The evergreen ornamental plant was called “wax ivy” because of a peculiar plaque. In the natural habitat - the tropical forests of Australia - it blooms beautifully and curls, entangling undersized young trees. Having migrated to countries with a cold climate, it is grown as a houseplant. Succulents has more than 200 species. Some of them are giants with a diverse palette of umbrella inflorescences, others are miniature creations with barely noticeable, tiny flowers, as if created by the hands of a jeweler.
What does it look like to which family
Hoya Carnosa, or fleshy hoya, is one of the representatives of the Kutrov family, possessing beautiful, rather large leaves, with a characteristic waxy bloom and fabulous umbrella inflorescences of 15-20 flowers. Each star-shaped flower is slightly pubescent and can reach 20 mm in diameter. Bright cherry whisk complements their light cream color.
Hoya Carnosa during the flowering period
From time to time, trembling droplets of nectar form on the flowers. Flowering lasts almost all summer, exuding a stupefying aroma (not all varieties). In room conditions, with proper care, the hoya is able to form lashes up to 3-5 m. It received its name in honor of the botanist T. Hoya.
The variety of types of Hoya
This type of hoya has several varieties, the most popular of them:
- Compact. Liana, characterized by an abundance of leaf cover and white flowers resembling a bell. Flowers are collected in large hemispherical inflorescences.
- Tricolor. Has yellow-red shiny leaves with a green fringing. The flowers are a pale purple hue, with a bright middle. It can bloom in several stages, over 6 months.
- Variegata. Cream-colored flower petals are decorated with a burgundy core.
- Exotic. Liana with wavy yellowish-pink leaves framed by a green border.
Hoya Tricolor - one of the brightest representatives of the species
Note! After the purchase, do not immediately transplant the plant. He needs time for acclimatization.
Features of home care
The plant is completely unpretentious. It’s easy to take care of him. Knowing some of the subtleties of its cultivation, you can easily create conditions for continuous flowering and the formation of thick green lashes.
Good care pleases with abundant flowering
Landing algorithm
For planting, you need to choose a suitable pot or planter. It is better to stay on the high options, because the drainage layer of 3-4 cm of expanded clay or pebble is pre-laid on the bottom.
Then a layer of earth is poured. The composition of equal proportions of soil for cactus and soil mix for flowering plants is best suited. Such an arrangement will have a loose, breathable structure. Before planting, the roots of the plants are washed and slightly pruned. The soil is compacted. After the procedure, the bush is not watered for a day, only sprayed.
Additional Information! The bottom of the pot must have drainage holes.
Lighting
Hoya Karnoza is an extremely photophilous plant and feels great on the windows on the south side of the apartment. To avoid burns, it is better to shade it with a special mesh. East and southwest windows are also suitable, but living on the north side, the plant is unlikely to bloom. On short winter days, artificial lighting is allowed. As soon as the carnival hoya picks up the buds, it is strictly forbidden to rearrange it to another place, even turn it, otherwise you can be left without flowers.
Temperature mode
In the summer season, a favorable temperature for the hoya in the house is up to 20-24 ℃ above zero. When airing a room, you should pay attention to drafts, the plant does not like them. In the winter months it withstands a drop in average temperature to +10 ℃.
Watering
Moderate watering once a week in summer, in winter once every two weeks. If the top layer has dried 2 cm in depth, then the flower needs to be watered. Lack of moisture leads to inhibition of flowering and growth retardation. Stagnant moisture - to rotting of the root system, so the liquid collected in the pan should always be poured.
Air humidity
Hoya is a tropical plant, so additional moisture in the form of systematic irrigation will benefit him. This should be done with warm water, avoiding splashing on the inflorescences.
Top dressing
Top dressing is carried out only in the summer of 1 time in 2-3 weeks using complex fertilizers.
Rest period
With a short daylight and a decrease in temperature indicators to +12 ℃, the plant falls into a dormant period. It can be avoided by creating the necessary conditions, but this will inevitably lead to the fact that the capricious hoya in the spring will cease to bloom and not gain buds.
Pruning
Florists recommend removing only long shoots, leaving only flower stalks, which in the next season will again form buds and bloom. The reason for the lack of flowers on a healthy plant can be: large pots, lack of minerals, pruning of flower stalks, placement of the crop on the north side with insufficient lighting.
How to breed
The most common method of propagation is by cuttings. When cutting cuttings, you need to work with last year's shoots. Each of them must have at least two internodes. The slice is treated with root, placed in the prepared substrate. Use a film coating to create a greenhouse effect. After the appearance of a sufficient number of roots - planted in pots.
On a note! Hoya leaf propagation is not practiced.
Transfer
When transplanting, experts advise using the transshipment method, so the roots are less damaged. Before transplanting, carefully examine how tightly the root system has filled the pot. If weaves of white roots peek out from the drainage holes, an urgent transplant is necessary. Usually, a young hoya is transplanted once a year, picking up a pot a couple cm more than the previous one. Old plants are transplanted once every 3-4 years as described.
Plant transplantation is an important stage of care
Possible problems in growing
Growing new plants from seeds can cause many problems. First of all, it is difficult to get good seed material. It is impossible to collect on your own, since a plant growing at home rarely forms seed pods, and on sale seeds of the desired varieties are almost never found.
If somehow managed to get the seeds of wax ivy, then sow them in early spring in small containers with a light substrate, lightly sprinkle and spray using a spray gun. If the seeds are healthy, the first seedlings will appear in 6-8 days. They provide good lighting, moderate humidity and constant temperature. Shoots do not touch until 12 weeks, until they acquire a strong root system and get 2-3 pairs of leaflets.
Additional Information! A distinctive feature of hoya is the ability to pick flowers on old peduncles, so they are not removed.
Exotic views of Hoya
Outdoor cultivation of wax ivy
It is unlikely that anyone will decide on the experimental cultivation of hoya in the cold northern conditions. In the southern regions, if the climate allows, you can try, but with regular care: timely watering, fertilizing with nutritious mixtures and fertilizers, pest control (there are more of them than in the apartment), a suitable place with good lighting and soil. For the winter, you still have to dig out, transplant into a pot long before the cold snap.
Diseases and pests
Like all types of succulents, the hoyu is attacked: whitefly, scutellum, mealybug. In the fight against them, various kinds of acaricides are used. The most dangerous pests for lianas are thrips, scab. The plant is pre-sprayed, after which special preparations are applied strictly following the instructions.
Hazardous Plant Pests
Fungal diseases are treated by treating leaf plates with a solution of laundry soap and copper sulfate. When the roots are rotted, the liana is dumped out of the pot, the earthen lump is washed off with warm water, all affected areas are removed, dried, treated with special preparations and planted in a new substrate.
Resorting to the decorative properties of plants, you can "revive" even the most "cold" and boring interior. Having found a place for your favorite varieties of wax ivy, it is possible to bring a bit of exotic into your home, besides filling the house with a pleasant aroma.
