I rooted retusa in semi-hydro. I just stuck it in the hydroton and it rooted as uneventfully as the other Hoyas it was grouped with.

I did think that since it was so small semi-hydro was best, but I don't think it's necessary. It is pretty sensitive to drought when it's young, though, so you will want to be watchful.

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate mail experience. Hope this round goes smoothly. I do think the seaweed extract would help. Renee was talking about how her son did a rooting experiment with it (link here).

I also rooted retusa in S/H last summer and searching my memory I think it took to it and rooted quite quickly. This one I left in S/H and it has grown exceptionally well over the past year.

Renee

I root it in pure coarse perlite under very bright lights. Roots fine, but grows very slowly for me. I feed constantly with Dyna Gro, alternating once in a while with things like fish or compost tea. Seaweed I use only occasionally, usually as a foliar feed. I let it get dry between waterings, and keep them in small-ish pots.

H. retusa is really slow for me; maybe its our cool foggy climate, but I just think it's slow.

Hey David,

I have to say I don't find this slow at all. I have one I have had about 3 years and is about 3 ft long minus cuttings I have taken. Guess it really likes the Florida heat and humidity. I find it dries out real easy in the house during the winter.

Dee

I can root this one just fine but keeping it alive longer than 6 or 7 months, no luck.I am losing my last attempt with this one.

I found it rooted easily. I used a cup (no drainage holes) filled halfway with lightly moistened perlite and covered this with another clear plastic cup and taped them closed. I set it on a seed mat for bottom heat. I've used this method with all my hoyas and haven't lost a cutting.

My parent plant grew infuriatingly slow the first year. I transplanted it into a large conch shell stuffed with coir fiber and it really took off. It's probably one of my faster growing hoyas now.