I have read several times that Hoya plants are so easy to grow - however, I always seem to kill mine. I have a new Hoya plant now and would like any advice on how to keep it healthy. The hoya plant I have is commonly referred to as the Hindu Rope Plant. The leaves are waxy and curly and the plant grows as a vine. When it flowers it is absolutely beautiful. My biggest question is ...the leaves are turning yellow and dying. Any ideal what I may be doing wrong? This always seems to happen to me and then the whole plant eventually dies. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Lane
Im not sure what you are doing wrong, But ill tell you what I am doing right :)
In my opinion Hoya's like to get root bound."Once they become root bound they will bloom and grow constantly". And they love heat. I planted mine in a Terra-Cota pot. and then set the Terra-Cota into a more decritive pot for looks.:P I have it sitting right infront of the window that the sun shines into. I water it like its a cactus. lol. which means letting it dry out completely before watering it again."The foliage will wrinkle if not enough water and if too much, light brown spots and or whole thick yellow leaves will occur."
Blooming:
After your Hoya blooms do not remove the spur that the flower grew from.They continue to bloom from that very same area.
I have one and i had a bit of a problem at first with it .. I had it in one window and it didnt grow or do anything and it wasnt gettin much light .. then i went camping and had put all my plants in my bedroom well it really didnt like that .. so i got it out of there fast .. I put it in my kitchen window and it loves it there .. it has been growing and growing .. this window that it is in gets sun from about noon on till about later in the day ...and i dont let it dry out completely ..but dont keep it moist .. and I wouldnt put it in a terra cotta pot .. they say they are like succualnts but they really arent ..they dont like to b dry like a cactus.. I would experiment with the windows .. i am pretty sure that is your prob .. *i went thru that* .. and dont worry if u lose a few leaves in the mean time ..they will grow back from there .. I also have a hoya carnosa in the same window and it loves it there .. they r beautifull plants ..
good luck with it ..
they say they are like succualnts but they really arent ..they dont like to b dry like a cactus..
They are a succlent:P
"""Always water wax plant thoroughly, using room temperature or tepid (not icy) water. Spill out any extra water that collects in the saucer below it, then allow the soil to become quite dry before you water again. Because its leaves are leathery, thick and succulent, Hoya carnosa can go a long time without water, particularly during cooler winter months indoors."""" This quote found at this locationhttp://www.extension.umn.edu/yardand...N-Mar0101.html
try getting some cuttings gowing and place them in different parts of your home, like everyone said before me dont over water. i had a varigated one for 6 years before it flowered, when the flowers came i went mad and purchased 4 more plants , and now have several cuttings growing. see my thread re gowing in a glass jar. good look.
My grandmother recently gave me a few of her hoya plants. The only thing is they are planted in bottles with just water, no soil. They seem to grow fine and my grandmother told me they don't like too much sunshine. Has anyone heard this??? It seems all the info my grandmother gave me is opposite of everything I have been reading. My hoya's have never bloomed...but maybe that's because I don't have them sitting in direct sun all day?? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
i'm new to hoya's myself...this is what i've learned: hoya's prefer bright indirect light and they need a good well-draining soil and should be in a pot that has drainage holes (coated ceramic or plastic. i think unglazed clay would dry the soil out too much). water thoroughly and then let dry out a bit - not completely, just don't keep the soil soggy.
from what i understand they do like being a bit rootbound. i've only got cuttings that i'm still rooting (in water). one of them as already bloomed and is getting ready to again, so i'm not so sure about the rootbound issue as it's in water and there aren't a lot of roots.
also, they're not the fastest growers...and all plants go through an adjustment phase when they are brought home. you may have had it in a good spot initially...
My hoya's do have a lot of roots, some of them quite long too. My grandmother has always planted them that way....it's very strange to read these posts about how letting the soil dry before watering again...just makes me think that having these in constant water would kill them...but they look great....i appreciate your help...Thank you!
I have a section rooting now that almost died. It was part of a larger full pot. For some reason this one section of stem just started to wrinkle, the others were fine. I pulled it out of the pot and cut off the roots to that section and repotted it into 2.5" pot and it's now rooted and and no more wrinkles!
Even though hoyas like bright indirect light, mine do get SOME direct sun without any harm, maybe a half hour or so during the day. The H. compacta (hindu rope) and my sometimes hard to get to flower carnosa's and others all flowered with a little sun, just not enough to burn.
The yellowing on yours sounds like over-watering. Soil staying too wet or being watered before it has had a chance to dry spells death for hoyas. Let the soil dry completely before watering again.
If you need to take tip cuttings, use a small pot and take only the healthy firm green sections, nothing yellow or soft.
The hindu rope roots pretty easily, just don't keep the soil wet like maybe you would other type plants even though it's rooting or the stems will rot. Take about 6"-7" sections stripping off some of the lowers leaves so you'll have at least an inch of stem to anchor down into the soil. Water once and let the soil dry out before watering it again.
My mother acquired a hoya 15 to 20 years ago. My sister, niece, daughter, and I have gotten many starts from this plant. I, myself, have never been able to keep one alive. Upon our return from my parents' over the holidays, we brought "The Matron Hoya" home with us. I have always wanted it to stay with Mother because I was afraid I would kill it. She said it's just too big for her to handle. It was so big at that time, all we could do was put the pot down into a box, place it in the back of the pick-up, and hope for the best. It fared the trip in the sun and wind quite well.
I have moved this plant at least six times trying to find the "perfect" spot. I am so very pleased. Not only is it still alive but it is growing unbelievably and blooming. I have it hanging in a tree where it gets a little morning sun. I water the roots about once a week or so but sprinkle the leaves very often; at least every other day.
Not only is the matron plant thriving, I have potted a long stem that I accidentally cut off and it is already blooming. It's only been potted about three months???
I have always been told that hoyas don't like sun. This one is in the shade but, reading these posts makes me wonder if, perhaps, the area makes a difference?
I hope this is not too long. My brother says I write like I talk; a LOT.
After reading all the advice,which I don't doubt, I would like to tell you what I do with my plant that I got from my deceased uncle. I'm sure he had it longer than ten years and his family passed the plant to me. I like the plant but we are sensitive to the pollen. We have to trim it as it grows profusely. What we have done is water it infrequently when I remember, maybe once a month and fertilize about twice a year. For some reason I still have to trim it. To my knowledge they are not fussy plants. I keep it in the bright window close to my desk. Any advice would be appreciated but for me I think I'm doing something right. Vernon, B.C.
Thank you for your confidence, Ross!! I'm so sorry you are allergic!?!?! And, yes; it certainly sounds like you are definitely doing something right! Good job!!!! I guess I'm just too impatient and "nosey" to leave imy plant alone for very long? Oh, yes; her name is Mariah.
I think that any plant that stores water in its leaves and stems would be considered a succulent. Most succulents have this charactoristic because they had to adapt to an arid climate, never knowing when they would get water...Hoyas do not come from arid climates, but they ARE epiphytic, so possibly their reason for being succulent is due to not growing directly from the ground, and therefore not always having access to water through their roots. So, they may have become succulent for this reason, to always have a water supply in between rain showers!
I find that when kept in a pot, hoyas do best if allowed to dry out between waterings. The key is not to let them sit there dry for too long, but to water as soon as they go dry, or within a day or two. The thinner leaved varieties will need more consistant watering. Usually when hoyas have problems, it is from overwatering and the resulting root rot!
Hello, folks!! I just have more fun every day with my hoyas. Mariah is growing profusely. I try to keep the tendrils unattached; probably better now than when I have to take her inside for the winter, right?? Yesterday, I was looking for blooms on my daughter's plant, picked up a tendril, and found that it had attached to the ground and was growing!! THEN, I looked up and the Hindu Rope Hoya is blooming!!! Wow!! I'm impressed!!!! Does anyone have the variety that is kindda reddish-maroon and the individual "flowerettes" (you know; each individual flower) look to be about as big as one's hand. I would LOVE to have that one and, then, no more. Take care, all!!!
horselady, are you talking about hoya imperialis, with the big red flowers? I don't have it but I know the plant, if that is what you mean..
The hoya vines are one of my favorite things about them, I just love when my plants are happily putting out all those vines! I gladly unwrap them, untwine them, rip them out of other pots, and get poked in the eye by them daily. Usually a viney hoya is a happy hoya! I don't have compacta at this time, I lost mine about a year ago, but when I did have it, it was one of my favorites. Such pretty flowers, such a pretty shade of pink!
I have 3 rope hoyas that a friend was keeping for me while i moved. they look awful! some leaves are dead or dieing all are yellow. will it be ok to cut them way back [leave 6"] and let them start over again, or will that kill them?
JH, I'm definitely not an expert; but, I think I would just leave it alone. Perhaps, trim away parts of the plant that are dead and dried up. All the yellow leaves will probably eventually fall off. Maybe by that time, there will be new leaves to take their place??? Remember to not overwater. An
An update on Mariah, the "matron" hoya of the family: She is climbing up, up, up and has five blooms in close proximity on what goes up. I'm so tickled!!!
dear H-Lady, thanks for the advice, I have to move them one more time from DC to FL and thought it might be less traumatic if they were cut back but I will leave them be and hope for the best, thanks
ps can you post a photo of the "matron" I would love to see her.
I am not a hoya expert either, but I grow a ton of different ones, both in a greenhouse and in the house in windows.
Please understand, I am not trying to "convert" you to my way of growing, I only offer these comments as my personal experience, and because the original poster is from the same part of FL as I am in, it may be applicable to them, if not to anyone else.
I do not ascribe to the theory that hoyas have to be rootbound. In their native habitats, hoyas are jungle epiphytes. Most (but not ALL) are climbers and twiners that start life either in the leaf litter on the Rainforest floor, or in a similar condition on trees and logs and such. Many hoyas (but not ALL) do produce aerial roots along the stem that allow them to adhere to things as they climb. My most successful hoyas are actually planted in the ground.
Most hoyas do grow in the strata of the forest where they get only occasional water, so the aerial roots help here as well. Humidity comes into play here, most hoyas like high humidity.
Light in the forest can be dim, so most grow in a filtered/dappled llight situation, although they can be trained to much brighter light.
In Florida, the best life for a Hoya is to keep it outside during the warm season, as they like heat and humidity, and bring it indoors only during the coldest stretches when its drier. They mist it a lot.
I have been criticized in the past by people who say, "You can't extrapolate your personal experiences to us because you grow in temperature controlled growing environment and we don't"... but, in spring, summer, and fall my growing area is fairly ambient with the outside environment and only "controlled" during the cold months, so I don't exactly agree with that.
The ones I keep as houseplants grow in a window in the bathroom in full sun for about 3 hours a day and indirect sun for maybe 3-4 hours a day and get watered once a week.
The ones in the greenhouse are in full sun (about 85% light transmission) 12 hours a day and get watered every day.
Maybe you can draw something to help you from this. I would leave my plants outdoors in Tallahassee in an airy dappled shade place and only bring them in for the winters, and only when it gets COLD (below 60 at night).
That's just my personal experience, your mileage may vary
My Mom has had a beautiful hoya (japanese??) plant that has been the easiest and most beautiful plant to grow. Over the weekend we cut off 3 vines that I am going to hopefully grow myself. The problem is that I am unsure how to root them, I am confused b/c there seems to be a general thought that it is a succulant-so do I automaticaly plant it into a pot w/ soil, or do I wait for roots to sprout in water before I plant this? I am new to this and new to my green thumb as well...Thanks so much!
Place the cuttings into soiless seedling starter. Keep moist, not wet. Place in a clear plastic bag for higher humidity, don't allow plant to touch sides. Air out occasionally. Or....Mist occassionally twice per day. In 4-6 weeks, they should have rooted. Keep rootbound to get blooms.
This is a great HOYA plant food
1 oz apple juice
1 cap whiskey
1 vitamine tablet
1 iron tablet
1/2 tsp amonia
1/2 tsp hydrogen peroxide
1/2 tsp instant tea
crush all tablets to powder
mix in 1 gallon of warm water
If my hoyas could tell you, (but they are drunk) how much they like it, I am sure they would never shut up.
