Hoya Verticillata plants have experienced a massive increase in demand over the past few years. You probably don’t know this, but caring for a Hoya Verticillata is easier than taking care of a cat. Don’t misjudge or misunderstand the Hoya Verticillata; it is a vigorous plant that can withstand anything.
However, expecting it to grow and bloom without human intervention in a backyard is a bit too much. Don’t worry; the following paragraphs should tell you all there is to know about caring for a Hoya Verticillata.
Caring for the Hoya Verticillata (The Essentials)
If you want to see a Hoya Verticillata in the wild, you’ll have to book a ticket to the forests of Southeast Asia, specifically Indonesia. The Hoya Verticillata can be found clinging to trees for dear life.
They have shallow roots and delicate leaves that are a bit oblong. The most important feature of these plants is their blooming flowers that smell like whiffs of heaven laden on winds of freshness.
To bless your house with the beauty and fragrance of these delicate flowers, you will need to be careful about a few different things. Briefly, these things are:
If you want your plants to thrive, you will have to control all of these factors. Don’t worry; these seem complicated, but they aren’t.
Light Intensity
Every plant needs sunlight, but there is a thing such as “Too much sunlight.” The Hoya Verticillata has delicate leaves that are usually bright green. Too much sunlight will bleach its leaves and reduce the growth of its peduncles. A lack of sunlight will also do the same.
Ideally, the Hoya Verticillata should get both direct sunlight and indirect sunlight. Please place it in a position where it is exposed to direct sunlight in the early hours of the day.
When the sun reaches its high point, it should be sheltered from direct sunlight. All in all, keep it away from the torment of mid-day sunlight.
Temperature
The Hoya Verticillata is a plant native to the colorful forests of Asia. These plants grow beneath the forest’s canopy, which keeps them sheltered from direct sunlight. The temperature beneath the canopies also remains moderately warm.
Therefore, the Hoya Verticillata should ideally be kept where the temperature remains between 60 to 90 Fahrenheit. Don’t expect these plants to grow in cold environments. Sheer cold or icy drafts will tear them apart by slowing their growth and withering them.
Potting and Repotting
These plants grow on trees beneath the canopies. If you want to grow them at home or in your backyard, you need to use airy soil with good drainage. The soil should never be dense because the roots of this plant cannot expand in dense soil.
Use a pot and soil that allows for air circulation. Since soil tends to lose its airiness over time, you should repot your Hoya Verticillata into another snuggly pot and soil every year or two years.
The pH of the soil
The Hoya Verticillata needs neutral soil to grow. Ideally, the Hoya Verticillata pH for its soil should remain between 6 and 7 on the pH scale. You should look for fertilizers that do not alter this constituency so that your plant can thrive.
Pruning
You have to prune your plants based on the design that you have in mind. You can prune them more or less. One thing that you should never be doing is cutting off a large portion of your plant. Also, you should never prune its peduncles because they take a lot of time to grow.
If you sheer off its peduncles, you won’t get new flowers when the Hoya Verticillata blossoms. So please keep your mitts off their peduncles!
Watering
The Hoya Verticillata needs both the soil and air around it to be heavy with moisture in warm months. Warm weather robs the soil of water more quickly, which means you will have to water your Hoya Verticillata more.
The Hoya Verticillata also grows and blooms in warm weather, so you should water it more.
However, remember that excessive water will stunt your Hoya Verticillata. So when should you water your plant? A good indicator of this is the soil. If the top three inches are dry, it means your plant needs to be watered.
Fertilizing the Soil
Fertilizer for plants is like Protein Supplements for humans. They need the extra nutrition to grow and blossom. If you live in a warm region, where the sun shows its smug face throughout the year, your Hoya Verticillata will need to be fertilized frequently.
If you live in an area that experiences winter (Unlike Asia!), you should stop fertilizing the Hoya Verticillata throughout the colder part of the year.
Also, use a liquid fertilizer diluted in water. There is no universal fertilizer, so you will have to rely on the instructions on the back of fertilizer cans for dilution ratios.
Pesky Pests
The Hoya Verticillata is a succulent plant, which makes it susceptible to different pests. Taking preventive measures against these pests is necessary, especially if you live in a warm country. You can use eco-friendly and non-toxic pesticides to keep pests like flies or other insects.
How do you propagate the Hoya Verticillata?
Plants like the Hoya Verticillata are usually spread or propagated by their seeds or stems. You can use whichever you like, but if you are home gardening, use the stem method. It’s more economical and more accessible. So how does the Stem Method work?
You cut off a stem that is healthy and longer than 4 inches. The greener the stem, the better it will be for propagation. Place the cut-off stem in a water container or directly in the soil. If you want to increase the odds of it developing, place it in a water container and let it grow some roots.
Once it develops those roots, you should place it in the ideal soil and pot. The initial weeks are essential and crucial. You have to keep watering the soil, saving it from direct sunlight, and keeping it at a constant temperature. That’s all you need to know about how to care for your Hoya Verticillata.
Conclusion
Now we know all of the important things that determine the growth of a Hoya Verticillata. The most basic things that influence its development are Light, Water, and Soil.
If you don’t control these, you cannot say that you care for the Hoya Verticillata. In addition, a degree of sovereignty over the other related factors will give your plant the growth boost it needs.