Do you know which is the best soil for your hoya plants to grow healthily? How to choose the best soil for hoya plants?
I get these questions asked a lot on our websites! Lucky for you, you have come to the right place.
The Hoya plant is a unique vine indoor plant that has waxy, thick leaves and clusters of star-shaped waxy flowers. It’s among one of the most tolerant houseplants. They are easy to care for if proper amenities and needs are given to them. However, for the plants to grow properly, a decent soil mixture is necessary.
So, in this article, I will go through the different types of soil that you can use to grow your beloved hoya plants healthily. I am sure you will be surprised to see so many choices of soils are there for your plants to grow.
You can either get the soil mix readymade from the market if available, or you can just DIY. Don’t worry, I will help you in every step. I say, the simpler the soil, the better. I will also show you how to make the soil with the ingredients you have in your home garden.
So, let’s make you wait any longer, and let’s get started!
What Is The Best Soil Mix For Hoya Plants?
I don’t know about other people, but I always DIY the soil whenever I bring a new hoya plant home and then I repot it with the new soil and the pot. So, what is the best that you need for your hoya plants?
Before you choose the soil mixture for your hoya plant, you have to first identify its requirements and the soil properties on how it can grow faster and fully develop. Hoya plants like well-drained, aerated, and porous soil for a potting mix. Moreover, these plants are versatile and can be easily grown in a variety of types of soil.
Furthermore, African Violet Soil is mostly considered best for growing the hoya plants because it prevents any water retention and encourages better air circulation in the soil. However, it is not compulsory to use African Violet Soil instead, you can create potting soil by mixing the cactus and orchid barks with perlite, pumice, sphagnum peat, and charcoal.
The one thing you want to avoid is soil that is too wet. Clay or other heavy, deep soils are off limits for the hoya plants because they will hold too much moisture in them. And hoya plants do well in light, airy soil with good drainage.
Do you want to know the factors that you should consider when choosing the best potting soil mix for your lovely hoya plants? Let’s check them out below:
- Not being overly compacted has enough aeration, allowing the roots to obtain oxygen.
- Quickly eliminates surplus moisture
- It is not too damp or soggy
What soil conditions do you require before selecting the soil?
While selecting the potting mixture for the hoya plants, you have to take into account the soil conditions for better growth. You have to understand your plant completely to select the proper soil mix.
What conditions should you check before selecting the right soil for your hoya plants? I have discussed soil conditions, temperature, and pH level required for your hoya plants to grow, let’s check them out below!
1. Soil Temperature requirement
Temperature level is essential to be maintained and remain constant to have a properly developed hoya plant. Appropriate temperature also helps in the better blooming of the plant. Hoya house plants prefer warm soil temperatures. The ideal soil temperature for them is between 18 to 24 degrees Celsius during the day and above 15 degrees Celsius at night.
However, these hoya plants do not do well with cold temperatures. They cannot bear any weather conditions below 15 degrees Celsius. Hoya plants can also start dying if it’s exposed to temperatures below 12 degrees Celsius. You have to be extremely careful while potting the soil mix for hoya plants.
So during winter, it’s better to keep them in warm areas of the room or near a heater for a comfortable temperature. To prevent heat damage, just make sure to keep it at least a few feet away from your plants.
2. Soil pH Level requirement
Most Hoya species prefer somewhat acidic soil with a pH of 6.1 to 6.5. And s Some varieties do well in neutral soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. However, a few varieties may endure in slightly alkaline soil with a pH of over 7.5. If one inch of sphagnum peat is added to the 5–6 gallons of potting soil, the soil will immediately become acidic.
You may also use leftover coffee or compost that is rich in organic materials to provide acidity to the soil. Always check the pH level of the soil before planting the Hoyas. It is necessary to know if the soil’s acidic level is high or not so that you can protect the plant in advance.
Do Hoya like Acidic Soil?
Yes, most hoyas like an acidic environment. The perfect pH range for hoya varieties is between 6.1 and 6.5.
At the same time, some hoya species thrive at more neutral pH levels. However, alkaline soils exceeding pH 7.5 will not be conducive to their survival.
If you want to make your potting mix acidic for hoya plants, you can add a small amount of acidic substance to the soil. To increase acidity, you can add the following:
- Sphagnum peat
- Compost
- Coffee
- Sulfur
- Leaf mold
Nevertheless, test the pH levels of the soil before adding anything. By doing so, you will know how much to add to adjust pH.
Can Regular Garden Soil Be Used For Hoya Plants?
Garden soil for hoya plants should be avoided. Garden soil consists of substrates that are not at all healthy and needed by the hoya plants. For better growth and nutrient-rich soil avoid using any garden soil. The factors why you should not use garden soil are given below. You should always take the factors affecting the plant into consideration before planting it!
1. Lacks Good Drainage
Drainage in the soil is an essential factor. Without a proper drainage system in the plant or the soil will result in your plant withering away. Drainage allows all the unwanted water to pass through the soil easily so that the soil can retain its wetness. However, if there is no drainage system in your plants, then it leads to the formation of root roots and makes the plant overwatered resulting in gradual wilting.
Furthermore, indoor soil mixtures have better drainage compared to garden soil. The potting mixture of the garden soil is a lot heavier and denser making it useless for the hoya plants. The denser soil experiences aeration-related problems as a result of inappropriate air and water flow. And usually, the garden soil lacks oxygen leading to a bad growth of the plant.
Moreover, hoya plant roots require a porous, well-aerated soil environment which may not be possible with typical garden soil as it tends to become compact needing soil amendments.
2. Becomes Compact Easily
Indoor soil should not be very compact as it then depletes the oxygen content in the plants. Potting mixture should be more flexible and loose to have good, and developed growth. However, garden soil lacks all of these qualities. The garden soil has clay and sand present in it making it heavier and further leading to soil compaction. Furthermore, the hoya soil mixture cannot be compact because then it will not have good growth.
It will lack some nutrients and minerals required by them due to the compaction of the soil. Because excessively compacted soil has few openings that could retain water or air, hoya roots find it difficult to acquire the proper air circulation and nutrients. Compacted soil also has poor drainage, which causes it to retain more water. It could lead to highly soggy soil conditions that favor root rot problems.
3. Lack of Nutrients
Nutrients are one thing that is very much needed by any plant to grow healthy. It provides the plant with the essentials to enhance its development and bloom nicely. More specifically, the soil mixture of any plant should be properly made and fertilized for it to have the required minerals. Also, fertilization plays a major role in indoor plant growth but any lack of nutrients in the soil needed by the plant can result in improper growth.
However, garden soil usually does not require any fertilization as it receives all the nutrients through nature but that’s not the case with indoor plants. Garden soil cannot be used for houseplants because it will lack the nutrients that will be needed by the plant. And providing the growing plant with the required nutrients is necessary for nourished growth.
Garden soil lacks moisture regulation as well as healthy soil microbes. They also lack the decomposed plant and animal remains that would have contained nutrients like nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus. Before utilizing the garden soil for planting, you might need to add organic matter and the natural mulch needed for plant growth to the soil.
4. Presence of Pests and Diseases
Garden soil usually contains pests and lots of diseases as it receives all its nutrients and fertilization from dead and decaying animals and insects present in it. However, indoor plants do not require such fertilization as it is not healthy for the plants and it also depends on the plant’s requirements.
Ordinary garden soil is the main cause of fungus, disease, and other pest problems. Using the same soil as your indoor plants put your Hoya plant at risk of infection, which could cause an early demise. Regular garden soil contains deadly plant pests including Fusarium Wilt, Aphids, Thrips, Scooty Mold, Nematodes, and Verticillium that can damage delicate houseplants. Hence, it is advised to not use garden soil for hoya plants.
How To Make Soil Mixture For Hoya Plants?
I just love to make DIY soil recipes. Don’t you love it too?
Yes, it takes time, effort, mistakes, errors, and experience to make the best potting soil mix and to figure out which works and which doesn’t. I will tell you my own potting soil mix recipe that I have been using for years for my dear hoya plants!
Creating an effective soil mixture for the hoys plants is essential for nourished growth. Use proper and correct ingredients while making the potting mixture for hoyas.
Let us first check out the ingredients you need before making the perfect DIY potting soil mix. Of course, you can use the ingredients that are available in your garden or you can just borrow from your neighbors!
- 1/3 of the best potting soil Although some perlite and larger particles of organic material are already present in this combination, it is not necessary.
- 1/3 of perlite. It is used because it is light and won’t disintegrate, perlite, a puffed volcanic rock, prevents the mixture from becoming too compacted over time.
- 1/5 of the orchid bark. The orchid bark helps create “pockets” of materials and prevents perlite from floating to the top and washing out of the bottom of the pot.
- 1/5 sand or gardening grit. This extremely fine grit won’t deteriorate over time. Grit sinks in water whereas perlite floats due to its weight. The presence of both stops the soil from eventually compacting and settling at the top or bottom of the pot.
- And lastly, the final mixture will be bright and airy and have numerous pockets for the plant roots to spread out in. As they would to a tree in the wild, hoya enjoy attaching their roots to the orchid’s bark.
Warning Signs of Using the Wrong Potting Mixture for Hoya Plants!
You have to be very careful while making the potting soil correctly otherwise your hoya plants can show you signs that it is wrong. Identifying the signs of using the wrong mixture can be a little difficult. You have to closely watch the plant and pay attention to it to notice the signs. We have mentioned below some common signs seen when the wrong soil mixture is used for hoya plants!
1. Falling and Yellowing of your hoya plant’s leaves
Yellowing or falling of the leaves from the hoya plants is the most common sign through which you can identify that your plant is facing some problems. However, first, you need to identify the problem in the plant before taking any action. Mostly when the leaves fall off the plant it is because of the lack of watering in the soil or when the soil mixture is not appropriate.
Furthermore, commercial peat moss soil can easily become compacted, obstructing Hoya roots’ ability to absorb vital nutrients like nitrogen and phosphate which is necessary for them. You can avoid this situation by adding perlite or pumice to the soil mixture for an aerated mix.
2. Bad Odor Of Soil
Another common sign is the change in the smell of the hoya plant’s soil. Whenever a bad odor is smelt around the plant, it usually indicates that there is some issue in the plant. The smell of the hoya plant soil may be rotten egg-like because anaerobic bacteria thrive in dense, deep soil.
So, to avoid this situation, you can put the potting soil outside to dry before using it once more to fix this. Keeping it outside will make the removal of the odor fast and easy.
3. Mold Infection can happen to your hoya plants
The simplest approach to spot an unsuitable potting mix is to look for the mod, which appears as a dusty-appearing or green, yellow, and white residue on the soil. Mold is easily able to grow in compact mixtures that are wet. By leaving the soil in the sun’s direct rays all day, you can rectify the situation and control it. However, if the mold infestation appears to be serious, consider completely discarding the mixture.
4. Pests and Insects can affect your hoya plants
Plants usually attract insects towards it when they are facing some problems whether it be overwatering, or soil mixture issues. You should always care for your plant and pay attention to it to avoid any attacks from insects by keeping them clean.
They mostly infest decomposing soil-based material. Although they are safe, they could harm the Hoya plant’s tender roots. Placing the soil in direct sunlight or utilizing a yellow sticky trap that you can readily get online are two efficient ways to get rid of fungus gnats. The soil can also be sanitized using insecticides intended for indoor plants.
Can I Use Succulent Soil for Hoya?
It is recommended to grow hoyas in well-drained succulent soil. All hoyas benefit from the standard cactus/succulent humus mix. Unfortunately, succulent soil retains water, and they don’t drain well. As a result, root rot increases.
Some important tips for potting soil mix for your hoya plant
When planted in potting soil that is properly prepared, well-draining, and organically rich, hoya plants flourish in warm climes. Avoid useless mixes that can affect the nutrients or organic matter of the soil. Instead, use peat moss, horticultural charcoal, cactus and orchid mix, perlite, or pumice to create a fresh batch of potting soil at home. Consider adding perlite or pumice to dense, compacted soil to make it more suitably aerated. These offer aeration at a lower environmental cost than peat moss.
Let’s check out some of the choices that you can make for your potting soil mix:
- 1 part cactus mix with 1 part perlite and 1 part orchid mix
- 1 part potting mix, 1 part orchid mix, and 1 part perlite
- 1 part potting soil with 1 part coconut coir
- 1 part potting soil with 1 part succulent & cactus mix
- 1 part potting soil with 1 part orchid bark
You can add other ingredients also to the plant that you think you need. Having an appropriate potting mixture is essential to have healthy and nourished growth.
Does Fertilizer Affect Soil Quality?
Hoya leaves suffer from fertilizer burn and leaf drop when too many nutrients are present in the soil. In spring and summer, hoya plants need fertilizer once or twice. In fall and winter, however, the plants are dormant, so avoid fertilizing during this time.
Also, when fertilizing your Hoya, remember these points.
- Following winter, use a high phosphate fertilizer to encourage profuse blooming.
- Once the plant blooms, stop feeding phosphate fertilizer.
- Apply diluted 3-1-2 liquid fertilizer to encourage green foliage.
How Watering affects Soil Quality?
Frequent watering can cause waterlogging issues such as yellowing of lower leaves, bud drops, wilting, and limp leaves caused by root rot. On the other hand, underwatering can cause yellow leaves to turn brown and crispy over time. In spring and summer, hoyas enjoy slight moisture in their soil every two weeks. However, reduce watering in the fall and winter. Water every 3-4 weeks.
FAQs
Q1. How often should Hoyas be watered?
Ans. Watering is necessary for all plants, especially for hoya plants to avoid any problems in the soil. However, the watering should be controlled, so that you can avoid any situation of overwatering in your plants. Usually, you can water your hoya plant once every week in the summer and twice during the winter.
Q2. What kind of soil do Hoya plants need?
Ans. For Hoya, potting soil with sufficient air circulation is crucial. Espoma’s organic Cactus Mix, Orchid Mix, and Perlite should be combined in an exact ratio to achieve the right combination. Hoya prefers to be confined to or crammed within their pots. Only every two to three years will they need to be replanted.
Q3. Does Fertilizer Affect Soil Quality?
Ans. Hoya plants benefit from frequent fertilizers during the growing seasons. They need to be fertilized once a month in the spring and summer. However, they dislike twice-monthly fertilization and excessive fertilization, such as that done in the winter. The beneficial soil bacteria are depleted by an excess of nutrients, which causes leaf loss and browning of the edges of the leaves.
Q4. Do Hoyas like terracotta pots?
One advantage of hoya plants is that they tend to be root-bound, so they don’t require frequent repotting. If the pot has drainage holes in the bottom, hoya can thrive in terra cotta, plastic, or glazed ceramic pots.
Q5. What should I feed my hoya plant?
Use a balanced, water-soluble houseplant fertilizer to feed your hoya plants. Do this during the spring and summer every three to four weeks. It’s okay to use a fertilizer with a ratio of 5-10-5, 8-8-8, or 10-10-10.
Q6. Can You Start a Hoya Cutting in Water?
Yes, letting a Hoya cutting re-root in water enables you to monitor and enjoy the rooting process. The best time to propagate hoyas is while they are actively growing, which is in the spring or summer. For best results, use two-leafed, 4 to 6-inch cuttings from Hoyas that are healthy and actively growing. Compared to cuttings taken in the winter, active plant development speeds up the creation of roots.
Conclusion
Hoya soil or the potting soil mixture plays a very important role in the growth of the hoya plants as it is directly linked with moisture content and nutrients. Since hoyas are prone to overwatering, make sure to water enough and check before watering.
I hope the above-mentioned pointers and my article will be very helpful to you while growing the hoya plant. I hope the above-given information was related and cleared all your doubts regarding the hoya soil mix.
I know it is too much to ask you but if you have any questions in mind, please feel free to comment down below and please share this article with your friends and family if possible. Thank you for visiting this article and website and keep reading.
Happy gardening to you!
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