I'd love to order danumensis and cystiantha ( the travel can take 3 weeks to my South American country) do you think that they would arrive alive? What about the vials?
I will answer you after our experiment is done : on the morning of the 18 January we have filled vials with water in gel. The two cuttings of Hoya danumensis et Hoya cystanthia are put in a box, the same day we add a cutting of Hoya praetorii. The cuttings are not rooted.
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14 days have passed when on 31 January ( evening ) we open the box that was staying at room temperature ( 22 - 30 Celsius ); the result is shown below : only Hoya cystanthia lost leaves ( two leaves ).
The leaves of the three Hoya are slightly dehydrated although our environment is humid.
These species are difficult to ship, Hoya praetorii being the most fragile of the three plants.
Some importers would say that wrapping the plants in a plastic bag would have been of benefit : the cuttings would have been less dehydrated. Others would deny it, possibly arguing that shipping plants bare roots with paper only is less risky. Only large scale experiments on these hard to ship species in various situations regarding humidity and temperature could tell which method is best.
--------- On day 14 we are re putting the Hoya cuttings in their box having made no change in the packing : we will see their state at the end of the third week.
---------- On day 20 of the experiment Hoya pratetorii is still green, ( picture to the right ) apparently in good health and with all its leaves but the two others have dried out, leaves still on the stems. It seems that the vial is a good device for praetorii, as compared to other methods such as bare cutting.
---------- On day 31 ( 19 February ) Hoya praetorii is still good for replanting, perfectly green a small root has come in the gel.
These 3 species are among the most fragile Hoya in travel. Most Hoya species can travel 3 weeks in boxes with very good survival rates without vials.
---------- On day 60 ( 18 March ) Hoya praetorii is still alive, we take it out of the box and attach it to a piece of coconut shell on a rubber tree.
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