What is Hoya Linearis?
Hoya linearis, also known as wax plant, porcelain flower or Hindu rope plant, is an evergreen perennial native to Southeast Asia. It is a fast-growing pliable vine with thick waxy leaves and prolific clusters of star-shaped flowers in shades of pink and white. Hoya linearis can be grown in containers both indoors and outdoors, depending on the climate conditions. In addition to its attractive foliage and flowers, hoyas are easy to propagate from cuttings which makes them a great choice for gardeners looking for new plants without having to buy more.
Preparing Cuttings
The best time to take hoya cuttings is during the summer months when the plant has plenty of energy for regrowth. Before taking cuttings it’s important that you sanitize your pruning shears by dipping them in rubbing alcohol or disinfectant solution; this will help prevent any diseases from spreading between your plants. Once sanitized select stems that are mature (at least six inches long) but still somewhat flexible so they don’t break off easily when handled; then snip just below a node using scissors or shears so you get a clean cut each time. If needed remove any excess leaves on the cutting before placing into water until rooting begins.
Rooting Cuttings
Once prepared place several hoya stem cuttings into warm water (room temperature) inside a glass container then set aside out of direct sunlight while roots develop over the course of 1 – 2 weeks; continue changing out old water every other day during this process if necessary until roots reach one inch in length or longer before potting up into soil mix specifically formulated for succulents/cacti such as cactus mix or coarse sand/perlite blend with slow releasing fertilizer granules added at half strength rate per gallon size container used (5 – 10 pounds). Rooting hormone powder may also be applied directly onto stem cuts prior to insertion if desired since hormones accelerate root growth times significantly but keep in mind too much can cause leaf yellowing as well so use sparingly & follow instructions carefully!
Potting Up & Care
Once established within soil pot up newly rooted hoyas into larger pots allowing room for further growth; try adding some coconut coir fibres along bottom portion of planter which helps retain moisture levels better than perlite alone plus prevents drainage holes from becoming blocked over time due to heavy clay soils like cactus mixes contain often do when wetted down repeatedly… Move containers containing rooted cuttings slowly towards brighter light areas gradually over course few days/weeks depending upon seasonally available sunshine otherwise sunburn damage may occur quickly even though hoyas prefer bright indirect light settings most year round indoors especially late winter months through early springtime hours typically speaking anyways! Water thoroughly after repotting making sure not saturate top layer too much however since soggy soils lead root rot problems more often than not unfortunately…
Finally pinch off any dead blooms regularly once per month ideally around same timescale you feed your other houseplants including those planted outdoors come warmer seasons…. Doing these simple maintenance activities keeps plants healthy happy growing strong year round hopefully no matter what type living environment they happen reside!!
