Need some help, have a couple in the infirmiry.

10 years ago

My poor Dischidia pectinoides is in rough shape. Losing leaves and no new growth. It is under a fluorescent, near a West window... not getting light from that but heat definitely. It started declining after I unbagged it. I have rebagged but it continues to decline. I keep it moist, in the same spaghnum moss Doug (who I bought it from a couple months ago from) grows his in.

Too hot? Really worried about this, excuse the seed pod and seed fluff. It looks much healthier in the photo than it does in person I am afraid.

2, 3) My campanulata continues to struggle, as does my davidcummingia. Those two were in semihydro but the top layers of clay balls drie out so fast here they need to be watered daily. I have moved campanulata into a more retentice mix with lots of clay balls, and still debating how to handle davidcummingii.

Are these heat-hating species? Its hot here... hot enough my H. imperialis is forming a peduncle...

4) My javanica got root root. Need to cut and re-root the entire plant. :/ I transferred it from its nursery pot into a nicer looking one, and the drainage just is not adequate. After a year of beautiful growth... bahh. Unless anyone has suggestions? That peroxide trick... any good? Seems to be limited to one stem, but sure it will spread on me. *groan*

Starting to wonder if semihydro will even work in my conditions. The extra bits of water retentive stuff are seeming more and more crucial.

5) Hoya praetorii- growing like a weed with no issues, but dropping buds on me. Not a major issue, but annoying. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your help. Everything else in my jungle is looking sassy and happy.

Featured Answer

aurorawa

10 years ago

Do you have a well-lit bathroom (with shower) that you can grow a couple of hoyas in? Try putting campanulata in a bathroom and turning on the shower (hot) for 5 minutes a day. Be sure to close the door. After 5 minutes, go in, turn off the shower, then crack the window (if you have one), leave the bathroom and close the door. Keep it closed for 30 minutes. Do that daily. If your bathroom has no window, just leave the door open a crack for 30 minutes, then fully open it.

My campanulata is thriving, but you are in hig desert conditions (if I remember correctly), so your weather differs greatly. Campanulata loves heat, being moist (not soggy), and thrives in high humidity.

Regarding semi-hydro, last week and this week, I have had to refill my reservoirs daily. It is a quick drench to refill and has not affected any of mine to do so. I use cooler water (but not cold) when I refill because it is so hot that the water, if warm (I usually use 75-80 degree water to water mine, as they live in 75-90 degree temps...would probably be a shock to have a very cold shower, lol) just evaporates quickly.

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Comments (13)

tlbean2004
10 years ago
Who is doug? the same doug of vermont hoyas?
Kim
Original Author
10 years ago
Yes, sorry I should have clarrified. I will be shooting him an email too, but our growing conditions are so different its tricky deciphering the advice into what works in mine. He grows his in a grow tent.
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tlbean2004
10 years ago
I did not know that he sold any plants!
Monica bf N. Carolina zone 7B
10 years ago
I bought 2 from him recently on eBay.
tlbean2004
10 years ago
whats his ebay name?
User
10 years ago
Can't offer any firsthand advice with these, but have you seen Doug's article about H davidcummingii? ("it needs to be grown in Hydroton with a reservoir of water in the bottom.") http://vermonthoyas.com/hoya-species/hoya-davidcummingii

Good luck! Hope you receive some helpful advice soon!
Kim
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks Greenhouse, I have read it which is why I grow it on semihydro. I may need to put spag over the tops of my semihydro pots to help keep moisture in. It gets so dry here most of the year. I think Doug's ebay name is erbtarzan, something like that. I will have to see if I can find it.
amaranthineglow
10 years ago
i think doug got rid of his dischidia.
Kim
Original Author
10 years ago
Aurorawa, my reservoirs are full at the bottom, but but everything else stays pretty dry. I will have to try nursing campanulata in the bathroom as often as I can. It won't be able to love there permanently, only a sheltered East window facing my neighbors house, and it has that texturizing stuff over it. It is a small bathroom too, but I have thought of converting my towel rack.... hahhaha. Maybe praetorii will like that treatment too.

Any thoughts on my Dischidia?
aurorawa
10 years ago
My dischidia cuttings from our swap are doing well outside. Again, climate differences. To be honest, the cuttings I received from you are my first dischidia, so I am in no way an expert on that particular species in the Apocynaceae family.
Denise
10 years ago
I have never been able to keep a D. pectinoides for very long. They're very sensitive to wrong watering. Not necessarily over or under, but both. I'd like to meet someone who has NOT had problems with this species and find out what the secret is!

Semi-hydro is meant to have water in about 1/4 to 1/3 of the pot pretty consistently. If you are using the clay stones, even though they seem dry, they absorb the moisture (wick it up) and provide it to the roots. If it's particularly hot and dry, I sometimes hit the stones with a spray of water every couple of days just to give them a little more to work with, but I'm sure they're doing their job as long as you maintain some water in the bottom of the reservoir. I've had a reservoir go completely dry with no ill effect, so apparently those little balls hold quite a bit of moisture!

Denise in Omaha
Kim
Original Author
10 years ago
I will try with deeper reservoirs, thanks Denise.

As for the Dischidia, I know this one grew well for Doug in his grow tent. Like a bad weed as I understand. I will email him tonight and do some more research. Maybe I can save mone yet.