Happy spring to you too! I got such a huge surprise yesterday...no Hoyas (I am actually getting a new Hoya in the mail today or tomorrow, a variegated one, but more about that when it gets here LOL)
But a friend from Ohio sent me the ultimate box of plants (mainly orchids) from a show she attended over the weekend! 2 Draculas, a beautiful species Dendrobium, a gorgeous Paph about to bloom, a VARIEGATED phalaenopsis, a highly unusual Pleurothallis, a Masdevallia IN BLOOM and a Vuylstekeara hybrid...not to mention 3 extremely rare Anthuriums I ordered and she picked up for me from the vendor (who comes to the show from Ecuador). It was just like Christmas here yesterday. Such a jumpstart to Spring to get some beautiful new plants!

So don't be blue!! You have your own cure in your new stuff!

I don't blame you for picking up what sounds like a lovely Polyneura! Lucky you. I understand completely the desire to go shopping for plants when you're feeling down.

OK. This is MY advice for polyneura...

Give it good draining soil as over the winter it doesn't really need much watering, and too much watering will make it lose its leaves. Apparently it likes cool and shade, so I have put it in my kitchen (the coldest room in the house) in the north window. Put it outside during the summer in a shady spot and fertilize like you would the rest of your hoyas. Apparently it flowers during the winter (?), all mine's managed to do is produce a peduncle which eventually dries off and dies :(.

Hope that helps,

Hills

I'm glad you pointed out the "cool" part, Hills. I have my EA polyneura in the GH, which will be too hot when it warms up. I'll make it an "in the house" Hoya come warmer weather...

EA Hoyas can be REALLY hard to repot because they're so darned lush - drat! ;-) But this is one I did repot because I'd had another that I'd had a lot of trouble with (and still have and STILL isn't much to brag about...) The big EA one was a challenge to repot. I used a newspaper "funnel" around the foliage, pulled it from it's pot, knocked as much of that awful EA mix off as I could, then set it back in the pot with my mix. It seems to be doing fine. I water it when slightly dry and mist with VF-11.

Congrats on the polyneura, PG! It's a most unique Hoya, wouldn't you say?

Denise in Omaha

Thanks folks,

As an apmt dweller, I have no outdoors to give my plants so I can't do that. I have it hanging in the kitchen ('cause it's too big to go anywhere else) which come summer won't be too cool (I'm on the top floor, w/ no AC & all west windows, it gets HOT). It's well away from the windows, so it'll be somewhat shady.

I can't decide whether I should swap out the EA mix for my own; it would be an enormous job (I like that paper funnel technique Denise, smart)!

Am thinking of just take cuttings, or unpot a few stems from the middle & pot them up separately as insurance just in case.

Am I understanding it likes be on the moister side or not?

Even the watering will be difficult, it's so big I think I'll have to soak it in the sink for a while, since I've removed the saucer & don't wish for water all over the floor.

Am hoping when I get my E's VF-11, that watering w/ that will help & therefore ease my anxiety abt the EA mix.

Have run into multiple problems getting the E's VF-11, Ace Hardware says it's restricted & not permitted to ship into NY state, that wasted 2 wks. Have just re-ordered it from Charley's Greenhouse (they advised AFTER I ordered a gallon that it's backordered, but I've convinced them to send me comparable amounts of quarts for the same price). Am hoping MAYBE I'll actually get it this wknd ... sigh.

PG, if you have anymore problems and want another source for VF-11, I use Reed's Greenhouse. I posted the link somewhere in this forum, but don't remember where. I'm sure if you google it you'll find it. They sell a 16oz bottle with the 8oz sampler for $7.99. The good thing is, no matter how many you order, you get the free sample with each one!

I wish you could post pics...would love to see your new hoya!

Hey Karen, congratulations, you won't be sorry. My EA Polyneura is still growing like a weed and making peduncles that dry up like Hills do but it looks great. As a matter of fact ALL my EA plants are bigger and prettier than the cuttings I have, of course the cuttings have farther to go. 2/3 of my blooms are on EA plants and I have not lost a one.

-Leon

Karen, here I was sitting, having an immoderate amount of joy at the prospect of PG eatting her words... when i found out it wasn't so very much to eat.

I raise my glass to you, and really it's not such a 'bad' thing. I don't know where these came from, but suddenly they are every where in the market. I potted my two pots into one SW last fall. They did just fine in The Tree, and handled 28* temps equally well.

Beyond that, I have nothing to say, besides 'Cheers'!

Have you heard from that Canadian fellow, lately???

Pirate Girl...just out of curiosity...why would you remove the bottom of the pot? Do you leave it off or just take it off to clean it or whatever? Did you get my e-mail offer?

Linda

Hi Linda,

I removed the saucer from the bottom for several reasons. Someone here suggested they did same. I'm leary of EA soil mix, know it can be a problem, so thought that by removing the saucer, at least it would help the bottom of the rootball to dry a bit & get some air (hope to counteract potential for root rot). I plan on leaving it off entirely. Also, I expect to bottom water this (soak in the sink & let it drink from the bottom) 'cause is so large.

No, I did NOT get your EM & I usually check several times a day.

No Cena, no word from Mr. Canada; seems he has chosen to drop some of his friends, & GW altogether (tho' he made 1 brief appearance at C&S in January). He doesn't seem to be at the 'other' place either.

Thx for the congrats everybody!

Another thing you can try with EA plants is removing 1-2" of soil from the bottom of the plant and adding the same ammount of pearlite to the pot or basket and then replace the EA plant. Personaly, I then replace the saucer but some don't. I am always amazed at the ammount of roots in that pearlite when I go to check them.

I used this on H. curtisii after loosing 4 EA plants and so far so good! I also used it on H. kerrii (which I kill on a regular basis) and I won't hold my breath, but it has new growth for the first time! Yea!

I sent the e-mail to your yahoo address. Got it off your Member Page here on GW. I just resent it again.

Thanks so much for the info on removing the saucer from the pots. I'm just so afraid what I'll find!

Linda

Hi Hoyanut,

Thx much for a smart suggestion, I did it this afternoon, big job as it's so lush, but I unpotted it, didn't look bad at all & the mix looked pretty loose, not muddy or soupy as I've seen before, & had dried pretty well.

I sliced off the bottom inch of rootball, lined the pot w/ a disk of newsprint to keep the mix off my floor, put in abt 1" of pumice & roughed up the bottom of the rootball, poked long holes w/ a stick into top of rootball & watered thoroughly w/ water w/ Peroxide (thx Denise for the formula) & left it in the basin for a while.

Here's hoping, thnx for the excellent idea & yr. encouragement.

Yea! let us know if it works as well for you. I also am doing it with my smaller potted hoyas that tend to rot if too wet. Good luck!