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projectsupra

Kerrii advice

projectsupra
9 years ago

For the past 4 years I've never had a single issue with this h. kerrii, it's almost always been in bloom with 4-5 peduncles, and started out as just two leaves from a good friend. Always my favorite plant, regardless of the dripping.

However a worker recently bumped it and broke the upper vine. I don't use a trellis so it kinked and flopped over. The damage appeared superficial so I loosely wrapped on a splint and left it to heal, weeks later (today) I unwrap the splint. The vine is nice and strong now but there appears to be a bit of black death inside and a few microscopic silver bugs scurried about, guess it was holding moisture.

Also since the accident, it immediately dropped all flowers and started shooting those huge air roots.

So what should I do? Snip the upper vine into segments and root them? Can I plant the air roots directly into soil?
Thanks in advance.

Comments (6)

  • projectsupra
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here it was before the accident, such a shame.

  • projectsupra
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    And lastly the broken vine.

  • Denise
    9 years ago

    I think it will be fine if you leave it. The shock made it drop leaves, and shooting out air roots isn't unusual, and probably also has to do with it trying to reach out and propagate the broken vine. Personally, I would probably just go ahead and clip it off and root it, separately from the mother plant. You can always put them back together once the cutting(s) are rooted. If you don't like them, just snip off the air roots.

    It's a lovely plant! Kerrii is one of my favs, too. It'll get back to flowering once it feels recovered. I know these little accidents seem like complete catastrophes at the time, but I've often said some of my best looking plants have come through some kind of trauma. I've had German Shepherds and cats over the last 30 years and something is always getting broken by an enthusiastic dog tail, or crashed and chewed by fur-buggers. But when these plants recover, they usually come back like gangbusters and look like a million bucks in a year or so! So, through grit teeth, say "thank you!" to your clumsy friend!

    Denise in Omaha

  • projectsupra
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Where would you recommend cutting? Just above and below the wound, then root the cut, leave the air roots as air roots?
    This is my first and only Hoya so I don't want to ruin it.
    Thank you,

  • greentoe357
    9 years ago

    I also think you could either leave it as is or cut if you want 2 plants, or one bushier looking pot if you combine them.

    If you cut, I'd make 2 cuts: one right above the node that is underneath that damage (because the stem above the top node on the mother plant would die anyway), and another right above the damage (you want minimum broken skin in the soil to minimize chances of rot or infection).

  • Denise
    9 years ago

    Good advice from GT. And if it's a very long vine, I would probably make an additional cutting (making it two cuttings). I would leave the air roots that are close to the cut ends on (as they will root into the soil) and trim the rest off. Put the cuttings in a shady spot where it will get no direct sun (as this can cause cuttings to dehydrate) and keep the soil moister than you would your growing kerrii. Not wet, mind you, but just damp all the time. Once you know it's rooted (it will resist a gentle tug) then you can water as you do your mother plant.

    Best of luck!

    Denise in Omaha

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