Just to prove that everyone grows a little differently... I read an article several years ago by a gentleman with a lot of Hoya expertise (can't even remember who it was now...) who said that the watering practices of most Hoya growers was holding back their Hoyas. He said that he watered his Hoyas regularly, not letting them "dry out completely" as most Hoya growers do, and he had substantial success with both growth and flowers. Well, at that point, I started watering my Hoyas more and I've seen a vast improvement in mine. As the gentleman pointed out, there are Hoyas that should be kept dryER than others, but most need much more than the accepted practice of allowing them to dry. So my point is, experiment a little with your watering and see what works for you. A lot of it depends on your soil and how much heat and sun they get... And I don't use humidity trays on any except serpens. I do saturate them with Eleanor water every time I water and sometimes a couple times between waterings, depending on how busy I am. Most of my Hoyas get some direct morning sun - those that I grow in the house hang on little teacup hangers that are in the woodwork behind the curtains, so they hang so some of the foliage touches the glass. After the sun gets up high, then they're getting bright indirect sun reflecting off our close neighbor's white house. The rest grow in my GH off my kitchen - again, lots of morning and mid-day sun (although my roof glass has a coating that filters the hottest rays of the noon sun...) Sandi, the two carnosas should be easy for you. Cummingiana is a little pickier about water - a little too little or too much and it seems to want to drop leaves. But it comes right back, so don't let it intimidate you. I have yet to get mine to bloom even though I've gotten it to the point that it grows well for me. I've had it probably at least 10 years, so it should be blooming! Dang thing! Another great EA Hoya to look for is tsangii (now DS-70.) It's a constant bloomer for me. Lacunosa is a good one, but can be a challenge for even an experienced grower because it seems much fussier than other Hoyas. I now grow mine in the north window of my sun room and it's starting to bloom up a storm (which defies logic, to me...) But the EA plants are big and inexpensive and I think they're a cheap way to try different Hoyas. Happy growing! Denise in Omaha

While not a 'rabid' hoya grower like many on this forum, I do have 5 of them (and not looking for any more -- they take away room from my orchids), only one of them was already rooted when I got it. In all 4 cases, I simply used the method Mike mentioned: Some growers will take a long cutting and coil it around and pin it down on top of the potting mix to root. This gives a strong plant with a large root system quickly. All rooted effortlessly utilizing this method. No bagging or anything except keeping the soil lightly moist ... when I remembered to that is.

Some of the larger flowered species like the Hoya imperalis and onychoides that you got can take several years before they try to bloom for the first time. It is pretty common to wait at least two years before seeing blooms on many Hoya species when you grow them from a cutting. Sometimes you will get a cutting and if it came from a nice big mature plant it may surprise you with blooms quite early or in some cases there will already be a bloom peduncle on the cutting. If you look for the Hoyas that you like most for their flowers and leaves and make a list we can tell you if they would be good choices for the conditions you can provide. Some species like it shady while others like very bright light but other than growing them slightly cooler or watering a little more or less most Hoyas have very similar culture. Some species bloom quite often while others do not and that is where it is fun to choose new plants based on their leaves, some species have pretty spectacular leaves. GrowingHoyas.com , Hoyor.net and MyHoyas.com are nice sites to research different species. The Swedish Hoya Society page has some of the best Hoya photography with photos of full sized blooming plants. Mike Here is a link that might be useful: Swedish Hoya Society

Tigerdawn mounted plants are not hard to grow as long as you pay close attention to moisture levels and humidity. Humidity is important but not critical, many of my mounted plant are out in the open but the ones that really need high humidity are kept in my growing case. Hoyas with thick waxy leaves can do just fine out in the open on a mount. Choosing a mount is as easy as finding a piece of cork or treefern at a pet store in the reptile section or from an orchid supply/greenhouse. Choosing a plant that will stay fairly small is a good idea and the pendant growing species will be easier to accomidate on a mount than a climber. Check out the Stemma Journal site for an issue on Dischidia because Antone from Dischidia.com wrote an article about mounting plants. I can't remember the issue and am not at home to check but it is one of the earlier ones. Starting a cutting in moss and then transfering it to a mount with an underlying moss pad is the best method unless you can offer high humidity, then you can root the cutting right on the mount. Mike