Hoya help
I have a mature hoya kerii that hasn't really done much. It did sneak out a couple blooms I didn't even notice until they were done. But now, she seems unhappy. I can see her veins. I've changed her to an airier mix, then I added some coco coir to help retain some water. No improvement. roots looked fine. Any advice? Thanks! #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict #hoyahangout #hoyaheads #hoya
1ft to light, direct
6” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 month ago
8
Best Answer
I would switch back to a plastic with lots of drainage at the bottom. Spray the roots with some peroxide. You can always place the plastic pot in the blue one so it's a pretty cache pot, but root health is most important. When water is being logged around the roots of a hoya, the leaves tend to look like that. I moved and the humidity was off causing my hoyas to stay wet too long and I got some root damage and ended up having to repot some in smaller pots. Try the plastic pot and gove her prime spot by a grow light. Let her dry out before watering again.
Hoyas are resilient. They generally like to be dry, snug, warm, and sunny.
Hoyas are resilient. They generally like to be dry, snug, warm, and sunny.
I'm hesitant to even respond since I know jack all about Hoyas specifically, but it looks thirsty. I've always had the best luck using cheap potting soil. I know they like a loose medium, maybe leave it in a tray to absorb extra water and see if it does any better. If water isn't the problem, my next guess is more light, but I can't tell from the pictures if that window gets direct sun. A couple hours of morning sun are great for tropicals. A common misconception is that low light tolerant plants prefer it- with a few exceptions they all want at least bright indirect and will absolutely explode if they get that morning sunshine.
Is it a chunky mix including coarse perlite and orchid bark as well? Did you upsize the pot? Is that blue pot a cache pot with a plastic one inside with more drainage holes or is it just one drainage hole in that blue pot? Hoyas need a well draining pot and mix.
If the answers to the above are all no, then it probably just needs some help from a grow light since the days are shorter and it's not getting the same amount of light.
@wolfqueen
If the answers to the above are all no, then it probably just needs some help from a grow light since the days are shorter and it's not getting the same amount of light.
@wolfqueen
@AwesomePlants, thanks for responding. I originally had her in a plastic pot that she came in, hanging in a west-facing window. When I noticed the worsening condition, I put her in this pot, which has one big hole in the middle. The pot is decorative, a glazed ceramic. The mix was just orchid mix with perlite and charcoal. But, thinking she was thirsty, I mixed in some coco coir to help retain some water. She's in an east-facing window and gets morning sun. Not sure what else I can do.
@AwesomePlants, ok so I'm doing the switch, putting her into a clear, plastic pot. And you're absolutely right. I saw that the hole was blocked. Probably wasn't draining properly. What do you think about her roots? I sprayed it down with peroxide water, just in case.
Also wanted to add I grow almost all of my Hoyas in terracotta it really helps with root rot issues that with a good chunky draining mix… if you have any leaves that are not showing veins on a stem with a node I would chop and throw in a prop box so you have a back up