Very handsome! Where did you get those neat trellises? I can't find pot trellises anywhere and end up using the bamboo hoops which eventually rot and fall over....grrrr.....

Those look lovely and I wish I had left some of the clips on because I like the way you have yours. I didn't check the roots on the Kunming Kina and I think they would have been fine just as my calycina roots are all white and healthy looking. At least I didn't chuck the whole pot like I did with the Kunming Kina. I think it will make a comeback.

However, at the rate calycina was going I'd probably have peduncles and possibly blooms instead of a bunch of withered (but hopefully revivable) stems in an intensive care tent. I kept the rooted plant with one stem that looks fairly healthy and is short in length. The other stems were quite worn looking and shriveled so I cut just above those pieces.

The way it happened was the leaves closest to the withered stems began to yellow and fall off. Also new growth was limp and any twining vines just started to slip away from the support, the stuff in the middle just puckerd up a bit. Hopefully both will survive in spite of this.

Thanks for your advice.

gloria

My trellises are bamboo u-hoops

Oh...I see--you're using bamboo hoops (not very visible in the pics) AND the hanging wires of the basket to twine the plant around...never would have thought of using both....anyhow, it looks really nice....

gvargo--I would have thought "roots" too from your description....do you know what went wrong with your plants? What's the expensive lesson you learned? I'm sorry if I missed something--as you can see from my post above I'm not a very observant person :-)--and I'm confused about what you think happened and how you're going to prevent it from happening again....

Shelley, I just looked at my original post and I see I wasn't very clear about what happened. First of all it was an EXpensive lesson, not epensive. What I meant to convey was this: the stems on the plant where they came in contact with the sides of the pot gradually withered as the plants grew larger and heavier. The stem just couldn't bear the weight and I guess it rubbed on the side of the plastic pot and became weak so that the leaf stems closest began to yellow and the leaves fell off.

I didn't check the roots on the Kunming Kina but I'm quite sure from the look of the plant stems and the way it began to decline that it was the same problem for both of them. The vines were quite long and heavy on both and had the long vines been clipped to the hangers on the pot, as they were when I got them, none of this would have happened.

I hope that explains it.

gloria

I get it....thanks!

Shelley, a GREAT tip to keep your bamboo hoops from rotting:

You will need:

*A place to hang the hoops (while they "set"/ dry)

*Paper towels (lay them on the floor under where you will be hanging your hoops)

*Parrafin OR unscented, undyed, white candle wax (no soy wax...too low melting temp)

Dip the parts of the hoop that go into your pot in fully melted parrafin/candle wax, 3-5 inches up (possibly more, depending on pot depth...the goal is to make sure any part of the hoop covered in mix gets coated in wax). Hang to set/dry. Repeat process. Pot up!

Every 6-12 months, I touch up my trellises, adding a fresh coat of wax.

Thanks aurorawa! I will definitely try that--I assume you can get white candle wax at a craft store? I find that between moisture in the potting mix and the weight of the hoya, those bamboo hoops only last me a year or so before they rot and break off at soil level....

Yes, I get mine at Michael's.

I'd guess one could also do the same w/ clear nail polish, brush it on the lower inch or 3 of the bamboo hoops (the part that would be down in the mix) to avoid rot.

I'd personally avoid the wax as my plants get some strong direct sun (would be afraid the wax would soften a bit).

The wax does soften a bit, but not enough to actually melt and make a mess. That's why you should not use any soy wax or other wax with a lower melting point.

As for nail polish, I don't use it on myself, as it smells so bad. I don't think I'd feel safe using it around plants. Who knows what chemicals leach from it, even if it is dry? Honest question!