What are the precautions for growing waxplant (Hoya) at home?

Precautions for growing waxplant (Hoya) at home

Waxplant: also known as cherry blossom kudzu or Burmese fragrance, its flowers are ball-shaped and delicately colored; at night, the whole room is filled with fragrance. It likes high temperatures and high humidity, and the leaves also need frequent spraying with clean water. It likes sunlight and can also tolerate partial shade, but it is not cold-tolerant. During the peak growing season, apply a dilute liquid fertilizer combining nitrogen and phosphorus once every 1-2 months. The overwintering temperature must be above 12°C, and must not fall below 8°C at the lowest. It prefers leaf mold or peat soil mixed with river sand or perlite, plus a small amount of bone meal as a base fertilizer. A mix of humus soil and moss can also be used as a base fertilizer. For plants that have already formed flower buds or are blooming, the pot must not be moved at will, otherwise the buds and flowers are liable to drop; after the flowers fade, let them wither and fall naturally, and do not cut off the flower stems, because most of next year's flower buds will still sprout at the same spot, and cutting them off will affect the number of flowers the following year.

How to grow waxplant - waxplant growing methods and precautions

Waxplant is a perennial climbing herb with climbing stems and aerial roots at the nodes, able to grow attached to other objects; the leaves are opposite, thick and fleshy, and entirely green. The flowers are axillary or terminal, in spherical umbels, with small star-shaped flowers clustered together, delicate and fragrant. It is one of the plants that many flower lovers very much enjoy growing. As for how to grow waxplant, the theoretical growing methods are worth consulting for flower lovers, but what is even more worth consulting is the practical care experience of experienced flower lovers. Let's take a look together.

Introduction to waxplant

Waxplant, English name Stemorleafof Waxplant, is also called iron cup, golden snowball, ox-tongue yellow, stone-wall plum, golden silk leaf, hydrangea leaf, large stone immortal peach, rock-climbing board, straw-sandal board, jade-stacked plum, jade-butterfly plum, wall plum, ancient plum, hydrangea dragon, thick-leaf vine, dadou vine, snow plum, pneumonia grass, etc. It is a flowering and foliage ornamental plant native to southern China and Oceania and other places. At present there are many different horticultural varieties, such as white-variegated leaves, red-variegated leaves, curled leaves, needle-shaped leaves or long rhombic leaves and other different strains.

Waxplant is a perennial climbing herb with climbing stems and aerial roots at the nodes, able to grow attached to other objects; the leaves are opposite, thick and fleshy, and entirely green. The flowers are axillary or terminal, in spherical umbels, with small star-shaped flowers clustered together, delicate and fragrant.

How to grow waxplant

1. Soil: For waxplant cultivation, a humus-rich loam is best, and drainage must be good.

2. Watering: Waxplant is a succulent plant, and its leaves contain a fair amount of water, so during the growing season watering should follow the principle of watering when dry and letting it dry between waterings. Too much watering easily causes root rot, but in summer watering must be sufficient. Because it likes moisture, care should be taken to spray the leaves frequently to increase air humidity.

3. Sunlight: When grown at home, in spring and autumn waxplant is best placed on a south-facing windowsill or near a south-facing indoor window in a spot with light, which keeps the leaves emerald green and glossy and produces good flowering. But in summer it must be moved to a shaded spot to prevent direct strong light, otherwise the leaves easily turn yellow. If it is kept in a place with insufficient light for a long time, the leaf color becomes pale and the flowers are few and not vivid.

4. Temperature: Waxplant is not cold-tolerant; the suitable growing temperature is 15°C-25°C, and in winter the room temperature should be kept above 10°C. If it is below 5°C, it easily suffers cold damage, causing leaf drop and even the death of the whole plant.

5. Fertilizing: Waxplant fertilizing is mainly based on organic fertilizer or compound fertilizer; during the peak growing season apply a dilute cake fertilizer water combining nitrogen and phosphorus once or twice a month. At other times, because growth is slow, stop fertilizing to avoid wasting fertilizer or causing fertilizer damage.

6. Pruning: Young waxplants should be pinched early to encourage new branches to sprout, and supports should be set up in time so they can climb upward. After the flowers fade, let them wither and fall naturally, and do not cut off the flower stems, because most of the second year's flower buds will still sprout at the same spot; if you do not understand this habit and cut them off, it will affect the number of flowers the following year.

7. Pests and diseases: Waxplant commonly suffers from anthracnose, bad spot disease and leaf spot disease, which can be controlled by spraying 600x dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder or 400-6w times dilution of 70% mancozeb wettable powder. It is also harmed by scale insects and mealybugs, which can be killed by spraying 800-100() times dilution of 40% omethoate emulsion or IOC. times dilution of 80% dichlorvos emulsion.

Sharing flower lovers' care experience——waxplant growing methods and precautions

Flower lover A's care experience:

1. I think most waxplants like a relatively high temperature, high humidity, semi-shaded environment, and they like loose, breathable growing media (the native environment of many waxplants is epiphytic on rock walls or trees, a bit like orchids, so the environment and media they like are also similar to orchids; you can grow them in materials with better water retention, saving the trouble of frequent watering or spraying).

2. Another point is that waxplant likes stillness and dislikes being moved. First, it shows in that after each repotting it takes a long time to settle in and start growing (so a newly bought waxplant is best planted properly once and for all, not moved around repeatedly). Second, it shows in that it likes to stay in the same position; if you often move it, buds that have already formed may abort, so it is best to plan from the start a spot with scattered light and ventilation for it.

3. As for fertilizer, I generally use my own prepared media to grow it, without adding base fertilizer, and apply liquid fertilizer after it settles in, such as Pervigro and the like. Some people also put organic base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot.

4. Relatively speaking, plants still look best in a semi-shaded environment.

5. Growing media: Growing media cannot be generalized; some use wood shavings, tree fern fiber, coconut shell, coconut coir, peat, various purchased nutrient soils, and so on. In short, good drainage and air permeability are required. Generally, peat soil + perlite + small-particle expanded clay or orchid stone works, and I feel most waxplants adapt well to it.

Flower lover B's waxplant care experience:

1. Growing environment: due-south balcony, completely enclosed, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the lower half completely enclosed, the upper half can be opened for ventilation.

2. Room temperature: average indoor room temperature in winter: 26°C, highest temperature in summer 37-38°C.

3. Overall environment: the balcony has ample light, with more than 100 potted plants placed there, including potted vegetables.

4. Flower pot choice: Tall pots are more practical, and traditional clay pots are best in material, though they look slightly less attractive; next, purple clay pots are also good, costing a bit more but looking beautiful; plastic pots are also acceptable and quite easy to use.

5. Potting soil: garden soil (peat): vermiculite: perlite = 5:4:1 or 4:4:2, with little difference. Standard: breathable but not leaking air. Before planting, spread about 3-4 cm thick large expanded clay at the bottom of the pot. (The reason is that in the wild, waxplant roots attach to trees or rocks as they grow.)

6. Choice of pot size: the principle is better too small than too large. For many flowers, including waxplant, if there is no other problem, the reason they do not grow is that the pot chosen is too large. In the growth process of a plant, it first grows roots, letting the roots fill the pot before growing stems and leaves; if the pot is too large, stem and leaf growth will be too slow or will not happen. Generally, for a small rooted cutting within 20 cm, a pot with a mouth diameter of 10-12 cm is enough.

7. Water: the principle is better too dry than too wet. Waxplant likes a high-temperature, high-humidity environment. Because wild waxplant climbs on trees, high temperature and high humidity easily make aerial roots grow from its stems, making it easier to attach and increasing the ways it absorbs nutrients. There is also a fact everyone should know: waxplant belongs to the Apocynaceae family and is extremely drought-tolerant. When we grow it in pots, if we use a substrate, whether bark or orchid stone, watering and spraying are all for creating an environment suitable for waxplant; if, like me, you grow it in soil, basically one thorough watering a week is enough, or once every two weeks is also fine; if the pot is relatively large, not watering for a month during the growing season is no problem; in winter, not watering for two or three months does not affect its growth. Because wild waxplant grows attached to trees or rocks, its stems and leaf stalks very easily grow aerial roots. If we grow it in pots and want the overall plant shape to be more beautiful, then do not spray water on the waxplant, so its stems grow extremely smooth and beautiful; if you do not mind, or want cuttings to root easily, you can spray water to make its stems grow aerial roots, shortening the cutting time.

8. Fertilizer: I never fertilize, and it still grows well, with abundant flowers and lush leaves. The fertilizers I keep at home include: compound fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, alum fertilizer water, hoof and horn pieces (horseshoe), organic fertilizer, monopotassium phosphate, etc. The reason I do not fertilize is that native waxplant does not need much fertilizer; I just change the potting soil once a year in March or April. Occasionally I water with some fermented rice-washing water. If you want to fertilize, I suggest using hoof and horn pieces. The method is: insert 3-4 hoof and horn pieces along the edge of each pot, with the insertion depth being half of each piece, leaving half exposed outside the soil. In this way, as you water, the nutrients of the hoof and horn pieces dissolve into the soil at any time; when the lower part has dissolved, fully insert the upper part and continue using it. This conforms to the basic principle of fertilizing: apply light fertilizer frequently. And there is no strange smell, and it is not prone to breeding pests.

9. Placement: inner side of the balcony, diffused light

10. Propagation: Green-leaf waxplant is extremely easy to propagate and can survive in all four seasons.

1. Water propagation to root, then plant in soil;

2. Cut a section of stem with leaves (if it is an old stem and has aerial roots, even better) and directly insert it into plain sand, vermiculite or another low-fertilizer, breathable substrate;

3. Select old leaves with leaf stalks and directly insert them into the substrate mentioned in 2;

4. Seed propagation, have not tried it.

11. Common problems and treatment:

1. Slow plant growth: a. Pot too large: shows as the plant stagnating or growing slowly; b. Poor water and air permeability of the potting soil: shows as the potting soil being too wet and not drying easily, leaves lacking luster, gradually becoming thinner and paler in color; c. Potting soil leaking air: when watered, everything flows out instantly (except for bark and orchid stone substrates), the soil leaks air.

2. New leaves and new shoots curled, not spreading out: lack of water, insufficient soil fertility or insufficient light, or pests and diseases.

3. Leaves turning yellow: poor water permeability of the potting soil leading to the potting soil being too wet for a long time; excessive fertilizer; potting soil too dry; pests and diseases. The common one is potting soil too wet. Too dry generally causes dry leaves, and rarely yellow leaves.

4. Growing well but not flowering: a. The placement environment has no temperature difference changes; under normal conditions, temperature differences can promote flower bud differentiation; b. The soil nitrogen content is too high, causing the plant to grow excessively, with insufficient potassium fertilizer; c. Apical dominance. Treatment methods: a. The placement spot is best with a day-night temperature difference; b. Adjust the soil, change the soil or add an appropriate amount of fertilizer high in potassium; c. Pinch in time to eliminate apical dominance. I myself am reluctant to pinch, so as I said earlier, I use the moderate-damage method: after the plant has grown, cut off 1-2 branches to suppress the growth momentum a bit, and generally it will flower the next year. The cut branches can be used for cuttings, so nothing is wasted.

One reminder: green-leaf waxplant is extremely easy to grow, not so delicate and not so fussy; do not pay excessive attention to it or over-fertilize and over-water. If the potting soil is permeable and breathable but does not leak air, it will grow well.

5. Pest and disease control

Sometimes leaf spot disease and powdery mildew occur; at the early stage of disease, spray 1000x dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder or 700x dilution of 70% mancozeb wettable powder. For pest damage there are scale insects, which can be killed by spraying 1500x dilution of 25% buprofezin wettable powder.

Is waxplant easy to grow? Waxplant growing methods and precautions

Waxplant is a widely cultivated indoor foliage and flowering plant, with vivid flower colors and unusual flower shapes, and it has great ornamental value. Is waxplant easy to grow? Below I will tell you about waxplant growing methods and precautions.

Waxplant growing methods:

1. Soil: For waxplant cultivation, a humus-rich loam is best, and drainage must be good.

2. Watering: Waxplant is a succulent plant, and its leaves contain a fair amount of water, so during the growing season watering should follow the principle of watering when dry and letting it dry between waterings. Too much watering easily causes root rot, but in summer watering must be sufficient. Because it likes moisture, care should be taken to spray the leaves frequently to increase air humidity.

3. Sunlight: When grown at home, in spring and autumn waxplant is best placed on a south-facing windowsill or near a south-facing indoor window in a spot with light, which keeps the leaves emerald green and glossy and produces good flowering. But in summer it must be moved to a shaded spot to prevent direct strong light, otherwise the leaves easily turn yellow. If it is kept in a place with insufficient light for a long time, the leaf color becomes pale and the flowers are few and not vivid.

4. Temperature: Waxplant is not cold-tolerant; the suitable growing temperature is 15°C-25°C, and in winter the room temperature should be kept above 10°C. If it is below 5°C, it easily suffers cold damage, causing leaf drop and even the death of the whole plant.

5. Fertilizing: Waxplant fertilizing is mainly based on organic fertilizer or compound fertilizer; during the peak growing season apply a dilute cake fertilizer water combining nitrogen and phosphorus once or twice a month. At other times, because growth is slow, stop fertilizing to avoid wasting fertilizer or causing fertilizer damage.

6. Pruning: Young waxplants should be pinched early to encourage new branches to sprout, and supports should be set up in time so they can climb upward. After the flowers fade, let them wither and fall naturally, and do not cut off the flower stems, because most of the second year's flower buds will still sprout at the same spot; if you do not understand this habit and cut them off, it will affect the number of flowers the following year.

7. Pests and diseases: Waxplant commonly suffers from anthracnose, bad spot disease and leaf spot disease, which can be controlled by spraying 600x dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder or 400-6w times dilution of 70% mancozeb wettable powder. It is also harmed by scale insects and mealybugs, which can be killed by spraying 800-100() times dilution of 40% omethoate emulsion or IOC. times dilution of 80% dichlorvos emulsion.

Waxplant growing precautions:

1. The soil must be kept loose and breathable, otherwise root rot will occur.

2. Watering must be appropriate, and at the same time appropriate air humidity must be maintained.

3. When planting for the first time, prepare a suitable base fertilizer; if the base fertilizer is insufficient, the plant will show a state of reverse growth.

4. In autumn and winter, fertilizing can be reduced.

5. Waxplant cannot accept direct sunlight, so sun protection measures should be provided, but it very much likes receiving scattered light, and 4-5 hours of light per day.