Hoya bella cuttings with some yellow leaves

[Colm Osiris]

i have four cuttings from my late mother's Hoya bella. they all seem to be doing really well, and there are several flowers and flower buds as well as leaf buds. they make me happy. but there are a few yellow leaves, and i'm not sure if this is a problem, as there is plenty of healthy growth further up the stem, or on other stems.

i'm hoping this was just from a short period where they needed more water than they were getting, and now they're okay. they're on a SW-facing window sill. the temperature is currently 23℃. i'm keeping the soil pretty moist, but not wet. i've only fed them once so far this year, as they seem to be doing so well. would you advise me to feed them (with BabyBio, unless something else is better) more frequently?

at some point they will need to be moved, as they're above the radiator, which i will be using at some point. i'm hoping to get permission to put up hanging baskets for them, this is a housing association property. this will give me a lot more flexibility.

 

[Anniekay]

That's usually from overwatering and/ or poor drainage. It can also be caused by inconsistent watering.

 

[Colm Osiris]

That's usually from overwatering and/ or poor drainage. It can also be caused by inconsistent watering.

thank you very much. ah, that's a surprise. usually i'm inclined to underwater if anything. but that's encouraging, as it means i'm getting it right now.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

You need permission to hang a basket indoors? They don't have to be in a window, they will do quite well in indirect light so long as it is reasonably bright. I try to go for good quality compost with a bit of extra manure rather than using artificial fertiliser, it lasts longer and you seem to get an all round 'solider', more healthy, plant.

 

[Colm Osiris]

You need permission to hang a basket indoors? They don't have to be in a window, they will do quite well in indirect light so long as it is reasonably bright. I try to go for good quality compost with a bit of extra manure rather than using artificial fertiliser, it lasts longer and you seem to get an all round 'solider', more healthy, plant.

thanks, and sorry for the delay.

yes, only because i don't know where the rafters are, or even the the structure of the ceiling, so it's better to ask. better safe than sorry.

hmm, there are some horses in a field nearby. i could ask the farmer. but the plants are still growing like mad, and two of them are in flower, one has six flowers i can see, and possibly more, so i won't be thinking of repotting them yet. but when is the best time?

and a question i've often pondered, should i water them from the top or the bottom?

i've got a moisture meter, and it seems to vary in the same pot, i suppose because the level isn't consistent throughout the pot, so i'm taking two readings from each pot, from different sides. is that overkill?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

The manure needs to be rotted, most plants wouldn't like it fresh, but if he has a manure heap he would probably be quite happy to let you have the little bit you need. Most hanging baskets would need to be watered from the top as there is usually something waterproof in the bottom to stop them dripping, though I know you are not actually there yet. Sorry, I can't help you on the moisture meter, I rely on scuffing up a bit of soil and feeling it with my finger, on the other hand overkill isn't going to hurt them at all. I understand about the ceiling now, I have found rafters with something small and sharp, like a school compass, poking a row of holes through the plaster until I find a place it doesn't go through, if there are boards on the floor the rafters will run in the opposite direction. It's easy to fill the holes with a bit of filler, and your thumb and a lick of paint is inconspicuous on the ceiling.