A Word of Warning!

Lately, on various Hoya forums, I’m seeing a lot of interest in an athletic field ammendment called Turface for growing Hoyas.  Here are a couple of words of warning about my experiences with it.  Also, thrown in is my experience growing Hoya multiflora in semi-hydroponics.

I should probably not say anything, but I can’t help myself.  Here is my experience with both multiflora and Turface.  Multiflora grows like a weed for me when grown conventionally in a moist, loose, peat-based mix.  For fun, I tried growing it in semi-hydro with hydroton; it grew one leaf, flowered once, stalled out, and quit growing while the multiflora growing in regular mix tripled in size.  The plant in semi-hydro eventually went downhill, and I threw it out.  All I will say about Turface is that I bought six bags (300lbs) of it, and I have since spread it on my driveway.  The biggest problem with Turface is that it is heavy, and it keeps the plants too wet.  I once rotted the roots off from 15-20 plants using it.  That is my experience with Turface, and my word of warning.  Your results could be different, but proceed slowly with this product.

What Do I Use to Keep My Plant Leaves Shiny?

When you mist your plants as often as I do, and you don’t use rain, or distilled water your plants will end up with water spots.  I get rid of them with a product called Scrubbing Bubbles.  I spray it on and wait for about a minute and then shower it off.  The result is that the water spots are gone and you have a plant fit for a show.  Only buy the product that is not Anti-bacteria.  I have attached a photo to this post of the bottle that I use.  I have also attached a photo from this weekend of Hoya megalaster, which I have sprayed with Scrubbing Bubbles many times before to no ill effects.

Buds Can Develop Really Fast!

There is so much promise in Hoya flower buds!  Here are two photos of H. archboldiana x onychoides buds taken five days apart.  This plant really likes the heat and the humidity of the plant room.  The new leaves are a beautiful red color, and these buds came out of no where.  It is easy to see that this plant is very happy.

Another Word on Clustrmaps

I just ponied up for the paid version of Clustrmaps Visit Counter.  You can now click on your continent and get a much enlarged map and view of where you are.  It also does away with all advertisements.  I am still very gratified with all of the visits that this site has generated; it has exceeded all of my expectations!

Hoya lacunosa ‘Royal Flush’

Here is a very nice cultivar of Hoya lacunosa called Royal Flush.  The foliage gets a lovely bronze color, and it blooms profusely in my plant room.  I received the plant from a very nice woman in Florida in a round robin.

A Seedling Update and Discussion

I started seven seeds from a seed pod that I harvested on my Hoya pubicalyx ‘Purple Hybrid’ back in October 2011.  Of those seven seeds, 100% germinated; of those, one died outright, 2 now look like they are going to die, two look only OK; one looks good, and one plant looks outstanding.  This is the third time that I have tried growing Hoyas out from seed.  My first attempt was with Hoya australis back in 2006; they all eventually died.  My second attempt was in 2009 with Hoya cumingiana, and I started with 25 seeds and ended up with six good plants.

Growing Hoyas out from seeds is very challenging for a few reasons, and unless you have a lot of time to devote to it, I would have to discourage the attempt .  Germinating the seed is the easy part, after that, the next few months are critical with one little mistake meaning in all likelihood death for the developing plant.  Also, not every seed has the genetic material to develop into a strong plant.  It is easy to prove this theory out.  When each seedling is treated exactly the same, you will see large differences in vigor.  You should only keep the best of the best when growing out from seed.  Below you will see my pubicalyx at three different stages of growth.  Picture three is the one seedling that I would call outstanding and will be a keeper.  Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Hoya megalaster Buds From Last Night

Here is a photo of Hoya megalaster showing its buds.  It is living in very tight quarters crammed into a grow tent with H. elliptica, which you can see in the foreground.  It is way too hot in my grow room and these plants seldom ever see temperatures that drop below 80°F (27°C) night or day.  It is not ideal, but because of the heat generated from the lights there is little that I can do about it.  These warm growers don’t seem to mind too much.