Finally, my Hoya kerrii variegata is showing some signs that it is starting to make some buds! Sometimes it feels like it is just sitting and sulking ..got to remember it likes our intensely hot June temps to trigger it, but still in shade

That's one healthy kerrii. I'm glad its making buds. My veined leaf kerrii is finally producing a new vine. It kept developing leaves that would fall off.

That happens sometimes to my hoyas too Cameron. This kerrii variegata, managed only one new good leaf during spring this year, then just sulked..I think our unusually cool late April and May delayed more of its active growth.

Same with my Hoya carnosa Krimson Queen, it was not doing anything in early Spring. But after our high temps, and I did step up misting and watering, finally the vine is making some new growth. Been sulking for a long time. I have not seen this one bloom yet, hoping this year will be better. It is also in shade, just too hot over here. Our humidity here is really dreary low, so I have to mist these two Hoyas whenever I get the chance.

Only my Hoya shooting star which is being grown indoors and always sitting in water is more active in its blooms, it is making a third flush this June, so suprised with it, usually it stops doing anything in our warmest months and resumes its blooms again in Spring. The only thing I have been doing different this year, is to frequently run the ceiling fan..I guess it wants to feel a good cool down during very hot days.

Donald, I can't even find the lizard but wow, I love that shot! Lizards love the Hoya nectar; these photos are from 2008 and 2009; one was taken when the camera lens fogged up from the humidity, another is really out of focus but you can see the little Anole Lizard drinking the nectar:

Awww..I like those lizard shots!

tarev, I agree, what a nice looking variegated H. kerrii you have! I had a small variegated kerrii once but it didn't survive. I do have the solid green one that I got in a trade in (I think) 2008; it produced one bloom umbel earlier in the month. We've been having dog days of August in May and June here ... temp's have been in the mid and upper 90's with humidity to match. Ugh! My H. kerrii stays on the screened porch on the east side of the house so it gets very bright light with a tiny bit of early morning sun. Hoya kerrii has been a really slow grower for me and does not bloom often but I've always attributed it to the lack of care on my part. Maybe if I fed it once in awhile it would do better.

Thanks Lin! You know, I have been bad in feeding my hoyas too..oops. I am just like treading on thin ice with these two hoyas I have outside, trying to be very careful with watering or misting, since the leaves are succulent, unlike Hoya shooting star, the leaves are not succulent or rigid.

Yeah, the Shooting Star Hoya (Hoya multiflora) and Fish Tail Hoya (Hoya polyneura) are two non-succulent type Hoyas that I've had trouble keeping alive for very long. I do have a Fish Tail hoya that's been on my back porch for about eight months or so ad it needs re-potting so badly that if I don't do it soon it'll be a goner! The Hoyas with thick succulent leaves seem to fare better under my care, .... or rather lack thereof.

I have not repotted my Hoya shooting star since I got it in 2013. I just added an external clay pot just to help in balancing it, but I do have the stem on a short leash to my orchid pole, it is slowly vining. To be honest I do not know yet what I will do when it grows much longer/taller I am not confident getting cuttings yet.

I was letting some cool morning air come in early this morning, 58F temps. Old and new peduncles forming buds.


Right now windows are closed again, all curtains drawn, too hot outside, temps at 91F and very dry outside. Indoors it is 78F, and ceiling fan running to help my Phals, Paphs, and Hoya cool down.

Tarev we have similar low humidity in July and August. So far it's been very hot and humid, Tropical Storm Bill brought a little relief a few days ago.
Lin, that's a cute anole. I used to have several of them at my other house. Sadly I haven't seen any here. The australis you sent me is growing like a weed. It's already outgrown it's trellis lol. My fungii and buotii are growing fast too. I changed the potting media and that seemed to work wonders. I'm also giving them some orchid fertilizer every two weeks.

Cameron, do you apply the orchid fertilizer directly on the root zone only or spraying it on the leaves too?

Very nice Shooting Star Tarev.

Thanks Cameron

I apply it directly to the root zone. Its a urea free fertilizer.

tarev: Your Shooting Star is gorgeous! I think I'd be afraid to cut that beauty too!

Cameron, so glad your H. australis is doing so well! I've never grown fungii or buotii, love the variegated version of Wax Plant (Hoya buotii), the leaves are gorgeous!

We have very high humidity here in Florida almost year round and in the summer it makes it really miserable to be outdoors. It's so danged dry in my city, I sure wish someone could send us some rain! We've had daytime temps in the mid and upper 90's here on the coast and when they factor in the humidity, it makes it feel well over 100 degrees! Our heat index one day this week was 103º!! Thank goodness for Air Conditioning!! We don't usually get temperatures like this until August! There are man-made waterways throughout the neighborhood where I live and it's been so dry that the water level is down at least one and a half feet. There are storms dumping rain all around central Florida this afternoon but unfortunately not here. I live on the east coast side of the state and the sea breezes off the Atlantic Ocean move inland and collide in the middle of the state with the sea breezes coming from the Gulf of Mexico, causing lots of storms and dumping all the rain inland.

I think I remember someone saying they spray the orchid fertilizer on their hoyas but I always mix it up in a 5 gal bucket and pour it through the potting medium. I dunk my mounted orchids but use a pitcher to dip it out of the bucket for other plants like the hoyas.

Lin fungii is a great grower similar to carnosa. The variegated buotii is beautiful! I know buotii is a fast grower once it gets established. It has thin leaves like Iris Marie and I know it needs to be repotted frequently. I'll probably have to repot next year? It's amazing you're dealing with the heat already. We had record rainfall this year so that's keep the temperatures in the mid to low 90s for the most part. We had a few upper 90s last week, but at least it's rained. July and August are typically dry and rain free here, unless we have a tropical system. I really hope you get some relief from the dry conditions.
I may try mixing the orchid fertilizer in a 5 gallon bucket? I only use half strength when I mix it with a gallon of water.

I miss rain

Tarev is your rainy season in Winter?

Yes, in winter. So far, I have been able to leave Hoya carnosa Krimson Queen outdoors, but I pull indoors Hoya kerrii variegata, when temps start dipping below 50F.

Lin, love those Anole photos! There isn't a lizard in my photo. There was a whiptail lizard under it that kept tilting its head up and looking. He might have been watching me, but I'd rather think he'd spotted a bite to eat. It just gave me the idea to get down on that level and look up. My Hoya is really large and has been blooming heavily, so I scooted on the mulch until I was under it and took the photo. The whiptail probably thought I'd gone crazy. I don't see Anoles out here. It may be too dry for them, but I'd think they could manage among my plants. Probably not suitable out in the pasture area. They are plentiful further south and east of my location and there may be some in the towns. I wonder if they have a northern limit where winters are too cold? I get tempted to get another Hoya. The one I have is a very, very tough plant. It is a bit hard to manage because it's so large and heavy. Nearly anytime I mess around with it I manage to get tangled up in it and damage it.