Garden update
Summer has brought rain, humidity and some toasty days. It is often too hot to stay outside on the porch for more than a quick watering. We welcome any and all rain because it cools everything, even if it’s just for a short time.
Hoya carnosa ‘Chelsea’
Chelsea was my first hoya. I had it for a few years in New England, where it did not put out more than a leaf a year. Coming back to the south has caused this hoya to explode in new growth. Currently, it is potted in the typical coco chunks and granite chips that all my hoyas seem to enjoy. In my experience, Chelsea prefers to dry out completely between waterings but can also sit in a cache pot where the bottom just barely touches water in the reservoir. Clear pots are a must to keep an eye on moisture levels. If overly soggy, this hoya does not hesitate to drop leaves and stop growth – and edema presents as spots on the back of leaves. Only water when most of the humidity in the pot has evaporated – that is very important to keeping Chelsea happy in a typical watering setting.
If you’re using highly airy mixes you have the option to keep your Chelsea slightly moist at all times. I found this by accidentally leaving water in the bottom of Chelsea’s saucer for a few days. Surprisingly, it seemed to like just a teeny bit of water to sit in. Sometimes the saucer dries out, but when watering again, I leave the saucer with water rather than draining it. Chelsea has put out many new vines and leaves on both sides since this accidental discovery.
For lighting, Chelsea likes bright shade, similar to Obovata. When exposed to more light, leaves lose the rich green coloring and start turning yellow-green – which is fine if you enjoy the look. Hoya carnosa ‘Chelsea’ likes to be ignored and forgotten. Leaves snap off easily, as do vines, as I’ve learned the hard way when trying to trellis this hoya. Trellising should be done at young growth points when vines are still malleable and don’t break as easily.
Use a heavy planter or granite chips in the pot to keep a large plant from toppling over. It gets very heavy and falling over means lots of broken leaves!
Hoya macrophylla ‘Albomarginata’
This hoya loves the heat of summer but because the porch is shaded, it doesn’t get to show off beautiful pink margins. We get a few hours of direct sun in winter, and that’s when the color really starts to emerge. Watering is very similar to Chelsea above, however, this particular hoya is not in a clear pot so it gets the finger test. I poke my finger as far down into the pot as possible to check for moist coco. I can usually wiggle my finger at least an inch down the side of the pot. Only water when completely dry and water deeply.
Balcony garden update
The balcony is looking so lush with all the summer growth. We even added a new rug for Tubby. He loves laying on it while watching over the parking lot. We have cucumbers, peppers and basil growing. They get no direct sunlight so they appear a bit leggy. We’ve already had flowers on the peppers, so fingers are crossed! Hopefully the cucumbers will produce both male and female flowers to pollinate, but we’ll see if they can handle the lack of direct sunlight.
