Hi, Gabi, I agree with Fred, that plant looks great to me and I would not repot it. People often say certain plants "like" to be pot bound...but if you think about it, that makes no sense. I believe all plants will try harder to reproduce if they are stressed and therefore you may see more blooms and earlier blooms if you pot bind or otherwise stress a plant but that doesn't say it's good for the plant. I think a lot of people are impatient with some slower plants like hoya and are happy to "force" early blooms by stressing and therefore the belief that because they bloom, they "like" to be pot bound. Now if you couple that with the fact that in the wild schlumbergera and hoya grow up in the nooks and boughs of trees you can easily say they live "pot bound" in nature. But to me it says they are strong forgiving plants that are easy to care for and if you give them a good environment and plenty of root room, they will give you a large beautiful plant that will bloom when it has matured. In nature, hoya are straggly, unattractive plants but in your home they can be full leaved, rich colored bushy plants if you give them an abundance of rich soil to grow in.. Since you asked, I went to check the size of the pot my Schlumbergera is in because I haven't seen the pot in years, digging down through the plant I discovered in is in an 8 inch pot. I use bigger pots because we travel a lot and I want the plants to be able to go two or three weeks with out watering. Certainly the bigger the pot, the bigger the plant and your own place would determine how big you want your plants. -Leon

Mike, what type of trees do you like? Natives like Maples, oaks, etc, and/or tropicals? If we had a large piece of land, I'd like a variety of trees..including a big, old Weeping Willow and Oak. We have a huge Maple out back..don't be angry but I wish it'd go away..lol..in spring, seeds fall, root and maples are everywhere..they grow in the ground and potted house plants..yesterday while outside looking over plants, I plucked 30-40 little maples in pots..lol In autumn, leaves are everywhere. Literally. Including our neighbors' yards. Oh, in spring, seeds fall in the gutter..next thing, there's 1' maple trees growing in the gutter. One branch, less than a foot above electric wires, hits the neighbors' windows. Screeecchhh. A couple wks ago, during a storm, the neighbors tree fell on our house..What a mess that was! What type of trees are you selling? I dont know if you can discuss it here.. I like some conifers especially with gold fronds and another with long, soft leaves.. This year I've invested in ferts w/o Urea, but it's difficult locating..it's only available online..pricer plus S&H. My AV's are now fertized with Urea-free food. I hope those who use coir realize it needs rinsing before use. But honestly, Mike, the average person who buys a plant, (Non-GW'ers) buy whatever soil is available. How many people would, on average, bother mixing mediums? The average person buys a plant, and doesn't want to do anything more than water..Believe me, I worked in two nurseries..I wanted, 'whole-heartedly,' to tell some they should buy an artificial plant..lol. Some didn't want to dirty their precious hands. Many times I ended up repotting plants they purchased in pots way too large, even after explaining they should look for a smaller container..Nope..the pot matched their curtains or whatever, that's what they wanted. Sheesh..Though there were a good number of people who took my advice..thankfully..I felt good (inside) helping people choose the right plant and container..know what I mean? I'll fertilize small hoyas with 20-20-20, then alternate All Purpose and Flowering per feeding for large hoyas. That should do it. Thanks for the info, Mike. I've noticed it's easier finding certain mediums in other countries..heck, even other states. lol. The warmer the climate, one is more likely to find mediums not sold in the midwest or cold places. Forget pet stores. I looked for bark to add to soils..I use Perlite and gritty sand (when I find the right sand) but wanted to add bark too. I bought a bag, 9.99, only to find it would harm plants..Ended up giving it to my son who has an iguana..lol..See, even bark is hard to find here. One problem is, most of my hoyas are w/o names. Therefore, I don't know which are considered large enough to flower. I can guess, but that's all it'd be, a guess. One hoya is called, 'sorry, only have common name,' Fishtail Hoya..don't know its botanical name. It has several stems, between 7-10"..would have to measure for accuracy. I have no idea if a 10" Fishtail hoya is deemed mature..lol..I also have H. carnosa variegata, but it might be a dwarf..I've no idea. I don't like guessing games. lol Tomorrow, each plant will get a feeding, ST and ES's. All are outdoors, in a sunny area, getting fresh, humid air. Insect-free to boot..anyway, thanks for all the help, Mike, and take care...Toni

I know of someone who made really cool vertical spirals out of copper wire, the thicker wire, he then places the spiral in the middle of the pot for the hoya to twine upwards on...they look so good. I will see if I can find a link, I know he posted photos of them at some point. He also made alot of other trellises out of copper wire.

I leave roots undisturbed unless a heavy soil was used by seller. In that case, I remove as much soil as possible by hand and then soak the plant dor 15 minutes in tepid water. After 15 minutes, I remove the plant and gently rinse it all in tepid water to remove any loosened dirt from leaves, roots and stems. After that rinse, I repot in my mix. If it is a small plant, I place it between my first and second fingers (like scissors), hang it between my fingers upside down, cupping its roots in my palm. I add 1/2 inch of mix to the pot, and turn my hand holding the plant over, placing it in the pot. I keep my hand on the plant as I am adding more mix, pushing the plant gently from side to side while adding the media. Once the plant is mostly "settled" in the new pot, I tap the bottom of the pot firmly, but not too hard, against the table and then shake it a little bit. I then add more mix if needed. It is important, if you use my method, to make sure each ingredient in your mix is roughly the same size (eg. 1/4 inch perlite should be mixed with 1/4 inch orchid bark). This way, smaller particles won't settle at the bottom and impede drainage. I really don't worry about spreading the roots. All you really need to do is loosen them from the old mix. If the mix was waterlogged or a very heavy soil was used, best bet would be just to take cuttings, as I have found roots grown in thick, poorly draining soil, are feathery, fine, and very susceptible to shredding, breakage, and rot. That is just my experience. For large plants, I just soak the plant, pot and all for 15-20 minutes in tepid water. It helps the plant come out of the pot. Then I repot into a different pot. I don't even loosen the mix (only because my larger hoyas have been in my mix only, so I know what the rootball is "hiding") UNLESS the roots appear sickly. Then I make cuttings.