need to pull some of my lights out of storage and figure out how to set them up in my new apartment, but I just haven't worked it out yet. I've got some eriostemmas I haven't had the balls to take out of my cutting aquariums yet, but they grow so fast in there they are getting too big to stay.

Very Nice setup, Thank you for sharing, I am going to need to set up a light stand also, where did you get they mylar? Thanks!!

That is a GREAT set up Rennet...its like having your own little mini greenhouse in your apartment. Your plants seem to really be loving it. Thanks for sharing pictures! Great growing.

Thanks all. I've gone through several upgrades and revisions over the last year and a bit. I started off with a 3foot 2xT12 fixture for only 3600 lumens output but later added a second fixture.

Here's a look at my setup about 6 months ago.
At this point I had upgraded the fixtures to use 2x 3foot T8 tubes. This produced a maximum of 8750 lumens over 4 square feet underneath, although the effective levels were much lower. You can see several of the same plants that appear under my current lights in this picture.
{{gwi:994200}}

@greedyghost
It really is a great feeling to wake up and see a brightly lit display of plants. It even seems to help lift your mood in the winter when natural daylight hours are short. Good luck with your set up, be sure to post pics when you're done!

@babybuttoneyes
The mylar can be purchased online from hydroponics stores or from ebay. I'd recommend thicker 2mm thick mylar, even though I'm not using them. The thick rolls resist wrinkling and reflect more light. You should be able to find them for sale online for about $20-30 for a 50"x25' roll. If you don't want to purchase online or don't care or need the thicker mylar, you can go to just about any dollar/hardware/camping store and purchase "Emergency blankets". They're made of thin aluminized PET film (mylar) and cost only about a dollar each. I'm using emergency blankets for my racks since they're very cheap, easily replacable and do a fair enough job at reflecting light.

@puglvr1
Thanks. I'm still experimenting with this setup and am considering purchasing higher quality mylar. It's a little expensive for my current budget though, and I need to make sure it doesn't raise the temperatures under the light too much. Right now I'm using a floor fan to ventilate but I'm also considering building an array of 120mm or 200mm exhaust fans in somewhere to replace it. I've also considered CO2 injection with dry ice, since I can easily get tons of the stuff from my lab, although I've yet to work out any sort of system for that.

Rennet:

Your plants look very nice.
I'm just curious about growing hoyas indoors. Reading the posts I've seen that many members live in apartment like I do. I don't need a GH or lamps, etc, because I live in a tropical country, but I'd like to know if the hoyas can bloom inside apt. I started collecting hoyas few months ago, but I have hoya carnosa many years outdoor. My apt only gets sun at the end of the day and just a little bit, about one hour only. But is very clear. Is it possible for (or to) the hoyas bloom inside the apt????

What lovely looking plant and beautiful set up. Could you please tell me what your soil mix is. Thanks so much

@mitzicos
Absolutely, Hoyas can flower prolifically indoors. It certainly depends on the variety of hoya though. None of my hoyas are currently in flower, but H. chlorantha (1st post) and H. densifolia have budding peduncles and should flower in the next few weeks.
H. densifolia:
{{gwi:994201}}

Here's one of my older H. carnosa in heavy bloom 7 months ago under my old lights:
{{gwi:994202}}

@starflowers
I use a basic mix of coconut husk chips, perlite, and sharp gravel. Depending on the plant, I may also add limestone, bark chips or fired clay.
It's a very porous mix and seems to work very well for all of the plants I grow.

Nice set-up, your plants look very healthy. I made the mistake of not using enough lights when I switched to T5's because visually the output is so high. With a setup like yours you will be able to drop the shelf down as your plants grow and still have plenty of light intensity. I have been using T8's for a long time but they are in an area that also gets some natural light otherwise I would probably get rid of them because of the size of the fixtures.
If you are interested in getting some more Hoyas send me an email through Gardenweb. I know someone in Toronto (Etobicoke) who is selling off a bunch of their plants/cuttings in a couple of weeks.

Mitzi you can easily grow and bloom Hoyas indoors but they still need the same amount of light as they would if grown outdoors. If your window is facing North it would give the best light but East is also good. Hoyas would do best with four or five hours of sun. I grow my plants in front of a window but there are lights to make the day length 12 hours long, in the winter it gets dark early here. If you grow indoors and your plant is a beautiful dark green it means it's not getting enough light, many can grow in low light but less can bloom that way. Only an hour or two of natural light a day does not sound like enough for a Hoya. Hoyas naturally grow in more open situations, like orchids in a sense they don't often grow on the shady forest floor they choose to climb up into the light or otherwise grow in the dappled light of the tree canopy. Some Hoyas can grow in less light but you have to figure out which ones, others like almost full sun and would probably die if you grew them in the shade.

Mike

Mike,

I have no idea where my hoyas is facing LOL, we don't use to say north, west, east, etc.....
All I know is that they are facing the windows where the sunset, so it is west.
But my african violets, and other plants flowers inside the apt very often. So I hope the hoyas can do the same........ only the experience will prove if I will need to move them to outdoors or not, now I got sad.... I thought they would flower with 1 or 2 hours of sun, considering that the sun in South America is very different from the sun in North America, if you stay only one hour exposed to the sun here you can get seriously burned, and it does not happen in other countries. We cannot go out in the sun without a powerful sun protection, I know it sounds strange but it is true!

Rennet I just noticed that your Hoya densifolia is about to bloom. You know your lights are doing their job if you can bloom that one. My Hoya cummingiana only blooms if I put it right up against the glass in a South facing window.

Mitzi it's worth a shot anyways, try your Hoyas indoors and I am sure we can help you decide if they need more light or not once they start to grow. Most of my Hoyas are right up beside a large South facing window, the brightest spot you can grow an indoor plant. The plants that like the most sun go next to the window and but the ones that are four or five feet from the window get supplemental light because they are shaded by the other plants and they need that extra little bit of light to grow well.
African Violets are good examples of plants that grow on moss covered rocks in shady forest and they are happy with much less light than most Hoyas would like. Most common house plants are ones that can grow in shade and that is why they can grow and bloom indoors without much light. Remember that these Hoyas come from tropical countries with conditions very similar to yours and they are used to growing in bright light. The hardest ones for you to grow indoors would be the Eriostemma species you recently got like Hoya affinis, these plants would be best outdoors in full sun.

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Wild African Violets

@Mike
Thanks, it's actually bloomed once before but I was away for several days and came back to find the flowers nearly finished their run. If these buds don't abort then I'll be able to take pics this time. Thanks for the info about the Etobicoke Hoya seller. Do you know if s/he'd be willing to mail cuttings or accept payment through PayPal or anything like that? I've been ordering all of my hoyas through aleyagarden so far.

I am going to visit her with some other Hoya friends on the 20th of this month, not sure if she wants to mail anything out though. I can see if it's possible for you to come by if you would like just let me know.

Mike

@Mike,

Well I'm already convinced that I'll have to take my hoyas away from me and my apt! It is so sad! But I'll post pix of their development to be instructed what I should do. I don't want to sacrifice them for a taste, but if most of you is growing indoors with lamps help I'l try this also. I'm placing 3 more orders tomorrow, PS, Joni and Aleya. The expectation will start again! By the way what king of lamp is used for this purpose? I guess it a special one right? First I'll do whatever is possible to keep my hoyas here besides me, if not possible I'll take than to the farm where I don't go every week, just twice a month. I'm glad that I can count with the help of experienced hoya people and I'd like to thank you all for helping me.

Hi rennet
I also have to use grow lights in winter.I live on the west coast of Canada and can go 30 days with out seeing the sun.I use T5 lights a long the ceiling above most of the hanging hoyas.This year I have covered one full wall with mylar.A couple photos of my winter set up.

In this photo you call see one of the three computer fans that I use.

This is my table with my heating mat.

Under neath the table.I have another fan.

This spot needed a bit more light.I was able to get a T5 bulb to fit this light fixture.

Here are the two hoyas that are blooming right now.

Cindy

Cindy your grow space looks awesome. Seeing all this mylar makes me want to put some up. LOL I do hate the crinkly sound that stuff makes if it's not fastened down well.
Is that a very happy looking Hoya lambii on your table for the warm growers?

Mitzi the easiest way to add some light is to use a daylight compact fluorescent bulb. The numbers on the box should be as close to 6500K as possible. I am really not sure what type of bulbs you can get in Brazil but check the link and let me know if you have that kind. You can also use the long tube type fluorescent bulbs if you have more plants, T5 are very skinny but give off the most light and these are often seen used in the ceiling of office buildings. What ever light you get you want a daylight or a mixture of warm white and cool white for the best plant growth.

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:994172}}

@Cindy
Awesome. From the looks of it you're using the same type of emergency blanket mylar I am. How much room is your setup using? I have mine shoved into a closet since I'm living in a fairly small apartment now.
Also, what are your fans wired up to?

Mike,yes its lambii on the heat mat.I do hope to see flowers soon.It did take some getting used to all that crinkly noise but now I don't hear it.

Rennet, it is the same blanket from the dollar store.The wall that is covered with the mylar is 15 feet long and the hoya hang from a metal rod that hubby put up for me.I also have the 2 racks that have all the small pots of hoyas.

Cindy

Mike,

We have the same lamp, exactly like the link you posted! These are the lamps I use at my house normally, Sylvania. I just need to know how to organize it. And by the way what is mylar???? It is a kind of blanquet????

@mitzicos
Mylar is a brand name. It's a sheet of plastic film (boPET) that is made reflective by coating it with a thin film of aluminium through vapour deposition. It reflects up to 99% of incident light, depending on the thickness and quality of the material.
{{gwi:994210}}

Mitzico I gave the wrong info above about the light bulb in the black light fixture.Its not a T5 bulb but a full spectrum high output compact fluorescent.The brand name is sun blaster.Try to Google this name to see if you can get this type of bulb.Its super bright unlike the normal energy compact bulbs.Im sure you could use the ones you use in your home,I also use these in my home and they dont compare.

Cindy

@Mike,

I don't remember to ever seen this "mylar" here. I have to check on google. It looks like aluminium "paper" use to cook....LOL! I found mylar only for industrial purposes it is manufactured by DuPont, is that right?

"Cindy,

Thank you for your info. I think it is easy to find lamps for plants here, I will look for sun blaster.

Mitzi you don't need Mylar to succeed it just helps to reflect light back onto the plants that would otherwise go to waste. Using aluminum foil for cooking does not work well because it crinkles and then the bends and folds end up causing the loss of the ability to reflect light where you want it.

Let us know what kind of lights you can find, both home type daylight bulbs and if you can find the powerful ones made for plants. If you have hydroponics stores they carry the plant lights and Mylar.

Mike

Mike,

I found the mylar here, it seems that I can use mirrows. LOL!
Don't know if it is necessary in our weather, but the lamps I'll have to check at gardens store!!!! It's getting to much complicated to grow hoys indoors..... LOL

Following up to the mylar discussion......I see that several of you have used this to reflect light back under light/lamp conditions....I was wondering what benefit, if any, it would be to use it to reflect light back to the plants that are in a south facing window during the winter....I wouldn't dare think of doing this here in the summer months as the hoyas would surely be scorched! but I was wondering if it would be beneficial...thoughts???

It would serve the same purpose if you used mylar to create a tent around the window and plants, but at that point it would be more of an aesthetics issue; All you'd be able to see is a tent of mylar.

You could maybe cover hinged panels of posterboard with mylar and set them up behind the plants in the winter, kind of like a DIY reflector stands and light diffusers in photography.

It would still be an aesthetic issue, but it would be mobile and easily storeable come summer.

Wow, I seem to have missed this discussion first time around... glad it has resurfaced! I actually do use mylar to reflect light from a south facing window. I lined the top and bottom of each shelf so that the light coming in the window can bounce back to where it is needed. The light tends to come in at an angle, and sometimes doesn't really make it into the room very well. I'm on the third floor, and the overhang/gutters are above me and block some of the light, as otherwise, I have no obstructions in front of my house to block any light. I did drape some mylar opposite the window in front of the shelves for a bit, making essentially a mylar box, to reflect the light back to the plants, but I didn't really enjoy that. I can't see the plants that way, and I have 'out of sight, out of mind' disease... if I can't see it regularly, I tend to forget about it more often than I should. Plus, I grow the plants so I can enjoy them, and seeing a mylar sheet instead of my plants is not really fun.

I did get a roll of mylar, online, and it is like a mirror. I can't remember if it is 1 or 2 mil, I think it is 1, though. It is thin, and a bit of a pain to set up by oneself, because when it folds in upon itself, it tends to crease and mar the mirror effect somewhat. Also, it really seems to be attracted to tape; while I was trying to line my wall with it, it kept floating towards any loose tape surface, and stick to it, and then not peel off easily. The nice thing about it being light, though, is that all I used to put it up was scotch tape. Pretty nice, when you are renting, because it comes off easily when you leave.

The other place I used mylar is along the wall behind a wire shelf I set up, off to the side of my plant shelves. It is in the corner, to the side of the window, so it doesn't get the best light. I set up one 23 or 30 W CFL above them, and multiflora/javanica (I think we decided it was javanica?) has bloomed on that shelf, multiple times. I get pretty good growth on that shelf, with just that one light and some ambient window light, but I don't think it could happen without the mylar to reflect things around.

I always love to go back and search for older posts.....There is so much information!!! I will definately try the mylar with the hinged panel posterboard......I love the idea of the ease of removing it!

I'm hoping to pick up a roll of mylar tomorrow to line the shelves.

The hinged panels area great idea! After doing some searching found some other ideas - mylar roll up shades can be purchased, roman type shades can be made out the emergency blankets or use the emergency blanket or car shade and attach hooks to hang over a curtain rod. Figuring any of these ideas can be used for while I'm at work or away from the house, then removed/rolled up, etc when home!

I guess since this thread has been bumped up to the first page I might as well post an update.

Here's my shelf as it is currently, I've moved some of the hoyas down to the lower level since the light seemed to be a little too bright for them on the shelf.

Here are the H. macgillivrayi and H. onychoides from the first set of pictures. They've grown quite a bit since I first posted. Their growth becomes somewhat stunted as they reach the apex of the wire loop, I figure it's because they were too close to the light so I've moved them down. We'll see how they do for now.

H. macgillivrayi:

H. onychoides: The vine on the right grew from a leaf that fell off the vine on the left. I had cut it in half because the tip rotted, but it's growing fairly well now.

Earlier last month I'd moved my H. imperialis from the top shelf down a level as well, since its leaves were getting burnt at the tips and the internode distance had shortened considerably as it grew taller.
Here it is now, you can see that it's already starting to grow. I'm hoping it'll take on a more vine-like appearance instead of having bunched together nodes.

On the other hand, H. chlorantha seems to love being blasted by the lights. It's been flowering non-stop since I first posted this thread. You can only see two peduncles in flower here, but there are 2 more just out of frame and another one on the back. The flowers only last a few days, but then the plant goes right on and starts budding up another 6 or 7 peduncles at once. The flowers don't smell like anything though, which is a little disappointing (It makes up for this by flowering so much).

Here're some of my other plants.

Sansevieria pinguicula:
It's grown a lot quite quickly, it's now putting out its third new leaf since I made this thread. The new leaves are smooth and bluish compared to the creased and green old leaves.

Here's a distant relative of the hoyas, Adenium obesum.
I grew it from seed, it's picking up speed and is pushing itself up out of its pot.

Lastly, Adenium arabicum. I just tip pruned this plant a few weeks earlier to try and make it fill out more. The new buds are just coming in now.

Rennet,

Beautiful plants! Thanks for sharing.

I was reading what you wrote "Most of the leaves promptly fell off and left me with bare vines" and I'm very curious.....

Today I received some cuts, and 3 of them came with no leaves, they fell during the trip.

Is there any hope for bare vines? I'll be very happy if there is any possibility for them to grow and put some leaves in the future. I really thought that bare vines were the end of the plant!

@mitzicos
As long as the vine is alive, there's a chance that it'll root and grow new leaves/buds etc.

If you look closely, you'll see that my H. onychoides was rooted from a broken leaf and a bare vine. As long as both are green and healthy they can root. For your cuttings, you might want to soak them in lukewarm water for 24 to 48 hours to see if they firm up. If the base of the cuttings is brown or rotted, you should cut that off to expose fresh vascular tissue to the soaking. It depends on the plant and on how tender the vine is, but there's always a chance that what you have will root.

Here's what I rooted a couple months ago to get the H. onychoides. You can't see the whole vine, but there isn't really much to see anyway.

Thanks for the update! I'm just amazed by your chlorantha! I struggle with mine- it always looks like crap. On the other hand I got chloratha var tutuilensis last year and so far it's doing well.

Side note on the chlorantha var tutuilensis - usually with cuttings I just put one end in medium to root. Don't remember why, but with chlorantha var tutuilensis I set it on top with all nodes touching the medium. Took a while to root, but it now has 4 growth points!

Kelly

Rennet,

Thank you for your response.
I really don't know if the vines are alive, because the colour is strange. Anyway I potted them and will keep my fingers crossed. As the cuts arrived today and I don't know these hoyas I really don't know if that colour is normal, it is not green as the others! I'll take a picture and post it here later.

I'm glad that you are succesfull with your vine! It gives me hope! Thank you

Here is the vine

These leaves are from the vines, see how they still looking good:

And here is the cuts received today

The leaves that did not make

Excellent pics!

I love your plants and I love your mix!
The Crassula ovata 'Gollum' is looking sweet, as are the Adenium...great new foliage!
Well done!

Josh

Woowowowowowowowowowowow

I am so taken back by all your pictures everyone. I want more and more and more now..

I do have to say for the longest time I had no idea what they call the aluminum foil looking stuff. I have been searching high and low for it!
Where can one find that "mylar". I am so excited I now know the name of it..lol

Rennet: I have asked Josh and I hope you know too. Please tell me where I can buy a small plant of the, H. chlorantha ? I have been wanting one for weeks and can not find any anywhere. I would really appreciate it..

This thread is just awesome and I am going to re-read it. What a great bunch of ideas and I think I am going to set up a system too.

Do you all bring them outside when the weather finally allows you too?
How do you acclimate them to real sunlight?
Where can I find that kind of shelving and again, especially that "chlorantha?

Thank you very much for the ideas, beautiful photos and help.

Mike

@kellyknits
Thanks, I've noticed that chlorantha isn't too picky, but does like to abort its flowers if you let it get a little too dry while the buds are forming. Other than that, keeping it in bright light seems to guarantee lots of flowers. I'm glad to hear that yours is doing well too.

@mitzicos
Wow those look pretty rough, I'm not sure if they're still alive from those pictures, but if they are, keep them humid and warm and they should eventually start forming roots. Older stems are often yellowish grey and it can be difficult to tell if they're alive. DId you cut the lower end off? If you did, was the inside green, and did it bleed latex? If it did then they're in good condition.

You can shove those leaves that have fallen off into the pots as well, they'll form roots, but might take a while to form a vine, if they do at all.

The cuttings you received today look okay, not great but they look like they'll make it for the most part. Mine looked much worse and were mostly bare stems but they all pulled through.

@Josh
Thanks, I bought some adenium seed off ebay after I'd read all the stories about growing these over on the cacti forums. They're a lot easier to grow than I thought they'd be, even though I did have to invest in a light to provide enough light.

As for the Jade, I've always liked Jades quite a bit, but it's hard to grow them here without supplemental light. They always turn out leggy and gross and not at all tree-like. There's small Hummel's sunset jade hiding to the right of the Gollum too, I started it from a couple cuttings I took from my other plant when I moved out. The lights seem bright enough to make the leaves flush red, so I'm hoping for a treat once it gets bigger.

@Mike
You can get mylar at dollar stores, but you won't find it under "mylar". Thye actually sell it as "Emergency heat blanket" for camping and for keeping in your car glove box. It's a lot thinner and reflects less light than the 1-2mm thick mylar sheeting you can buy from hydroponic stores, but at $1 a sheet, it's a bargain.

The H. chlorantha was imported from Thailand, as were all of my hoyas. There's a web store called "Aleya garden" with an ever expanding selection of Hoyas. Now probably isn't the best season to order anything, but if you wait for a few more months you should be able to get lots of new Hoyas.

I don't bring my plants outdoors anymore since I now grow under lights only, although I used to bring my Jades and succulents outdoors. For those plants, acclimatization was mostly just setting them out in the shade and then moving them to brighter and more direct sunlight every week or two.

The shelving is just a standard wire shelf unit, you can find them at storage shops. I got mine at a store called "Storage solutions" but I think that's only in Canada. The dimensions of the shelf are 48x18", which is just enough to fit my grow light in.

@Rennet,

Unfortunatelly I think the both stems are completely dried and dead, the only green spot is where the leaves were, so I'll give a chance to them, the stem is dried inside also, no latex but I'll try with no hope. LOL

Mike, the H. chlorantha is available at SRQHoyas for $16. Joni also sells heat packs and I've received 3 shipments from her in the past 2 weeks, no problem with the bitter cold at all. This plant grows rapidly, even under artificial light. I'm waiting for the day when mine will look as great as Rennet's...so gorgeous with all of those blooms!! Congrats Rennet...you're doing a fabulous job!! Fondly, Patrick

Patrick.Thank You Thank you for that. Let me see if I can get one or two. I really appreciate it. I am going to look it up as soon as I am done here.

I can't leave though without saying THANK YOU to Rennet for such a great pick me upper and many great ideas! I saw that shelving unti at Costco's yesterday and the Mylar at a hydoponics store, that believe or not I frequent all the time. It never occured to me to ask there..

This forum is just awsome and thanks to everyone for helping me.

Mike