Why Are The Leaves Wrinkly On The Underside?
Hi guys, I received this Hoya Rosita a little over two week ago. I repotted it in coconut husk after I got it. In hindsight, I should have left it alone to allow it to adjust. Anyway, I noticed that the newest leaves are wrinkly on the underside about a week ago. I’m wondering if I did anything to cause it to become wrinkly? What should I do to help it recover? Any tips ans tricks are also welcomed—I’m new to Hoyas and growing plants 🌱 #Hoya #HoyaHangout #HoyaHeads #HappyPlants #NewPlantMom #NewPlants #HoyaRosita #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantTherapy
0ft to light, indirect
2” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 year ago
49
@OrangeGrass have you tried wiping the white off?? It may be mealy bugs potentially. Do you see any webbing? Idk if I’m seeing hair or webs in picture 3. Either way you could treat with a neem oil wipe down or neem oil spray. The white on the tops of the leaves could be the spider mites (again webbing, it’s pretty noticeable). Or it could just be mineral deposits on the leaves from water. Best of luck!! What a beauty :,)✨🌱
@OrangeGrass I don’t know where you live, like what the humidity is like, but I live in Utah and the only time I have seen that is when the humidity is low. Hoya are epiphytes, their roots can’t possibly support the moisture they need in their own, they need humidity. And because they need humidity, they also need adequate airflow as well.
Hi Ashely! @PlantMompy When I repotted it, I mixed soil with coconut husk, and I watered it. Then, I started noticing the leaves getting wrinkly like the picture I have attached. So, I removed all the soil, and put it only in coconut husk because I lost two lowest leaves due to I think too much moisture (the two leaves were turning yellow). Ans, I do water it when the substrate gets completely dry. So, I’m confused why the leaves are wrinkly. The roots were not damaged when I repotted it. It’s a small starter plant in a 2 inch pot. I think it might because the heaters are making the air too dry for it. I’ll try a humidity dome, and see how it does. Thanks for the input!
@Prentyce Hi Prentyce, I have tried wiping the white stuff off—it doesn’t come off. I don’t see any webbing or bugs on it. I’ve checked multiple times. I don’t feel comfortable using neem oil because I killed a morning glory with it when I was trying to treat it for spider mites :/ neem also made all the new growth die on the other plants I used it on. Do you have any other suggestion, or do I need to mix neem oil with soap first and then mix water? Idk what went wrong, but I don’t feel like killing more of my plants due my ignorance, lol.
@OrangeGrass oh no you’re all good then! You passed the check test! It’s something going on with the roots as the chat is saying @PlantMompy @TheOddAsity @Hoyaobsessed @Hoyaobsessed @MusicalRedmint I think it’s a substrate humidity and likely root rot situation. Have you checked the roots recently? Does anything smell off by chance? Best of luck! You have some true experienced friends in here. They will help you nurse your beautiful little one back to tip top shape!🥳✨🌱 best of luck!!
@MusicalRedmint Hi Susann 👋 Yeah, Rosita is not supposed to be a thin leafed Hoya. What I did when I first received the plant was to repot it in soil + perlite + coconut husk, and then I watered it. Then, I started noticing those leaves getting wrinkly. So, I thought I may have overwatered it, and changed it to just coconut husk. Watered again when the substrate was completely dry. But, the wrinkly leaves are still present. I think it’s a humidity issue because the heaters have been pretty much on the entire time because it’s cold these days. I can try a humidity dome, and see if it reacts. I don’t think it’s a pest issue because I don’t see any bugs on it, but I can keep an eye out for that as well.
Hi Dee! The more I'm on this app the more I see people adding humidity to their hoyas. I never have so I can't speak to it, but from what I see on here it's a great place to try!
I wanted to jump in to answer your neem oil question because I hate using it, too! I use two things, Natria when I see pests and a homemade leaf cleaner when I don't. Natria is much more mild than Neem so it won't damage your plants and it doesn't have the awful smell. My homemade leaf cleaner has peppermint essential oil, Castile soap and water (you can also just use peppermint Castile soap) because most pests hate the smell of peppermint and stay away.
I wanted to jump in to answer your neem oil question because I hate using it, too! I use two things, Natria when I see pests and a homemade leaf cleaner when I don't. Natria is much more mild than Neem so it won't damage your plants and it doesn't have the awful smell. My homemade leaf cleaner has peppermint essential oil, Castile soap and water (you can also just use peppermint Castile soap) because most pests hate the smell of peppermint and stay away.
@Prentyce Hmm, I did check the roots (pretty easy to do because it’s in coconut husk) and I didn’t see or smell anything weird. It just smells like fresh earth(?). I’m leaning towards it being a humidity issue because the heaters are on pretty much 24/7 only occasionally turning off. Thanks for your help 💗
If you are worried about the white stuff, try wiping it with water with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar in it. In my opinion, it's probably just mineral buildup. Do you have hard water, and does it splash on the leaves when you are watering?
Also I think it's wise of you to try to stay away from neem. Even if many plants can seem fine after one treatment, over time many vegetable oils it seems to build up. And sensitive plants like orchids or some hoyas get their pores clogged and suffocate. For now it also doesn't seem like a pest issue
Also I think it's wise of you to try to stay away from neem. Even if many plants can seem fine after one treatment, over time many vegetable oils it seems to build up. And sensitive plants like orchids or some hoyas get their pores clogged and suffocate. For now it also doesn't seem like a pest issue
@TheOddAsity Hi April, I live in Maryland. Although humidity shouldn’t be an issue, it is for me because my windows aren’t sealed properly. And, the heaters have been running constantly with only occasional breaks. The humidity where this Hoya struggles to stay even at 55% and dips to 50% and I’m trying to keep it at 60%. It’s been a struggle. So, I’m going to make a small humidity dome for it and see how it does. Airflow is fine because there is a fan on at low to keep the air moving. Thanks for your input 💗
Just saw the recent comments: don't forget that sometimes with damage the damage isn't repaired right away even when the problem is fixed. I have seen this on some orchids that if e.g. the dehydration damage to the leaves is too much, they will always stay a bit wrinkly. The humidity dome sounds neat. If you don't want to restrict airflow quite as much, you could also just place it in a box without the lid. That raises the humidity around the plant a lot, but still maintains some airflow. Ashley's oil tips sound great. Though I've once also ruined my krohniahma with soap treatment. What works for me with many plants (if not used too frequently) is the paraffin oil and water (2%, with a dash of dishwashing soap). That's why Ashley's leafshine is also great. Most leafshines are paraffin based. Just for future pest problems ;)
@Hoyaobsessed The stems feel firm. The roots also feel firm and smells fresh. I don’t think it’s a rot issue. Here are some images of the roots and stems. I don’t think it needs to be watered because the substrate is still moist. As April suggested, it might be a humidity issue. Thanks for your help 💗
@PlantMompy I’ve seen that too, but I didn’t think I would need to go out of my way to make the place humid till I got this guy 😂 I checked my windows and realized that they are not properly sealed. So, the air is constantly leaking through the cracks… I will need to get that fixed. In the meantime, I made a humidity dome for it. I’ll keep an eye on it.
Oh gosh, thank you so much for sharing your solution to pests! 🙏 A lot of people recommend/suggest neem oil, but it just doesn’t work for most of the plants that I own. The jasmines were super unhappy with neem, and my morning glory just died with each application until it was too far gone. I hate the smell too. It makes me want to throw up 🤮 What ratios do you use for your homemade leaf cleaner? Tysm 💗
Oh gosh, thank you so much for sharing your solution to pests! 🙏 A lot of people recommend/suggest neem oil, but it just doesn’t work for most of the plants that I own. The jasmines were super unhappy with neem, and my morning glory just died with each application until it was too far gone. I hate the smell too. It makes me want to throw up 🤮 What ratios do you use for your homemade leaf cleaner? Tysm 💗
@MusicalRedmint How much lemon juice or vinegar should I use? I think it’s mineral buildup too because it appears after I water it. I definitely do have hard water from the look of how the plants I own react (brown leaf tips and white stuff on the leaves). Yeah I agree about neem. I spot tested on leaves before spraying the plants with it. The leaves seemed fine with the spot tests. But when I applied it all over, my jasmines started dropping all of their new growth including buds and new leaves. Morning glory just couldn’t handle it even on well developed leaves, and kept dying with repeat applications. So, I’m definitely not inclined to use it again. I don’t think it’s a pest issue either. Thank you so much for your input.
@MusicalRedmint Tysm for sharing! How much paraffin oil do use? Sorry if this a dumb question, I’m very new to gardening.
@OrangeGrass most anyone living in a humid area but using central air will have issues. Come summer, even though I have a humidifier on my unit, it’s about 27% tops. So I have my Hoyas clustered together with a super small humidifier. Hoyas are in the milkweed family, so any leaf I injury can leave white marks. Rosita is notorious for them. You can see just one of my Rosita leaves with white. Coco husk alone “might” lead to dry rot. I have to add a bit of coco coir to help with the slightest bit of moisture retention. But I’m also in a desert. I think the humidity dome will give you the answers to your questions. That’s just my opinion though.
The paraffin is a 2% solution. So basically, 98ml water, 2 ml oil, and a few drops of soap. It's miss orchid girl's recipe for thin-leaved or more sensitive orchids. Shake well, and maybe shake in between treatments. It's a great leaf shine as well. But even with this, don't treat too often. It is a lot lighter than other horticultural oils, but it can build up as well.
As for the lemon water, I don't think you can really hurt the plants. I usually only take a cup of water, add a few drops or a dash, and see if it is enough to get rid of the stains. Ah. And of course I use distilled water. I don't want to make the problem worse 😀 if you feel daring and don't have distilled water at home you could try lemon juice directly after testing it out in a spot
As for the lemon water, I don't think you can really hurt the plants. I usually only take a cup of water, add a few drops or a dash, and see if it is enough to get rid of the stains. Ah. And of course I use distilled water. I don't want to make the problem worse 😀 if you feel daring and don't have distilled water at home you could try lemon juice directly after testing it out in a spot
@TheOddAsity 27%? That’s rough even for people. So, having your Hoyas grouped together helps them stay happy? What is the humidity around them when they are grouped together? You think the white marks are from injury to the leaf? I thought it was perhaps my tap water which most of my plants do not like. What is dry rot? I just checked the roots, and saw and felt the coconut husk to be moist. I’m more worried about overwatering than underwatering because I don’t live in a dry place but should I be looking out for that as well? I put it in a humidity dome. I’ll keep an eye on it. Ty for taking the time to answer my questions 💗
@MusicalRedmint Gotcha! I will try lemon juice water. It’s most likely mineral build up. I do have distilled water. I just didn’t think this one was a sensitive plant—the more you know 😅 Wouldn’t watering it directly with lemon water be too acidic for this Hoya? I mean, I can try doing it but I don’t think it’s necessary. I also wouldn’t be able to tell signs and symptoms of the soil being too acidic for the plant. Lesson learned tho. I will always use distilled water—I was just being lazy 😂 tysm for you help and the knowledge 💗
I hope you didn't water with lemon juice now 😅
That solution is great to get rid of build-up on the leaves. For build up in the roots, flashing should work, though soaking is probably better. And if your water is really that hard, you might want to consider watering it with at least 50/50 tap/distilled
That solution is great to get rid of build-up on the leaves. For build up in the roots, flashing should work, though soaking is probably better. And if your water is really that hard, you might want to consider watering it with at least 50/50 tap/distilled
@MusicalRedmint Lol, no. I watered it on December 31st, so it doesn’t need to be watered for like a week. The substrate is still moist—I checked the roots a little while ago because someone said it might be rotting. I was not going to water with lemon water. I was kidding 😂 I don’t think the build up is bad because she’s only been with me for little over two weeks, and I’ve only watered her twice. I won’t use tap water. I’ll just use distilled water (I have distilled water). She seems much more sensitive to tap water than others I own. I also have a Hoya Carnosa Krimsom Queen, Hoya Carnosa Tricolor, and some other Hoya that I have bi clue about. But, they all seem unbothered unlike this Rosita. It’s confusing for sure.
@OrangeGrass so here are two photos. The first is my Hoyas around my kitchen sink with a humidifier I was just washing dishes so it’s a little higher than normal. Usually it’s about 50%. If I forget to refill the humidifier it will drop to 40-43%. The second photo is non-Hoyas clustered together. We had a cold front come in and it’s snowing. It’s right by the front door where 3 people have left for various appts. So the relative humidity appears higher just because it’s colder. If the white stuff doesn’t really wipe away it can be from injury. You can use lemon juice to remove water marks. Or mix a few drops of citronella with water to wipe away water marks.
Dry root is a result of the roots getting too dry and withering away, vs rot through water. But if your husk is moist it’s probably not an issue.
Dry root is a result of the roots getting too dry and withering away, vs rot through water. But if your husk is moist it’s probably not an issue.
@TheConservator Idk about how long it takes for a Hoya to get dry like that, but mine did over the course of a week. I showed it to a friend, but they told me to leave it be because it was new to my environment. I did leave it be. Since it has not improved, I decided to ask Greg. My only suspicion is that it’s not a fan of the constant fluctuations in temperature and humidity. I gave it a humidity dome. I can just monitor it to see how it does over the next week. If it doesn’t improve, I’ll come back and ask peeps for advise. Thanks for the input!
@TheOddAsity I’m sorry if this is going to sound stupid, but how do I know if roots are dry? Do they feel crispy to the touch? And, how do I treat it?
@OrangeGrass it doesn’t sound stupid. I didn’t know it was a thing until I had it on a a plant. It happens over time, usually from consistent underwatering. The roots feel like sinew-y dry strings. Theres just a dryness to them, not crispy. It causes reduced root function.
@TheOddAsity Okay, I think mine has that :/ how do I help it? Currently have it soaking in water but idk what to do to help. When I was rinsing off the roots, they were so thin and dry. They also broke off easily. Only like string looking roots are left if those are even roots ☠️
@OrangeGrass okay, that happened on my krohniana black and my heuschkeliana. I trimmed the roots off the stem and just re rooted it in a mix of perlite and sphagnum moss in my prop box. It’s good as new and potted up now and growing healthy.
I agree with April on this one that sounds like almost dead if not dead roots. Maybe some still work a little bit, but if you repot it like that, those dead ones will just rot in the new medium. If the outer part is already gone, the root is probably no longer functional. But luckily the vast majority of hoyas are extremely easy to root. Just follow April's great advice. @TheOddAsity when did you change your picture? 😍😍😍😍 what a cute pup!!!
@TheOddAsity @MusicalRedmint so, just trim all the roots and prop it in perlite and spagnum moss? Is the stem piece where the roots have been cut off still going to root?
@OrangeGrass I dunno if you know how small a heuschkeliana is (and in my case at the time how expensive my cutting was as they were hard to find). I was so afraid to trim the roots off this tiny stem, and lose it. But there really wasn’t much choice as doing nothing would have killed it. I just checked it last night. The bottom of the leaves had wrinkled, just like your plant is. I trimmed it so it looked like I had just received a new cutting. I feel like the plant puts whatever’s if left of its energy into the roots if you leave them as is and put them into a prop box. So removing the dead pieces sends the message to start over.
I snapped a pic of mine that I re-rooted. My box is just about 1/2 the size of a shoe box. The backs of the leaves aren’t so wrinkled. There are roots growing from various nodes, there’s 2 sets of leaves growing, and roots coming out of the bottom node.
I snapped a pic of mine that I re-rooted. My box is just about 1/2 the size of a shoe box. The backs of the leaves aren’t so wrinkled. There are roots growing from various nodes, there’s 2 sets of leaves growing, and roots coming out of the bottom node.
@TheOddAsity Oh damn, I’m glad you checked and caught it. Thanks for the pics and explanations. I did put mine in a zip lock bag (in the midst of moving, I don’t want more boxes 😅) with perlite. I don’t have spagnum moss, and it’s been snowing all day so I don’t want to drive when the roads aren’t taken care of. I plan on going tomorrow to get some. I checked another one I got with this one because I also repotted it in coconut husk, and I found out that its roots are also in the process of drying out. But, one of the cuttings had two tiny new roots. So, I repotted both cutting in regular soil, perlite and coconut husk. Should I put the one that doesn’t have any new roots in the ziplock bag? I’m not sure what to do. This is my first time experiencing dry rot. Thank you soooooo much for brining it to my attention! I would have never known otherwise what was happening to my Hoyas. The other two Hoyas I got with this same order are doing fine. One is even growing a teeeny leaf, so my guess is that these two really didn’t like being repotted in just coconut husk.
@MusicalRedmint Tysm for your help! I trimmed the stem along with the dry roots because the stem was also dry where the roots were attached. You know the “flesh” of the stem was coming off when I was trying to wash the roots. I put it in a zip lock bag with moist perlite. I didn’t cut it because I don’t know how to propagate Hoyas. I just made sure the stems are laying on the moist perlite. I hope this works 😓
@PlantMompy I don’t think Rosita is a sensitive or a fussy Hoya. I just made the mistake of repotting it as soon as I got it into pure coconut husk (terrible move). I did the same to another Hoya I got in the same order, and it’s also having dry roots. But, the Hoya Carnosa Krimson Queen has tiny new white roots growing too. So, I just repotted it in regular soil, perlite and coconut husk. I’ve been told that Hoyas are prone to being overwatered and root rot, but my god I’m having the opposite issue 😅 tysm for sharing your homemade leaf cleaner recipe—much appreciated 💗
@TheConservator Lol. If it’s getting sunstressed, I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. Rosia gets so beautiful when sunstressed. I hope you share yours when it’s all pink/reddish!
@OrangeGrass moist perlite will be just fine, even for the duration! You’ll see roots form probably from most of the nodes. Any you don’t want when you pot it up, just trim. It wouldn’t ever hurt to put the other one in a bag for a few days (the whole pot if it fits). Dry rot can happen if the plant is being underwatered or if it can’t hold on to the moisture (like if it needs more than just the husk). So that will be for you to determine. It’s my pleasure! Hopefully your move goes well and your Hoyas recover just fine.
You don't need to brave the weather for the sphagnum. Hoyas root really well in damp perlite. It's my preferred method even. Technically, you could even throw it in a damp bag, and it would probably root 😉 most root easily, propagate easily, and restart easily, so don't worry too much at this point. I often just throw my cuttings into my terrarium, close the lid, and that's it. That means if you wet some perlite and prepare it like you did, that's already plenty. If you have an already potted cutting that you think is struggling to take hold, providing more humidity is always great. Any humidity dome or something similar does the trick. In a pinch, just place a small plastic bag over the pot, and that already does wonders.
@MusicalRedmint I put the carnosa in a zip lock bag with the pot. Do you think it’ll be too moist and I’ll end up having the opposite problem now? I currently have the calathea white fusion with a plastic bag over it because it hates how dry it is here. I didn’t want to move them to my other plants because they are new. I don’t know how long to keep the new plants quarantined. Would three weeks suffice? I think these new babies would benefit from being near my bigger plants.
Oof, that's a difficult question. Depends on how safe you want to be and what kind of plants. Flat mites, for example, can have very long life cycles (or was it broad mites?) and mealy bugs as well, especially in cooler temperatures. That means 3 weeks could be way too short if e.g. they have just been treated in the shop and don't have any adults running around that you can see. Mites like hoyas and orchids, as do mealies, which is why I personally try to keep new ones quarantined for longer... in theory. In reality, at some point, I always get too impatient, especially with blooming plants😅. I try to minimize possible damage by checking new ones more regularly and not placing them among the bigger crowd, but still slightly separate. If you check them regularly, 3 weeks should be enough for spidermites and thrips, maybe.
As for the bag solution, that depends on how wet the pot is and whether you've placed the pot completely inside the bag, I guess. But I have several rooted cuttings in their pots in prop boxes without any issue. Only one, my sp.aff. bella has had difficulties, but I suspect it already came with a rotting stem. I would say, take care not to have the soil wet, but rather damp and it should all work out fine
As for the bag solution, that depends on how wet the pot is and whether you've placed the pot completely inside the bag, I guess. But I have several rooted cuttings in their pots in prop boxes without any issue. Only one, my sp.aff. bella has had difficulties, but I suspect it already came with a rotting stem. I would say, take care not to have the soil wet, but rather damp and it should all work out fine