I have one more cutting at work, to add to this pot. It was amazing to me to see how 5 cuttings from one plant all got to the party at different times. The leaves on the left picked up some light from the window, they are not really yellow as it appears,

I am in the PNW. Here is my hoya regimen, from rooting to maintenance:

I don't use potting soil. I find it too water retentive for hoyas. I use many different mediums, but the most important things when choosing a potting medium for hoyas is that it be well draining, still able to hold some moisture, and that it provides aeration. In a pinch, Gubler Fine orchid mix (blue bag), found at Lowes, makes a good potting medium.

Before I pot up any cuttings, I soak my potting mix in water overnight. The next morning, UI rinse it and put it in my pots. Then, I place the cuttings in the pot. Finally, I water. Once. Until it has roots, I do not water again. There are very few exceptions to this rule, such as having to restart due to rot, rooting semi-hydro, or a really pathetic looking cutting that won't perk up, despite being in humidity dome/bagged up. I mist my open air cuttings (ones that are not in humidity dome or bagged up) daily. For ones that are bagged or in my humidity dome, I air them out every two days and mist (very lightly) during that time. Once they pass the tug test, they get watered with their first feeding.

Maintenance:

Every time I water my hoyas, they are fed with 1/4 strength fertilizer (1/4 tsp to a gallon of water). I use MiracleGro Tomato plant food. It is cheap and provides all the macro and micronutrients. I group my thirsty hoyas together, my average hoyas together, and my "don't even think of watering me until I wilt or I shall rot in the most magnificent way" hoyas together.

My thirsty ones get watered every 3-5 days, depending on how hot and dry it is.

My average get watered weekly.

My water haters get watered if I notice them wilting.

I flush the pots monthly to get rid of any excess fertilizer residue.

It is important to feed hoyas with each watering, due to the way they grow naturally. In the wild, most hoyas receive daily moisture (on a very light level) from humidity and must in the rainforests. Along with this, since they grow naturally on trees, they receive nutrients from animal poop and organic plant decomposition.

As for light, most hoyas do fine in bright, filtered light, like that from a West facing window. As a hoya enthusiast, mine are grown in greenhouse conditions indoors, with artificial lighting. If you are not planning on being a large-scale grower, window growing will do just fine.

I should note that my hoyas are grown outdoors, under shadecloth, in the summer. This fact does not change the feeding schedule (feed when you water), but does affect my watering habits. When I bring them inside for the cooler months, my watering schedule changes:

Thirsty hoyas get fed weekly.

Average hoyas get fed every 7-10 days (every 7 days, if they get all droopy on me).

Water haters get fed when they droop.

Also worth noting:

*I grow a few hoyas semi-hydro. They get watered when their reservoir no longer has water. Some semi-hydro loving hoyas:

-mirabilis clone B

-davidcummingii

-undulata

-caudata

-flagellata

-lasiantha

-praetorii

-javanica

-multiflora

-buotii

-campanulata/cystiantha

-coriacea

There are more, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

*I mist my hoyas daily. Sometimes a few times a day. When I mist them, I use FoliagePro at foliar feed strength. You don't have to mist most hoyas, but most hoyas don't mind the extra humidity. And, if you choose to mist, you don't have to use FoliagePro. I started using it and have noticed healthier plants. Your results may vary.

*My setup is semi-professional. I grow more like a hardcore hobbyist or nursery:

My hoyas outside for summer:

My rooting area (also where I grow in winter):

You most certainly don't have to go this crazy.

Hi Aurorawa:

I spent most of the day working outside. Today was just a beautiful, and warm day.

Wow, I was so happy to see a post from you on my Hoya questions. Thank you for all the information. I have a houseplant file, on my puter, and I just copied and pasted most every line, to my Hoya file.

I simply have to give this semi hydro culture a go, with a couple orhchids. This sort of project is just too fun.

Oh, my hoya soil is a sad story. I mixed the 5-1-1 soil after so much excitement over it here. I did not find pine bark fines, and substituted pro mix. I know it was mixed with meticulous measurements. What ever I did, turned the mix into a sponge, that never ever dried. It was so weird. After repotting again, My Hoya are in about 1/2 plain potting soil, with the other half being perlite and chicken grit, with a dash of bone meal. I am not complaining about the 5-1-1. My mix was just a fail somehow.

As for trades, that of course would be so amazing. It is always fun to grow a plant from someone you sort of know. I am not sure I have anything you will want but we will work it out just fine. How about you message me your fav hoya for a novice like me with a Carnosa garden variety, and a Crimson Princess, and we will take it from there.

I love love the tips on managing cuttings. All I can say is thank you thank you.

Your Hoya growing set up is fascinating, and so nice to see. Thank you for the tour. I would love a small small green house, but strictly to entertain myself.

I have always assumed you live up north, in Aurora, Wa., Aurora. Our climates are a really tight match. Small world.

Thanks for the great info, so much to read up on.

Laurie B

Laurie, you can find fir bark fines @ any pets store( Petsmart/Petco). That is where i bought mine.

I can tell you how many hoyas i have rooted only to lose them to rot later on because of either my crazy watering, low light conditions, or soil that stays too wet.

Thank you Sweet! I will definitely try that.

Email me at john_huck at live dot com if you are interested in more than carnosa, lol!

Oh, and I strongly advise against growing most orchids semi-hydro. Mine (except for my terrestrial phaps and phrags) are all grown mounted or in orchid mix. Almost all epiphytic orchids detest soggy roots, and growing them semi-hydro would probably cause root rot.

You could easily mount your orchids, species dependent, of course. I use those cork bark slabs (I found mine at Petsmart), drill tiny holes in them, plop my orchid down on a very thin layer of New Zealand Shagnum moss, and using twine or wire, anchor the orchid to the mount, tying at the back of the mount.

Here is my laeliocattleya mounted:

Here is my vanda mount:

Finally, a newly acquired laeliocattleya, just recently mounted:

Note how roots have yet to attach to mount:

Wow, aurora, this is fascinating! Absolutely love the orchids mounted. I know nothing about them and have never seen a set up like that.

Also love all the information you provided re: rooting and growing on for hoyas. You mention different species preference to more or less water. How do you find carnosa as far as water preference?

I water carnosa every 7-10 days. 7 if it is nasty hot and dry outside. Inside, in colder months, it gets watered every 10 days.

Many thanks!

ty for the orchid advice!!!