Hi Ash..Lol.. I am begining to think you have a ton of different plants!! If I lived in Texas, I would definately find a buy to put a "shade cloth" above all my plants in a nice location in my yard...That is what the local nurseries do, including myself for any plants that can only tolerate shade or light in the heat of summer..I would have them planted in well draining soil, and squirt the house on them frequently, to make up for the lack of humid air.. They sell these shades cloths, all over the place, and I would assume more popular in your area..Some are pretty cool looking. Some look like sail boat shaped cloths that tie onto trees,and poles, or even homes..Many people sit under these which can bring the temps underneath them much lower, by 10-20 degrees cooler... For many, this is their only means of shade, since many people have no trees to bring shade to their homes alone, including my cousin who lives in Pheonix.. I hope this gives you a great idea..To me, it seems that every plant I have ever bought from a nursery, has always been provided bright diffused light, all day long, including these in which they thrive.. So,now I look for ways to provide bright diffused sunlight to most my plants that can not handle the full intense sun. Some even get very early morning sun in summer, or late in the day sun....Then, because I have trees , many type plants would end up hanging underneath them from branches getting dabbled light.. Let us know how they do..ok Mike

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.

I wonder if it is possible to cross Hoyas with other species? I'd like to cross one with a Venus Flytrap or a Tropical Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes). An Epiphyllum/Orchid Cactus would be an interesting cross, too. They're epiphytes, just like Hoyas. Brad AKA Moonwolf

*lacunosa - attractive, small leaves, fragrant flowers (floral fragrance), compact, hanging *variegated kentiana - attractive, variegated leaves, compact, hanging, never seen flower, but assume it smells like regular old kentiana...caramel scented *deykeae - beautiful, elongated heart shaped leaves. Splashes on leaves, and nice veining. Pretty flowers with a nice fragrance (hint of citrus). Trellised (easily on 18 inch trellis)or wrapped around and up hanging pot. *mindorensis - plain jane leaves, but flowers are amazing balls of fuzzy and come in a rainbow of colors. Trellised (easily on 18-24 inch trellis) or wrapped around and up hanging pot. *balansae - pretty little leaves, pretty little flowers, easily grown hanging, twined around and up hanging pot. *incrassata - attractive foliage, which can come in an array of styles, from variegated to plain. Needs a bit of space, but could easily be maintained around a 3 foot trellis. *clemensiorum, finlaysonii, callistophylla - all similar, yet different in their leaf looks. Boldy, high contast veins with beautiful leaves, ranging from dark to light green, many with splash patterns on them. Small, pretty flowers with a light citus fragrance. Easily grown wrapped around and up a hanging basket or on a 18-24 inch trellis. *australis - can get big, but easily maintained with cuttings (don't cut areas with peduncles, or you won't get blooms on the mother plant, unless she has some still, or she grows more..this goes for all hoyas). Can be grown hanging or on a 24 inch to 3 foot trellis. Beautiful, fragrant flowers. *pachyclada - EARLY to put on peduuncles and bloom (in my experience), pretty yellow cream flowers, likes it slightly drier (water once every 8-10 days). Thick, succulent leaves with beautiful color and aesthetically pleasing. *elliptica - gorgeous turtle shell leaves, compact, can be grown wrapped up and around hanging pot or easily on 18-24 inch trellis. Beautiful porcelain flowers with red or golden coronas. Subtle fragrance. *many of the pottsii varieties - beautiful leaves that get a red tinge grown in high light, pretty, fragrant flowers *scortechinii or sp. UT-001 - pretty leaves that get gorgeous veining in high light (leaf size is generally not big, but I have had a couple of ones that got a bit exhuberant with their growth). Pretty flowers! Most hoyas only want to be watered weekly (there are some that are less thirsty and some that like it a bit damper). Feed them when you water (1/4-1/2 strength water soluble fertilizer).