Growing hoyas with no drainage. It can be done easily!
Have you ever had a cute planter that you would love to use, but thought you couldn't because it had no drainage?
I thought I would post this just to let folks know that you can grow some hoyas and most epiphytes in planters with no drainage holes.
Some would say drill a drain hole, but that is not always an option, as some ceramic pots are difficult to drill and may break during drilling.
So, here's the easy way.....
1. Purchase or mix your own chunky orchid mix (available at most big box stores or nurseries). This is a mix of bark, chunky perlite, styrofoam pieces, hydroton or small broken pieces of clay pots and hopefully a little charcoal to keep the mix sweet.
2. Buy some extra charcoal if your orchid mix doesn't contain it.
3. Buy some sheet moss for topping off the growing medium.
4. Place a few inches of orchid mix in your container, place you rooted plant (try to gently remove all or most of the soil from the roots) in the container and backfill with orchid mix.
5. Layer sheet moss over soil and tuck excess in around the edges. This allows you to turn the pot upside down to drain without losing your planting medium. You're done!
6. Now, to water simply fill the container with water and let sit for a minute of so. Then, place your hand on top of moss to hold it in place and turn it upside down to drain excess water.
7. Dry off the planter and place it back in your favorite bright spot and enjoy. No drainage tray needed! Beside, trays can be ugly and messy.
Some hoyas are more succulent in nature and like to be drier, so this would not be a good way to grow those. But, most hoyas, schlumbergeras, Epiphyllums and bromeliads can be grown quite successfully this way.
This is a pic of my selenicereus chrysocardium.
Comments (9)
CrazyPlantLady1
9 years agoHere is a Hatiora epiphylloides sp bradyei growing in a large clam shell. This one is growing in GrowStones and topped with moss.
CrazyPlantLady1
9 years agoAnd here are some bromeliads....Bilbergia nutans or Queens Tears. I wished I had taken pics when they were in bloom.
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Can I grow fruit trees on the slope of a drainage ditch?
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Comments (9)I am kind of old-fashioned, and that scenario would bother me....but if you can ensure that the roots will dry out in betwen watering, then go for it. My advice would be to pot it properly with adequate drainage and then place it inside the 16" pot. Moderately doesn't add up for orchids...maybe for succulents. They like to be drowned for a few minutes, then dry for a few hours, and then drowned again the next day if they were in their 80F jungle conditions during monsoon season. The sitting water would add humidity, but would also cause the media to rot since it doesn't breathe...and that is more detrimental to the plant than media which periodically dries out. Any particular reason you want them in that pot? Individual potted phals would be easier to rotate as they come into flower and tehn displayed in this particular pot....See MoreJust starting to grow a hoya
Comments (16)As for how long it should take to dry out between waterings, it really depends on your individual conditions - your home, the medium, etc. This time of year I usually water my Hoyas around once a week, the thirstier ones twice a week. You need to find your own pace, though. As Mike suggested, get a feel for the weight of your pot when it is wet/dry. If you pick it up whenever you water you will gradually become skilled at making this call. In the meantime, stick your finger down a couple inches into the soil and water when it feels dry. Or do as Josh suggests and stick a wooden chopstick or kabob spear in there, like you were checking a cake to see if it was done. You don't want to keep it wet all the time; what you're really aiming for is that you don't leave it sitting bone dry. It is true that MG soil is not a good choice for Hoyas, which prefer a medium with better aeration. You have to imagine that in the wild most of them are epiphytic, growing out of the Ys of trees or on fallen logs, so their roots like to breathe, not be under a heavy compact blanket of soil. So it's a good idea to cut peat-based soil, like MG, with orchid mix and perlite, for example. There is no universal SUPREME HOYA MIX, and everyone has their own strategy, but the idea is to concoct something that provides fast drainage and airiness....See Morehoyas in pots with no drainage hole
Comments (6)I would not plant it directly into anything without a drain hole. It is just too easy to overwater and kill the plant that way. If it is falling over and that is the only problem, why not just set it into the coffe mug? You can either just set it in or if it is too large, you can put that gravel on the bottom of the mug and then set the plant on top of it. That way, if you do get heavy handed with the water, it is easy to see it, and dump some out. If the plant is too small for the pot it is in, you can pot it up into something larger (with a drain hole) & then set that into something sturdy also. Plants that are falling over, I usually put into hanging pots or baskets & hang them up somewhere.Or you can add a small trellis. Just a matter of choice. Marcy...See MoreCrazyPlantLady1
9 years agoAnd you can do the same with African violet pots or self watering pots like this one.
I secretly hate drainage trays....they are so messy!
greedygh0st
9 years agovermonthoyas
9 years agoCrazyPlantLady1
9 years agoI'd love to see some members post their own pics of plants in non-draining pots. So, I'm throwing out a challenge to everyone here! I double-dawg dare ya!
greentoe357
9 years agoCrazyPlantLady1
9 years ago
CrazyPlantLady1Original Author