First Hoya! Needs love.... any suggestions?

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Hello! I've only recently even learned of the wonderful Hoya and then I find this fantastic forum. It seemed only fitting that I would share. A coworker had a plant hanging in the bathroom at work. One day I notice these flowers and think "oh it must be fake." I touched it and was amazed it was a real plant. I had come to admire it and its glossy blooms. Then one day it was gone! I thought I would never find out what that crazy plant was. A couple weeks ago it come up during our morning break when the owner said it was a wax flower plant from her grandmother. I began looking into it and fell in love. I had no idea there were so many kinds! I asked her for a cutting two days before she is scheduled for her maternity leave and she graciously offered this started plant instead. She said with her fourth child on the way she didnt have time to nature it back to health. Its been beaten on by 3 kid under 8 years old, 2 cats, and 1 dog. She told me this little thing is actually the mother plant of the gorgeous one from the bathroom! It's the one she got from her grandmother, and in honor of that, I'm making a macrame hanger to keep it in! I'm going to repot it with well draining soil, I picked up some granulated 14-14-14 fertilizer, and I'll be placing it in a West facing window. Did I miss anything? Also, I have no idea what kind it is. I'm assuming carnosa, from what I can remember the flowers were pale white to pink with pink centers. The leaves appear to have mild silver splashes. Thanks!

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Comments (5)

meghannen
Original Author
9 years ago
I've completed the repotting! There's hardly any root structure left to this poor little plant! The old soil had a lot of white mineral deposit from well water. What are my chances that it will make it? I'm already attached.... In the first picture below, farthest to the left, there are two very woody, dead looking stems. Do I need to prune these? Just let them be?
Christian Sin
9 years ago
That looks like pubicalyx to me... but if you look at the post I made the other day, I'd wait for input from the pros. Hahaha

Also, if in doubt, you can start over by taking cuttings of the plant and rooting those. There are a lot of posts about rooting hoya cuttings. I've rooted many cutting this summer, and I've only had hoya this year.
meghannen thanked Christian Sin
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Denise
9 years ago
It looks like it's actively growing, so I would just let it settle into its new soil and see how it does. Did you put it in a bigger pot? Hoyas don't want too much root space - it makes it easier to overwater if there's too much soil around the roots. I would also grow it out of any direct light until you see active new growth...just back from the window a couple feet. This way it's not fighting dehydration from the hot sun while it's settling in the new soil.

I think it's carnosa, myself, especially since the flowers were light colored. Pubs tend to have dark mauve to deep purple or burgundy flowers. Best of luck with your new Hoya!

Denise in Omaha
meghannen thanked Denise
Denise
9 years ago
One more thing, Meg... if you want more carnosa to put with yours to "beef up" the pot, I have one rooted you can have for postage. You can e-mail me at greengirl1958@yahoo.com.

Denise in Omaha
meghannen thanked Denise
meghannen
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks Christian and Denise! I actually put it in a smaller pot. I had read in the forum they like to be root bound. The new pot is an inch smaller in diameter and two inches shorter than the old pot. I might have to take you up on that offer Denise!