My father (god rest his soul) was also a 100% disabled military veteran, 20 years in the USAF, he served 3 terms in Viet Nam and broke his spine in three places in a helicopter crash in Saigon (excuse me, Ho Chih Min City) helping to evacuate civilians as the city fell around his ears, pretty much like the scene made famous in "The Killing Fields". Later on he suffered through the effects of exposure to Agent Orange with all the debilitation that entails, plus the heartbreak of fighting to get the military he had loved and served to do right by him on THAT issue. He only had an 11th grade High School education, never even graduated before he went into the military, but after he got out he used his GI Benefit to go back to school as a 100% disabled military vet and go on to earn a Master's Degree in Education and get a job as a college level educator so he could support us kids as a single father since he could do NO manual labor due to his disability (my mother died when I was 12). So I know the hardships you have being disabled because I have lived through it. I was legally driving a car when I was 13 so that i could do the grocery shopping and what not for my family while my father went to school and worked. But, I still can't make heads nor tails of most of your posts, so please don't use being a disabled military veteran as your excuse. Just slow down and think about what you type, and how easy or hard it would be for someone to understand. That's not a lot to ask.

Welcome aboard riverdance! I killed my Bella cuttings last year so I am not really the best person to answer your questions but....I do know that Bella does NOT like to dry out and that most folks around here keep them moist all the time. (actually sit them in a dish of water constantly!) (Also they do not like direct sunlight either) What did you use to kill the gnats? Chemicals? hummmmm Bella might not have liked the chemicals (or what ever you used) The first step I would take would be to take cuttings and root them in water. That way you'll have a back up clone if anything happens to the Mom. Cutting her back should also help her fill out, which I think is a good thing since she's loosing the lower leaves!? Putting the Mom in a clear plastic bag, blow air in it, and seal it and keep her in there for a few weeks would also help her recover quicker.( NO direct sunlight at all, should you decide to bag her!! We don't want to boil her:-) Next, water, water and water some more! Let it sit in an inch or so of water all the time! As far as the Gnats go.... get some fine potting sand and cover the soil with about 1/2 inch of sand. Gnats wont lay there eggs in the sand so that will help keep them from coming back. It sounds like the roots got dryed out too much,(or burned by your gnat remedy?) but if there is new growth, there is hope! Diane BTW, I killed my Bella cuttings by not watering enough and too much sunlight:-(

Howdy...Sorry I haven't been here, but now that our 'daily rain' stopped, and temps are summer-like, I've spent Thurs and Fri afternoon and night hauling remaining plants out. So far about 95% are outdoors..Whew! Denise, your PS is soooo very beautiful. Mine looks nothing like yours. Sheesh, you sure it's PS? There's so much variegation. I'm envious..lol.. I got the name H. Purpureo from a nursery site. I'd have to snap a pic for definate ID. After viewing the pic you posted, I don't have Purpureo. Once again, I'm lost..lol..So, what in the world is it? lol..Leaves are long, 3-5", pointed, and when IL has sunshine, (more than a couple days) the silver splashes are pronounced. They might or might not show in a pic. The other Hoya is definately Krinkle 8..No doubt about it. I have pics on my site, but for some reason, the camera doesn't capture the crinkles, they don't show via my camera. I've taken pics of H. Krinkle 8 before, never did the crinkles show much. Denise, where did you find your PS? It's astonishing. I'd love to buy one if I can find it..Wow! The hoyas you posted are yours, right, not something dl'ed from the net? It's been a while since taking cuttings from any hoyas, especially after reading not to prune. I took their advice literally, now find it strange since taking cuttings they stopped blooming. I have variegated and green Hindu Ropes, both bloom all summer. Hoyas are all in the same windows, SW, so light isn't an issue. I think I have an old pic of HR's..I'll look for a pic on Flickr and post. It's weird because even though there are two HR's, the flowers are different colors..lol The above pic is Krinke 8..see what I mean about the crinkles not looking crinkly..lol Above are both HR's..Notice there are 3 different color blooms? Why is that? Denise, I had several boxes of Bloom Booster, but they got wet and had to be tossed...Here's a list of bloom ferts left. Shultz AV 8-14-6--- Better Gro Orchid Bloom booster, 11-35-15---Dyna Gro Bloom 3-12-6---and Jacks Classics 10-30-20.. Would any be sufficient? As for ST, I never run out..I keep backup bottles..lol VF-11 is way too expensive..wow. I thought I read other ferts aren't to be used with Vf-11..Read an article over a year, perhaps it was Messenger??? Do you know? Denise, do you have more hoya pics? Hey Pug..How ya doing? Yes, it's been a while. I spilled a glass of Kool Aid on the computer tower..Liquid and computers do not mix. lol. It was a disaster. Finally bought a new puter. Then our neighors tree fell on the front of our house. 2 days later, a car ran into our parked truck..Between all this, we were getting non-stop rain. Hauling plants in the mud is a pain. lol It's funny, I recall other posts where you say, 'I'm no Hoya expert, haven't been growing them long.' lol..I wonder how many months went by since you originally made that quote..lol What is Royal Haw? Is it a Hoya? Are blooms purple? Sounds lovely..Do you have pics? I named the ferts left, hopefully one will work. What about slow-release fert? I admit, I've been lax as far as ST'ing and fertiliZing, but before taking each plant outside, they're showered..then set in an area each will be summered, all this takes time, lots of work..I'm exhausted..lol..plus there's outdoor gardening to do too..with all the rain we've had, weeds are growing 2-3" per day..we just weeded, and already the front, sides and back need more plucking..We don't use weed killers.. I will get my butt outside..fert and ST. lol.. So how have you been? Mike..yes, the hoyas get great light..they're right against the windows, plus, during winter, get several hours of artificial light. This year I splurged, bought true plant lights, even though paying high $$ goes against my grain. Two white lights work just as well. I think fertilizer is the problem. My plants are pest free. Believe me..I mist daily, and inspect frequently..all plants, not just hoyas. I also make a batch of organic insecticide and spray every other week as a preventative. No mites, scale, mealy, whitefly, or any other pest. I had no idea hoyas were to be fertilized as often as you guys do it. Wow.. How often does everyone fertilize? Toni

While you may get a response here, it really isn't a landscape question. Here are links to the Houseplant forum which is quite active and to the Hoya forum where you can just copy and paste your post from here. You can add all 4 photos to the original post since I think the limit is 10.