Return to the Hoya Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
Posted by moonwolf 6 (My Page) on Sun, Nov 1, 09 at 19:58
| Hi everyone,
Has there ever been a hoya in your years of hoya growing that gave you difficulties such as bug trouble, no blooms,
until you got it right or just gave up on that certain one?
For those of you that don't know I won the mealy battle for now on lacunosa. It's mad at me (no blooms) for when I put it in the shed while the mealies were infesting it.
I know Denise said that she gave up growing bella due to it being a mealy magnet for her.
Can't wait to hear your stories! Hope you all had a great Howl-oween!!!
Brad AKA Moonwolf |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Brad, Yes, bella is a mealy-magnet. I did recently get one of the variegated ones to try again, because now I'm using systemics and the little buggers will never get the best of me again!!! I can't grow eriostemmas, which need lots of heat and sun. They do "ok" at best in summer here, but horribly in winter, so no more of those for me! A few that are not good growers for me YET, though I continue to try: aff. anulata goes back and forth; caudata has maintained exactly two leaves for the 15 months I'va had it; fraterna finally put on some new growth this summer, but hasn't since; one I got as globulosa (but apparently isn't) grows/falters/grows/falters (grrr); picta (for some reason) has always been a difficult one; retusa, which I got as a cutting almost 2 years ago, rooted but has done nothing since; and sigillatis has been a tough one for me. Don't want to scare you away from these species as many people do well with all of these. This is just my experience! Denise in Omaha |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Serpens!! I've probably killed at least 5; no more serpens for me. |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Yes, Awanda, that's one I should have added! I've had it a few times myself without much success. Oh, I can keep it alive for awhile, and even got some flowers last time I had it (thought I had 'er licked, that time!) Then it started to falter and gave up, gave it away. Kudos to those who grow it well! Denise in Omaha |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| I would have to say bella, serpens, gave up on first 2. Siglattis just sitting there for about a year+, polyneura grows fine but can't get it to bloom. |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Jan, my polyneura sounds the same as yours! It grows fine, and develops penduncles but no blooms! Some of the penduncles on it die off. It is a nice sized plant though. Brad AKA Moonwolf |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Mine are pretty good size too, no peduncles. |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
Hoya polyneura grows fine outside for me all Spring and Summer but when I bring it in it struggles all winter no matter what I do.
I got a Hoya from Thailand with hairy leaves called aff. lyi and though it rooted easily it has not grown one iota since. It's said to be a possible relative of thompsonii which I do great with. Go figure!
Endauensis I finally beat when I put it in a terrarium. It took off then. I guess it likes warm and lots of humidity.
Engleriana goes back and forth between getting new growth and losing leaves but stays alive. I recently got some long rooted cuts of this one and 1 piece came in bloom so maybe this batch will thrive.
Microphylla grows but very slowly for me and no blooms.
Curtisii just seemed to linger for me. Is a large basket but nary a bloom or even a spur!
The regular bella I didn't get mealies but it just seemed to linger never thriving. I did get the variegated Bois Luis and it does fine for me though.
Retusa I have one in a terrarium and it is going nuts but the basket I have out in open air just sits and spins wheels.
I can grow australis Lisa but find it a slow rooter when cuts are taken. It has an odd vine,,,cream in color and semi woody. I think I licked it with some rooting cubes and gel rooting compound though.
Chinghungensis dies if I look at it so I now ignore it in an out of the way terrarium and it's staying alive this time.
Manipurensis I lost recently and I'm looking to replace. I don't know what went wrong with it all of a sudden. I think it may be water sensitive. If anybody has a cutting they could take please contact me!
Those are my problem children I just won't give up on.,,,Debbie |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Jan & Brad, Polyneura is a weird one that grows great for me and it gets those itty bitty peduncles at nearly every node. But you have to watch it closely because I almost missed the three flowers I had last year - they were so well hidden under the foliage. It just so happened I had it hanging high enough that I caught sight of one when I was watering, though I had to lift it up to actually see it. Then I started watching it closely and lifting the stems up when I watered to watch for them. Think I'll go do a check now, 'cuz I think it was about this time last year I got my blooms! Debbie, I took gobs of cuttings off my polyneura this summer - gave lots away and then started several plants to sell next year at my C&S club's show/sale. Put the mother plant outside. Well, I brought it in and took it to work (had no room for it here) and it's been dropping leaves ever since. So I guess that's one I won't put outside next year! Denise in Omaha |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Denise, how long do the flowers last on polyneura? They look pretty but I read they have no scent. Brad AKA Moonwolf |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| So far for me it's H. callistophylla. Not that it's difficult, but it sure is stingy with it's growth. Out of all my hoyas (cuttings/plants) this one is the slowest to show any sign of being happy. It's just now getting a new set of leaves, until now I thought it was a gonner, nothing happening since I got it. But hopefully it will take off now. . . |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
Denise thus far no leaf drop on my polyneura. I brought in in about 3 weeks ago.
It's just that mine all winter seems to look limpish compared to strong and healthy when outside in Spring and Summer. It's gotta be a humidity and light thing is all I can come up with.
It keeps trudging along but I doubt I'll replace it if it ever dies. haha.,,,,Debbie |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| For me, Serpens, Bella are the worst for me...my best guess is the high heat and humidity 10 months a year here. My bella did the best in Jan and Feb...Serpens forget it...it yellows, if I water it and yellows when I don't? Can't do anything right with this one. Polyneura another problem child... very temperamental. I had snails attack it a couple of times and its just recovering from that. Its seen better days. No peduncles...occasional drops leaves. Seems like the common factor in these three hoyas for me is I think they prefer the "cooler" climate which I can't really offer except 2-3 months a year? Jan and Awanda...we might all three have the same problems with serpens...we live in too hot of a climate? |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Pug, serpens is cool grower. I'll not replace serpens& bella. |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Hoya bella and Hoya polyneura were not good growers for me either and I will not be trying either again. Right now the Hoyas I have that seem to give me the most trouble are meliflua and Sp. Irian Jaya #28, both grow some then die back again and again. Mike |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Mike, it is very interesting that certain Hoyas gives us fits in our growing climate and conditions. Its funny but just the opposite for me...with Meliflua and Fraterna. Both of mine received as cuttings are doing well so far, just waiting for some of those really pretty blooms one day? Must love all our heat and high humidity. I'm also so far... having good luck with Sigillatis and Sp. square. Two of my most fave's right now. I guess I will not try again with serpens and bella when I lose these. I know that I've tried and given my best and if I lose them...it wasn't meant for me. |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Pug that is exactly the way I feel, too many other Hoyas out there to worry about the ones that don't do well. I had thought that Hoya meliflua was an easy grower for most people to but my plant has been nothing but trouble. My Hoya sigillatis has done nothing since I got it, looks nice but it may as well be made of plastic. LOL Mike |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Brad...the only hoya I've had trouble with is H. polyneura...its leaves turn yellow and drop...BUT, I moved it out of the sunroom in August...it's now in my garden room...where it's much cooler...it's come back to life and has sent up many new leaves. I also have H. serpens...it does fine...but, I believe in the Spring, I'll move it into the garden room with the H. Polyneura. Both of these plants like the cooler temps...and my sunroom is in the 90's during the summer...whereas, my garden room is a good 15-20 degrees cooler. I'm just amazed at H. polyneura...once moved to a cooler environment, it continued to drop leaves for a few days...and after a month or so, it's put on new stems and leaves and, FINALLY, is looking gorgeous. I was so shocked at the difference and thought for sure that I'd lose the plant and would never try it again. Patrick |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| I'm surprised no one has mentioned linearis. I have the hardest time with that one. More of it dies off than grows. I have less plant than I started with. And let's not even mention a bloom. I doubt that will ever happen. :) |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| I've been growing linearis in Hydroton, from cuttings, since June (I think). It seems quite happy that way. You might want to try growing some cuttings in semihydro, see how it does. I actually have a lot more plant than I started with. I just make sure to keep about an inch or so of water in the container at all times, or at least keep it from going completely dry. I'm thinking it's got a long way to go before I see blooms, but it's got new growth all over the place. Maybe in a few years. The fuzzy new leaves make me happy enough right now, especially since I was nervous about trying to grow it at all in the first place. |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| I've had problems growing H. lacunosa for years, but have two now that are doing OK (Snow Caps and species). Both are growing under fluorescent lights and seem to be happy. I'm sure now that I've posted that the plants are doing fine, I will get home and find both dead. (:o( I also have a problem growing H. serpens out in the open air. It does very well when grown enclosed in a container though. I have no problem with H. linearis, but have to grow this plant almost bone dry during the winter or it rots on me. I've heard that H. sigillatis is very slow to become established, but once it is settled, it grows just fine. Yelling at the plant to grow does no good! (:o) I'm not entirely sure that H. kanyakumariana is actually a plant. I've got my suspicions that this plant is really made of plastic and we just thing it's a real plant. My plant has not put on any growth since I purchased the plant over a year ago. I should have tried to buy a larger plant since plastic plants never get any bigger. (:o)
I have this plant in a west window right up by the window so it gets very good light. Does anyone else have problems growing this plant? If it grows fine for you, how do you grow your plant?
Mike
|
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?-
| | |
| oops... "and we just thing" s/b "and we just think" |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| Patrick, glad to hear you've found a good place to grow your Polyneura Fishtail...mine is still plugging along. Maybe when our temps cool off a bit...it will do better? Trini, exactly why I don't grow linearis. I've heard a lot of people have issues. I have a few of those already,lol... Actually you linearis lovers...don't shoot the messenger, but I'm not a big fan of this hoya , so I won't have to put
myself through all the heartache and disappointment. Quinn, congrats and hope yours keeps growing and gives you blooms sooner than later. Mike,lol...Plastic!! I don't grow kanya. but I feel your pain, some do just grow so slow you wonder if there are actually roots down there! Lacunosa for me is tricky also, so far so good on my EA one...but I can't root them to save my life! |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
Mike (treelover) that's hilarious!
I have noticed when kanyakumariana makes new growth it looks like old woody vine instead of green like we are use to. I hung mine outside this year for the first time under my deck and it was getting north sun. Now that it's inside it's getting west sun. I water with VF-11 and though I have new growth no sign of it blooming for me. :-(
I just got a Hoya spartioides and am scared to death of it! I do hope I have what it takes to keep it happy and alive!,,,,Debbie |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
Sigh, it would be nice if they were labeled "likes high humidity" or "won't grow in the south" instead of "medium light".
Thanks for your lists, now I know which ones to avoid in my climate. You can get so much more useful information from gardenweb then anywhere else. Real gardeners with real experience in the plants.
Tally HO! |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
Beachplant, I absolutely agree with you, nothing like good old
first hand growing experience. Especially from people that grow in the same type of climate that you grow yours in. Not that is a "given" as we know there are many factors involved...but it sure helps to know if they are suppose to do well or recommended in our zone/climate. |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| I've killed linearis too. ;( most of the hoyas do well here in FL but some are just stubborn getting used to being here. Jan |
RE: Your Most Difficult Hoya?
| | |
| It's paziae for me. There is no action, not dying or growing for about 6 months now. Any tips for this hoya? |
Post a Follow-Up
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Hoya Forum
|
|
|
