Gabi,

When a plant's leaves wrinkle like this, it's usually because it isn't taking up water. I think sometimes when plants are bare-root for a period of time that the root hairs die off. The problem is that it's the root hairs that take up water, so you have to water them very carefully for awhile until the root hairs redevlop so that it's capable of taking up water. By keeping it on the drier side (with just some misting) the root hairs start to grow in search of water.

I have no idea if this is the problem with your plant, but I would probably take cuttings. If you put them in water, sometimes they will rehydrate, but I've never had much success water-rooting bella, so I'm not sure that will work for you.

Sorry you're having such a hard time with your bella. I quit growing it several years ago because no matter what I did, I couldn't keep the mealies off of it. Of course, that was before I would even consider using any systemic, and I've started doing that when necessary. I may just try to grow beautiful bella again. It has some of the most lovely flowers!

Denise in Omaha

Ouch, not lookin' too good. I would try letting it get a bit drier before watering - I don't follow the bella and lacunosa needing more water rule, I find mine do fine treated just like all the other hoyas.

I used a new orchid mix (ortho) that I have never used before and I potted up my bella with it and I believe it must contain a stay-wet agent because the soil is staying too moist too long. The leaves on my bella, even though it is blooming, look a bit like yours but not as bad and I know it is because it is too wet.

As for checking the roots, I can't answer you there. When I repotted my bella, which is over a year old grown from cuttings, the whole root ball fell apart on me. There really wasn't a root ball, it was just the stems with very few and very small roots on each. So, there were barely any roots to trim, if I had to do so. Now I am watching it closely, hoping the leaves look bad due to the shock of repotting, but the new mix I used for the bella and a few other plants is not drying out very quickly. I think that is the real issue. Besides, with every plant I have lost to root rot, I tried everything to save them and lost them anyway. Maybe someone else will have some advice on what to do, but I would start by letting it get more dry between waterings.

I forgot to mention, the leaves look the way they do when the plant is kept too wet because if the roots have issues (rot or something else) they are not doing their job in taking up water, it is not being distributed to the plant. How to fix it, I don't know!!

Denise,
Thanks for all that helpful info. I actually didn't receive it bare-rooted...it was potted already. Unfortunately I already tried the cutting method, and I that didn't work. I tried rooting some cuttings in water, some in long spagh moss (in a humidity dome), and some in a loose potting mix in a ziplock bag with holes in it. None of those worked. I'm glad to know this is a tough hoya in general...maybe that means it's not just me :)
But I don't understand why it gave me such beautiful flowers...maybe they're those "stress" flowers that hoyas send out before dying.

Ines,
It's funny that you mentioned you had no rootball when you checked the roots. Some of the stems fell out of the pot a while back, and there was practically no root system. It was the same as you described...each stem had just a few roots. I wonder if the rest of the plant is like that. Anyway, thanks for your advice...I'll try to keep it dryer. May just have to chalk this one up as a hoya that doesn't work for me.

Thanks,
Gabi

Hi Gabi,

I have had this happen to a few bella over time....when its happened to mine, its because of letting it dry out too much in between watering..after they go wrinkly, i have pulled out the stems to see whats going on and the roots are visibly brown and dying off...so like Denise and Ines said, roots arent pulling up any water as they are dying off.....i find a bigger plant easier to grow just because its in more soil and stays a bit moister unless your really dont water it much at all.....also, fast draining mix to prevent wet feet....if you can take some cuttings of some healthy vines, i would go for it...i know this is opposite of whats been posted but this is what i have experienced with bella..underwatering also will contribute to root rot...i dont find it finicky although the variegated can be more picky :)....

Sandy

Thanks Sandy. Unfortunately, there are no longer any healthy vines. I took some cuttings when there were still healthy vines, but as I said above, those didn't take. So what you saw in the picture is representative of all the foliage. I'll just enjoy the current blooms and hope for the best!

Thanks,
Gabi

Sounds like there is a fine line to walk when deciding how much to water this plant. I still feel you are much more likely to kill it with too much water than not enough...And a fast draining mix is a must. Checking the plant daily is another must, that way when it does get dry, you come along in a few hours and discover that it is, and water it.

Right now I am concerned about the new potting mix I used and how long the plant has been wet. As for the root system, I don't know how old your plant is Gabi, but I started mine from cuttings early last spring. It is possible that it takes a long time for this variety to build up a root system, or maybe it never really does. But the fact that if has so few roots is a good argument for keeping it in a small pot, a small amount of roots can only utilize so much wet soil at once. As we know, too much wetness and you are in trouble, even with bella! So, better to stay on the dry side, as long as it isn't long term dryness, you know?

I was thinking the same thing, Ines (about there being a fine line between over and under watering). I think I'm going to try keeping it a bit dryer, like my other hoyas.

I don't know how old the hoya is...I got it as an adult plant from a very very generous person. It was sent in a small plastic pot (about 2.5" diameter and 2.5" deep), and a month or 2 after receiving it I repotted it to a slightly bigger clay pot (4" diameter and 2.5" deep). I like small pots but the plant was so big that the pot would just tip over if it wasn't supported by something. Also, I repotted it because I wanted to use my own mix since it wasn't doing so well (I use a VERY fast draining, loose mix). I just wish I could remember what all the roots looked like at the time of repotting!

So....I feel like I'm doing things right (small and shallow pot, unglazed clay, fast draining mix)...what could it be???? I'm just not sure what to do at this point.

Not sure if this will help, but here is a full picture of the plant, taken today:

{{gwi:950562}}

Thank you all for your help,
Gabi

Gabi,

I could be wrong, but I still vote underwatering. I found bella to be a water guzzeler, like multiflora. I never kept it quite THAT wet, but when I let it dry out a little too much, the darned thing would get those dehydrated looking leaves. Usually, they would plump up after a good watering, but if it happens too often, they don't plump back up. It was a well-known commercial grower that explained to me about root hairs and how they die off if a plant gets too dry, and once that happens, it can be difficult to water them properly for them to make a comeback.

Anyway, I forgot to mention in my last post one trick that sometimes works for me with a stubborn-to-root plant. I just did this with a large-leaved Hoya I got a year ago that was doing the same thing - the leaves were all wrinkled and I couldn't get them to plump up. I took the main stem of the plant (that had some pathetic roots...), cut it back to just a few leaves and stuck it in a pot with some rooting Hoyas. I'm no botanical expert, but it seems to me that when you have several cuttings rooting together (whether they're same species or even same genus...), they root faster and the roots are healthier. I suspect that they start throwing out hormones that encourage anything in close proximity to produce roots, too. That's why I keep several community rooting pots around every spring. And, BTW, that big-leaved Hoya's leaves have plumped up and I think it's going to be ok. I'm not ready to disturb the roots right now to find out, but as soon as I see signs of new growth, I'll be doing the happy-plant dance!

Denise in Omaha

Sorry you are having problems Gabi. I have had little problems with Bella, although it will drop buds occasionally. This, in my case, I believe is caused by draft. It is relatively a care-free hoya. I water it when it seems dry, and fertilize perhaps 2x a month.

Do not be concerned about the root structure. Others are bound to chime in here, but the Bella has very small roots. I root mine in water with 100% success. I have never had one fail to strike roots. A month or two ago I potted up about 6 the size of yours into 1 large hanging planter. It now has probably 100 umbels open and that many again forming. No yellow buds, but this is the time of year for Bella.

I have never had luck with the quick draining mix for any Hoya. Hoyas for the most part grow in rain forests or the nooks of trees. They receive an incredible amount of moisture, and indeed sit in water much of the time. As much as folks here hate it, I use Miracle Grow potting mix, which (my) Hoyas love. Mine did not do well at all when I used the lighter mix with vermiculite. I grow most of my Hoyas in an easterly window, and they outperform those grown at other exposures.

The problem does not appear to be exposure, nor does it appear to be disease or pests. As Ines cited, it seems the plant is having trouble taking up water. When I have a plant that is not growing I tend to give it a boost with a concentrated dose of Superthrive (1 tsp/gallon).

Lastly, if that plant came from me, the plant would be about 14 months old. It would have been a cutting taken early last spring. Good luck with it, but don't lose any sleep. There are lots more where that one came from :)

Hmmm. Just thinking after I posted. Shipping causes a lot of stress on plants, and, with the delicate root structure of Bella, it might have gotten damaged. Bella's can be pulled right out the pot, their roots left behind. I wonder... Since (I believe) that plant is growing from one stem in the soil, perhaps it was tossed a few times in shipping and the roots were damaged? Being succulents, it would take a month or two for the plant to show visible signs of stress.... This is why so many ailments are terminal. By the time you can SEE there is something wrong, it is almost too late.

Just a thought, but it makes sense.

Felicia - You must have the art of watering down to a "T" if you grow in plain old Miracle Grow potting mix! Congrats on that! The only things I can grow successfully in an unaltered all-purpose potting mix are things I put in huge planters outside.

And 100 umbels after a month in a new pot? Yowsa!! I think you need to start giving lessons on "How to Grow Hoyas."

Denise in Omaha

Thanks Felicia and Denise.

Felicia,
yes it was the Bella from you, and I just feel terrible that I'm killing it!! I love this plant! I think you could be right about the shipping, because it did start to go downhill after I received it. The lacunosa, however, which is in the same potting mix you used for the bella, is doing GREAT! So I guess you CAN grow things in Miracle Grow if you know how to water. I am just very careful to keep the lacunosa moist but not too wet, and never dry. I also have all my plants in east-facing windows. By the way, Felicia, I can't believe how easily you can root....I have trouble with some hoyas, especially bella. I will play around with this one and see if anything can make it happy. Enjoy your 100 umbels! That must look beautiful. YOu are an amazing hoya grower!! And it was so nice to hear from you :-)
Gabi

I am spending most of my time outdoors this time of year. The Hoyas indoors get unruly this time of year. I holler at em but they still want to fight with each other, no one will leave the other guy alone! Bella is one of the best behaved, mostly growing downward. I will have cuttings galore and have some rooted and some planted, so if worse comes to worse I will be happy to send you another Gabi. Maybe a smaller plant or a few rooted cuttings (or both) will result in better success.

Do not feel bad. This is not your fault. I do know how you feel and it is why I have given away literally 100's of Hoyas. I throw the trimmings in a jug or a pitcher and then I have to figure out what to do with another 10 or 20 plants, hehe. There is a limit, but I still can't bear to throw them in the trash.

With respect to the Lacunosa doing well - I am happy for this, and it is no surprise. Lacunosa roots are much different than Bella. They have tougher roots, and a MUCH larger root structure. You will never have a pot bound Bella, whereas a Lacunosa can outgrow its pot. Lacunosa for me grows in every exposure and I cannot remember a time where there was not a flower or two open on one of the plants. I even have a pot growing in the corner of the bathroom. No sun, so no flowers, but it has the most gorgeous dark green foliage, where the ones in the sun are lighter.

Bella roots, even when well established, are small and very fragile. They are not much stronger than water roots.

The Bella I have hanging in my kitchen lives up to its name, but it has no fragrance. The Pubicalyx I have running around 2 window frames in the bedroom is another story. This was a mistake. The fragrance to me is sickeningly sweet and absolutely overpowering. I slept on the couch once last week, and the next day before sunset I put ziplocs over the clusters, lol. At night this plant is unreal. I don't know what insects it tries to attract, but anything within 100 yards could smell it strongly. The flowers are beautiful, so I don't want to nip the peduncles, but I have been considering it.

Gabi - if this plant dies and you are not successful in rooting some cuttings let me know please. You should have my email, of course you can go through GW.

Sorry to hear of the Bella problems you're having; this is definately NOT you, happens to many of us. I've had it happen several times w/ Bella (currently have none of it) & had an even worse time w/ variegated Bella (which I'd heard also needed to be kept moist). I know of 3 other people who failed w/ variegated Bella the same year I did.

Wish I had some suggestions, sorry I don't, but at least you should know it's not just you! Plus, you did get to enjoy some of those gorgeous blooms!

Thank you so much Felicia, both for your knowledge and your offer. I appreciate it very much. That lacunosa has not stopped blooming for me either...I just love it! I heard Pubicalyx has a great scent...I guess you're on scent overload though. You must be doing SOMETHING right to get so many blooms and such beautiful plants. I have pubicalyx 'red buttons', and I've been thinking about getting the regular pubicalyx ('pink silver'), but I heard it takes a long long time to bloom. Please don't cut those peduncles off!!!! I would take just a peduncle of that plant, those flowers are just gorgeous. Thanks again for everything :-)

Thanks for the encouraging words PG :-)
I think I will try to keep this one a little more moist. That seems to be the consensus.
Gabi

Hoyas DO stay moist in the rainforest, but their roots are also not living within the confines of a pot, so they get plenty of fresh air as well. One really cannot compare the environment they come from with the environment we keep them in, unless you grow them epiphytically in a greenhouse.

Gabi, it is possible that your hoya could look the way it does from drying out as well as overwatering, but my opinion of your problem is based on you mentioning in the first few posts that you DO keep your bella on the moist side. If that is the case, then I doubt that what it needs is MORE water. And, plants that are suffering from lack of water long term usually will shrivel and wilt at first and then they turn yellow. This does not happen overnight, but it also does not happen when you forget to water once or twice. On the other hand, plants that are too wet and possibly have a rotted root system do not usually turn yellow, they wilt but stay green for a while, then shrivel away and die. Regardless of everyones opinion on bella enjoying being wet, which it may in the rainforest, the plant is not going to look as bad as yours does because you let it dry out for a day or two every other week or so. Even bella has somewhat thick, succulent, water retaining leaves. (not as thick as some hoyas, but not thin either once they are full size)

Anyway, that is my opinion based on the fact that you were NOT keeping your plant dry, as you said in your first post. I have a pretty strong feeling that if you dump more water on it, you are going to lose it, but it is possible that the damage has been done from overwatering and you will lose it anyway. So, whatever you decide to do, I will hope for the best for you (and for mine as well!) Since I beleive mine is in the early stages of suffering from being too wet, I am going to withold water and get it back to the way I used to keep it, and I will let you know how it does.

What a dilemma!! Ines, I really do appreciate your feedback. But since you seem so knowledgable about hoyas, I take your advice to heart and therefore I just DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!! Everything you says makes sense.

Let me clarify how I water it, since I did make it seem like I water it a lot. Basically, I would say that I water the bella somewhere in between how I water my lacunosa (and multiflora) and my carnosa. So I really haven't kept it too wet. Also, it's in a pretty fast draining mix (same with my multiflora), and my lacunosa is not in a fast draining mix. To make it even MORE complicated, the bella is in a clay pot, and my carnosa and lacunosa are both in plastic pots. So as you see, the bella dries out more quickly than both the lacunosa and the carnosa (due to pot type and soil mixtures). Am I making ANY sense?!

What to do, what to do. Well, I will see how it does now, because I just watered it today, and then I will go with my gut as to whether I should let it dry out or keep it wet. Ines, please let me know how your's does when you withold water. Thanks again for telling me what you think. I really do appreciate the advice!

Given the extensive root system of most hoyas, watering once a week or even a soaking once a month might suffice. While I am no expert, it would seem to reason that any plant with a small root structure would need longer "soaks" for the plant to take up enough moisture to survive. Bella has barely any roots at all. While the rainforest plants may benefit from fresh air, they are also nearly constantly soaked. The medium in which they grow is also very heavy and rich. The nooks of trees are filled with decaying leaves, etc., a very rich compost. There is nothing light about it. They may be able to be grown epipytically, but this is not their nature, and it would require an incredible amount of misting to keep this plant alive. While their root structure is slight, it is still (I believe) necessary. I am thinking the same is true using a lighter potting medium on Bella. It would not be able to absorb enough moisture before evaporation. However, I am also at a loss here. Had Gabi said the plant had been allowed to dry thoroughly between waterings, I would be much surer of my hunch.

Take some cutting and drop them in water Gabi. Within a week or two you should start seeing little roots form. If not just drop me a line.

Actually, bella may not even grow epiphytically.. I was making a point about hoyas in general, I don't know where bellas come from or how they grow in the wild, I THINK they may be from India, but I am probably wrong. My interest in hoyas kind of stops at the geography point...All I know is the general part of the planet they all come from. Now I will have to see if I can find that information. But, even in the best of circumstances, we would have a difficult time matching a rainforest environment to the ones in our homes. And I believe that in the rainforest, they are getting a heck of alot more fresh air and humidity and all of the other things they need then they are getting in an 8" plastic pot in my kitchen window with forced heat and icy air conditioning blowing on them year round!! Poor things. It's a wonder some plants survive at all in my house.

I have had a bella growing in a rich but fast draining mix for a year and it has done beautifully. I repotted it into a heavier, denser, and judging by the ingredients on the bag, an even richer soil - and I believe that now much much less air is getting to the roots, the plant is staying wet for days on end, and it is failing. Not as bad as Gabi's, but it is on that road.

WHat we also have to keep in mind is that even within our own home environments, and depending on the part of the world that we live in, there are alot of differences in growing conditions, so that may also be why opinions differ. What works for Gabi may not work for me in my home and may be entirely different on the west coast.

Bella grows in India, Thailand, and Burma, not sure exactly how though, have to look when I have time.

Gabi, if your bella is truly suffering from lack of water or not long enough soakings, that is usually an easy one to turn around, provided it hasn't been left dry for a long period of time, which would damage the roots. You said in your first post that you keep it moist, so the roots should not have dried out. If you have decided to water more heavily/frequently, then we should see in a short period of time an improvement, if the problem truly is not enough water. Good luck!

I don't truly think I significantly over or underwatered. In other words, I haven't let any of my hoyas get very thirsty, and I haven't drowned any. So I think it is a coin flip at this point as to whether I need to water more or less. I pick more...we'll see what happens!

Short a miracle, i think it will be difficult to turn that bella around from the picture posted above ..... the roots most likely are dying off or have died off....

We all, or should I say most of us, have killed our share of Bellas.... That being said, I agree with most that this Bella has dried out once too often and may not recover. I'd blame the pot that you have it in!

My sugestion is to take all the cuttings that you can. Don't give up on the main plant either.... Repot it into a plastic pot and bag it. Keep it fairly moist and out of the direct sun while bagged. You never know.... she could recover, and then you'll have a bunch of Bellas!

MHO
Diane

Diane,

Well, I can see what you mean about the pot, but I will be on top of watering it more frequently since the clay pot will dry it out pretty quickly. I just don't want to disturb it right now by repotting. I also put a covering of lava rocks on top to help retain moisture...hope that helps.

Not so long ago, I took some cuttings and did exactly what you said (potted them in a plastic cup and put it in a ziplock bag, poked some holes in the bag for air, and kept it fairly moist). It was also out of direct sun. Those cuttings didn't make it. I have been successful in rooting some other hoya cuttings the same exact way, but of course, not this one!

Believe me, I tried EVERYTHING in terms of rooting cuttings. I tried rooting some in plain water...they died. I also tried rooting some in long spagh moss inside a humidity dome...they died.

The foliage actually looked a little better this morning. Could be my imagination though. I've also been misting daily for the past few days with Eleanor's.

Thanks everyone for your input...I really appreciate it.

Gabi

Hi Gabi
Just wanted to put my two cents in here. I had quite a few hoya growing in clay pots (left over from orchids that grew too large. They were kept outside in screen enclosure. Needless to say, they did not do well. The problem was that they dried up too fast. The leaves looked like your bella. I re-potted the worst looking ones in fresh mix (african violiet mix, orchid bark, and perlite-equal amts) watered them and then put plastic baggies over them. Every few days I would check to see if they were mosit and give them a spritz. They all recoverd. The ones left in clay post did not survive. I watered them every few days, but they dried up too fast, even here in humid Florida. Maybe you can try repotting into plastic, and put baggie over pot and see what happens. I would try almost anything at this stage.
Hope your plant survives.
Eileen

Oh God! Reading this thread makes me think that Bella may be one of the harder hoyas to grow- and trust me to acquire just that as my very first.

Now I wish I had observed their roots more carefully before I repotted them. I have them in a pot that's glazed outside but unglazed inside- so far they are doing very well and I see 4 umbels growing. But now I wish I had potted them in plastic as well. I wonder how they'll do as the days get hotter.

Gabi, I hope you manage to save that plant- mine has a long way to go before it gets that long.

Thanks everyone....I really appreciate all of your advice.
Ok, so I repotted it. I put it into a similar sized plastic pot. But here's my question...how do I put a bag over the pot? The vines are over 2 feet long!! The only bag I could put over it without wrapping the stems is a garbage bag! Should I wrap the stems around the pot and then bag it? Or should I just see how it does in the plastic pot with no bag. I also noticed while repotting that the soil mix isn't my typical loose soil. I must've used most of Felicia's soil that had come with the plant when I repotted. So the mix is a little heavier than my usual mix, which should be good for it.

Notanatural,
I would think you'd be ok with a glazed pot, but what do I know!! Glazed pots hold in more moisture than unglazed pots, but I'm not sure how they compare to plastic.

Everyone,
Thanks for your good wishes...I feel like you're all pulling through for Bella :)

Gabi

Gabi
I buy baggies that have no zip. They come in gallon size. You use those wire ties to secure. You can cut one side of one and do the same with the other. Just place over top of pot to hold in moisture, like a mini greenhouse.
Hope this helps.
Eileen

Thanks Eileen. I actually used one of those long newspaper baggies. It fit nicely over the foliage...so hopefully that will keep them nice and humid. I just covered the foliage and left it open up top by the pot to give it some air, but gave it a good spray with Eleanor's first. Here's hoping for a miracle *fingers crossed*

Hey guys,

Ok, so I have my bella in a baggie, and it's still pretty moist in there. Here's my question...I'm going away tomorrow morning and won't be back until Monday night. Is it ok to leave it in the bag or should I take the bag off for the long weekend. I just worry when I'm not here to watch my babies. Here's some pics of what I did. I put the baggie over the foliage and used a cache pot to hold one end. It's slightly open on top. Thanks for any advice.
Gabi

{{gwi:950563}}

{{gwi:950565}}

{{gwi:950567}}

I know I am the only one here that does not see the sense of putting more water on a plant that Gabi said she already kept moist - but am I also going to be the only one that thinks that the bottom and middle part of that plastic bag is going to be full of algae and/or fungus in a few days? An 5 or 10 gallon empty aquarium or even clear plastic storage box with a lid kept cracked open an inch or so would be a much better choice. All living things need air and that bag is too long for just a little opening at the top. I would at least put a few small holes at the middle and at the bottom.

I also know you probably don't want to hear this Gabi, but you should probably cut the plant back. If it is doing poorly, having to support all that foliage is probably putting it under even more stress.

Thanks for responding Ines. I think the plant has been doing better since I've been keeping it more moist. Even though I said I was keeping it moist in the first post, I wasn't keeping it as moist as my lacunosa or multiflora, and I think it needs that same kind of watering. I do agree, however, that a few holes in the bag would be better so that it gets air throughout the entire length of the foliage. Thanks for that suggestion. I will poke a few small holes throughout the bag tonight. I can't cut the foliage back though...I love its length. I see what you're saying, but I just can't do it!
Thanks for your input,
Gabi

My kids used to refer to Hoya Bella in bloom as hamburger plant because of its' smell. And as it matures and has more and more umbels there is more to smell. I don't mind the smell but my son grumbles whenever it's flowering. As for the long branches I have a green, plastic coated wire of which I push the ends into the pot and wind branches around it. It seems to work quite well.

I'm dying to know, Gabi. Did your Bella survive? Reason I ask...I just ordered my 4th or 5th (lost count) and really want this one to survive. The flower scent is my absolute favorite, and I can't figure out how to make it live!

Julia

Nope, it didn't survive. Then I tried another one, which died on me also. Never again with bella!

Gabi

I don't have the regular bella at present just the variegata cutting I got from D.L. last spring. I also got 3 different lacunosa at the same time. I rooted all 4 in sterilized damp playground sand, the pots were then kept in a tray with a clear plastic lid to keep the humidity up. This was done in the end of my greenhouse that had shade cloth over it. When rooted I planted my cuttings in small pots in a mixture of 1/2 sand as above and half sunshine mix. The 4 are spending the winter in my kitchen by a window and are all doing great. The 4 rooted without any problems except I rooted the wrong end of one of the lacanosas, yeh I know dumb, dumb, dumb. I remedied that by taking another cutting off the tip and stuck the cut end of the rooted cutting back in it's pot. I now have a new shoot developing. From now on when rooting cuttings I will definitely have a closer look at where the leaves emerge from the stems before planting. One lacunosa formed a peduncle while it was rooting but fell off after it was potted up, the second time it formed a peduncle I accidently knocked it off sighhh. Another of the lacunosas has formed a peduncle, wish me luck. I have been giving all 4 just a dribble of water about every 2 weeks through the winter, so far so good. I'm forever steaming up the kitchen when cooking supper but the Hoyas seem to love it.
My list of must haves from D.L. this spring has grown from 16 to 20, I solved my problem of deciding which one of these by getting them both LOL. Good lord, I think I need a keeper.

A......

Sorry to hear it Gabi! I'm obsessed with bellas! I've also lost every curtisii I've bought. I guess the fact that the plant constantly rebuffs me makes it more alluring on a certain level - i feel the need to dominate it.

Good luck with your cuttings, A.

Julia

Ha. Yeah, I see what you mean about having a challenge! The thing I've realized is that some hoyas just don't do well for certain people. So, instead of fight it, I won't grow certain hoyas after it's failed on me twice (and I don't mean in terms of rooting, cause some can be difficult to root - I'm talking about when the plant is already rooted).

I failed at curtisii the first time I grew it. It was a small pot and it died pretty quickly. Now I have a gorgeous EA curtisii that is doing really well. If it didn't do well, I would never have grown it again!

Good luck with your new bella :)

Gabi

My Hoya Bella's leaves have turned "brownish", or dull green in color. How can I revive her? She makes beautiful flowers. TammyPie

Here's my baby's blooms last year:

TammyPie

I haven't grown hoyas for that long but I've grown plenty of things in pots...I'm just going to toss this idea out there: could it be possible that the Bella in question had root rot/a fungus? Just a thought.

Laura, if you are referring to the one at the top of this thread (which is LONG gone...this thread is almost a year old), then no it wasn't a fungus or rot. I also lost my replacement bella that I got shortly after the one above died on me. Bella is just a tough one to grow. It's the one hoya I can't and won't ever grow again.

I had to repot mine in a smaller pot because they didn't look too great. The roots didn't grow much at all last year. I am hoping smaller pots will help.
Jan