Variegated H. Bella - Anyone Got Tips Pls?

19 years ago

Hi Gang,

Well I was given the most wonderful surprise gift last nite at Indoor Gardening Society Mtg. A variegated H. Bella, really nice & just soooo pretty.

I've got a solid Bella that seems fine, but slow growing. I don't keep mine all that wet as most here seem to advise. I'd had another smaller one from Sylvia which I was trying to keep more moist, but that one pooped out.

So I'm hoping for pointers to keep this one. This was originally donated to the Society as it was ailing & the donor didn't want it to die. A friend/mentor who started me w/ Hoyas scarfed it up to save it & mentioned it to me later. When I started to drool abt it he said he'd make me a cutting, well it turns out he decided to give me the whole thing. He had it under lights living in a plastic bag, but potted too big. I've potted it down smaller, loosened its roots from the Jiffy peat pot Logees seems to have started it in & improvised a somewhat enclosure to try & help it acclimate to a non-bagged environment.

When he plunked it on the table last nite, saying 'this is for you' I practically leaped over the table to hug him, it felt like Xmas & Birthday all rolled up in one!

Looking for any & all help you folks may have to offer. TIA

Karen

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Comments (4)

ooojen
19 years ago
What a nice surprise!
I'm not the expert, because I've had mine a little less than a year. However, it has about tripled in size over the last few weeks, as well as putting out 3 spurs, so I guess it's happy.
Mine's still fairly small, and I have it under fluorescent lights (potted) in a terrarium that has about 2/3 of the top covered. The tank isn't planted up, but has potted plants set on top of inverted empty tc pots. I keep about 1/4" of water in the bottom most of the time. The humidity is high, but not 100%-- the sides never fog. Around the beginning of this month, a little direct started coming in the end of the tank where the varig. bella sits, and that's when it took off growing like crazy.
Mine is in a very porous mix that doesn't hold much water, but I water it often-- around every couple days. Were it not in the tank, I'd probably water every day.
Enjoy your new plant!
MEL_TN
19 years ago
What a great score, Karen! The variegated bella is one of my favorites! I treat it the same as the green bella. Although it grows slower, I have never had a problem with either plant.
I do not treat it any different than other Hoyas. My bellas get bright light, but, no direct sunshine. They hang in the sunroom and the humidity stays at least 60%. I also have them hanging over a small table fountain that I keep running 24-7. I use a no nitrogen fertilizer on all my variegated plants as it is said to help keep the plants from reverting to green.
I might also suggest that you take a cutting or 2 to root in case the plant was overly stressed before you got it. It never hurts to have a back up plan!
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User
Original Author
19 years ago
Well Thanks Ladies,

So it DOES want higher humidity, huh? OK, I was racking my brain trying to figure out what to do (have no fish tanks) to help keep humidity, I don't like look of plants in plastic bags.

Then the light bulb when off in my head! I have a variety of clear plastic containers I use for propagation, including some round plastic salad type bowls from take out salad bars. So (I have it potted small in my fast draining Hoya mix w/ some Coir), I sat that in one of the bowls, on a shallow bed of pumice to help retain moisture & inverted another bowl on top as a lid (not airtight, but 9 tenths covered). Ta Da, improvised terrarium!

Unfortunately, I had to cut off a couple of sprigs 2 nodes long to allow the top to fit evenly. So yes, that'll make me two little cuttings (rooting in water) just in case (thx Mel, always good idea). That's in addition to a small rooted sprig that was separate from the rootball when I first repotted it. That Jiffy pot must have had netting around it as it was really sort of strangling the roots (had some on 1 side & few on others), the peat still in it had become hard & sawdustish, so I really had to rough it up w/ a fork.

I'll have to see how the sunlight hits it as Spring arrives in the hopes it'll do as well as yrs. Jen; tripled in size & 3 SPURS, yowsa, you grow girl!

Thanks for yr. encouragement, you know I appreciate it!
ooojen
19 years ago
It sounds like you have a good setup! Keeping part of the top open like you said, helps make for healthy air circulation, and will keep heat from building up when it gets the first touches of sun... possibly before you realize it.
If I get my camera back from the shop in good time, I'll post a shot of my little varig. bella. Last year the buds blasted, but the plant & I were just getting used to each other then. The cluster now closest to opening only has 6 flowers, but I'll take whatever I can get.

Variegated H. Bella - Anyone Got Tips Pls?

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ooojen

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Variegated H. Bella - Anyone Got Tips Pls?

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ooojen

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