What are the care methods and precautions for Hoya?
Hoya is also known as wax plant, waxflower, and porcelain flower. It is a perennial evergreen climbing succulent of the family Apocynaceae (milkweed family). The stems are fleshy and epiphytic, with aerial roots growing at the nodes; the leaves are opposite, fleshy, ovate or ovate-cordate, with entire margins and short petioles, glossy bright green; the flowers are axillary, borne in umbels made up of small star-shaped flowers, with thick waxy petals in creamy white or pink; the center is deep red; the corona is a transparent five-pointed star shape, in colors such as colorless, yellow, and pink. It mostly blooms in summer and autumn.
It likes high temperatures and humid environments; it enjoys sunlight but can also tolerate partial shade; it is not cold-hardy, and the overwintering temperature must be above 12°C, never lower than 8°C.
① For potting, it is best to use a mixed substrate of leaf mold or peat soil with river sand or expanded perlite, vermiculite, etc., plus a small amount of bone meal as a base fertilizer. You can also use humus soil, moss, etc. as the substrate, and plant it into hanging baskets or hanging pots made from perforated containers. You can also make a wall-mounted planter from plywood and half a plastic pot, and plant the plant in it.
② Generally, potted plants can be placed near a south-facing window or in a spot indoors with bright diffused light, which will keep the leaves green and glossy. However, the light must not be too strong, otherwise the leaves tend to turn yellow, so avoid direct sun exposure. If the light is insufficient for a long time, the leaf color will fade and the flowers will be few and dull. Variegated varieties need more light, which makes their markings more beautiful.
③ The place where the flower pot is placed must be well ventilated, otherwise the stems and leaves are prone to rot. Young plants should be pinched back early to encourage branching, and a support should be set up for them to climb and grow.
④ During the growing season, in addition to normal watering to keep the potting soil slightly moist, you also need to frequently spray a small amount of clean water on the leaves to maintain relatively high air humidity so the plant can grow vigorously. However, do not spray too much water, otherwise water will remain on the leaves and easily cause rot.
⑤ During the peak growing season, apply a dilute liquid fertilizer combining nitrogen and phosphorus about once a month.
⑥ Young plants should be repotted once a year in April; older plants do not need repotting every year and can be repotted once every 2-3 years. When repotting, trim off some old roots and old soil, and add fresh potting soil to help the plant grow strong and healthy.
Precautions for Hoya care
For potted Hoya, in spring and autumn it is best placed outdoors on a south-facing windowsill or indoors near a south-facing window, which keeps the leaves green and glossy and the flowering good. In summer, it needs to 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 will fade and the flowers will be few and dull.
During the growing season for Hoya, in addition to watering according to the principle of watering when dry and stopping when wet, you also need to spray water on the leaves frequently. In summer, watering must be sufficient, and at the same time pay attention to increasing air humidity to promote healthy growth. During the peak growing season, apply a dilute cake fertilizer water combining nitrogen and phosphorus once or twice a month.
Suitable temperature: Hoya is not cold-hardy. The suitable growing temperature is 15°C-25°C. In winter, the room temperature should be kept above 10°C. If it is below 5°C, it is prone to cold damage, causing leaf drop and even the death of the whole plant.
The flower pot should preferably be a tall-footed pot. Young plants should be repotted once every spring, and mature plants can be repotted once every 1-2 years. For plants that already have buds and are in bloom, do not move the pot at will, otherwise it can easily cause bud and flower drop.
Young plants should be pinched back early to encourage branching, and supports should be set up promptly so they can climb upward. When repotting, trim off some old roots. After the flowers fade, let them wither and fall naturally; do not cut off the flower stems, because most of the next year's flower buds will still sprout in the same place. If you cut them off, it will affect the number of flowers the following year. This is precisely one of the main reasons many gardening enthusiasts find their Hoya does not bloom or blooms very little. (Reposted from the blog of Shiyuan Mall)
Precautions for Hoya care:
1. Hoya likes to stay put and dislikes being moved. Once it is repotted and settled, do not keep moving it around; and do not keep shifting the place where it is positioned.
2. Hoya has temperature requirements, but it should avoid air-conditioned rooms; what it needs to be exposed to is natural temperature.
3. Except in cold weather, it should be given more ventilation to avoid pests and diseases. If you find insects, the simplest method is to rinse them off clean with water.
Once you have mastered the cultivation methods and precautions for Hoya, there is absolutely no problem with growing stunning Hoya. Besides being enjoyed for its ornamental beauty and delighting the eye, what else is Hoya good for?