Are you a beginner and searching for a gorgeous plant that blooms?
Do you like to have a plant whose blooms spread a sweet smell?
Then your wait is over! Here is the best result for your searches!
In this article, I’ll share my own experience of growing a beautiful flowering indoor low-care plant. When I went to my friend’s home on an occasion, I got to see the gorgeous Hoya plant and left my heart with it. Somehow I managed to welcome a new hoya plant to my home, but the story started there.
Being a new gardener, I don’t know how to provide enough care for it. In addition to that, I am too lazy to care for myself, and providing proper care for my Hoya caused a lot of stress. It was then I started searching for the care guides of the plant. The knowledge gained from the different care guides of the Hoya plants and my own experience with it made me an expert in growing Hoyas. Now, there are more than five species of the Hoya plants in my home garden.
So, here in this article, I will tell you about all of my secret care guides for Hoya plants, so that you can have healthy and strong plants at home. Let’s begin but firstly, let us know more about these plants!
Some unknown facts about Hoya plants!
The Hoya plants are attractive plants that grab our attention just at a glance with their eye-catchy drop-shaped (mostly) dark to bright green colored foliage. The waxy leaves of this plant are super soft to the touch. The flowers of these plants have a furry look and give a sweet smell. These blooms are often misunderstood as artificial flowers and thus these plants are called Wax plants, wax flowers, and porcelain flowers.
Hoya plants have vining tendencies, they climb up the support you give them. You can also hang these beautiful plants on the ceiling. It is the best choice if you are planning to decorate your home with an indoor plant. These pretty-looking plants belong to the Apocynaceae family and contain 500 and above species. There are 100 to 200 flowering species of the Hoya genus which spread a nice fragrance. These plants are used in traditional medicine. This plant grows rapidly during the early spring to late summer. The plant goes dormant in the winter season.
Let me first tell you about the plant’s height, width, foliage, flowering, and toxicity before introducing its care guide!
1. Height and width of the Hoya plants: These plants can achieve a height of up to 20 to 30 feet when grown in the wild. The indoor Hoya plants can hardly have 5 to 6 feet in height.
2. Foliage and flowering of the Hoya plants: The shape and color of the foliage and the flowers of these Hoya plants differ from species to species.
3. Toxicity of the Hoya plants: The Hoya plants do not have any toxic characteristics. It neither harms human beings nor animals. But it should not be consumed as it is not for ingestion. It is better to wear gardening gloves while pruning the plant. Because the plant’s sap might cause skin irritation to the allergic bodies.
How can you propagate the Hoya plants?
These easy-maintained plants can be easily propagated through many methods like propagation as seeds, leaf-cuttings, stem-cuttings, layering, and air layering.
But, I suggest that the propagation through the cuttings is best as they are not too time taking as seed propagation and do not need much attention as in the layering and air layer processes. Moreover, the success rate is also high. Even beginners can propagate their Hoya plants easily through this method.
1. Propagation of Hoya plants through leaf-cuttings!
You can take leaf cuttings to propagate these plants. Cut the leaf at the junction of the leaf and plant. Collect at least 4-5 leaf cuts for successful propagation. Then follow the below steps to proceed with the propagation:
- Let the cuttings recover their wounds. It might take a day.
- Rinse them to remove the dust particles.
- Now apply rooting hormone at the cut, to boost the root growth. You can skip this step if you do not have a rooting hormone.
- Take a small pot and fill it with nutrient-rich soil. Dampen it before you place the leaf cuts.
- Place the leaf cuts in the soil and place them in a well-lit spot.
- Maintain the moisture in the pot to observe the root growth in 2-3 weeks.
- You can transfer the newly propagated plant if it starts to grow.
2. Propagation of Hoya plants through the stem cuttings!
Stem cuts are often used in the propagation of the Hoya plants. All you need is mature, bottom stems of the hoya plant, which has at least 10 inches in height. Deadhead the bottom part of the stem by leaving 4-5 leaves on the top. To start the process:
- Keep the cutting side untouched for a few days to let the wound dry.
- Dip the bottom of the stem in the rooting hormone to fasten the root growth. However, the stems of these plants can root without the rooting hormone.
- Fill a pot with suitable soil and water it before you proceed to the further steps of propagation.
- Plant the cuttings in the soil and maintain the moisture in the pot.
- Provide enough care for it.
- It takes 2 to 3 weeks to produce roots.
- The new plants start growing in 1-2 months after producing the roots.
- Then you can separate the successfully propagated plants by transferring them to different pots.
How can you care for the Hoya plant?
It is an easy task to care for your Hoya plant if you understand its care needs. Follow my guide which I have given below to get a healthy hoya plant. I’ll now discuss the requirements one by one!
1. How much sunlight does a Hoya need?
The Hoya plants differ from the succulents because of their sunlight requirements. The Hoya plants can’t tolerate direct or more sunlight as their foliage of them is too sensitive and can burn in the direct hot sun. But they love being in bright indirect sunlight for more than 6 hours daily. They thrive and produce more blooms in the bright light.
So, it is better to place the plant near the South-facing window, as it sources bright sunlight at home. You can place these plants outdoors in a shade. Remember, both overexposure to the Sun and the low light conditions make the plant unhappy. Make sure that the plant should not receive intense sun rays during the afternoons of the summer directly or by traveling through the window glass. Thus you can provide enough light for your plant.
2. How often should you water your Hoya plants?
Having succulent-like roots and leaves, these Hoya plants do not need much or frequent water to thrive. It is better not to follow a schedule for watering these plants, as their water requirements change with the weather. Check the soil’s wetness before you water the plant.
If the soil is dry about 2 inches deeper, then water your plant. Otherwise, wait for the soil to dry. Water the plant slowly and let the roots and the soil absorb enough water. Stop watering the plant, if you observe excess water coming out of the drainage holes.
3. Best suitable soil mix for your Hoya plants!
As the Hoya plants have a sensitive root system, it wants a light and well-draining soil mix to get planted. Heavy soils or compact soils hold water for a long time, which the roots of the plant do not like. So, buy the best quality well-draining soil mix for your plant. You can also use the below technique of making normal soil as a well-draining mix.
Mix a part of peat moss, a part of perlite, and a part of orchid bark with two parts of normal household soil. It works well and drains the excess water quickly and never gets waterlogged for a long time. In addition to that, this mix contains organic material making it nutrient-rich. So, it boosts the growth of the plant. Make sure that the pH of the soil is between 6.0 to 7.0.
4. How can you fertilize your Hoya plants?
The Hoya plants do not need heavy feeding to thrive. They need fertilization only once or twice a month during their growing season. Fertilization in the growing season helps it to produce more blooms and improve its growth rate. So, feed them every 20 days in their growing season.
Organic fertilizers best suit the plant, you can also fertilize your plant with NPK fertilizers to encourage its growth. Remember that the roots of this plant are sensitive and can burn when overfertilized. So, it is better to use mild fertilizers to feed the plant. Do not fertilize it frequently. Read the instructions given with the fertilizer carefully, before fertilizing the plant.
5. How to pot your Hoya plants?
As I said above, the Hoya plants love to stay in dry conditions, although you use light, well-drained soil to plant your Hoya, it might fall sick if the pot does not match the plant’s requirements. Select a suitable pot for planting the Hoya pot. Also, follow the process of potting, which I’ve shared below!
a) How to select the best pot for your Hoya plants?
You need to consider three things while selecting a pot for the Hoya plants.
- Pots that are made up of clay best suit the Hoya plants. Because they have porous walls, they allow aeration into the soil and reach the roots. Thus, it not only dries the soil quickly but also helps the roots to absorb more oxygen. Thus it prevents the roots from rotting and enhances the growth rate of the plant.
- You should consider the size of the pot when you buy it for potting the Hoya plant. The size of the pot must be just two inches larger than the root ball of it. The larger pots with more soil take a long time to dry. This might cause root-related issues. While smaller ones control the root growth.
- One more important thing that qualifies the pot is its drainage system. Hoya plants should be potted in a pot that has a good drainage system. It should drain out the excess water quickly. So, check the pot’s drainage system before buying it.
b) What is the process of potting the Hoya plant?
- Clean the selected pot and fill the bottom layer of it with gravel. This avoids the blockage of the drainage holes.
- Add some amount of suitable soil as the layer.
- Now place the plant on it and cover the gaps with soil.
- Add remaining soil as the top layer of the pot.
That’s it! Potting the hoya plant is completed.
6. How to repot the Hoya plants?
These fast-growing Hoya plants need to be repotted every 2-3 years as they fastly expand their roots. The roots of the plant love to be pot-bound or root-bound to produce more blooms. But leaving the plant with pot-bound and root-bound roots may cause root rot.
So, repot the plant regularly. Repot the plant with a 2 inches larger pot to allow the roots further growth. It is better to repot your Hoya in the early spring to encourage growth in its growing season and to reduce the stress of repotting.
7. What are the ideal temperature range and humidity level of the Hoya plants?
The Hoya plants adapt to the homely environment and thrive at room temperature with the humidity present in the home. So, they are often found in home gardens. These Hoya plants thrive at 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They can survive in temperatures up to 90 degrees but can’t tolerate temperatures below 50 degrees as they cause stunted growth in the plant.
The ideal humidity level of the plant is between 40 to 60%. The higher humidities can cause fungal growth in the plant or the soil, while the lower humidity levels cause dehydration in the plant.
8. How can you prune your Hoya plants?
Pruning this vining plant in the early growing season boosts the growth and controls the shock of pruning. You can prune the leggy stem to clear the space around them or to make it look beautiful. But remember, over-pruning is not good. Do not prune the new leaf nodes as it can produce flowering. Never pluck off the old flowers as the plant can produce new flowers there. Wear gardening gloves to avoid contact with the plant’s sap, which may cause skin irritation. Use only sharp pruners to prune, do not make the stem mushy while cutting it to avoid fungal growth over there.
Common problems affecting your Hoya plants!
What pests can affect Hoya plants?
Pests like mealybugs, scale, spider mites, and aphids are some of the common pests that attack the Hoya plants. Usually, the dry conditions cause pest growth on the plant.
You can treat it by applying neem oil or mild insecticides. Wiping the infected part with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol can help in treating the pests. Spray the soap mixed with water on the infected part to prevent extra damage.
What diseases can occur to Hoya plants?
Diseases like root rot, sooty mold, and other such fungal diseases are due to overwatering, high humidity levels, lack of aeration, and lack of proper light.
You can treat them by pruning the damaged parts and spraying mold fungicides.
Foul smell emission, white mold on the surface of the soil, yellowing leaves, mushy or droopy leaves, and black patches on the stem and leaves are the common symptoms of these fungal diseases.
Discoloration of the leaves is due to improper light requirements.
Placing them in bright but indirect sunlight will prevent the discoloration of the leaves. You may not completely recover the discolored leaves.
The dryness of the leaves is caused by underwatering and low humidity levels. Water it enough and maintain suitable humidity levels to avoid this problem
Follow the above care tips to prevent the plant from falling sick.
Conclusion
The Hoya plants are nice-looking plants with beautiful foliage and flowering. They spread a sweet aroma in the home which gives a peaceful effect. Moreover, they can be maintained with low care. They thrive in bright indirect sunlight, and room temperatures and adapt to the humidity present in the home. These qualities of the plant made them one of the best indoor plants.
Some tips to maintain your Hoya plant!
- Use a suitable pot and potting mix to plant your Hoya.
- Repot it every 2-3 years to keep it healthy.
- Never prune the flowers of the plant while shaping your plant.
- These hardy plants get attacked by pests in extreme temperatures.
- So, keep an eye on your plant during that time.
- Improper care may lead to a diseased plant, so be aware of it.
- Remember that your care should depend on the climatic conditions.
Hoya plants are stunning gorgeous plants with simple care requirements, so what are you waiting for? Browse through our amazing collections of hoya plants at abanahomes.com and grab one and bring it home. There is no doubt that at least one variety will be calling your name. Also, I hope you enjoyed reading this article, if you have any doubts, feel free to comment down below, and don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family!
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