If you want to trade them for a vine more suitable for your area, email me - I'm sure I can come up with something! I am in Florida. PLMK

BTW, you NEVER fertilize a sick plant - just try to mist the vine frequently ie every couple of days and keep it warm until it either recovers or succumbs.

Thanks for the offer, but I really love these plants. That's why I'm hoping I can find out how to better care for them. I also noticed that one side of the tag had them as 'Strictocardia', but when I search the web and noticed the other side of the tag, it is 'Stictocardia'. No 'r'.

I have not fertized again, but I wonder if it may not be so much 'sick' as 'starved'. Just not knowledgeable enough to know.... :)

WHere did you buy them?

I see you are in zone 6. I would pot them up in a pot whose width is 3" bigger than the root ball, in good, well-draining potting mix - add some sand or perilite. Keep it moist and in only morning sun for a couple of weeks. Once you see new leaves forming, move it to more sunlight. These plants thrive on moist heat, but you have to be on the watch for spider mites, mealy bugs etal.

This plant is difficult for even those of us who grow tropicals routinely, so just be patient.

Keep me in mind for a trade if you find these don't grow for you - I have lots of different vines and other plants - perennials and tropicals - that would do better in your zone.

I'm in zone 7 and grow mainly tropicals. When storing tropicals during the winter you really need to reduce the amount of water they get, even for moisture loving plants. It's actually much better to under then over water a plant. The pot size is also an issue because all that soil holds so much water that the roots can't take up. I'd allow the top few inches of soil to dry completely between watering. Unfortunately drooping foliage can be a symptom of both over and under watering so it's not a good indicator. I don't think that I'd transplant now as it will just stress the plant even more. As mentioned fertilizer on a stressed plant isn't a good idea but you might want to try some Superthrive or B1. I'd also trim the vine back and once it warms up enough get it outside in morning sun, bright, indirect afternoon light even if it means schlepping it back inside at night. Once it starts to put out new growth I'd resume fertilizing. Good luck. I hope it recovers. It's a beautiful plant when healthy.

Karyn, thanks for responding - don't know why I didn't think to have her ask you!

Thank you all and especially Karyn. I won't be trading. I am really taken with these plants and just hope I can correct my many mistakes. (I got them from Robert's via QVC, by the way)
I realized too late the mistake of the pot size and have found out several problems it causes (holding onto too much water, being one). I think once it warms up and I can get them back outside and doing better, repotting them into smaller pots would be a very good idea. It will help with the bringing them in and out when I am doing that and will hopefully help us do better next winter.

With these being vines and being in such large pots (16 & 20 inch), how exactly do I go about doing that? What size would you recommend for them?

We have just started getting some days in the upper 70's, so I can start getting them outside 'some', now. But it will be May before they can stay outside.

I have found that over watering is a major fault of mine and root rot has been the down fall of many of my plants. Now I am trying to correct that, but it is so hard to tell with this one. I am still getting new growth and I seem to see that start doing better after I water. If I do let it dry out 'too' much I have a better chance of 'correcting' before it is too late, right? I know I need to check the soil, but even that seems uncertain to me. If you were to 'guess' what would you think a good 'time frame' between watering would be? I tried to go down to once every two weeks, but I just didn't think that was doing well, so I went back to once a week.

Sorry for the long winded questions, but I'd really like to keep these going. They have had many blooms this winter and were so beautiful. Last summer the folage was gorgeous and I even had a few blooms on the one in full sun.

Here is the information, straight from the mouth of Roberta's Gardens/QVC:

http://www.robertasinc.com/2009%20pdfs/Hawaiian%20Bell%20(Page%2001).p1.pdf

Here is a link that might be useful: Stictocardia care

April - I grew a stictocardia bereviensis from seed over the winter and it recently bloomed for me. One of the things I do when I water is I add a drop or two of C2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) and you could certainly try a drop of superthrive to the water too! They don't like to be over-watered, so you are best to go on the dry side. If the leaves start looking droopy, then water them. I bottom water them. I have less problems doing that so far.

I don't blame you for wanting to grow them! They are gorgeous vines and blooms! I love my young vine. BTW - Mine is growing in a 32 oz. styrofoam cup under shop lights! LOL!

Thanks again. I actually still have my pamplet that came from Roberta's, but hadn't looked at it a while, so it was good to take a peek again. I'm mostly still on track with what it recommended, except for the pot size. Really blew that one. I even emailed them as I was just sure I wanted such a big vine in a bigger pot. I'd really like to know how to repot them this spring/summer once I feel they are doing better.

I am still getting lots of new growth starting, but it just doesn't seem to 'progress'. I even had more blooms this week.

I also found tons of little white 'bugs' the other day. Had not noticed that before(and can't imagine I missed them... I 'study' these guys almost every day) and got a spray I hope helps get rid of them.

I have been doing 'bottom' watering of many of my plants. Seems to help curb my 'over water tendancies'. But The darn pot size makes that not work well for these.

Thanks again for the help/advise. Anything else you can think to pass along, please do. I will keep you posted.

off the topic... Anyone know why I don't get email updates when someone replies to this post? I checked that I did want that, but I never get any.....

Thanks again.

Oh no mealies! They are the bane of my existence when wintering my plants over, especially because I don't use insecticides. You need to get rid of them asap. I doubt that one application of spray is going to do it. You can take Q-tips and dip them in isopropyl alcohol diluted with water and carefully wash the entire plant. You will have to repeat it in about a week and possibly again after that. They are pretty easy to control once it's warm enough to keep the plant outside. I use a strong spraying of water with the hose every day or so until they are gone and I also use beneficial insects. You can turn the pot on it's side so you aren't constantly saturating the soil. If you want to stick with insecticides you might want to consider adding a systemic for long term control. BTW I don't think the contact when updates are posted feature works. Just check the thread every so often.

Wonderful. A new challenge. I will keep at it working to get rid of and keep away the 'bug' (mealies). Hopefully we will warm up soon, but I know for this plant outside to stay outside will probably be May.

Glad to know it's the feature that doesn't work and not me. I have enough on my list of things that 'don't work'. I will do as I have done and keep checking back. Thanks!