What things should I try, to save my tiny H. Callistophylla??

12 years ago

I have a tiny H. Callistophylla plant. It only has one leaf. It is not a cutting, it is a plant with a root ball. It had two leaves when I got it, but the other one turned yellow and fell off several months ago. The remaining leaf looked great for a while, but it seems to be slowly becoming discolored. It's still mostly green but it's got some slight hints of brownish/red and is a little lighter/yellower than before. JUST A LITTLE. I don't even know if it's something bad, but if it is, I want to stop it now.

I've read pretty much everything I can. I've been keeping it rather moist because it's supposed to like that. (How moist is moist?? Should I keep it always wet? Sometimes the dirt gets dry to about halfway down.) It also likes shade, but it only has one leaf, so I don't know if that applies. It doesn't get any direct sun, but it is under a CFL bulb all day, for about 13 hours. (There are 3 other hoyas around it that are doing well under this light.)

There are no apparent pests or fungus.

Now is the point where I just try stuff randomly to see if it helps. I'm still sort of new to this, so I need you to help suggest things to me.

I just put a water-filled dish under it. Will this really change the humidity around it in any significant way? (And does this plant like humidity?)

I have not been fertilizing it because it's winter. Should I give it some fertilizer?

Here it is, and this is the level of light it gets from the bulb. (When the sun is up it also gets slight indirect window-light.)

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Comments (8)

Denise
12 years ago
Squidy,

It looks fine to me. With less light, they would get darker, but then the veining isn't as distinct. I'm betting it will take off once spring gets here. If remember correctly, I think that callistrophylla is a late-spring starter, so don't look for growth too early. But that being said, I see a "nubbin" going straight down from the leaf node - any chance that's new growth?? It kind of has that look in the photo...

If your plant should lose that last leaf, keep the pot of roots for a season. Sometimes they'll come back after they've lost all their leaves.

Denise in Omaha
mdahms1979
12 years ago
My plant does not like sun at all so you are correct in keeping it shaded. As long as you are giving your plant sufficient light then don't stop fertilizing. This whole no fertilizer in winter thing has to do with the environment you are keeping your plants in. If you can give them good light, temps that are reasonably within their preferred range etc then keep fertilizing.
I would also use a plastic pot vs clay as the clay pot will need to be watered often and perhaps the fast drying time is causing problems. How often do you have to water this plant to keep it moist?

Mike
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squidy
Original Author
12 years ago
Denise: nope, that nub is old and dry. There is no new growth anywhere that I can see. But thanks for the tip! I thought without leaves all hope would be lost. If it loses that last one, I will be sure to keep it!

Thanks Mike. Hmm.. it stays between 60 and 70 in the room most of the time, and I'm sure it doesn't go below 45 at night. (Probably not even 50.) Is that too cool to be fertilizing? It will be warmer in summer of course, especially at night.

I guess I end up having to water it more than once a week, usually. The chunky soil does dry out fast. (That's why I started using it, because a lot of my plants stayed wet too long..) Can I repot it into a plastic pot now, or should I wait for spring?
mdahms1979
12 years ago
I would wait to do any repotting until the spring or early summer just to be safe. The warmer temperatures will make for much better conditions for new root and plant growth. I do grow my Hoya DS-70 in a clay pot and it does just fine but it is watered almost every day, still clay is best used for species that like to dry out vs the moisture lovers.

Having temperature drops at night are good for plants, many bloom in response to these types of conditions. The temperatures you mentioned are not ideal but they are not low enough to cause problems. If you are concerned about fertilizing then I would suggest waiting for the most favorable conditions. On a nice sunny day water the plants and then apply your fertilizer solution. This is the best approach when it comes to watering any plant that is sensitive to water during the winter.

Mike
cpawl
12 years ago
Hi squidy, I found this hoya really dose not like to dry out.If it dose it will lose any new growth that it may be trying to grow.This one grows nicely S/H(hydroponically).You might consider trying this.
greedygh0st
12 years ago
idk, my callistophylla freaked and dropped 1 out of its 2 leaves on me when it was a baby, too. I was so scared it would lose the lone leaf, but then it just took off. I don't find it fussy now. It just sits in the middle of the herd and dries out just like everyone else. No special treatment. Although I do think they grow better when they are in their little micro jungle.

callistophylla is somewhere on that shelf lol!

I don't want to advise you not to take your precautions. Just want to encourage you that it's a good rebounder and not too fragile in my book. :)

Good luck!
mitzicos
12 years ago
Hi GG,

You have a beautiful hoya jungle at your home!!!!

Lovely

Mitzi
squidy
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you GG, that's very reassuring! :) Your hoyas are beautiful.

What things should I try, to save my tiny H. Callistophylla??

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Denise

mdahms1979

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What things should I try, to save my tiny H. Callistophylla??

Comments (8)

Denise

mdahms1979

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squidyOriginal Author

mdahms1979

cpawl

greedygh0st

mitzicos

squidyOriginal Author

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squidy
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squidy
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