If you are looking to bring a new plant home from a big box store or even a local greenhouse it is important to thoroughly inspect the plant before you buy it. This can save you from unwanted pests and disease.
What to inspect:
If anything about the plant seems off find another one to purchase. If you do find a plant to buy, make sure to quarantine it from the rest of your collection for 2 weeks. That way if you missed any pests or diseases, you won't be spreading it to all of your plants. I recommend cleaning the foliage with insecticidal soap directly after you bring it home. I would also check the soil and make sure that it is compatible with your plant. A lot of the time big plant greenhouses use very heavy soil that stays sopping wet when watered. I like to repot any new plants I receive in my own soil mix to reduce risk of overwatering/underwatering. Click here to check out my blog on new houseplant protocols for further information.
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If anyone is looking for Liqui-Dirt Coupons here are some different checkout codes:
Harlig_25 (25% off order) LD_10 (10% off total order before tax & shipping - order minimum $10) BEEGREEN (free wildflower seeds) FREESHIP (orders $300+ before tax) I personally use Liqui-Dirt on the regular and love how cheap and effective it is as well as organic. Click here to check out my watering/fertilizing schedule blog post for details on how I use it. DIY pon ingredients: Mix 4 parts pumice, 2 parts lava rock, and 1 part zeolite. To fertilize use either a liquid fertilizer or slow-release fertilizer balls like Osmocote. Pon has an air to water ratio of 45% air to 55% water. This ratio is supposed to reduce susceptibility to disease. Sometimes you will hear pon referred to as LECHUZA-PON this is just a brand name. You can use pon like soil or in a semi-hydro set up with a water reservoir. I personally prefer a semi-hydro set up with pon. A dry phase is also encouraged with pon. A dry phase can be for 2-10 days. The length of dry phase will vary based on environment, individual plant, temperature, and humidity. For additional questions click here to be taken to the LECHUZA-PON FAQ page. There are also multiple YouTube videos you can find of people making their own pon.
Light:
Hoyas prefer bright indirect light. If you use grow lights, be sure to not leave them on all day. Plants need a period of darkness so 12hrs on and 12hrs off is ideal. Grow medium: Hoyas like to be in a light and airy mixture. You can successfully grow Hoyas in soil, pon, LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate), stratum, etcetera. I would use whatever medium you feel comfortable with. Watering: Water with room temperature water as needed. Let the top layer of soil dry between watering. If the leaves are wrinkling between waterings, you aren't watering enough. If you're overwatering and inducing root rot you might notice stunted growth, yellowing leaves, and brown roots instead of white firm ones. Frequency of watering is going to depend on the grow medium used and the environment you have it in. Want to know what type of water you should give your plants? Click here to read an article from Wild Interiors. Humidity: Humidity is preferable for Hoyas due to their tropical nature. To maintain humidity without a humidifier you can use a tray with pebbles and water. Keep plants away from cold windows and away from vents. Leave your Hoya in a room above 60°F. Different Hoyas have different humidity needs. As a general recommendation, I suggest trying to keep your humidity levels between 60-70% for optimal growth. Fertilizing: Fertilizing routine will depend on personal preferences. I dilute fertilizer and use it on a regular basis regardless of the time of year. You can also use slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote that you mix into your grow medium. Click here to read about fertilizers I am currently using. Trellising: Hoyas are epiphytes and typically grow on other plants. Using a trellis is great for training vines. If you have long vines growing but no leaves it is because the plant is trying to secure itself to something before it puts out leaves. Using a trellis will help the plant grow faster. Hoya's with smaller leaves can get away without needing a trellis. Click here to read my post about trellises. Want more in depth Hoya care information? Click here for Homestead Brooklyn's ultimate Hoya care guide. It is important to keep up with your plants and do preventative care to help prevent pests from taking over. I recommend using systemics which need to be reapplied periodically based on product directions. For my care routine, systemics are my first defense to protect my plants. You can buy systemics in granules as well as liquid form. Granules need watered into your grow medium to be effective.
My next line of defense is neem oil. Neem oil comes in concentrate or premade solution. For neem oil concentrate follow the direction on the bottle. If you plan on using neem oil, make sure to apply it in the evening to avoid foliage burning. If you use concentrate make sure you use warm water and some type of castile or dish soap to act as an emulsifier with the neem oil. I try to treat with neem once a month. Bonide neem oil concentrate: 2 cups warm water 3/4 tsp neem oil concentrate 2-3 drops of free & clear dish soap or castile soap Lastly, I use Physan 20 on a weekly basis typically after watering. This product is used in professional greenhouses to treat fungus, viruses, algae, and is a disinfectant. It can be hard to remember when you used what product and when. I recommend setting reminders in your phone to help keep track of maintenance. I finally decided to fully close my greenhouse tents to keep higher humidity levels for my plants. To mitigate any potential fungal issues, I purchased waterproof fans to promote air circulation. I secured the fans to the wire shelves with zip ties. These run 24/7. I put two fans per each tent. I spaced mine out so one is on the second highest shelf and the other is on the second shelf from the bottom. They do require an adapter cable which can fit both fans per one cord. I have the USB part of the adapter connected to a wall plug which goes into my power strip. I would suggest forgoing the wall plug and power strip and get a smart power strip that can do USB ports and regular outlets all in one. It is important to note with fans constantly running in close proximity to the plants it is a good idea to monitor soil wetness and adjust watering schedule as needed.
Here are some tip and tricks if you find yourself moving with a bunch of plants.
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