Golden, I normally add 3-4 drops of ST per gallon of water..For stressed plants or cuttings, 10 drops are recommended..It's best using an oral syringe so drops are accurate, although if you use a little more or less it won't matter or harm the cuttings.
Are the cuttings rooted? Toni

Yes one of them is for sure. But Im sure they will be alright - at least I hope...
Im sure the order from David Liddle in Australia took a while in the years previous. I've never really done this before so I am not sure how long it is ok? Will find out though :0) As soon as I get them I would like to soak them for awhile (not exactly sure how long you guys normally soak the cuttings for) And then I will plant them up and set them in my aquarium with the heating mat. That seemed to work well with my last cuttings.

Golden, are these cuttings all Hoyas? If so, I hope someone else chimes in since I cannot root a hoya..lol
But I am familiar with ST and cuttings in general which is the reason I replied to your thread.

If they were my cuttings, I'd soak all in the sink, with a couple drops of dish soap and 4 or 5 drops of ST. Let sit about 15-20 mins.
After soaking rinse.
Then they'd go in soil or water..another 4-5 drops of ST added. If you root in water, make sure to change daily..otherwise it stinks..yuck..the smell is atrocious. Stagnant, swamplike.
But I think you're going to use soil, right..the heating mat helps roots grow much faster. I bought two mats last winter; what a difference!

Did your mat come with instructions? You don't want water sitting on the mat..Toni

I use a 5 gal bucket to soak my hoya cuttings in ST and I use the amount listed on the label.

I let them set at least 1 hour or longer untill I can get back to them and I've even left them overnight before and they were fine.

I also use the water to mist the cuttings with after potting them up or if I can't get to potting them right away I put some of the water in a bottle to stick the cutting in.

Well on the instructions it says under - quantities 1/4 tsp per gallon and below it - it says bare root soaking - 1 1/2 tsps per 5 gallon - so is that what you use ks girl - the ladder? So I go by the bare root soaking? I just didnt want to give it too much and kill them by over dosing? These are cuttings so...
(I mean I realize there are instructions on the label but not really for cuttings so that was why I asked
(But I appreciate your help very much)

KS-Girl..you're 100% correct following directions..I'll explain the reason I gave Golden Ca the ST dossage.
I've been a ST user, let's see, I believe the first time used was in the late 70's or early 80's.
Like you, I follow directions to a T. For those of us who are lucky enough to see the tiny print on the ST label, lol, when I first bought a bottle, first thing I did was check dossage. At the time they adivsed using, 1-2 drops per gallon of water, and/or 10 drops for stressed or dying plants.

Like most corps, as time went by ST Corp up'd their dossage. The reason, like other corps, to make more $$. The good news is, a few extra drops/teas isn't going to hurt a plant like chemical fertilizers 'could.' Most fertilizers are nothing but marked up NPK.
I use 1/2 strength fertilizer. Many, many plant book authors advise using 1/2 dossage of fertilizer corps suggest adding. Use more, buy more.
I hope you understand my comparisons. Even though I love ST, use it religiously, I'm not thrilled they've increased dossage to make more money.
Instead I now compromise. 3-4 drops of ST once a month. For new plants especially shipped in the mail, 7-10 drops.
ST is a safe product, but why use extra? Especially when some stores mark up prices three times the value..It should be illegal. 2 oz bottle for 9.99 and up..

Golden, even if given a little too much ST, the chance of killing your cuttings is very rare, if possible..though, never mist plants with ST..I think this warning is mentioned on their website.. www.superthrive.com
Good luck rooting your hoya cuttings, Toni

I think I used 3 drops per gallon of water when I soaked my DL hoya cuttings. I soaked the cuttings for a good 6 hours since I wanted them to become turgid again.

It is possible that the company has also reduced the concentration of Superthrive and that is the reason they have increased the dosage listed on the bottle. Not only does that make you use more, they are not putting as much in the bottle as before and that increases their profits as well. (:o(
Mike

Mike, you've made an excellent point. While typing this thread the other day, that thought was in my mind..When I open a new bottle of ST, it's still go that strong, vitamy smell it's always had, but you're right, it could be the company reduced the concentration..I hope not. It's still working as great as ever..

Toni, I've not heard of not misting with the ST water, what is the reason they give? I've been doing that for a couple years and not seen any ill effects yet.

KS-Girl, I can't recall the reason ST company stated it wasn't meant for misting. It's been so long, I can't even remember where I read it..their site or cardboard package.

The ST topic often turns into heated debates. People either love or hate it.
A few years ago, in order to prove a point that ST can kill a plant, someone misted their plant using 100% non-diluted ST. No water..something happened to the foliage.
I told this person he/she made two mistakes..1. ST is not meant as a foliar spray and 2. even if it could be sprayed, it should have been diluted with water.
The same thing has happened when people, in an attempt to kill Mealy Bug, used straight Rubbing Alcohol. It's too strong.

If you've hadn't any misfortune misting with ST, then continue spraying with it. Since it doesn't contain chemicals, other than vitamins and hormones, I can't think of a reason it'd kill a plant, then again, too much of anything can cause problems.

So, the reason I mentioned not misting with it was because at one time it was dissuaded on ST's site/bottle and of what this person vowed happened to his/her plants when misted. I never wanted to chance it, but that's me, when it comes to plants I'm over-cautious..lol..Toni

PS..do you feel misting using ST improves plants' looks?

Toni, I only use ST as I use it to soak which is a few drops in 5 gal of water and I mist it on the cuttings untill they get going, I figure I have the water mix so don't want to waste it and I figure the extra nurishment won't hurt the cuttings.

Maybe I'm just lucky but I do use straight rubbing alcohol to spray for mealies and I've been doing that for several years and I've not had any problems with it.
I do know though not to leave the plant in the sun untill it dries well. Most times I spray in the tub and let it set there untill it dries and I usually spray it again in a couple days. It works!

ks-girl....you're right about the rubbing alcohol...spraying it undiluted is perfectly safe. This is according to Dale Kloppenberg's own experience, mentioned is his wonderful book "Hoyas of the World". He said he use to dilute it, but for the past 3 years he uses it undiluted and finds it totally safe and effective against those nasty mealy bugs. I'm not sure if Mr. Kloppenberg is still living, does anyone know? He was last living in Fresno, California when he wrote this book. Patrick...AKA another hopeless hoya addict.

Yes, Kloppenburg was still alive back in 2004 when some Hoya folks & I were invited to a grower's home outside Burbank, CA for a small Hoya fest, where both Dale Kloppenburg & Michael Kartuz were present.

Is Superthrive really good as everyone says????

Another thing, PG said that she went to a grower's home outside Burbank, CA for a small Hoya fest. I'm planning to go to California this year, is there any Hoya Festival? Does anyone knows about that?

Thank you so much

Mitzi

Mitzicos the event PG was talking about would have been a private gathering. Mr. Kloppenburg is an American taxonomist who is working with the genus Hoya, there are Hoya species named after him and some of his family members. Hoya kloppenburghii and Hoya paziae are two that come to mind but he has named many other species as well and they are published in the International Hoya Association's journal.

I have never used SuperThrive but I have started using Kelp fertilizer and it seems to really work well so if you can find it I would reccomend that. Because kelp is the fastist growing plant known the fertilizer has lots of plant hormones in it that really give the plants a boost.

Mike

Mike,

I don't think I can find it here but I'll look for it.

Do you know any seller of hoya in LA or Burbank or around that area? Any garden or other place that should sell hoyas like Gardino? I won't be able to spend more than a month there and I have to do a lot of things while I will be there, so I wont be able to visit others cities, if I had hte desired time I would go to Florida to where I know some sellers.....

I am not aware of any Hoya sellers but I am not familiar with the area either. I do know that the Huntington Botanical Gardens is close to LA and would be worth seeing if you like cacti and succulents.

Mike

Cactis and succulents are not my favor ones, but I have some, use to kill them all with water, I love astrophytums (don't know how to write), I have a small collection of astros, but for sure I'd love to visit this place! I only know some sellers at Florida, but I think I won't be able to visit Florida this time. I've asked PG to help me but I think she neither received my email nor had enough time to answer.

Thanks for the tip.

Mike,

I believe that most of the members are from Canada and up north to US, do you know anyone from California? I would like to ask some tips for visiting places with hoyas, plants, orchids, etc.....

Here is a list of places I would visit in California. I am not sure how far from LA these nurseries are but thought I would list them for you to look into.

Andy's Orchids Andysorchids.com
Santa Barbra Orchid Estate
http://retirees.uwaterloo.ca/~jerry/orchids/vendorsu.html

California Carnivores would be a great place to visit!
http://www.californiacarnivores.com/

You might try contacting the people at the International Hoya Association in case they have any info on Hoyas in LA or California.
http://www.international-hoya.org/

Mike

Mike,

Thank you very much!

Excellent idea about the International Hoya Association. I'll do it for sure.

Thank you.

Mitzi

Hi Mitzicos & others,

I'm here, sorry I HAVE been superbusy & saw but hadn't yet had a chance to answer your Email.

Mike's right, the Hoya Fest I mentioned was really a private gathering of a number of folks who were growing Hoyas & then the named vendors/speakers, Kloppenberg & Kartuz. Sorry, this person grew Hoyas for a couple of years but stopped, went back to her main love Succulents.

I don't know any vendors/nurseries around there, I think the 2 suggestions above about contacting the Int'l Hoya Society & the Huntington Botanic Gardens would be good ways to go, probably the best answers.

I wish you luck with it & that you have a great visit here in the US.

PG,

Thank you very much, I've been searching for hoya at California but it seems no one grows them there! But if there is a single place with hoyas I'll find.

Thank you again

Mitzi