Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: johnstephen29 on July 18, 2014, 09:29:34 PM
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Hi here is a Hoya Carnosa in flower, sorry about the glare on the second photo, I had to take it outside the conservatory so I could get a good photo of the flowers.
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Be careful where you grow it as Hoya carnosa flowers drip nectar like it's going out of fashion!
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Mine is in our bedroom and it will flower for six months of the year. Strangely, the flower spurs this year are repeat blooming in as much as the older ones are all producing a second flush in the same season.
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I love the fragrance of Hoya - and the nectar is delicious.
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Hi Anthony the oldest flowers are just starting to do that now. It has a really great scent maggi. I also have H.bella which is a trailing Hoya which will be soon in flower. The flowers are just as lovely as carnosa.
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Here is another photo of hoya carnosa with nectar dripping from the flowers, would it be possible to put this plant outside and let the bees and butterflies enjoy the nectar instead of it going to waste?
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You could at this time of year, I'm sure. Not in a draughty spot and be careful just in case of scorching it because I think it might be prone to that.
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would it be possible to put this plant outside and let the bees and butterflies enjoy the nectar instead of it going to waste?
From my experience of Hoya they dislike change. I wonder if the 10°c temperature change between day and night would be too much? Just a thought.................
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Thanks for the advice Maggi & Meanie, I'll try it tomorrow and see what happens.
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From my experience of Hoya they dislike change. I wonder if the 10°c temperature change between day and night would be too much? Just a thought.................
That's a very good point - it would be better to take it in at night.
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Hi I tried the hoya carnosa plant outside, within half an hour there was bees, wasps and butterflies having there fill of the necter. I'll try it again when the other flowers start dripping. Hoya Bella has now started flowering, this is a trailing variety, I have found it much easier to grow than carnosa.
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[attachimg=1]
Thought you'd like to see this Hoya carnosa from the RBGE - picture from Cameron Tasker
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I love Hoya carnosa as it reminds me of my grandmother's garden. It was growing on the side of the house. I have a small plant surviving here.
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Great photo Maggi, it looks amazing growing up that palm tree, mine has along way to go before it gets that big. Hi arillady i'd love to grow mine outside but it wouldn't survive. I can only have it outside during the summer.
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Hoya bella makes a wonderful plant for a hanging basket
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Hi Tony yes it does & you get lovely scented flowers as well.
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Hi,
I would like to see my 2 HOYA in flower ( HOYA carnosa tricolor & HOYA pubicalyx )...but every year I'm disappointed! I've had these plants in baskets indoors for years. The foliage is really nice but there's something missing. I water them every fortnight. I change the upper part of the compost each year ( as for all my plants ) but give no fertilisation ( as for most of my plants ). They are close to windows with a southwest exposure, so some good light is offered.
What is wrong with me?
I've seen plants in bloom in a glass house with very humid conditions. Conditions which I'm unable to offer in my flat.
This is impossible to place the plants outside as I've found HOYA are susceptible to mealy bugs and scale insects...and my balcony is invaded by all kind of pests.
Can anyone help with advice?
Thanks
JP
Maggi: what a stunning picture!!!
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It is quite an amazing picture - I just had to share it- even though I was jealous!
Have you though about trying the Hoya plants in your bathroom, where the humidity is likely to be more to their liking ?
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The RHS suggest that failure to flower may be due to insufficient light, but I'd imagine your SW-facing window should be bright enough.
Perhaps try keeping them a bit drier at the roots in winter when they are 'dormant', then increasing watering in the spring?
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It is quite an amazing picture - I just had to share it- even though I was jealous!
Have you though about trying the Hoya plants in your bathroom, where the humidity is likely to be more to their liking ?
Maggi,
This would be an excellent idea...unfortunately there's no window in my bathroom!
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Oh dear, then I must think again........ :-\
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The RHS suggest that failure to flower may be due to insufficient light, but I'd imagine your SW-facing window should be bright enough.
Perhaps try keeping them a bit drier at the roots in winter when they are 'dormant', then increasing watering in the spring?
Hi Matt,
Thanks for the advice. Maybe I don't water enough in spring & summer?
Do HOYA benefit from any feeding? ( I give none and the HOYA Pubicalyx send several whip-like shoots every season ).
I keep the plants in relatively small pots having read somewhere that they would flower better if kept pot bound...
JP
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Hi JP, it sounds like your plants are growing fine but just need a bit of a kick to get them flowering.
I do feed my Hoya during the growing season with a high potash feed (something like tomato food) and don't let them dry out too much, then stop feeding and give less water in the winter.
I believe that being pot bound is probably helpful for flowering and avoids ending up with a huge plant that outgrows your home! Mine are in quite small pots, about 4-5"/10-12cm, having been potted on as young plants from cuttings, then kept in the same containers with just an occasional topdressing if required.
We also have quite a large seasonal change in temperature in our poorly insulated house. I think these seasonal differences help give them a cue to bloom.
I hope you can get coax some flowers out of them soon.
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Thanks Matt!
JP
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Hi,
I would like to see my 2 HOYA in flower ( HOYA carnosa tricolor & HOYA pubicalyx )...but every year I'm disappointed! I've had these plants in baskets indoors for years. The foliage is really nice but there's something missing. I water them every fortnight. I change the upper part of the compost each year ( as for all my plants ) but give no fertilisation ( as for most of my plants ). They are close to windows with a southwest exposure, so some good light is offered.
What is wrong with me?
Can anyone help with advice?
A couple of other things spring to mind;
1] growing medium. In the wild the majority of Hoya are Epiphytes given the choice so mine are in a 50/50 MPC and grit mix.
2] is the window open? Drying draughts and all that.
Mine are producing their second or third flushes on their spurs this year. They live in a SE facing window (shut), get watered once every two or three weeks (even in summer) and never get fed. Watering is done by soaking overnight. No real humidity to speak of either.
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Hello,
Many thanks for all your answers!
My plants are grown in a mix of a multipurpose compost and sand which I use for all the plants that I think prefer a good drainage ( Dracaenas, monstera, Sansevieria,... ) and not too much humidity on the roots. The window is opened during the "good" season ( late spring, summer, and early autumn ) when I'm at home. The autumn sun can bake the plants at the end of the day but doesn't scorch the leaves.
Here's a pic of my HOYA Pubicalyx. It is much too huge for being brought to the bathroom for any spray.
JP
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Hi Jean Patrick my hoya's carnosa & bella are in a gritty compost, & I admit get neglected a bit, I water once or twice a week, are pot bound, kept in a bright light, early morning sun for carnosa & no sun for bella. They flower every year & carnosa is starting it' second flush of flowers. I wonder if you might be making it a bit too comfortable for them so they think they don't have to flower?
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Yes, I've been considering these HOYA as ( beautiful ) foliage plants for years...
But as they produce a lot of leaves ( too many ) I'll consider changing the making of the compost for a more gritty one.
...and see what happens!
JP
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"Hoya hanhiae from Central Vietnam has flowers of different colorations."
[attachimg=1]
Hoya hanhiae sp. nov. (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae) from central Vietnam
Van The Pham1,2,
Tuan Anh Le3 and
Leonid V. Averyanov4
"A new species, Hoya hanhiae V. T. Pham et Aver. discovered in central Vietnam is described, illustrated and compared with the related species H. macrophylla Bl. and H. verticillata (Vahl) G. Don."
© 2014 The Authors
http://www.nordicjbotany.org/article/hoya-hanhiae-sp-nov-apocynaceae-asclepiadoideae-central-vietnam (http://www.nordicjbotany.org/article/hoya-hanhiae-sp-nov-apocynaceae-asclepiadoideae-central-vietnam)
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Hi Maggi really nice flowers on your picture, these plants have beautiful flowers. I counted six new flower clumps in the second flush on my carnosa, it's going to look really great in a week or so.
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Hi my Hoya carnosa has just starting it's second flowering stint, still looking & smelling good.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3881/14982408759_d8dca3986e_c.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/126223196@N05/14982408759/)
Untitled (https://www.flickr.com/photos/126223196@N05/14982408759/) by johnstephen29 (https://www.flickr.com/people/126223196@N05/), on Flickr
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Saw this glorious photo close-up of a Hoya flower on Twitter and could not resist sharing it here - not sure what the species is.....
[attachimg=1]
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Hi Maggi beautiful flower, is the bit in the middle nectar?
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The dew-drop is surely nectar - looks syrupy and delicious!
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Have you tried it?
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Have you tried it?
In the days when I had flowering Hoyas , yes. I used to be enjoy the yummy nectar - catching it on a finger is easier than wiping it off the windowsill!
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I never even thought that it was palatable Maggi, but your right it's a pain to get off the worktops :)
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Another fabulous Hoya photo that I found in Twitter - I don't know this species at all - it's stunning!
[attachimg=1]
Hoya praetorii - though it was posted on Twitter as preatorii ( John van Uffelen @uffelenjohn )
I found out some more about it here : http://www.myhoyas.com/P/praetorii/eng.htm (http://www.myhoyas.com/P/praetorii/eng.htm)
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Hi Maggi the flowers on this Hoya are amazing, orange like a carrot and furry as well, what's not to like. I'll have to keep my eyes open for this one.
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Saw this glorious photo close-up of a Hoya flower on Twitter and could not resist sharing it here - not sure what the species is.....
(Attachment Link)
Hi Maggi,
What an extraordinary picture!! It just seems the flowers are covered in snow...they would be great on the Xmas tree!
JP
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I believe the species is from Sumatra. It does look very Christmassy, doesn't it?