Sounds like you had a great time, Kelly. Glad you were able to make the visit and add to your collection! You got some nice picks there and we'll be looking forward to your pictures of them in the future.

Sande

Sooooo.......
You're a guy??
Who woulda thunk it!

Bihai,

No, the guy in the picture is a volunteer there- he works for plants. I believe his name is Von or Vaughn....I left his name off because I wasn't positive of the spelling....

All of the cool new plants and you want to know if I'm a guy?!?! Hardly - he's awfully cute, but I look nothing like him...

Kelly

HA! That's a good laugh, Bihai, you took the words right out of my mouth! I was all confused! I can't even describe how jealous I am. Happy for you...but jealous. Enjoy your hand picked babies!

Johanna

Kelly you have me wondering if I choose the right destination for my holiday. Pictures really are worth a thousand words and seeing all those Hoyas in person must have been fantastic.

I have to say you picked some great species. Hoya pandurata is one I have wanted but passed up because I have not done well with Hoya polyneura and did not want to kill pandurata.
I got myself a Hoya hypolasia a while back and your not kidding that one has very cool leaves, soft furry and almost succulent.
So how are you planning on growing your Hoya imbricata? I have mine in a pot that is attached to a cork bark branch and so far so good although the growth was much faster while it was in the rooting aquarium. I am toying with the idea of building a large enclosure to grow some of my orchids and a few select Hoyas that like a really humid atmosphere.

Mike

Kelly, envy! envy! envy! that's all I can say. I wished I could have been there for the awesome tour, looks like you got some super plants!!!
Bahai, that's funny! but we don't really know what we look like soooo.....

Mike-

My job can be demanding this time of year (fiscal year ends 6/30), so this definitely was my little summer getaway and WELL worth it!

Hypolasia is SO cool! Hoping I'll do okay with pandurata. Need to look up the conditions on these new ones, so as to decide where to best put them.

As for imbricata- I recently lost one...it had been doing so well- more than doubled in size since I had gotten it, then during a really busy week I overwatered the container it was in and drowned it...I was heartbroken! I'm going to keep this new one similarly to how I kept the last one and be more careful! Here's a picture of where it will end up eventually. Still need to put some holes in the container. (This housed tootsie rolls - found it at Sam's Club. Took the tootsie rolls to work and kept the container!)

I'll put hydroton and moss in the bottom to hold in moisture and attach a hook to the back of the support the imbricata is on, so I can hang it from one of the holes I'll poke in it. Mine is currently growing on some kind of fiber. Need to decide on larger support for it. Where did you get your cork bark branch?

Kelly

Yes, that would be a a heavenly field trip for any Hoya lover. Trouble is, they'd probably have to literally kick my butt out the door to get rid of me! ("Can I come live here? Please?!")

Denise in Omaha

Kelly,

How COOL was that you got to visit Asiatica in person!! What a HAUL!! I am also so jealous...very happy for you, but still jealous. Very nice hoyas you got there!!

Thanks for sharing your FUN trip with us! I would love to go one day...its just a really long drive from FL!

Kelly,
Thanks for the photo vacation to hoya paradise. Like everyone else here, I am very envious that you are close enough to go and visit them.

Do you remember the name of the variegated hoya that Barry is holding, in the photo above? It's got beautiful leaves, whatever it is, and I really need to add it to my collection. (:o)
Thanks again,
Mike

Wish we could all take a trip up there! It really was a great day!

Denise-
I would have hid out in that greenhouse had there been enough space! I was so overwhelmed when I walked in there that I no longer had any idea what I was looking for!

Mike-
That's macrophylla "Pot of Gold" and it's GORGEOUS! I think there were two others with similar coloring - an incrassata and a kenejiana, although I can't remember the rest of the name on either of those. All were magnificant!

I'm pretty sure this will be an annual trip for me!

Kelly

Kelly I got the hollow cork bark branch from a local pet store so it might be worth it to check the pet stores in your area. The branches are sold for use with reptiles and amphibians so they are most often in that section of the store. You could use a cork bark slab as well and they are easier to find but a plain old branch from the back yard would as well, cork just takes much longer to rot.

Here is a photo of my Hoya picta that is planted inside a hollow cork branch. You can use a drill bit made for cutting holes for door knobs etc. to remove a piece of cork. The bottom is sealed with a piece of plastic mesh from a potato or onion bag that is held on by staples and silicon, the branch is full of standard Hoya potting mix plus some chopped sphagnum moss to help hold more moisture.

Here is Hoya imbricata with two new growth points. This is all I was able to save from the dried up Hoya imbricata that needed intensive care after it's extra long journey from Thailand. I have one other little piece that is rooting and will go in a terrarium. The other little plant on the branch is Pleurothallis brighamii a South American orchid species. This branch is also hollow but I did not fill the cavity with anything because the Hoya will hopefully root on the moss covered branch, there is about two feet of space to climb.

Mike

Very cool, Mike. Thanks for sharing your pics.
Mike

Mike in Ontario-

Thank you! Will check the local pet stores!

Also- the pictures in your Flickr account are truly amazing!

Kelly

Thanks Kelly :)

What ever you decide to do with your Hoya imbricata I think you had the right idea in enclosing it in a container of some sort. The main reason I have a pot attached to the mount is that I don't want to take the chance of having the plants roots dry out. The mount is watered at least once a day but that would not be enough if there were no pot attached. I think once the leaves get attached to the bark they help hold moisture but before then things seem to dry out pretty fast.

Not sure if I posted this before but it is my inspiration to create an enclosure for Hoya imbricata or some of my other more demanding plants. The tubes were built out of thin lexan plastic, silicon and some metal brackets and hardware. The plants are growing on clay chimney inserts that are sealed at the bottom and kept full of water. I can't link to the page because of Gradenweb's filters. If you go to Orchid Source Forum and go to the orchid growing areas you will find photos of the terrariums, prepare to be awestruck.

Mike

Mike,
Where is the orchid source forum? Can you type the web address in here rather than trying to link it?
Thanks,
Mike

Hi Mike,
I found the forum, but which thread or threads has the pics we should be looking at?
Thanks,
Mike

Kelly,

Exactly where is this in PA. My sister lives outside of Lancaster, PA. Thinking I need to visit her again and go on a road trip.

Dee

The site is orchidsource.com and the photos are in the gallery section under orchid growing areas. I wish I could post a link but it keeps getting filtered.

Mike

Dee-
Asiatica is in Lewisberry, PA - sort of southeast of Harrisburg, I believe.

Mike-
WOW! Pretty sure I found the enclosure you were referring to- it's on about page 12 or 13....STUNNING! What is it with all of the orchid growers being neat freaks?!?! I've never seen better organization and cleaner growing spaces than what's post on that orchid forum! Totally inspirational!
Found a nice piece of cork bark last night - thanks for the suggestion!
You must start posting photos! Your pictures are OUTSTANDING!
Kelly

Thanks Kelly, that would be pretty close to drive.

Dee

Well, I think I found the photos, too. The photos were posted by someone from Sweden? Correct?

Really cool, large enclosures for growing orchids? It appears that some people have way too much time and money on their hands. (:o) I am so envious!
Mike

Yeah I think that member was from Sweden. The photos are under orchid growing areas in the Gallery section and they are the last set on the first page, a set of four terrariums side by side. The enclosures are not very large once you know the scale although some members have huge orchidariums. I just can't believe how professional the cylinder type terrariums came out and from such simple materials anyone can get at a Home Depot!

I am going to leave this project for the fall or winter but I am seriously considering building something that can be automated with misters etc. for times when I am away, mounted plants don't like vacations. :(
If you build it yourself it costs much less, had a medium sized one years ago but did not keep it when I moved because it was built too heavy and bulky and was not properly sealed to be water tight.

Mike

Oh, I was looking at the wrong photos. Yes, those cylinder growing chambers are very cool. I bet they got those acrylic cylinders from a laboratory supply house. Pretty slick setups.
Mike

Mike the cylinders are actually just a thin piece of Lexan that is bent into a cylinder and then secured with a strip of metal and some nuts and bolts, think DIY instead of big $. LOL

Mike

Those are so cool! Please keep us posted on your progress when you get started!

Is Lexan the same as plexiglass?

Kelly

Lexan is made from polycarbonate plastic and Plexiglass is acrylic so it is more rigid. You can buy both pretty easily at bigger home improvement stores.

Mike

I'm wondering if you set that plastic tootsie roll container in a saucer, and drilled a few small holes maybe an inch or two from the bottom, you could avoid ever repeating that situation where you accidentally drowned your imbricata? The small holes shouldn't affect humidity much, if at all, and allow excess water to drain. I don't know if that's a crazy idea or not, any opinions?

GREAT idea, quinnfyre! Thank you! Will do!

Kelly