Hoya is a beautifully flowering wax ivy, which is an evergreen liana belonging to the family of gore. This flower, numbering about two hundred species, is named after the British gardener Thomas Hoy. Later in this article we will talk about how to properly care for the hoya.
Growing and caring for plants, as you know, is a very exciting process that requires special knowledge. However, to grow a beautiful hoya, a lot of time will not be needed. This plant is quite unpretentious and will bloom well if you follow a few simple rules: you do not need to water it too often, do not transplant it unnecessarily and do not transfer it from one place to another.
General information
In the wild, hoya flower grows in tropical Australia, the Malay Archipelago, in southern China and parts of India. Its creepers can spread along rocky slopes and tree trunks. This is an evergreen plant with curly and creeping shoots. Its leaves are ovoid, oval or heart-shaped and fleshy, leathery axillary inflorescences. The flowers are shaped like an umbrella and have five rounded petals, collected in inflorescences.
In general, hoya, the secrets of caring for which are described below, is a rather unusual and beautiful ornamental plant. It can feel great both in warm and temperate, and in fairly cool rooms. The main thing for her is the availability of a reliable support.
Varieties
The majestic homeland of Hoya, or Hoya imperialis, is considered to be the Malacca Peninsula. This type of climbing shrub has oval leaves, oblong, reaching a length of up to 20 cm, the plates themselves are smooth and leathery. The flowers inside are dark red, and outside - yellow-green, form umbrellas. Their star petals have a pretty pleasant smell.
Beautiful Hoya, or Hoya bella, grows mainly in Burma. It has the appearance of a small shrub with creeping shoots, densely covered with egg-shaped lanceolate leaves of no more than 2.5 cm in length. They are dense, slightly convex, with pointed tips. The flowers are small white with a bright red crown and hang with umbrellas. Blooms profusely throughout the summer. Such ivy is often used in warm rooms in the form of an ampel plant.
Hoya multiflora (Hoya multiflora) in the wild can be found in abundance in the forests of Malaysia. This is a climbing plant with linear oblong leaves. Its flowers with narrow yellow petals are collected, as in other varieties, in umbrellas.
In the subtropics of Asia and Australia, in wooded areas and on rocks, one can meet the meaty Hoya (Hoya carnosa), or the Hoya motoskei. It is a creeper about 6 m long, with creeping stems lowered. Its leaves are dark green, oblong or heart-shaped, shiny and fleshy. They reach up to 4 cm in width and up to 8 cm in length. The flowers are pale beige or white with a pink crown in the center, collected in umbrellas and having a very pleasant aroma.
Watering
It is known that most of the ivy plants that grow in the wild prefer a tropical climate, including hoya (flower). How to care for such a plant to create comfortable conditions for it? The answer to this question is quite simple: from March to October, watering should be moderately plentiful. To do this, soft, settled water at room temperature is suitable. Since November, watering is slightly reduced and produced two days after the topsoil becomes dry. If watering is carried out very rarely or ceases to moisten the earth at all, then the hoya will gradually begin to die off and the vegetation period will begin.
Every spring and autumn, this domestic plant undergoes the following procedure: you need to lower it in warm water, heated to 30-40 ⁰C, for about half an hour. The earthen lump itself with its roots must remain in it for up to two hours. Such actions significantly accelerate the approach of flowering, and also contribute to the rapid growth of ivy such as hoya (flower).
How to care for a plant during flowering
Ivy loves light, therefore, getting it in abundance, they will delight their owners with beautiful inflorescences. After the buds of hoya are formed, it is better not to touch the plant, and even more so not to try to transfer it to another place. The fact is that any actions at this time can lead to partial or complete shedding of them.
Bunches of flowers should be reliably propped up, so that the branches of the plant are constantly in an upright position. After flowering, long shoots must be cut, and short and flowering - leave. In no case do you need to cut the flower stalks, since on them again after a while buds will appear.
Hoya flower: care, transplant
It's no secret that in larger pots, plants feel much better. Experts recommend replanting young specimens of hoya at least once a year, and adults every three. The plant grows well in neutral or slightly acidic soil, where the pH does not exceed 6.5. Although this ivy is unpretentious, it also requires a special mixture consisting of two parts of clay-turf and by one measure of sheet land, peat and sand.
In turn, the beautiful Hoya prefers a different mixture. It is made from equal parts of sheet land, peat, humus and sand with a small addition of charcoal. Almost all plants require good drainage. Hoya (flower) is no exception.
How to care for a plant during the breeding season
In order for flowers to appear on a young plant in the year of transplantation, it is necessary to plant it with stem layers. To do this, make an incision on the shoot and cover it with moss, and then wrap it with plastic wrap and tie it around. Soon, roots will appear on it, after which its top is cut off and buried in the ground. In order to get a thick bush, three, four, or even five shoots are planted in one pot at once.
As you know, many home plants can be propagated by cuttings. Hoya (flower) also belongs to them. Even an aspiring amateur knows how to care for her during this period. Reproduction of this plant is carried out throughout the growing season, while the cuttings can be of different lengths. However, it is preferable that they have one or two pairs of leaves.
The cuttings are always cut below the nodes, since the roots can grow not only from them, but also between them. They are rooted either in water or in a substrate consisting of peat and sand in a ratio of 2 to 1. At this time, it is necessary to monitor the temperature of the soil to keep it at 20 C. Usually, cuttings take root after three weeks, after which they are planted in a mixture of one part of turf and two parts of leafy soil and sand with a small addition of humus in pots with a diameter of not more than 10 cm.
Slow growth
It is difficult to find a more unpretentious plant than a hoya flower. Problems of its growth and flowering still exist. For example, it happens that the leaves turn pale, curl and gradually dry. The reason for this may be too low a temperature or excessive illumination. Also, falling leaves provokes very dry and hot air.
Inhibition of growth and blanching of hoya can be caused by a lack of nitrogen in the soil. To correct this situation, it is enough to feed the plant with urea at the rate of 1 gram per 1 liter of water. In addition, the leaves may turn yellow and subsequently fall off due to lack of watering or, conversely, from an overabundance of it.
Poor flowering
Such problems appear mainly due to poor lighting. However, it is worth remembering that a similar situation may arise due to the transfer of the plant during its flowering to another place. Flower buds can be strewed with excessive or insufficient watering, as well as too dry air. By the way, do not forget that excessive moisture combined with poor drainage can lead to the fact that the lower part of the stem, and then the roots begin to rot. In this case, the plant will not be able to save.
Pests: aphids
This plant most often suffers from insects such as aphids and spider mites, as well as mealybug, whitefly and scale insects. The question arises, what to do if pests nevertheless attacked the Hoya flower ? Home care in this case should be more thorough.
Flightless aphids can grow up to 2.5 cm and have a pink, light green or yellowish color. It affects the entire plant, from leaves to buds. Hoya, affected by aphids, loses its bright color, leaves turn yellow, curl and fall. Growth stops completely, buds that have already appeared do not open, and the flowers are covered with nasty sticky secretions. This insect can cause the greatest harm in the spring, when the plant throws tender young shoots.
If aphids have recently appeared on flowers and the lesion area is small, then care for the hoya at home should necessarily include regular washing with a shower. Also, the most infected areas of the plant can be cut, but this is done only if a small colony of insects has settled on it. In the most severe cases, special oil solutions are used, as well as insecticides, such as Karbofos, Fitoverma, Actellik or Kinmiks.
Spider Mite Control
This pest is one of the most dangerous, it affects almost all domestic plants, including the Hoya flower. How to care for him? How to quickly get rid of ticks? These questions are of interest to many amateur gardeners. It is known that adult ticks are small: the female grows to half a millimeter and is painted in bright red, the male is almost half as much. The warmer the room, the higher the rate of their reproduction.
Spider mites live in colonies and affect all the aerial parts of the hoya: branches, leaves and shoots. In this case, the whole plant turns pale yellow, and from the stems to the leaves stretch a lot of thin and barely noticeable cobwebs. When insects begin to suck the juices from the plant, pale points appear on its leaves, if you do not take emergency measures, they quickly grow and take the form of large whitish spots. Hoya begins to shed sick leaves, gradually weakens and stops growing.
The dry air in the room also contributes to the rapid reproduction of spider mites, so it is necessary to monitor the level of humidity in the room. You also need to regularly clean the fallen and damaged greens, remove dead flowers, carefully wipe the leaves with a sponge or soft cloth dipped in warm soapy water.
Against harmful insects, special chemicals are also used that are safe for both humans and animals. The most harmless are Aktofit, Vermitek and Fitoverm. You need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to use one of the drugs repeatedly, since it will not be possible to get rid of its one-time use of ticks. The number and processing intervals directly depend on the room temperature.
Conclusion
In order for any home plant to please the eye with its lush greenery and beautiful flowering, including quite unpretentious hoya, day after day care is simply necessary. Moreover, it does not take much time. It is enough to properly water the plant, transplant on time and periodically inspect it for harmful insects.