Conquering Root Mealy Bugs and Spring Tour of Hoyas In The Grow Tents

[@KnotDude]

I cannot tell you how happy it made me to hear that this helped solve your pest crisis! I could hear the discouragement in your voice when we recorded that episode and its so good to see a new video from you!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Thank you so much Adam! You, Lydia, and Jessi gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever received. My plants are free of these nasty pests so appreciated!

[@jamiedelgado1484]

This was one of the most enjoyable episodes to listen to. I really enjoy them all, but this was a great. Love you all❤

[@melanieort4853]

How cool! I listened to that podcast (loved it) and ordered purecrop1 that same day. This is a great update to that!!!!! Thanks to you all for sharing your knowledge with us newbies to the Hoya world!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

@@melanieort4853 PureCrop 1 really works; I don't know why, but it does. There are no more insects in any of my root balls including springtails, which it also completely eliminated.

[@user-ek7kd3il5m]

Hi Adam, do you use it in Leca and Pon? And how pleasssssse. Thank you, Maria

[@sheilacasper2030]

Im so glad your pest problem is solved. Poor basieplants is having the same problem.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Thank you Sheila! I watched one of his videos and was sad at what the dish soap he used did to so many of his plant!

[@louhecht5181]

PureCrop 1 has been great treating flat mites, scale, regular mealies, aphids and spider mites. Please mention this in an up coming video. We also spray a solution of 2oz to a gallon of water. We spray 3 consecutive days and monitor for any sightings and re-spray if needed.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Thank you so much for this information Lou! I will be sure to mention it in an upcoming video. It really sounds like PureCrop 1 is the product that everyone in the hobby has been looking for. To have a single product that is certified for organic use that is effective for all most every pest that a Hoya grower would face almost sounds too good to be true. Thanks again!

[@mwoods4608]

does it help with trips too?

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Although I have not had a thrip problem to my knowledge, I believe that the spraying regiment mentioned above would also work eliminating thrips.

[@kristilarson6120]

I was ready to throw in the towel too! I just ordered it and hope this is the answer to my prayer. Not only are they in my Hoya's they've spread to other plants in my collection as well. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're welcome! This product will work wonders if used consistently, but you have to keep it up. I think that it also has other magical properties as well; the growth, vigor, and overall health of my plants seemed to skyrocket after I started using it. Good luck with your treatments, and report back in a few months to let me know your results.

[@jeannielee511]

Thank you for sharing this much needed information with the hoya community. It gives me more joy in growing my collection of hoyas. I’ve loved all of your videos! And thank you for the tip on Let’s Talk Hoyas. I’m listening to it every time I’m driving my car and learning so much. I look forward to seeing more videos from you as you continue to share your wisdom on all things hoyas!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

I really appreciate your kind words and nice comment Jeannie. All my best to you, and the happiest of growing in 2024 and beyond!

[@jeannielee511]

Thank you Doug for your kind reply. I have sulphur on some of my hoyas. Do you know if I need to remove the sulphur if I also use Pure Crop 1 as a foliar spray?@@DougChamberlainVTHoyas

[@jeannielee511]

Are you still using sulphur to treat flat mites or use as preventative as well as use Pure Crop 1? I wasn't sure if Pure Crop 1 takes care of flat mites.@@DougChamberlainVTHoyas

[@lyndaforbes6311]

God bless you Doug! This pest has had me so discouraged!! So happy to see you back!!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

So nice to hear from you Lynda! It truly is a terrible pest, and one that can easily force someone to give up on the hobby altogether.

[@tachytelicllc5970]

I was just looking into products to use about 3 days ago. Thanks for the upload!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're welcome; PureCrop 1 really worked for me.

[@jessicapetrin1655]

Hello from Massachusetts. Thank you so much for sharing this!!!! I wish you would post more… you would have a huge following. 😊

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Thank you so much for the kind words Jessica!

[@v.9432]

Doug, I cannot thank you enough for sharing this product with us. You are a lifesaver! I have been battling root mealies in my collection for years now, and nothing has truly worked. It's nearly driven me to the point of madness. I've tried everything from chop and propping my entire collection three times, systemic granules, soap and neem soaks, and the hot water treatment that was all the rage recently. I've lost so many plants along the way. I was almost to the point where I was either going to quit hoyas entirely or put my remaining hoyas in a closed tent or cabinet and nuke them with Bonide or Bayer Tree & Shrub, as I'd never use those products around my kids and cats. This product truly sounds like a miracle! I'm ordering right away. Wishing you all the best! PS: Your plants have never looked better! 😍

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

V., you will love this product, and if you stick with it, you won't be able to find a root mealie in a couple of months. It works where nothing else did for me. Your experience with root mealies mirrors a friend of mine in VT, who finally gave up and left the hobby. Systemics like Bayer Tree & Shrub knock the pest back, but does not seem to eliminate them. Believe me that I tried them all, and PureCrop 1 is the only thing that really worked. It worked so well that I'm no longer afraid of root mealies as I know that I can eliminate them in a short while with this product. Good luck, you will notice after using it for a while that your plants will have a new vigor! All the best, Doug

[@kristilarson6120]

Same- truthfully the same. I'm hoping it works.

[@garretthall9508]

I wish I could get cuttings from your collection! Such beauty!!! Thanks for the video!!!!! Thanks for putting out content!!!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're ver welcome Garrett, thanks for watching!

[@riawhetstone3725]

So nice to see you posting a new video😊! I LOL-ed a lot during your interview with Let’s Talk Hoya. *knock wood* I don’t have any root mealies as of yet, but the scale sure are persistent 😣 I guess root mealies are the flat mites of 2024 😅 So glad you haven’t left the hobby! That would be a loss in the hoya community 🤗

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

So nice to connect with you again Ria! I'm glad that you had a chance to listen to the Let's Talk Hoya episode with me on it. It was so long since I recorded it that I had forgotten what I had said, but after listening to it a few days ago, I was quite pleased that it captured the true me pretty well. Fingers crossed that you don't ever get root mealies and that I don't get scale! All my best😊

[@riawhetstone3725]

@@DougChamberlainVTHoyas 🥰 yes! I believe you came across as down to earth & wholesome as they come 😁 Normally my son doesn’t let me listen to podcasts, but that morning he happened to be at his grandparents house so I got to listen to it in one go while taking care of my plants. It was truly a great morning 😆 Now I’m tempted to try Pure Crop 1, even though I don’t have root mealies 🤭 May 2024’s growing season be good to you!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

@@riawhetstone3725 It is a great product, and someone named Lou left a comment here saying that it also kills regular mealie bugs, aphids, mites, and scale when thoroughly sprayed on the plants, 3 days in a row at 2 oz per gallon of water. It sounds like a one stop shop for Hoya pest control. I wish the best for you and your family, and a wonderful 2024 growing season as well!

[@abrachupacabra]

Thanks Doug for showing your beauties ! always a pleasure to see the update 😊👍🏼

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're very welcome and thanks for taking the time to watch!

[@br0mbie]

I have a mealy problem at the moment that normal pest oil won’t solve. Just bought some of this online. Thank you!!!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're very welcome! This stuff really works as long as you use it faithfully.

[@br0mbie]

@@DougChamberlainVTHoyasI bought a 1L (I’m in Australia) and it was $145AUD (about $90usd) so expensive but if it works it’ll be so worth it!!! It arrived today so when the sun goes down I’ll give it a go, This may be a silly question but do I have to use a fresh batch of the formula for each plant or could I get away with dipping multiple plants in one bucket of formula? The mealy/aphids are all through my collection but I don’t want to spread it even more I guess Thanks in advance if you reply P.s. love your VermontHoyas blog, I spend a crazy amount of time on it.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

@@br0mbie The stuff is very expensive for me too, but no where near what you are paying. I don't really waste a drop of the stuff and use it as a drench until every drop is used up. I worried about spreading pests as well from plant to plant, but it never seemed to happen. I have a good friend in the UK who can't get PureCrop 1 either, unless she jumps through numerous hoops and pays even more than you paid. She recently told me that she is getting really good control using Potassium Soap; she said that after a few uses the root mealies seem to dry up and disappear. She said that it is easily attainable and a fraction of the price of PureCrop. Just thought I would pass that on to you in case you wanted to try something a little more affordable. Good luck!

[@toniballesteros838]

I so enjoy your content, both on your blog and here on KZbin. I look forward to hearing your interview on Let’s Talk Hoya. I am currently listening through each episode in order. I have a few more to get through to listen to yours, but moving right along!! I’ve learned a lot from you. Growing in 9B down here in central FL. I am also a fan of PureCrop1 🙌

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Hi Toni, I appreciate the nice comment! It is also nice to talk to someone else having good results with PureCrop1🙌I wish you the best of luck in your Hoya journey!

[@angelfishe6954]

TYVM for coming back with this!! I just bought a gallon. Cant wait to see how things turn out. I've lost half of my collection in the battle.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Like the hosts from Let's Talk Hoya told me, it won't be instantaneous, but if you stick with it, this product will eventually completely rid your collection of one of the worst pests to come along in a long time.

[@bedulee]

What a gorgeous collection! Thanks for showing us!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're welcome, and thanks for watching!

[@eunicehernandez3586]

Anyone know if this can be done on hoyas growing in pon with self watering pots?

[@louhecht5181]

We have used it on Hoyas as a spray. If you have active pests, spray 3 days in a row. Then check in about 10 days for any recent hatched pests. 2 oz. Per gallon for spraying.

[@lindaduvernay5775]

Oh no, I am waiting on delivery and I was going to submerge all of my Hoya pots that are growing in Pon. Is this not recommended? 😢 Spraying would not address root mealies, would it?

[@lindaduvernay5775]

Oh no, I am waiting on delivery and I was going to submerge all of my Hoya pots that are growing in Pon. Is this not recommended? 😢 Spraying would not address root mealies, would it?

[@eunicehernandez3586]

@@louhecht5181I do have root mealies 😢

[@louhecht5181]

Linda I don’t have experience with root mealies but Doug has with this video. You may reach out to PureCrop-1 and ask their advice. They are a smart and friendly bunch.

[@MyBookishEmpire]

Doug, this is an incredible video! Glad this is working against your fight of root mealies! Those pests can drive a collector mad! I cannot imagine trying to get rid of them! I may look into Pure Crop one just so I have it on hand when something goes wrong. Your collection looks incredible right now! So many plants looking like the epitome of health and I bet the tents smell amazing with those blooms -Cheers, Wil

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Thanks so much for the nice comment; it means a lot knowing how busy you are! PureCrop 1 is definitely worth having on hand. It has a five year shelf life, and I swear that it really does act as a bio stimulant. Many blooms upstairs and downstairs at the moment with many different fragrances. Keep up the great growing!

[@sugarhillproduce4965]

Thanks, Doug, for sharing! I recently discovered root mealies in my collection and was worried I'd need something super toxic to address the problem. I'm glad there's something OMRI approved that has worked for you. I just ordered some. Your site has helped me so much these past couple years as I've been getting into collecting hoyas. I don't know what it is about them, but I really enjoy them.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

I'm so happy that you have found joy in Hoyas and found this video before ordering something really toxic to address these really nasty root mealies. I am certain that it will do the trick and solve your pest problem. Thank you for taking the time to leave the nice comment and good luck to you!

[@kristiemowry3267]

Happy to see another video from you. An important one also.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Thank you Kristie!

[@DuneGlam]

Your hoyas are gorgeous!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Thank you so much Dune!

[@emmmiiiii]

I wish this product was available in Europe! It only seems to be in the US and Australia. Root mealies are incredibly annoying. For now I'm just fighting them with hydrogen peroxide but you have to be so meticulously clean in your growing operation to eliminate those root mealies, it's nerve wracking. Anyways trying to not get discouraged over here! Thanks for the great video Doug 👏🏻

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You are welcome Emily! I really wish it was available in Europe as well. I searched for it for a friend in the UK with no luck either. Fingers crossed that it will be soon!

[@beautifulcatsbyjoe]

Thank you Doug. You are so inspiring to me . The best 👌

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You are very welcome Joe! Thank you for the kind words. Have a great day!

[@OpheliaLi]

Thank you so much for the info! It’s been hanging over my head for a few months because I suspect quite a few of my hoyas might have root mealies and the ones that had them may not have fully recovered. Ordered half gallon right away and can’t wait to treat them all for sanity’s sake.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

I can almost guarantee that you will be very pleased with the results Ophelia if you use it consistently.

[@Samwithatan]

I had heard you tall about the root mealy problem on the podcast and was looking foward to the update. Look like i have to be more.consistent with using pure crop!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Yes, the problem was pretty severe and discouraging - I have been very consistent using it with every watering. I'm almost afraid to stop using it at this point.

[@ratgirl44]

Thanks for the update! After listening to the podcast episode, I was wondering if you gave it a try

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're welcome, I ordered the product less than a week after that late November interview, and I am so glad that I did!

[@olesyamarkelov8122]

Thank you. ❤ Miss you and your videos.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're welcome and thanks for the kind words!

[@DougguoD]

Huh, I remember you mentioning using systemics when I'd noted the yummy nectar of some Hoyas, and I'd thought of mealies 'cause experience - so a bit surprised to hear your trials with mealy bugs are recent. You've been lucky up 'till then, anyway. I haven't had mealies for decades but I do certainly remember how hard they were to get rid of. Tried several folklore type cures with very little in the way of positive results and finally resorted to a systemic insecticide, which was hard on some plants (cactus) but worked well on the bugs. I see it is still available, too 👀 I'm unfamiliar with this product you're noting here, PureCrop1, but glad to see there is *something* available that works! Mealies are a real dread. I'm seeing a lot of red centipedes around my growing room, which are common around here, but not indoors away from outdoors. I've read they're carnivorous - I've NO idea what they're eating amongst my plants as I'm not seeing any bugs other than the usual fungus gnats and I doubt they catch those... 🤷🏽‍♂

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

The regular mealies that we all know seem to be quite easily killed with systemics, but oddly they did not do the trick for me on these root mealies. Both times I used them, the pest was back in short order. I suppose it is possible that they have developed some resistance to it now. I also feel much better about using a product now that is certified organic. Maybe those red centipedes have eaten most of your pests!

[@DougguoD]

@@DougChamberlainVTHoyas Your reference to root mealies got me looking for how many kinds of mealies are there anyway - "There are about 275 species of mealybugs known to occur in the continental United States" Yikes! And yes, the ones I'm familiar with are root mealies, pink under their mealy white coating. Interestingly I found rubbing alcohol would easily kill adults but had little to no effect on the juniors 🤷🏽‍♂ one of the several non viable "cures" I tried. I was surprised to see the systemic insecticide I used is still widely available, systemic meaning easily absorbed which means be cautious using it! Glad to see there's something less noxious available for these nasty critters.

[@YellowPineappleHoyas]

But how do I use in self watering with pon and for pots I can’t remove from the greenhouse?!

[@littleauntjomama]

I'm definitely going to get some of that. My hoyas have been failing for about 3 years now. Roots look terrible. Although I haven't seen root mealies, I suspect they are there. Just lost a really nice Flagellata that used to flower all the time. I took cuttings, they would root, I'd pot it up, and fail again. Plan to repot everything in the next few weeks and see what's going on.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

PureCrop 1 has literally done wonders for my roots. I was just marveling this morning one how good they look now; it is like a miracle actually. I suffered with root issues just like you are for a very long time as well. PureCrop took care of the problem, and I really am not trying to sell it, and make nothing off from it, but it really works.

[@plantsinplantation6536]

I posted a video on my IG that I lost half of my extensive Hoya collection to what I can only deduce is root mealies. My friend offered me some Pure Crop to try today and I did the root soak. Should I redo weekly in the beginning? I’m so devastated that I couldn’t solve this problem for months no matter what I did!!

[@AmberLovesPlants]

Wow!! Everything looks great!!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Thank you Amber!

[@Emily-lz3is]

hi Doug, wondering if you ended up keeping up with the regular drenches, and how everything is looking after the initial round of treatments? Thanks for sharing your experiences in this video!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Hi Emily, I used the drenches every time I watered for about 3 months , stopped for about 2 months and had root mealies come back badly in two plants. I went back to using it, and I probably will use it continuously because I really don't ever want to see another root mealie as long as I keep plants. I should say that once a month I flush with plain water now so I use PureCrop three times a month and just water once a month. It is expensive, and it is a little bit of a pain, but by using the product all the time, I get the healthiest roots.

[@Emily-lz3is]

@@DougChamberlainVTHoyas thanks so much for your reply, Doug!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

@@Emily-lz3is You're welcome Emily, good luck with any pest issue you might have!

[@judymckerrow6720]

You have a WONDERFUL collection ! 🪻💚🙃

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Thank you Judy!

[@maryhammond2334]

Thank you for another great video. You plants look amazing! I love Pure Crop.. it gave some to a friend last year and it took care of her root mealies also. I really like your clear orchid pots.. could you share the link? Also.. I've found Pure Crop used as a spray works for flat mites also

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Hi Mary, Really nice to hear from you! PureCrop is definitely a pest control miracle. I just bought another gallon which should take me through the winter and get me well into next year. Here are a couple links to the clear orchid pots that I use on almost everything: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BGW9CGK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1; www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DXN5PHM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1; www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B58Y4Q13/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

[@peggyp3682]

Thanks, Doug. Very helpful.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're welcome Peggy; thanks for watching!

[@lyndaforbes6311]

Doug would you mind telling us how often you used it when you began your initial treatments? I’m all in and would like to follow your procedure! Thank you!!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Hi Lynda! I made Purecrop 1 a part of my watering routine and used it weekly for 3 months. I wanted to make sure that I killed everyone of those little buggers. I've finally stopped adding it, but I almost feel that I should keep it up. The product worked so well that I may just start it up again in the fall as a preventative. Good luck with your treatments, and I'm sure you don't have to use it nearly as long as I did to get the same results; I go overboard many times!

[@lmanchego4717]

Thank you! Do use reuse the product in the soak dishes i.e. pull one plant out then place another plant in to soak?

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Yes, everything shares the same water. This practice also probably helped the root mealie spread so widely in my collection, but in order to properly water coco husk, it needs a quick soak, or the water runs right through it. Also, it makes the product go much further when everything gets dipped in the same water.

[@sltal53]

@@DougChamberlainVTHoyas❤

[@sltal53]

Thank you for this information. I bought some from Amazon. Does it also control mealies on the leaves with the root soaks or do you need to also spray the leaves weird the product? Do you use with every watering? Do you mix in nutrients?

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

@@sltal53 I mix it with nutrients every time I water. It will control aphids and mites on the leaves, but I am unsure if it will kill the mealies that feed above ground, but it very well may with regular spraying. It is not a systemic so to kill pests on leaves, it will have to be consistently sprayed on stems and leaves at 2 oz/gallon of water.

[@leafykkbean]

I’m so glad I was able to find your video through Reddit. I just found my first root mealies in some new hoyas I got. Ordered purecrop1 immediately once I found out that’s the way to go. If the Hoyas that were infested (luckily I did find it very early on) were in cabinets with other plants should I water all of them with a purecrop solution? I would hate everything to be infested. I took out the Hoyas that had them once I knew. Thanks for all of the great information, I’ve read through the comments to answer some more of my own questions.

[@leafykkbean]

Except I have another question lol - I made 1gal and used that to soak all of my hoyas in, from what I understand I can reuse that solution for a couple days? And in the meantime I took them out of their substrate and chucked it, so is having them sitting in plain water for a few days okay?

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

These root mealies are really tenacious and spread very quickly. You have to assume that all of your Hoyas in that cabinet have them and treat everything. I want to make sure that you know that PureCrop 1 is not a one and done treatment and has to be kept up with every watering for quite a while. I'll give you an update to this video with my comment here. I used PureCrop every time I watered for three months until I was fully confident that all the mealies were vanquished. I stopped using it for two months and then found two large plants (H. leucantha and H. blashernaezii) full of them again. This happened about 8 weeks ago, and I immediately went back to the treatment with every watering, and they appear to be gone once again. Going forward I plan to keep using the product every time I water and flush the pots once a month. I just bought another gallon which should get me through the winter and into next summer.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

@@leafykkbean I don't know what substrate you use; I use coconut husk chips, which works really well for me. With my setup, I just soak the entire pot once every week for most plants to rehydrate the chips. There was really no need to chuck the substrate. If you use something like Pon, or leca, I can't really speak to it as I have had terrible experiences using these long term on any Hoya that I have tried it with. Other people seem to love these substrates. PureCrop 1 as you know is extremely expensive, so you can definitely reuse your solution. I go from plant to plant and really make an effort to waste as little as possible. If the solution gets full of debris, I pour it through a paint filter and pretty much use it until it is gone. The best of luck to you, and don't get discouraged. PureCrop 1 has contributed I think to the healthiest looking Hoyas that I have had in a decade.

[@leafykkbean]

@@DougChamberlainVTHoyas yes I understand it should be used continually or at least for a good period of time. I’m just unsure if everything else is infected or not in my cabinet because I did catch it very early on. Plus there are many non hoyas in that cabinet as well.

[@leafykkbean]

@@DougChamberlainVTHoyas I had some in straight up coco coir, which is where it stemmed from. Paint filter makes complete sense to strain out any pieces. Thank you!

[@YellowPineappleHoyas]

Dealing with them now and got some advice from Facebook about using in self watering

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Good luck!!!

[@hoedown175]

Thank you so much for sharing!!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're very welcome!

[@minniexx7394]

Thank you so much for sharing the results! I can’t wait to give it a try as a preventative. What substrate do you grow your Hoyas in?

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Over 90% of my Hoyas are grown mostly in coconut husk chips. I've literally tried everything else, and this is what works best for my conditions.

[@kathyjenkins4067]

Would this work for scale mites? Thank you Doug!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Hi Kathy, I don't believe that it would work for scale mites as they are pretty safe in their waxy hard shells. You would be better off to try to smother them with a horticultural oil spray like this product: www.amazon.com/s?k=monterey+horticultural+oil&adgrpid=1333708175179219&hvadid=83357083741395&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=43946&hvlocphy=67171&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83357118040672%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=22316_13367108&msclkid=16a58fbd959c14b1ac5ce90fb2ce8e6a&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_4p8fy2tqvt_e You may have to resort to a systemic insecticide if they are widespread.

[@plantyhappyandneedcoffee]

When you started your treatment did you do soak weekly or just water with the solution weekly? Also, when using as root soak do you reuse the solution or dump it after every plant?

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

I use coconut husk chips as my substrate in 90% of my plants, and the only way to rewet the stuff is to soak the entire pot. The 10% of my plants that are in a peat-based substrate just get watered normally with the PureCrop solution as soaking the pot might cause root rot. I reuse the solution sometimes filtering it through a paint filter to clean it up. It is far too expensive to throw out. Here is a link to the paint filters: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09XPXD2QK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

[@plantyhappyandneedcoffee]

@DougChamberlainVTHoyas great! Thank you so much! I was thinking about reusing it too...

[@planttherapy1860]

Thanks for sharing!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're welcome and thanks for watching!

[@planttherapy1860]

@DougChamberlainVTHoyas I ordered a small bottle since my collection is nowhere near yours! I miss your videos. I am going to find that podcast to listen to as well! I am so appreciative of you!

[@1101naomi]

Thanks for sharing this product. Does it happen to kill off other pests as well?

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

It is supposed to be very effective against different types of mites, aphids and other critters when used as a spray. As a matter of fact that is how most people use it.

[@Cgirlonmoon1]

I knew I bought this purecrop1 for a reason! Just recently found root mealies in a variegated wayetii that’s been struggling. it’s fairly new to me still but the leaves were starting to close up on it and it’s in a mostly soil mixture. I want to do the root drench. Is there anything you recommend I do to the roots when I pull it out of this and transfer into something more chunky? Thank you so much for sharing your method with us!!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

If it were my plant, I would hose off as much of the old mix as possible, and then soak the root ball in the Purecrop solution, then repot in a very loose mix. Then every time it needs watering for the next couple months drench the root ball if possible with the Purecrop solution. That should do the trick and you should be root mealie free. Good luck 🍀

[@Cgirlonmoon1]

@@DougChamberlainVTHoyas thanks so much! I’ll be treating asap!! It seems the dosage is different for a drench or watering vs spray? Is that cause the roots are more fragile?

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

You're very welcome. I have no idea why the root drench uses a lesser dose than when spraying. All I know is that I'm glad that drenching does use slightly less PureCrop 1 as this stuff is pretty pricey and the less used, the better.

[@williamharberts5514]

A quick heads up for you and your other readers. The two commonly available systemic insecticides (acephate, aka Orthene, and imidacloprid from Bayer) will work well on root mealies if used correctly. Orthene especially is quite inexpensive and works well if used correctly so if Pure Crop is outside of someone's budget this is something to consider. Spray once and done will work quite well against most scales and aphids but not against mealy bugs. The problem is this: when female mealy bugs go into a reproductive phase they stop feeding. Whenever you spray there will be some females who are not feeding so they don't pick up the poison from the plant. You knock out most of the mealys, the plants look clean, but a few reproductive females escape and their eggs and offspring will start to build up again. To use either of the systemic insecticides available to retail buyers against mealy bugs you need to spray twice between 10 and 14 days apart depending on temperature. At warmer temperatures respray in about 10 days. At cooler temperatures respray at about 14 days. That way you will pick up the reproductively active females you missed with the first spray because they were not feeding. Also keep in mind that you never put a systemic on a plant in or almost in bloom. The insecticide will make the nectar poison as well as the sap in the plant the mealy bugs or scales are sucking and that is why you get in trouble with pollinators if you misuse imidacloprid or Orthene by spraying at the wrong time. Used a couple of weeks before flowers open, they cause no problems. Use a systemic near or during bloom and it will decimate your pollinators.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Very good information William! I remember years ago when everyone was still saying that imidacloprid was not harmful to pollinators, I posted on a Hoya forum that my experience was that it was very harmful, and people did not believe me. I used a BATS soak and the next day the floor of my greenhouse was littered with the dead bodies of wasps that had been feeding on the nectar on the Hoyas inside. Once again thanks for posting this information!

[@GaryShangraw]

Hi Doug ... Gary from Barre here. Miss our chats. Can you provide the name of the Hoya on the table, right hand side? It sounded like Hoya Coppula? Thanks

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Hi Gary, hope all is well. The name of that plant you are asking about is Hoya cupula.

[@4sweetstar]

How often do you use this product to soak your plants? Thank you

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

I have used it every time I watered for two months at 7 1/2 teaspoons/gallon of water and about a month ago, I halved that amount and am still using it with every watering. I guess that I will eventually stop, but when everything is doing so well, it is hard to quit it altogether.

[@elizabethcarlson3634]

Hey Doug, can you just water the hoya with Pure Crop 1 or do you have to soak? I have half my hoya in pon and half chunky soil mix. Thanks for sharing. Liz

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

That is a good question Elizabeth; 90% of my Hoyas are in coconut husk chips, which are easy to soak. The remainder of my plants are in a much heavier chunky mix that has degraded over time. Those in the heavier mix were just watered as I would be afraid that soaking them would get the mix too wet. I would mix the PureCrop into your water and just use it as you normally would.

[@elizabethcarlson3634]

@@DougChamberlainVTHoyas thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Happy spring

[@eziliana]

I’m sold! Ordering this today! My entire collection is in pon or leca in self watering pots with a wick. I’m thinking maybe I should do one soak and then use it in the nutrient water and water as normal. Thoughts about this? Thoughts about mixing it with my normal fertilizers?

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

I think that it would work perfectly using the method that you describe, and I've mixed it with all my normal fertilizers since I started using it. Also, the hosts of Let's Talk Hoya that told me about the product mostly grow in pon and leca. It should work well for you.

[@lindaduvernay5775]

I am currently waiting on my order, all my Hoyas are in Pon/Leca so I will be using this method🤞Need some advice, do you feel the solution should be changed after submerging each Hoya pot? Or, can I reuse the solution for a few pots? Thank you for your video Doug!🪴🌼

[@eziliana]

@@lindaduvernay5775I have the same question! I’m planning to fill the cache pot and let it soak for a while. It would be nice just to dump out the solution down to the regular water line and let the plant use the rest but I’m wondering if I should refill with fresh solution. I think I would if I saw any root mealies in the water just because it’s gross but I’m projecting it’ll take 15+ gallons of water if I use fresh solution to refill the cache pot for my entire collection. I mean, I’ll do it if I need to, but I’d prefer not to.

[@eziliana]

@@lindaduvernay5775I’m definitely not going to soak in the same solution! Eww.

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

@@lindaduvernay5775 This stuff is way too expensive to throw the solution out. I use my solution over and over, from pot to pot until it is exhausted and then make up more. You can see the result in my collection, that it caused no harm for me to use it that way. Good luck Linda! You will be amazed at the results if you use it consistently.

[@r3i2x]

I really hope that someone would teach you how to monetize ur content. ❤

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

I don't get enough views where that little bit of money would make much difference, and nothing makes me madder than when I go to a website and get blasted with so many ads that it becomes unusable.

[@The_Black_Truth]

H💚YAS!!! I HAVE A : Hoya cf. Palawanica IML 1605 ARRIVING T💚DAY!!!

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Nice!!!

[@georgek6118]

💚💚💚

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

💜💜💜

[@judymckerrow6720]

Knot Dude ? 🪻💚🙃

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

Yes, Knot Dude is one of the hosts of Let's Talk Hoya that told me about PureCrop 1! He is a really nice guy!

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thank you Doug. Sounds like a great product. I’m going to try some. 🪻💚🙃

[@DougChamberlainVTHoyas]

It definitely works and is actually certified for organic use.