Hi Awanda - Yes, I get those at my local Long's garden store, and they're perfect!

Here's a pic of my H. australis on one:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/153664728/204587264xkSkRf

Julia

julia - i'd say that your H. australis has gone crezy! LOL that's a really nice plant. do you grow it in the house?

detrick

Julia that's a beautiful hoya. We don't have Long's Gardens stores here.

Thanks for the kudos. I cheated and bought a huge plant that was about to bloom. : ) 10 inch pot for $28, couldn't beat the price! and yes, it's grown inside...it's actually gone into hibernation, though.

Julia

Nice idea this bamboo hoops for using it with hoyas.
The only things I found with using bamboo in other plants is that in our climat the ends which are in the soil will rot in 2 seasons. They just rot above soillevel.
I tought about treathing the ends like painting f.e. but never found a good product which don't dissolve in the soil.
Maybe somebody has some experience with this?

saludos herman

I grow bamboo; I wonder what one does to bend it in a U. Maybe you have to soak it and do it while wet. I am using thin bamboo stakes I bought in a package, and sticking the tops in cup hooks screwed into the window frame.

I found the 36 inch bamboo U stakes at Home Depot in bundles of 3 for a little over $3.00 (I think Lowes had them too), and the 18 inchers at a couple different Dollar Stores (Apple Dollar & DEAL$)
in bundles of 3 for $1.00.
I have the same concern as Herman as far as them rotting in a year or two.... I had thought of dipping them in Thompsons Water Seal but am afraid it is toxic to plants.

I am thinking of drilling a tiny hole in the pot and stake and wiring them to the outside of the pot, of course without at least two holes in each side they would fall down.
On one of my Philos I used a larger pot to sit the smaller pot in and put the bamboo between the two to hold it in place and keep it from rotting.

Hemnancy, I'd like to find out how to bend the green bamboo too. My son has a big patch of it growing beside his driveway. I think I'll try a green piece of it by bending it around a tree or post and use wire on each side to secure it until it dries.

Lesli I checked our HD and Lowes and neither one had the U-shape bamboo hoops. I guess they don't all carry the same items. You never know what you will find at our Dollar stores:-). For the past couple of years I've been using the straight bamboo sticks for support on indoor and outdoor plants, and they haven't rotted yet:-). It'll be interesting to see how long they last.

They were pretty well hidden at our HD which makes no sense, seems they would be a popular item. They are beside a beam and hard to see, nowhere near the houseplants. I looked the other day and they have them all in one bundle for the original price to get rid of them. I would have bought them if not for a looooong line and the fact they weather was causing them to crack at the top bend.

I've been using the straight ones for years now and they eventually do rot under my conditions, but by that time they need a taller stake anyhow.
One thing I do that looks cool and works well is make a tripod out of the straight ones. I drill a tiny hole in the top of three of them at the same spot, then connect them with a piece of galvanized wire to form a tripod. The dollar stores here sell 100 ft rolls of the green rubber coated wire (like bread ties). I also drill a few tiny holes about 10 inches apart down the stake, stick the coated wire through to hold the vine in place.

Just an idea, but what abt painting the tips of the bamboo w/ something like clear nail polish (or even a bit of polyurethane)?

How about dipping the ends of the bamboo in paraffin wax?

HI,

DIP THEM INTO SHELLAC, CLEAR OR WHITE.
COVER AT LEAST AN INCH ABOVE SOIL LINE.
THERE IS NOTHING IN SHELLAC THAT WILL BOTHER PLANTS.
IT IS JUST BEETLE SHELL AND ALCOHOL (WHICH EVAPORATES.)

MOST TUBES LIKE BAMBOO WILL CRACK AFTER A WHILE IF BENT.
ONE SIDE IS COMPRESSED AND THE OTHER IS STRETCHED.
BAMBOO JUST LASTS LONGER THAN MOST PLANT MATTER UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.

TOM