The Hoya
plant is a succulent perennial plant and the plant is also called wax plants,
porcelain flowers, or honey plants. The Hoya plant is an Asian native plant
that is related to milkweeds with fragrant, low-maintenance tropical flowers
that grow in a ball-shaped cluster. The Hoya succulent plant produces woody
stems with waxy leaves, which remain evergreen.
Hoya
succulent plant can be train as a vine, or you can allow it to trail over the
side of the container. Either way, expects the full length or height of the
plant to be two to four feet. Are hoyas easy to grow? The Hoya succulent plants
require bright, indirect sunlight for up to 6 hours daily, moderately moist,
well-draining soil that should dry out between waterings, humidity, or regular
misting, and a well-balanced fertilizer monthly.
Hoya Plant Info
The common name:
The common names are wax plant, Hoya, wax flower, porcelain flower, Indian rope
plant, honey plant.
The
botanical name: The botanical name is Hoya carnosa.
The family:
Hoya plant belongs to Apocynaceae family.
The plant type:
Hoya plant is a succulent, perennial plant.
The mature size:
The mature size is about 12-20 ft.
The sun exposure:
Hoya plant prefers partial shade.
The soil type:
The plant does well in a well-draining soil.
The soil pH: Acidic, neutral
The blooming
time: The blooming time is spring, summer, fall.
The flower color:
The flower colors are pink, yellow, orange, white, purple.
USDA hardiness
zones: eight to eleven.
The native area:
Hoya plants are native to Asia, Australia.
Hoya Care
The
following are the main care requirements for growing Hoya plants;
You can plant
Hoyas outside in spring or early summer in a spot with bright, indirect light.
Place your Hoya
succulent plant in a hanging basket or allow the plant to cling to a small
trellis, providing a vertical accent in your tropical container garden.
Also give
the Hoya succulent plant humid conditions, which can include placement next to
a pond, fountain, or other water feature.
Hoya
succulent plant prefers moderately moist, well-draining soil; make sure you allow
it to dry out between waterings.
You can give
the plant a balanced, slow-release fertilizer once monthly.
Light requirement
The Hoya
succulent plants thrive best when they get bright, non-direct sunlight for at
least 2 to 6 hours per day.
Soil
requirement
The Hoya
succulent plants like to be planted in a well-draining, lightweight soil mix
with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.1-7.5).
Water
requirement
How often do
you water hoya? The Hoya succulent plants should be watered weekly and left to
dry completely between waterings. If the plant gets too much moisture, the plant
roots will rot.
Temperature
and humidity requirement
Hoya
succulent plant is a tropical plant, the plant actually thrive in warm and moist,
humid climates.
Fertilizer
requirement
The Hoya
succulent plants should be fertilized monthly; The International Hoya
Association actually suggests feeding the plant with a fertilizer that includes
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Pruning
Hoyas
The Hoya
succulent plants are slow to moderate growers. If your Hoya succulent plant
finishes blooming, you can leave the flower stalk, as it may produce new
flowers. Removing the stalk forces the Hoya succulent plants to produce a new
stalk, which delays blooming and wastes the plant’s energy. The Hoya succulent
plants are light feeders, and a monthly drink of compost tea or diluted fish
emulsion provides all the nutrition the plants need.
What is the
Best Way to Grow a Hoya Plant?
You can
propagate the Hoya succulent plants by doing the stem cuttings and rooting them
in the soil or water. The Hoya succulent plants don't need much beyond the
well-draining soil and the warm, humid conditions many tropical flowers crave.
You can grow
the Hoya succulent plants outdoors if you live in USDA growing zones ten to
eleven; elsewhere, you must grow the plant as a tropical container plant or
greenhouse specimen. You need to choose a location with full to partial sun.
Plants that receive less than a half-day of sunlight may not produce flowers. The
following is how to propagate Hoya via cuttings:
You actually
need pruners, rooting hormone (this is optional), potting soil, a hand shovel,
and a sterile container.
Take a four inch
cutting from softwood, cut on a diagonal with at least 2 leaves at the top. The
cutting should have at least two nodes for roots to grow from.
Optionally,
dip the cut end in the rooting hormone mixture. Place the cut end down in a
glass of filtered water. After about 4 weeks, roots should appear.
Plant the
roots in moistened potting mix and then place them in a spot that gets about 6
hours of sunlight.
How to Grow
Hoya from Seed
The Hoya seeds
can be started in pots or flats. The following is how to propagate from
harvested or fresh seeds:
You will
actually need a good quality soilless potting mix enriched with perlite or
pumice, a potting container or flat, and a clear plastic bag.
Make
inch-deep holes into the potting mix, place one Hoya seed, and then cover over
with a thin layer of potting mix.
Lightly
moisten the soil and cover the tray with a plastic bag to give the plant a
humid, greenhouse-like atmosphere.
The Hoya seeds
should germinate within seven to ten days.
Once the Hoya
succulent plants develop true leaves, after about a month of growth, you can repot
it.
Potting and
Repotting Hoya Plant
The Hoya
succulent plants like the security of a snug pot, and the plants that are a bit
root-bound will flower more prolifically than those in a giant pot. The Hoya
succulent plants don’t like wet feet or heavy soil. Many grow as epiphytes in
nature (similar to bromeliads and orchids). Mix your regular potting soil with
orchid potting mix in a 1-1 ratio to provide an ideal growing medium for your Hoya
succulent plants.
Furthermore,
when repotting the plant you can use pasteurized soil or growing medium in
either new pots or those washed in a chlorine bleach solution and water.
Diseases and
Pests Control
The Hoya
succulent plants are vulnerable to sap-sucking pests like mealybugs, aphids,
and spider mites. These entire pests can be controlled with neem oil. Once
you've treated the Hoya succulent plants, you can wipe away pest residue with a
clean, soft cloth.
Fungal
infections are also common diseases for Hoya succulent plants. Botrytis blight
can cause rot and kill your Hoya succulent plants; it shows up as greyish
patches. You can treat the plant with fungicide, and then repot in sterilized
potting medium.
Deadheading
Hoya Plants
Don’t ever
deadhead Hoya flowers. Actually cutting off the spurs, where the flowers bloom
from can easily damage the flowering part of the Hoya plant, and the plant will
not bloom again the following year.
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