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crazyplantlady1

Hoya polyneura care?

CrazyPlantLady1
9 years ago

Today, while out shopping, I ran across a small pot of hoya polyneura. My addiction made it hard to pass up, but I was strong. But only because last summer, I had been given a piece of the variegated variety and failed miserably with it. I placed it in a nice chunky, mossy orchid mix in bright shade and outside with daily watering. I had it in a pot with many other hoya cuttings for rooting. They all did well, but not my polyneura. It languished, but put on roots. Never grew any new leaves, but slowly one by one the leaves fell off.

Do these have different requirements? Any advice to it's particular needs is appreciated. I really want another (like I need another plant), but don't want the failure this time.

If anyone has some for trade, I would be grateful for a few cuttings....if you'd trust me with your babies....LOL I'm usually quite good with hoyas.

Thanks in advance =)

Comments (12)

  • aurorawa
    9 years ago

    That particular hoya is one of the only ones I quickly got rid of because I could never make it happy and I was new to hoya and didn't want to "waste time" catering to a needy hoya. I have heard that it THRIVES in semi-hydro. I do know it prefers less light (not complete shade, just more indirect, subdued light). Other than that, never did figure out how to make mine happy. Shame because the flowers, although easy to miss, are quite pretty.

  • CrazyPlantLady1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hmmmm......it's an EA plant. They seem to notorious for overwatering. But these seem to look great. I wonder if I put it in a self-watering pot with a heavier soil.....? Or is it my humidity level? I could have given the prev one too much sun, even in bright shade outside....

  • CrazyPlantLady1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Define, "semi-hydro"..... I'll try anything once

  • greentoe357
    9 years ago

    H. polyneura comes from higher elevations in the Himalayas, India. This means it likes growing cool, like ~50-77 sustained temps, or even down to almost freezing for shorter times. This is one source of difficulty growing it.

    Another is it likes high humidity.

    The third is it's a rather hungry feeder. If the leaves are pale, it likely wants fertilizer.

    Watering-wise, it wants to be a little wetter than most other hoyas - but not too wet. Leaves might yellow if there's too much or too little water. This is #4. (Number 4 1/2 is - good luck telling the difference.)

    #5. It needs to feel cooler nights for flowers to develop.

    I might just give up on mine, considering the long list above. It's alive still, but barely. There are many others that look better and are not princesses when it comes to caring for them.

  • CrazyPlantLady1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I must admit, I am somewhat intimidated if you guys had trouble, too. It's a shame, too. Pity, such a pretty plant is probably doomed to a beginner since it's in a BBS. I might try another cutting for experience's sake, but I'll have to pass on that little diva. Thanks for your input and experience!

  • greentoe357
    9 years ago

    Intimidated? You looking at me, right? Umm don't be. Seriously.

    A few points / ideas / additions / clarifications.

    I actually checked on my polyneura. "Barely alive" was drama queen in me speaking. It's plenty alive, just not growing and some leaves are dry a bit at the tips. Which is not ideal, but whatever, spring is coming.

    Polyneura is sometimes sold in these 8" baskets. It's one of a few hoyas that may be obtained locally. If I were very interested in learning more about what this species likes, practically and in my own circumstances, I'd take a bunch of cuttings and place them in different media, on different windows, in different rooms, whatever. Then the plants themselves can tell you what they like.

    There is no such thing as a "difficult to grow" plant - only conditions and environments and grower's habits that make it either difficult or very easy for a particular plant to survive. I know from experience that cool-growing humidity-appreciating plants do not have a lot of fun in my apartment. It's either hot and humid (in the summer) or cool'ish and dry (in the winter). If your environment fits what it wants better, polyneura might actually be your friend.

    So, nobody should get discouraged just because a plant has a difficult reputation.

  • CrazyPlantLady1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for clarifying. Upon reflection, it was probably the heat. We get awfully hot here in the summer (up to 110+F). I kept it outdoors, too. Even indoors under the AC, we are a bunch of hothouse flowers in our home. We keep the indoor summer temps in the high 70's to low 80's. Wintertime is warm and very dry indoors, too. I run a humidifier in my sunroom and/or mist frequently. Cooler growing conditions are the one thing that I can't overcome, especially in the summer. Which also keeps me from growing some gorgeous orchids, too. Maybe if another cutting comes my way, I'll give it a go. Oh well.....that just means more room for something else! LOL

  • rennfl
    9 years ago

    I've grown polyneura for a couple years now, mostly successfully. I've attached a link showing pics and mentioning how I grow it.

    This one also gets direct sun in the cooler days of winter, while keeping it very shaded during the hot summer. I keep it moist (usually) in summer, but let it dry in between waterings in winter.

    I did start cuttings in S/H, and they grew ridiculously fast. One comment on Auroras S/H post, you cant successfully use just water while growing in S/H, it must be a weak fertilizer solution.

    Polyneura, when healthy is absolutely a gorgeous plant. Now I ignored mine last summer, and we had a dry summer for our area (you would watch the clouds roll in, and then they would split around us... Very frustrating ) so my beautiful big plant did drop a lot of leaves, so I had to restart it.

    I would say go for it, it isn't that picky as long as you watch for drooping.

    Good luck!

    Renee

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hoya polyneura

  • greedygh0st
    9 years ago

    dupl.

    This post was edited by greedyghost on Sun, Dec 21, 14 at 12:36

  • greedygh0st
    9 years ago

    There is no such thing as a "difficult to grow" plant - only conditions and environments and grower's habits that make it either difficult or very easy for a particular plant to survive.

    I just have to chime in and say, "well put GT!" I think you should give polyneura another chance, since you obviously find it appealing. And Renee's detailed suggestions will seal your success, I'm sure.

  • tlbean2004
    9 years ago

    I have a cutting that is rooting in water, but i fear that once i put it in soil it will go downhill. The 6 inch basket i got the cutting from is dying. The leaves are getting shrilveled up. But all th single leaves that are rooted in the basket are still alive.
    I dont know why the leaves on the stems are dying.

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