Breeding and growing unusual ornamental plants from exotic countries today is a pretty fashionable activity. On the windowsills of modern amateur gardeners you will no longer see multi-colored geraniums and many-faced violets. In their place came the unique southern specimens of the flora of our planet, such as the meaty hoya. The popularity of this evergreen ivy (creeper), which naturally grows in Australia, India, Polynesia, the countries of Southeast and South Asia, is explained simply: maximum beauty at minimal cost. However, there are some things you should know before you decide to get this wonderful indoor plant.
Depending on the type of hoya (and there are over 200) and the season, the leafy part of the young plant may have a pinkish, reddish or brownish color. The appearance of the leaves is also diverse. For example, hoya bella is characterized by ovoid-lanceolate, small but thick, slightly pointed and slightly convex leaves. And in multi-flowered hoya, they are oblong-linear.
As for the flowers, they are all collected in umbrellas, but differ in a variety of colors, fanciful views and sizes. The already mentioned magnificent hoya (bella) will delight its owners with medium-sized (about 1.5 cm in diameter) waxy flowers with clearly defined five petals. As a rule, they have a white color with a purple crown. In turn, the multi-flowered hoya is a representative of the species with numerous yellow flowers, which have narrow petals and a crown decorated with arched spurs. In general, flowers can have the most incredible color. In nature, there is only a hoya blooming with dark blue hues.
Hoya. Care
It should be noted that sometimes plants can cause allergic reactions when touched. In addition, stunningly strongly smelling flowers can cause somatic disorders. Some people complain, in particular, of headaches and sleep disturbance.
However, hoya care itself is not particularly thorough. She, like most tropical plants, needs a lot of sun and moisture. However, this does not mean that it can be poured with a bucket of water and left on the southern windowsill. Bright sunshine, especially midday, will lead to burns of the leaves and, possibly, the death of the whole plant. He will like the windows on the east or west side more.
Hoya, whose care is not problematic, can still get sick. Its condition is affected, inter alia, by a lack of heat. Therefore, for those in whose apartments in winter the temperature drops below 16 degrees, and in summer exceeds 25 degrees, it is better to think about another flower. The plant will also not like dry air, but multiple sprayings in the summer season and special bathing will remind you of the natural habitat. In this case, the soil can not be left in the water for longer than two hours, and the plant itself should be in the water for no more than 4 hours.
The most suitable prepared ground for this type of vines is the soil for orchids. Those who prepare the soil for plants themselves need to mix peat, sand and leafy soil in equal proportions. 2 parts of clay-leaf earth are also added here. Peat and sand can be replaced with one part of the greenhouse soil. During preparation and flowering, the hoya can be "fed" with fertilizers with a complex of minerals no more than once every 2-3 weeks.
The plant propagates by cuttings. During the first few weeks, hoya care does not require at all. After the stem takes root, it is planted in a medium-sized pot and kept according to all the above rules. It is advisable to transplant the plant no more than once every 3 years. In addition, it is better to prune it for the winter, so that in spring the hoya develops and bears fruit better.