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adamm321

Hoya carnosa variegata 'Rubra'.. culture?

AdamM321
19 years ago

Hi,

I just brought home a little $3. plant of Hoya carnosa variegata 'Rubra' from HD. It has care instructions on it. which basically says high light but not direct sun. Not easy to provide that is it? I have an East window but due to a tree to the south of it, I get less than an hour direct sun but moderately bright light the rest of the day. I have a west window but it does get a few hours direct sun in afternoon. Should I leave it in the EAST or try to place back away from the west window so it is not in direct sun?

Also, the care card did not indicate how large to expect this to get, or whether it flowers, or whether it is vine or shrub? Can anyone tell me? Do hoyas have fragrant flowers?

Thanks,

Adam

Comments (11)

  • mairzy_dotes
    19 years ago

    Hi Adam~
    The morning sun on it would be fine. Most hoyas like a little bit of sun as long as it is not hot mid day sun or too many hours of it.
    Most hoyas (and the one you have) are vining type plants. They make nice hanging basket type plants as you can wrap the vines as they grow up & around the pot and hanger. They are easy care and like to be "snug" in the pot so if you plant it up, don't go much bigger than the one it is in for now. It will grow in relation to care and time of year. Most of them are slowing down due to light and temperature changes. The one you have will stay a nice basket sized plant for a long time. If it gets too big, you can trim it up, pot it back down and make cuttings for your friends.
    That one is a very pretty one and one of my favorite hoyas. I believe it it is most often the first hoya people buy.
    Happy hoya days.
    Marcy

  • mairzy_dotes
    19 years ago

    Oh yes, and they most certainly DO bloom. Some examples of hoya blooms can be found in the folling URL:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hoyas

  • AdamM321
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Hi Marcy,

    Since my East window barely gets any morning sun, I wonder if the West window might be okay? Right now it is hard to say because the leaves are still on the trees. I suppose you don't have that problem in CA? In another month when all the leaves drop, I will have a better idea of how much direct sun I will be getting. Right now I don't have that much direct sun coming in the west. I noticed yesterday that by 3:30 it was all gone. So I have it in the West window right now. I am in the LRoom a lot that has the east window and it is sunny today so I will have to notice just how much direct sun there is.

    So, it IS vining. Well that should be interesting. Not a vine that climbs, right? I don't have any place to put hanging baskets. Is there another arrangement that would work ok? Thanks for the warning about them slowing down now. Should I be holding back fertilizer then?

    The one I have is only in a 3" pot, so I am in a hurry for it to grow to a decent size..lol. It is a pretty variegation and I love the thick leaves. So when should I expect bloom?

    Thanks for the link too.
    :-)
    Adam

  • AdamM321
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Hi,

    Well it has been 5 months since I brought home that hoya. I have kept it in the same small container on a West window, and it has stayed healthy but hadn't seemed to be growing much. I read somewhere it liked to stay in small pots. I just noticed one of the stems has new growth on the end...finally! So I was thinking, will I be able to plant it out in the yard this spring, when it warms up? I was considering adding it to a large container full of plants as an accent. Any advice?

    thanks,
    Adam

  • daisy_me
    19 years ago

    My Hoyas enjoy spending the summer outside, however keep in mind that your Hoya is not winter hardy and won't last if you leave it outside permanently. I saw tons of Hoyas used in outdoor hanging baskets in Florida, so I plan to mix a few into my container plantings this year. Just make sure they don't get too much direct sun, and to acclimate them to their outdoor environment gradually.

  • pirate_girl
    19 years ago

    Hi Adam,

    Some Hoyas slow down in winter, some don't. I see you're in MA, I'm in NYC, I have some that slowed down this winter, yet some that just kept on going.

    I'm not sure abt planting it outside as I only grow indoors, but 2 cautions if I may. They're not winter hardy (my H. carnosas are lookin' kind of crappy this winter, tho' some still show active growth). Also most like to be potted small (which I see you've also read), so I'd advise against large containers, community or otherwise. Also, pls. don't fertilize until Spring.

    They can take a number of yrs. to bloom, so, pls., get yr. patience ready. I have 30+ Hoyas, at least 5 no ID carnosas, none of which have ever bloomed. Some of my varieties other than Carnosa have bloomed.

    Carnosa DO vine & climb, so you may not have hanging baskets, but you can make a hoop out of wire & attach it loosely to it for support. Some folks use trellises, some just wind the vines around the pot. Sorry, to tell ya, but these aren't the best plants to grow if you're in a big hurry, but I love them all the same!

  • seaecho1
    19 years ago

    I got a variety of carnosas on ebay four months ago, and I don't as yet see ANY growth on any of them. This doesn't disturb me though, since I have orchids - and they are slow as molasses! If you can wait years and years for orchids to bloom, you have no trouble waiting for the hoyas! And they dislike being repotted so do it as seldom as possible. They can stay in the same container (as previously stated) in most cases, for many years. OK. . . I guess I haven't been as observant as I should (having 100 plants indoors) but I just now looked at my hoyas, and a couple of them DO show a couple of inches of new growth! So I'm assuming they'll pick up a bit come spring. In any case, I think they are just beautiful plants - the variegated compacta (hindu rope) being my absolute favorite! I just love unique looking plants, which might explain why I recently got into carnivorous plants. Ever try them, Adam? Fascinating!

    Randi

  • AdamM321
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Hi,

    I still have that Hoya that I bought in the winter. I wanted to put it out in the yard for the summer. Any suggestions of where to put it out there?

    Adam

  • mairzy_dotes
    18 years ago

    A porch or patio is a good spot. Or, do you have any trees you could hang it under? A shady spot to start is best as it is not used to the sun from a bright outside location and you don't want to burn the leaves. They also turn a washed out yellow from too much sun.
    You can gradually let it have some morning sun, or dappled sun from a mostly shady location.
    Marcy

  • AdamM321
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Hi Marcy,

    I have a porch but the spot I would have to hang it is a Western Exposure and it would be in the sun all afternoon. I have trees, I will have to find one to hang it from. I am getting ready to repot it. What is the best potting soil for it? I have a peat based potting soil, perlite, and composted cow manure. Are any of those good for it?

    thanks,
    Adam

  • CanadianCeedub
    18 years ago

    Adam, I just found this thread and thought I'd give you some advice somre of which basically mirrors what's been said above.

    I use plain old potting soil for all my hoyas and they grow just fine. Others have ultra-specific recipes for hoya culture and they grow just fine. The one thing you have to be careful of in repotting a hoya, is don't pot it up more than 1" - you have it in a 3" pot now, re-plant it into a 4" pot - no bigger - and only if there are roots coming out the bottom of your 3" pot. If not, wait until there are. It could be 2 or 3 years before you'll need to repot it. In fact, I never repot a hoya the first time, until it has bloomed for a season, then I transplant very early the following spring.

    Happy Hoya growing!

    Christine

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