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bunkfree_4a_canada

I really want blooms! What am I doing wrong?

Hello :) I've been hanging out over in the cacti & succulents forum and I just noticed this forum all about Hoya :) I would very much appreciate some guidance from knowledgable Hoya growers - I have been looking at your blooming pics and I'm so jealous! mine has *never* bloomed. Ever.

I have been frustrated with this plant since I realized it was indeed a Hoya. Mom gave it to me years and years ago, she grew it from cuttings off my Grama's plant. I didn't put two and two together until a couple years ago that it was *that* plant, the one I always loved at Grama's with the enchanting little waxy blooms. I'd like to ID it so I can figure out what's going on. I've read some contradictory information. If I recall correctly it had pale pink blooms with - perhaps - darker pink centres? (Foliage photos below)

I have started several new plants from cuttings, and the foliage is very nice, they all seem pretty healthy but not even the 10-years-plus-old root bound first plant has ever bloomed!

First plant lives here in the south window of the kitchen. I cut it way back and started another plant after I nearly killed it, and it began to climb the hanger. I took it down for a better pic below


The second plant, grown from the cuttings, has vines like CRAZY. The base of the plant was right in the east window and got a bit sunburned so I moved it as far as I could given that it's pretty much attached to everything:

FYI, all of that came from only three vines that climbed out of the pot. I just feed it back and forth. Some break off and I start new plants.

The foliage grown in indirect or low light is more heavily variegated

Than that which receives bright direct light

The one at my office (no pic) has very dark green heavily variegated foliage.

I have hard water, and very low humidity. I give it dilute Schulz all purpose 10-15-10 fertilizer almost every watering, and they dry out before I water again.

TIA! :)

Kd

Comments (22)

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It looks like a Hoya Pubicalyx. Nice plant. One of my favourites. I don't think you can rush a Hoya into blooming. It will bloom when it's ready. Also when it is ready to bloom, it will form peduncles on which the buds will develop.

    bunkfree_4a_canada thanked Lisa McEachern
  • 9 years ago

    Usually if they do not bloom it is a lighting issue, perhaps more light is in order. Also, what kind of fertilizer do you use? It does look like pubicalyx to me too, I *think* most of those are mature enough to bloom around the 2 year mark or so. I grow several pubicalyx types but my oldest is only a year and no blooms on them for me yet.

    bunkfree_4a_canada thanked Kim
  • 9 years ago

    I've been giving it Schulz all purpose 10-15-10. Should I get a specific blooming plant fertilizer? I just bought MG 20-20-20 for my garden. I could try that.

    Do they want bright, ambient light? The one in the south window gets tons of direct light all day long, and it's the more mature plant. Easy enough to move that one (though I obviously didn't think through repotting when I let it grow through the macrame).

    The other's foliage definitely clusters at the light in the east window. That'll be really hard to move, looks like I may need to cut some vines as its grown around another solid hanger.

  • 9 years ago

    That really should be enouhh light I would expect. Again though, I have not bloomed this one yet and am still fairly new to Hoyas. Some of the more experienced growers will probably be along soon with their input.

    Maybe in the meantime, you could get some of the faster blooming species to tide you over. :)

  • 9 years ago

    I'm going to put some pebbles in the tray today and see if it likes some humidity. The humidity in my house is a steady 0

  • 9 years ago

    That could help, also misting. I have fed mine Miracle Grow Bloom Boosters, but read an article about toxic nutrient buildup that makes me hesitant to use it. All the same, my Hoyas bloomed with it. I had a very clear phosphorous deficiency on my soil, so my H. bella kept blasting buds. Yours seems like a more balances fertilizer, but again... I have only been growing plants seriously this past year and have not learned near as much about fertilizer as I need to.

  • 9 years ago

    I have a lot to learn about fertilizer, too! Most of my plants havent been repotted in years and the soil may be imbalanced. My lipstick has stopped blooming, I'm wondering if it's been over fertilized. It bloomed profusely through the winter. I flushed it and moved it to a less intense window to chill for a while.

  • 9 years ago

    My older publicalyx used to bloom when I had it in A LOT of light. I moved it to a lower light place where it climbs all over. I like it growing there but it never blooms. So I leave it where it climbs knowing it will never bloom there. I've taken cuttings so I can put them in a higher light situation.

    That being said I really wish some of my others would bloom. I have a couple that are good bloomers and others ... what gives...where are the blooms?? so I feel your frustration.

    I have been growing hoyas (half assed sometimes) for over ten years. I have a lot of newer plants so they could use a little time. (sometimes I think I know what I'm doing-haha!)

    So good luck to you Bunkfree. Happy future blooming.

  • 9 years ago

    Thanks, Laura :) I can't wait til mine blooms! Do the blooms drip nectar? I probably don't want it dripping on the antique buffet so I'm probably fortunate that one doesn't bloom haha

    Kim, holy cow more plants is not what I need right now HA! ... But once I get this ol' plant blooming I am sure I'll be addicted and on the hunt for more Hoya varieties. The blooms are just amazing.

  • 9 years ago

    I love the way you have the vines draped on top of the window, it looks great. I'm new to Hoyas too so I live in the same state of bloom envy. I do have a dasyantha that I bought on ebay over a month ago that is about to bloom on just one peduncle and I think it'll just be another day or two. The amount of excitement I feel about this is insane. ;-0

    Good luck with yours.

    gloria

  • 9 years ago

    Aurora-

    Good to know this isn't a dripper :) thanks for the detailed process for the hardening off - I have an east facing back deck, with the south side shaded by thick hops... Sounds like a perfect place to put the Hoya outdoors, but I am terrified of it getting aphids. A petunia basket hung nearby is now showing infestation :(

    It's practically against my religion to put indoor plants outside - between critters (leaf hoppers and aphids just to start) and our unpredictable weather (it can still get below 50F/10C overnight here even in June:July; and we get vicious hailstorms.) I work all day and wouldn't be here to rescue any of them in the event of bad weather. There are strict lines drawn at the threshold haha.

    I have actually put out some jade plants (far away from the aphid wall of doom aka hops) but that's a first for me and I'm still not all that comfortable with it. I am going to have to work with what I have indoors or experiment with the smaller cuttings in case it gets infested.


    Gloria -

    I understand your excitement! All I ever see is vines, vines and more vines starting. I think I'd lose it if I saw peduncles forming. I am going to have to be content with all that pretty foliage draped at the window I think! I'm going to move the first plant to the front of the house for SW instead of SE exposure, and have added humidity, so we shall see where that leads. Much like my outdoor garden, I may just have to accept what does and does not happen under the conditions I've got!

  • 9 years ago

    I understand on the reluctance to put plants outside. I am the same way.

    Maybe an artificial? There are grow light bulbs that fit into a floor lighy fixture, on amazon and not expensive. I have 2 LED ones, and plan to get some more. They make CFL versions too.

  • 9 years ago

    I've been reading up on grow lights, they may be in our future :)

  • 9 years ago

    I may eventually have to look into grow lights as well. I'm growing my 3 hoyas indoors and, even though they look super healthy and are growing, I'm not expecting to see any blooms. I'm thinking they just don't have enough light. Unfortunately, putting them outside for the summer isn't an option for us since we live in an apartment. Oh, for more money and more space!

  • 9 years ago

    East or west exposure will net blooms for most of them EVENTUALLY. Most of mine grow on the east side, close to the window, and most of the mature ones bloom. There are some exceptions. But I will say that pubicalyx 'Pink Silver' (which I think is what you have there) is one that has always taken many years to bring to bloom for me, AND once it blooms, it's very stingy. I think a summer outside might be helpful, but I, too, am careful what I put out. Two kinds of Hoyas go out - the ones that aren't doing too hot (in hopes of the fresh air and sunshine making a difference) and those that are duplicates (as I won't risk my mother plants.) But I do have two out on my covered front porch that I keep a close eye on - pubicalyx 'Red Buttons' is one, and I must say it blooms like crazy all summer long. The leaves look less than spectacular (fairly washed out), but it does bloom...

    Use a bloom booster fertilizer, like Ferti-Lome. The number on it are 9-58-8. THAT gives them a real boost!

    Denise in Omaha

    bunkfree_4a_canada thanked Denise
  • 9 years ago

    Thanks Denise :) I will get some fertilizer today and perhaps I'll put one of the smaller baby plants out to see what I can do. I'd really love to get blooms on at least one of them!

    The ladybug larvae are out in full force, so I can't even spray the aphids.

  • 9 years ago

    The most common Hoyas (your carnosas and your pubicalyxes) are actually not the most willing and early and easy bloomers in the genus, by far, for most people. My advice is always to get other Hoyas that are easier to flower - not necessarily "instead of", it can be "in addition to".

    bunkfree_4a_canada thanked greentoe357
  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    SRQ Hoyas has a list of easier bloomers. A big help while you are waiting for some of the slowpokes.

    bunkfree_4a_canada thanked partycat
  • 9 years ago

    Partycat would you mind linking that page? I can't seem to find it

  • bunkfree_4a_canada thanked greentoe357
  • 9 years ago

    I had a dream last night that I found blooms while watering haha! They're looking quite happy with misting and a pebble tray for humidity, but my dream was just a dream....no peduncles yet.

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