Now you're starting to make me feel a bit guilty about not having repotted mine for the past ???? years.

Well it's nice to see your new growth.

Don't know where you've read "don't repot Hoyas".

I can't imagine the Hoya Forum would agree w/ that idea. Maybe whoever said that meant don't overpot.

From what I've seen there (since its beginning) the Hoya Forum folks advocate repotting Hoyas as needed, if the mix is old, or if it was an EA purchase, etc. In cases like that, it can be more harmful NOT to repot them (IME).

Lena

Tropic, that was the point, to know that, like any other potted plant, repotting is helpful, and that not repotting at all leads to death eventually. How often that is needed would depend on a lot of factors, but the stereotype to not repot/rootbound is good is damaging and should be put out of its' misery.

TY! I couldn't agree more. I've read at least 1,000 times over the yrs "Hoyas like to be root/pot bound, don't repot them." To test this, I bought one and left it un-repotted (and untrimmed. OMG that was hard!) I put a stop to it before the plant was completely dead. The whole thing was definitely $12' worth of fun & entertainment and it bloomed a few times. I'm not interested in AV's but have tested many other plants saddled with this unfortunate stereotype. It's more fun and meaningful to be able to relate real anecdotes and first-hand comparisons rather than theorize hypothetically.

Tiff, could it be as I asked that it was a caution about not overpotting or the distinction we make here btwn repotting & potting up? That potting up wouldn't be great for Hoyas.

My sense of the recommendations I've heard wasn't so much keep 'em rootbound, rather just pot them small.

Lena

People who tell you to keep any particular plant rootbound are simply repeating what they heard or read somewhere, because they certainly couldn't have reasoned themselves into that position.

IF one assumes a person is using a very water-retentive soil and can't seem to control how much water the plant is getting, then it might be better for the plant to be grown tight so it uses the water in the root mass faster and in doing so eases the limitations imposed by saturated soil. With that scenario, what's REALLY occurring is, the grower is deciding which of 2 evils is preferential by trading the limitations imposed by root congestion for the limitations imposed by over-watering. Obviously repotting so roots have room to run and changing to a soil that doesn't burden the grower with worry over soil saturation offers MUCH more potential for a happy plant because it doesn't have to deal with either set of limitations - root congestion or a soggy home for roots.

Whenever I hear the notion voiced that a plant likes to be grown rootbound, I know the source of the advice either 'doesn't get it' or doesn't care enough about who reads the advice to qualify it, because it should never be given w/o qualifications. and even then there is little justification for it OTHER than in some cases it can force a greater profusion of blooms in conspicuously flowering plants.

Al

Lena, there was nobody in particular in mind, or a specific comment at all when I started this experiment, just nausea & concern over countless instances of reading how Hoyas like to be rootbound and to not repot, in various forums and on FB groups. Encouraging folks to repot & explaining why never repotting can be harmful w/o having actually experienced it in regard to that particular plant usually falls on deaf ears. I wanted to be able to say, "I've done it, it doesn't work and will lead to a dead plant eventually."

I did the same thing with snake plants (Sansevieria.) Started repotting often, putting in HUGE pot (5-gal bucket,) and leaving tons of room to grow. My plants started growing so fast, it was amazing. That's evolved to the point where I use them in my landscaping in the ground during the warmer months (resulting in being "repotted" 2x year.) The past few yrs, I've sent boxes of excess plants to tons of people because they grow so fast and I don't have room to even try to bring all of the new plants inside.

The urge to put some AV's in giant pots is there too, but they just don't do anything for me.

My Sans are in the biggest pot I could find, 'Planet Earth', LOL.

I couldn't include this cutting of 'Chelsea' originally because I'd forgotten to take a before pic when the cutting was put here in April or May.

6/22:

7/21

Those dusty old leaves that had been positioned to be able to hold water before must go soon. New leaves are so much more happy & healthy looking, and showing up quickly.

Lovely Hoya there, one of my favorites, cool leaf shapes w/the indentations.

Lena