Name: Carol Noel Hawaii (near Hilo) It's all about choices.
Having tried just about every mix and combination of such in the world....I have settled on a real winner that I am very pleased with for my hoyas and ALL of my tropicals: BIG R + #3 Perlite (#2 OK too). I learned this from a good friend who is a very successful grower of tropicals and who was the Head of Propagation at Waimea Botanical Gardens on Oahu. The mix is about half and half.... BIG R is called (on the bag) a soil conditioner and is essentially redwood shavings. The BEAUTY of it is that it costs under 10$ for 3 cubic feet!!! So, here is a photo of the straight mix:
Name: Carol Noel Hawaii (near Hilo) It's all about choices.
For my hoyas, I add Hydroton, usually heavier Hydroton in the bottom of the pot and the ratio depends upon the hoyas' needs. For Eriostemmas I use none as they like being in soil... and for those that need really alot of air around the roots I put a lot... The Hydroton maintains moisture really really well and as my climate is humid most of the time...it really works well for me. If I use Promix or any Potting Soil, my roots rot immediately.
Name: Carol Noel Hawaii (near Hilo) It's all about choices.
.... sorry...not familiar with s/h. Semi-hydroponic? I think that you can grow hoyas in anything...it all depends on what works for you.... Hoyas grow from where the seed manages to land on some organic matter, grow roots and grow out. The 'secret' is to find that which makes them happy. I think of hoyas like orchids...both are advanticious growers!!! which means they will grow whereever they are happy!!!!
so glad i found this!!!! i have a lumber yard right down the road and im thinking of subsituting redwood for maybe something they have and it will be MUCH cheaper, like cents for a bag or two full...
enjoy that which god has given us... family, friends... and plants!
Carol, Is this the mix you stared my cuttings in. If so, when they first got here I thought this mix would dry out too quickly in my dry climate but it actually seems to retain moistue pretty well. I'll let you know what I think when we are in the heat o the summer. :)
Name: Carol Noel Hawaii (near Hilo) It's all about choices.
In the heat of summer I also have to water more often.... The important thing for me is that there be the ability for air around the roots (remember...these grow on trees with their roots exposed, for the most part, to air...
This is what I would do to make it even a better mix: I have been experimenting with mixes, observing the larger pots as I pot UP and taking notes. I think I would use hydroton and the bark mix...maybe some perlite, maybe not depending on how moist the plant needed to be. With hydroton unavailable here, I am having to use GrowStones (I talked about these earlier, somewhere) which are larger than hydroton but MAN O MAN..they retain and wick water amzingly well.
So...again...will put some information together with pictures and start a post...experimenting as we go. Won't get to the store for more GrowStones until Tuesday....
I like your mix too Carol. I did think that it would dry out too fast as well...but it's actually working out nicely for now, in the summer, I will have to water it more often. I am in the middle of playing/changing my mix too...
Thank you for sharing your information.
they make mulch for gardens there along with lots of other things... http://www.bowmanlumber.org/MULCH.html there is their site... it looks like there is nothing added... would mulch be okay to mix or would it be too fine or not fine enough? thanks for taking the time to help me!
enjoy that which god has given us... family, friends... and plants!
I have been collecting, studying and selling hoyas for about 10 years. This Cubit is about growing hoyas, and about the hoyas I have to sell. I welcome any and all hoya lovers, whether you want to buy or not. Hooked on Hoyas is another great Hoya sight
sorry...not familiar with s/h. Semi-hydroponic? I think that you can grow hoyas in anything...it all depends on what works for you.... Hoyas grow from where the seed manages to land on some organic matter, grow roots and grow out. The 'secret' is to find that which makes them happy. I think of hoyas like orchids...both are advanticious growers!!! which means they will grow whereever they are happy!!!!
