Greenhouse
About the first of May Bob finished the new greenhouse. At 1,000 square feet it is not big by Hawaii standards
(some are measured in acres), but it is all ours.
Bob hand dug a trench 500 feet through lava rock from the house to the greenhouse for buried electricity and telephone, since
we couldn't stand the thought of ugly wires running through the lovely jungle. Because we don't have city water anyway,
we just collect the rain from the greenhouse roof and store it in a big tank. With 155 inches of rain per year we are
not likely to run out.
An hour after the inspectors left we were busy with new cuttings. As of early August there are roughly 1,600 new plants
growing like you wouldn't believe. It is an ideal time of year for striking plants since the nighttime temperature
doesn't often fall below 68 degrees and there is no need for all the electric heat mats. Not all of the plants are
ready to sell, but we have put together a complete list of what is either in the
catalog or on the way.
Oh yes, Bob has been allocated 10 feet of bench space for his orchids, and already he is encroaching on my hoya space.
What is "Certification"?
Well, it is a bunch of hoops to jump through and regulations to comply with to be allowed
to send plants directly to the 'forbidden four' states of California, Arizona, Texas and Louisiana. The purpose
is to keep soil nematodes and other creepy crawlies from being spread.
The regulation is really promulgated by the State of California. Since it is stricter that those of any other
state, it is the one that is used. The State of Hawaii actually does the enforcement. Some of the things that
are required are sterile pots and potting media, benches more than 18 inches above the ground, 6 feet of separation between
plants and other vegetation. Each month we have to submit an inventory report and each six months we get a compliance
inspection.
As long as we follow the rules we can 'certify' that our own plants are free of nasties, and we don't have to take
each shipment down to the agricultural inspection station on the way to Federal Express.
Australia Trip
Just counting the days until mid-September I leave for Australia and Liddle's nursery in Mareeba, Queensland.
In case you don't know, David and Iris Marie Liddle have what is arguably the most comprehensive collection and largest
commercial hoya nursery in the world with over 1,500 different species/variety/clones.
This isn't going to be just a buying spree. I am planning to put in some serious time working in the nursery
and learning from David and Iris. David says my main job will be to chase the snakes out of the greenhouses (Ugh!).
Now, I am not going to take orders for Liddle's per se. That is just too much responsibility to handle. However,
if you want something in particular, let me know by email. There are no promises that I will bring it back with me.
It will be just a guide as to what my goodcustomers are looking for. Any cuttings I do bring back will be struck here in the
greenhouse, grown over the winter then sold in the spring as small plants. Pricing will be determined later and
depend not only on the cost at Liddles, but import fees, agent cost, shipping, survival rate, etc. etc. (see why I
don't want to take orders).
If you want to know what Liddle's has for sale, you can check their list here.
New Hoyas
This is my first venture into the scientific world of hoya publishing. Christine Burton has been guiding me through
the process. These seven hoyas will be formally published in the next issue of "Asklepios" If you just can't wait to
see what this is all about, click here for a sneak preview.
