Common family flower care illustration version - Hoya

Hoya carnosa
　　is also known as wax orchid, cherry orchid, and heath vine. It is a perennial evergreen vine of the genus Hoya of the Asclepiadaceae family. The stem is fleshy, up to 7 meters long, with aerial roots between nodes, and strong climbing ability. The leaves are opposite, thick and fleshy, entire, with unclear veins, waxy, rich and plump, giving people a sense of fullness and wealth.

　　[Origin] Southern, Southeast Asia and Oceania

[Morphology] Evergreen fleshy vine. The stems can extend to more than 2 meters, with aerial roots on the nodes, climbing on trees or stones. The leaves are entire, opposite, with short petioles, thick and fleshy, shiny, ovate-elliptical or ovate-cordate, with gradually pointed tips, reddish in the first leaves, and green in the old leaves. Cymes, with more than 10 small flowers densely grown on the inflorescence in a spherical shape, waxy, white corolla, and light red in the heart, flowering from May to September, with a long-lasting fragrance.

[Habits] It likes a semi-shady environment with high temperature and humidity and slightly dry soil. It must be protected from sunlight in summer and autumn. Although it can grow without direct sunlight, it needs 3-4 hours of sufficient sunlight every day to bloom. It likes fertile, breathable, and well-drained soil. It requires sufficient water during the growth period, but avoids excessive moisture. Gradually reduce watering after autumn.

[Propagation and cultivation management] It is propagated by cuttings or layering. It is easy to take root above 20℃. Except for new vines that have not yet unfolded their leaves, all can be used as cuttings.

[Garden application] Ball orchids are often used as fences, stone attachments, and climbing wall materials in areas where they can be cultivated in the open. Potted plants can be used for hanging cultivation or several frames as pot decorations.



　　The top of the stem hangs. From May to September, spherical cymes are successively drawn from the leaf axils. The corolla is waxy and white to light red in color, quite similar to cherry blossoms. The corona has 5 pieces, which are spread out in a star shape and have a slight fragrance, so it is called ball orchid. The stems, leaves and flowers are all beautiful, suitable for potted plants. The pots can be hung under the shade racks of courtyards, branch gardens, corridors, teahouses, etc. to increase the landscape of the shade rack. It can also be used as an indoor decoration. It is a popular indoor decorative vine in recent years.

　　There are many artificially cultivated varieties, including spotted leaf ball orchid and wrinkled leaf ball orchid, which are more beautiful than the original species. The whole plant is used as medicine to replenish weakness, promote lactation, clear liver heat, relieve rheumatism, and relieve swelling and pain. Ball orchids

　　are distributed from southeast Asia to the islands of Oceania. They are distributed in southern China and cultivated in many places in the north and south. Originally a plant in the tropical rainforest, it likes high temperature and high humidity climate, has a slightly stronger cold resistance, can withstand short-term low temperatures of 1~2℃, and avoids ice and snow. It can safely overwinter in the open field south of the Tropic of Cancer. In most other areas, it can only be potted and placed in a greenhouse or indoors in winter.

　　It likes diffuse light, tolerates shade, and avoids direct sunlight. Suitable for humus soil or pond mud with long-lasting fertilizer effect and good drainage. Mix compound fertilizer as base fertilizer during planting, and apply thin nitrogen fertilizer water once a month or every other month. It is relatively resistant to water and humidity, avoids drought, grows slowly, and consumes less water for stems and leaves. Watering can be less in general seasons, but in hot and dry weather in summer and autumn, spray cooling and moisturizing from time to time to prevent dry wind.

　　It can be propagated by sowing, cutting or layering. The follicles mature in August to December, and the seeds are hairy. The seeds that mature in summer and autumn should be sown as soon as they are collected. The seeds collected in autumn and winter can be stored until the next spring when the weather is warm.

　　The seedlings are thin and weak, grow slowly, and require meticulous care to prevent sun and rain, shade and frequent spraying for moisture. Most plants cultivated indoors are not strong. Cutting and layering methods are often used in production. Cutting can be carried out at other times except winter and early spring, when the temperature is low. Old stems of one or two years old and tender stems of the current year can be used as cuttings. Each cutting has 2 nodes, and the leaves of the previous node are retained or left without leaves. Insert them into containers or flower pots with loose soil and shade them to keep them moist. Roots can be generated in 15 to 20 days. After about 3 months of cultivation, the container seedlings need to be moved to a larger flower pot for planting. Seedlings from flower pots can no longer be transplanted. Layering is carried out during the vigorous growth period of May to August. Select the near top of the tender stem and press it into the soil at the node bud. After about half a month when the root system develops well, cut it off and plant it, which is more effective.

Common varieties:
　　Compacta, with twisted stems, wrinkled leaves, dense growth, slow growth, and suitable for potted plants.
　　Variegata, with milky white or pink leaf edges.
　　Tricolor, with bronze young leaves, bud-like old leaf edges, and red flowers.

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　　​Hoya shepherdii is native to the low altitude areas on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, where temperatures below zero are common, which may be why it is so hardy.

　　As for the ability of Hoya to tolerate high temperatures, we should know that most species of Hoya are native to the hottest tropical regions on Earth. The key to surviving extreme temperatures that are far from ideal for cultivation is to provide high humidity that is almost 100%. When the temperature is low, the amount of watering should be small, just enough to prevent the leaves from shrinking. A fan in Atlanta almost lost all his Hoya last winter because he dried the plant too much and the roots died of drought. My Hoya survived even with less watering. We compared our cultivation environments afterwards and concluded that the only difference between our two environments was that the humidity in my greenhouse was much higher, close to saturation.

　　High humidity can also protect Hoya in hot summers. I have seen someone else's environment where the exhaust fan was turned on 24 hours a day, watering was done every day, and a 50% shade mesh was added to the top of the greenhouse, but the leaves of the Hoya were still as dry as potato chips. I don't use exhaust fans in my greenhouse because I'm afraid that the draft will bring mealybugs in. Instead, I have installed many circulating fans in the greenhouse. As a result, the humidity in the greenhouse is always close to saturation, and my hoyas have never suffered leaf burn.

　　Although many hoyas grow best and have the most beautiful leaves in a living room with heating in the winter and air conditioning in the summer, they rarely bloom in that environment. If indoors is the only place you grow hoyas, if you want to see them bloom, find a place for them outside in the summer, under a large tree, on a shaded porch, anywhere that can be out of the midday sun.

　　Some varieties of hoyas prefer a medium with calcium carbonate added, but most varieties still prefer a slightly acidic medium. Some varieties native to coastal areas even need to be sprayed with salt water, so if you live by the sea, you can definitely find a variety of hoyas that are suitable for local conditions.


Pests that harm hoyas


　　are common: aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and scale insects. They are all easily controlled with systemic insecticides, unless you are an anti-pesticide user. Some people use rubbing alcohol, some use sprayers, and some dilute the alcohol and then add soapy water. Some people say that you should rinse it off with water after using the alcohol. In fact, it is not necessary. Just don't let the plant be exposed to the sun before the alcohol evaporates, just like you can't expose the plant to the sun with water droplets. Some people use disinfectant soap. I personally think that alcohol and disinfectant soap are useless unless you use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to wipe the pests off, but this is impractical and extremely time-consuming for a large number of plants

　　. If you have a small number of plants, applying alcohol is the best method. For greenhouses with thousands of plants, using chemical pesticides may be the only effective means. If you can afford to hire a professional pest control person, I strongly recommend that you let them handle these pesticides. If you do it yourself, be sure to follow the instructions of the medicine strictly and wear protective equipment. The best way to control pests is to do a good job of prevention. Quarantine new plants for 6 weeks before introducing them. Remember.



Growing Hoya Orchids


　　Growing Hoya Orchids is a simple matter with a high "return rate". Although some varieties grow slowly, most grow vigorously and bloom easily. The external characteristics of Hoya Orchids vary greatly. Some look like small bushes, while others are "Spider-Man" with large leaves.

　　Unlike common plants, Hoya Orchids always bloom on the same pedicel, so you must not cut off the pedicel after the flowers fade. Some people say that keeping the pedicel will make the flowers bloom more abundantly next year. Of course, there are exceptions, such as Hoya bella, which only blooms once on each pedicel, and the pedicel is discarded after the flowers fade.

　　Basically, Hoya Orchids are divided into three types of cultivation: hanging cultivation, winding (climbing) cultivation and upright cultivation - like shrubs. It is said that some people have transferred this type of upright Hoya Orchid from the Hoya genus to the genus Exuvia. These varieties include multiflora and cummingii. Their idea is certainly not because of the difference in their cultivation methods, but because their flowers are different from other Hoya Orchids.

　　Generally speaking, Hoya is a climbing plant. It will wrap around and cling to anything it can grab. Even the neighboring branches of the Hoya hanging will get entangled with each other. Lacunosa is a typical example. Some species of Hoya, such as Ariadna, have difficulty clinging to artificial supports. The reason may be that in the wild, they cling to the trunks of large trees. On the windowsill, the supports we provide are often not stable or large enough.



Cuttings


　　Since commercial Hoya is rare in the market, buying or exchanging cuttings may be the easiest way to collect them. A good cutting should have at least two nodes (of course, the more the better), four leaves, and preferably 6 to 8 leaves. It is easy to root and survive.

　　There are many ways to root. Some people use water soaking, some people use solid medium, and the most effective method is to use solid medium. Mix one part of peat moss or peat soil, one part of vermiculite, and one part of small-grained expanded clay (ceramsite). Before cutting, the wound of the cutting should be fully dried. Insert the cutting so that the two leaves below touch the surface of the medium. Cover the pot with a plastic bag to increase humidity. Don't forget to make one or two ventilation holes in the plastic bag.

　　When propagating Hoya cuttings, use your imagination as much as possible. If you lack flower pots and plastic bags (?!), many things at hand can be used. Old plastic water cups and coffee cups, don't forget to make a few drainage holes, a match can do it. Soda bottles can be made into mini greenhouses, just remove the top and turn them upside down on the flower pot. "Desktop" small incubators are very suitable, and heated ones are better... If you want to cut cuttings in large quantities, you need to invest some money.

　　If there are flower buds on the cuttings, some people suggest that they should be removed, thinking that it will hinder rooting. Usually the flower buds on the unrooted cuttings will fall off by themselves, but if you don't care about it, it may eventually bloom. My advice is to ignore it, and it will not affect the cuttings much.
When the cuttings have taken root and started to grow, they should be replanted in their final container. Don't make it too big. It's better to be smaller than larger. A pot that's too big will force the plant to grow roots constantly, affecting the growth of stems and leaves and flowering.


Potting medium


　　I think every hoya lover has his or her favorite soil and mixed medium. I have heard of growers who can grow hoyas with any commercial flower soil. Of course, most growers don't dare to manage their babies so extensively.

　　When you find and buy a hoya from a corner of a flower shop, the shop assistant may tell you to let it get more light, give it less or no fertilizer, and only give it very little water. This view that hoya doesn't like water and fertilizer, I threw back to them before I walked in. In fact, hoya likes humidity. If you plant bella in a self-watering pot and fertilize it regularly, it will definitely bloom more than ever. If you let the potting soil of serpens dry out, it's probably going to die soon. My experience is that species with fleshy leaves need more water, but the soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings. Those with thin leaves should be watered regularly, but not too long. None of the Hoyas I know of like heavy soil, so your planting material should be well-ventilated.

　　Mix one part perlite or vermiculite (note that the latter is decomposable, sometimes quite quickly), one part ceramsite with the finest particles, one part peat moss or peat soil, and two parts garden soil (if peat moss is used, garden soil can be replaced with peat soil). This planting material is suitable for most species of Hoyas. For species that are more sensitive to the environment and do not like to dry out, you can add more peat moss. I like to use at least 85% peat moss and garden soil, or pure peat moss. Do not use planting materials with a high sand content, which will dry out quickly and become hard.

　　The most delicate of the Hoyas I collect are serpens and curtisii, which can never be allowed to dry out. I plant them in orchid soil and they grow well.



General Care


　　Many people believe that Hoya should be kept dry, with little or no fertilizer. This is fine if you do it this way and don't go too far, but if you follow this as a rule, you may lose a lot.

　　Here are my own guidelines. Please note that I am only an amateur grower and my methods may not apply to all varieties. There will always be exceptions. In addition, I am not the most fanatical enthusiast after all. My experience only comes from collecting and growing more than 90 different varieties, so you can try to figure out their temperament yourself...

★ Varieties with thick and hard leaves or fleshy leaves

usually like sunlight. These varieties grow better if the pot soil is allowed to dry out between watering. The fleshy leaves are the "water reservoir" of the plant. The hard leaves indicate that the water evaporates very slowly. When mentioning this rule (drying out), I immediately think of an exception - australis. In my experience, it grows best in semi-shaded, moist but not wet conditions.

Typical varieties: H. erythrina, H. pubicalyx, H. subquintduplinervis

★ Thin-leaved varieties

need to be watered frequently and kept in high humidity. Thin leaves indicate that the water in the leaves evaporates quickly. They cannot be exposed to strong sunlight, so east-facing or west-facing windows are most suitable for them. North-facing windows are also fine.

Typical varieties: H. multiflora, H. pauciflora, H. sp. Tanna

★Varieties with fuzzy light green leaves.

They like sunlight. Because of their thin leaves, they need more water to prevent dehydration and wilting.

Typical varieties: H. ciliata, H. linearis

★Varieties with fuzzy dark green leaves.

In my experience, these varieties like cool and shady environments. They need to be watered frequently and maintained with high humidity. The potting soil cannot be dried out, but it cannot always be wet.

Typical varieties: H. thomsonii, H. tsangii, H.. serpens