How to propagate hoya at home. Hoya - ways to propagate a magnificent vine

Ripe seeds are slightly dried and sown in a substrate with good air permeability (for example, with the addition of sphagnum moss, pieces of burlap or felt). The ability of seeds to germinate quickly disappears; they should be sown fresh (no later than 1 year after collection).

By the end of the week, the seeds germinate and require careful care:

• the substrate should not be allowed to dry out;
• Do not over-moisten the soil;
• lighting should be good;
• should be treated with a fungicide for preventive purposes (Bordeaux mixture). The use of drugs containing copper is strictly contraindicated.

You can sow seeds into pieces of sphagnum moss, wrapped in a nylon mesh: the moss is damp, the seeds grow through the mesh cells. Seedlings are transplanted into pots together with moss, the roots are not damaged.

In about 3 months healthy seedlings are transplanted into separate pots. About 80% of plants can be grown from seeds; if the percentage of germination is less, it means the seeds have lost their viability or the roots of the seedlings have rotted.

It is difficult to find hoya seeds; more often they use other methods for propagation.

What do the seeds look like?

Hoi grown in apartments do not produce seed pods. There are no insects that pollinate hoya in our latitudes. Hoya seeds are small in size, have light “parachutes”, reminiscent of dandelion seeds (they look just as “fluffy”)

When to plant?

Regardless of the time of year, you can sow hoya seeds, if they are fresh and have not lost their germination.

Propagation by cuttings

This method is the most popular; when favorable conditions are created (high humidity and the right temperature), rooting occurs well.

There should be 2 nodes on the cutting (these will form leaves or form roots).

There are several ways to root cuttings:

1. 1. In water(leaves are removed from the nodes on the cutting, treated with root hormone and placed in water). Place the container in a warm place (22 degrees), maintain high humidity (you can cover it with plastic wrap, a greenhouse will form). After 2 weeks, the roots that have appeared will be noticeable; they should be transplanted into pots without waiting until they grow long (they become fragile and break off).
   2. Into hard substrate(porous soil mixture, perlite, peat tablets, vermiculite, sphagnum moss) cuttings are planted after treatment with a powder that accelerates root formation. Humidity should be maintained (excess water should drain out), protected from moisture evaporation (spray regularly or cover with glass).

To root hoya, the peat tablet should be moistened, the dried cuttings should be placed in the recess of the tablet, and covered with a bag on top (creating a mini greenhouse). After 2 weeks, roots will appear; you can plant them together with the tablet in a pot.

1. Step-by-step rooting instructions in breathable soil:
   • the cut stalk with 2 nodes should be dried;
   • pour soil with a high peat content into a plastic container;
   • place the cutting in the soil (up to the internode), water lightly;
   • cover the container with a lid, making holes in it for ventilation;
   • place in a warm place (22 degrees) until rooting.

When is the best time to propagate from cuttings?

Hoya can be propagated using cuttings from shoots from the previous year. at any time of the year except winter.

From a sheet

This method is labor-intensive and may not always be successful. Before planting, the leaf should be treated with a growth stimulator (kinetin, adenine sulfate). Leaves can remain leaves for a long time, even after the appearance of a powerful root system. To grow Hoya from a leaf, it is necessary that the leaf has a piece of cutting (the growing point is located in it).


When trying to propagate hoya by leaf, it must be planted in a tight pot and fed periodically. Some gardeners managed to get shoots after stimulating the hoya leaf with roots (driing the substrate, lowering the temperature, creating good lighting). Shoot growth was observed after the first year of leaf life.

How to root?

For better rooting, you must follow the recommendations:

• take short cuttings;
• plant several cuttings in one pot;
• take healthy cuttings for rooting;
• Rooting occurs faster at a temperature of 22 degrees;
• spraying is required (humidity must be high);
• place pots nearby to increase humidity;
• stir into the soil (for large hoi) 1 node with leaves and 4 nodes for small species;
• you need to place the growing end of the cutting in the ground, not the cut end;
• as long as the cutting is green, you can hope that it will take root;
• cuttings should not be rotated during rooting;
• when placed in a warm place, growth is noticeable after 2-3 weeks;
• some species grow a long shoot that needs to be tied up.

An adult plant will need support to make it easier for the vine shoots to develop.

Photo

Next you will see photos of Hoya seeds and propagation:

Unlike some other plants, hoya can be propagated in several ways:
1. Propagation by stem cuttings.
2. Propagation by seeds.
3. Hoi propagation from leaves.

Propagation by stem cuttings

One of the easiest ways to propagate Hoya.
For successful rooting with stem cuttings, it is very important to remember two aspects that you should pay attention to: the size and age of the cutting. At home, the best results are obtained from cuttings with two nodes that span two pairs of leaves. Such a cutting grows new shoots faster than cuttings with one node and more successfully than long cuttings with many nodes. In general, the following rule applies to rooting from cuttings: cuttings with thin, small leaves root better with two nodes, but some species that have large leaves root better with one node.

The age of the cutting is also important during rooting. A cutting taken from the top of a plant will root less successfully, since the stem tissue is still young and may rot when trying to root such a cutting. The best option is to take mature cuttings for rooting, but which have not yet become lignified.

Before planting the cutting in the soil mixture, it must be properly pruned. The best place for roots to grow is the area directly below the node. If the trunk is long, then it must be trimmed and only a few centimeters left under the node. After a new shoot appears from the leaf axil of the first node, the second node can also be trimmed and used for rooting.

The correct direction of the plant when planting is also very important. If you plant a cutting upside down, it will not take root and grow.

Rooting cuttings in water

To successfully root a cutting in water, you should take a darkened or transparent container, but wrap it in aluminum foil so that light does not fall on the water. The leaves of the cutting are removed from the lower node, which will be immersed in water. The container with the cutting must be placed in a warm and humid place so that the temperature of the water and air does not rise above 22° C. The higher the humidity, the higher the temperature must be raised. If there is insufficient humidity, the cuttings may wither, then they need to be placed in a loose greenhouse. Within approximately 14 days, roots appear on the cuttings. The daylight factor should also be taken into account. In the autumn season, without lighting, plants are more difficult to root. When roots appear, it is advisable to plant the plant immediately in a permanent place of residence, since the roots are very fragile and can be damaged during transplantation.

Rooting the cuttings in the substrate

Although most Hoyas root in water, soil rooting is more reliable. But ordinary purchased soil is not suitable for these purposes. It is best to make a mixture of different ingredients yourself.
Basic rules when preparing mixed soil for rooting hoi:
1. Air permeability. Without air access to the roots, the cutting may rot. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the soil is well permeable. For this you can use sand, vermiculite or perlite.
2. Preservation of humidity. Cuttings need water to thrive and grow roots. The more breathable the soil, the more difficult it is to retain moisture. By placing the cuttings in a plastic bag, you can solve the problem of retaining moisture and maintaining soil permeability. Cuttings absorb water very slowly without roots. It is by placing the cuttings in a bag that you can reduce stress on the leaves while the roots grow and can supply moisture to the foliage.

For rooting, soil, perlite, vermiculite, sand, and sphagnum moss are usually used. You can root in one moss: carefully cover the stem with a node with moss and place it in a greenhouse. This method is suitable for species of Hoi that are difficult to root in the ground due to their appearance - for example, H. carnosa compacta, whose leaves are very close to the trunk and it can be very problematic to plant such a cutting in the ground.
Perlite is also great for rooting - it reduces the likelihood of cuttings rotting. You need to pour a small amount of perlite into a plastic bag, slightly moisten it and place the cutting there. This method is well suited for cuttings that have several nodes. By placing such a cutting horizontally in a bag of perlite and lightly sprinkling it with this substrate, after 10 days you can see roots near several nodes and after that you can plant several cuttings with roots in the ground.
A mixture of soil, perlite or sand is great for rooting single-node cuttings with large leaves. It is best to soak the peat tablet - free it from the mesh and mix it with perlite or sand. The components that make up the peat tablet prevent rotting of the cuttings and promote rapid rooting, and perlite - the passage of air to the roots. You should also not forget about drainage in case of rooting in the ground.

Propagation by seeds
All hoyas can produce seeds after flowering, but rarely have any of us seen them indoors. In typical apartment conditions, hoyas very rarely form pods. But still, let’s consider this option for breeding hoi.
Seeds are produced in pods after flowering. They must be well ripe for sowing - it doesn’t hurt to dry them a little. Before sowing, prepare well-permeable soil, possibly with the addition of sphagnum moss. Seeds for sowing should be taken only fresh (in the year of collection), then the percentage of similarity will be high. After sowing in the ground, the seeds sprout quite quickly, with two leaves on a short stem. But despite successful germination, sprouts can die from either overdrying or overwatering. Warmth, good lighting, humidity are the main components of successful cultivation of seedlings. The seedlings should not be touched for about 3 months, and only when they have several pairs of leaves and good roots can they be transplanted into a separate container.

Hoi propagation from leaves
This is probably the most difficult and lengthy reproduction process. Very often, a hoya leaf planted in loose soil quickly produces roots, but in this state it can live for many years without sprouting. Throughout the history of the development of hoya growing in the world, much research has been carried out on this method of rooting. As a result, we can conclude that a new plant can be grown from a hoya leaf, but subject to certain rules. As a rule, for rooting, leaves from hoi plants that grow in nature are taken - they have more strength, but it is possible to conduct an experiment on a leaf from a houseplant. The leaf is planted in loose soil at an angle of 45°, and within a few weeks roots appear on the leaf. Next, the main task is to stimulate the production of growth cells and shoot development in the leaves. To do this, you can use the drug heteroauxin (or another hormonal drug), a drop of which is pipetted onto the base of the leaf. If the experiment is successful, within a short time after this, the leaf will sprout a new shoot.

The glossy sparkle of foliage and the velvety charm of star-shaped corollas, collected in dense umbrellas of inflorescences, attract lovers of indoor vines. Caring for hoya at home will appeal to both a disciplined gardener and a person who is forgetful or often travels on business. Interior designers love to use the plant for - the shiny leaves of the hoya give the green wall a special shimmering effect.

The genus Hoya of the Kutrovaceae family includes 51 plant species, but about 450 names are in a state of uncertainty. Under natural conditions, hoyas grow in India, China, the islands of the Malay Archipelago, South Korea and the northeastern edge of the Australian continent. The plant received its name in honor of the English gardener T. Hoy, who devoted his entire life to growing tropical plants in the greenhouses of the Duke of Northumberland.

Botanical portrait

Hoyas are perennial plants with climbing, climbing, and sometimes drooping stems. Their leaves are fleshy, leathery, deep emerald in color, with a characteristic sheen, up to 20 cm long, 5 cm wide, located oppositely along the pagons.

The flowers have a complex structure, are snow-white, cream, lemon yellow, pink or salmon-scarlet, collected in axillary inflorescences. The corollas are five-lobed, the petals are fleshy, smooth, and feel like velvet.

The most popular types in indoor culture are:

Hoya propagation at home

Flower growers practice sowing seeds and rooting stem cuttings. With a certain amount of patience, it is possible to grow hoya from a separate leaf blade. Before propagating hoya at home, you need to familiarize yourself with the existing methods of obtaining new plants.

The best time to propagate hoya is the beginning of the growing season. Although the plant does not have a pronounced rest period, during the cold season of the year the growth processes of the vine slow down. With the arrival of spring, hoya can be propagated more effectively, although you can experiment with rooting shoots in other months, but not at the time of flowering.

Hoya: propagation by cuttings

The cuttings are cut from a healthy pagon. It should be short - 5-6 cm, consist of two internodes and 1-2 pairs of leaves. The lower leaf blades are removed, leaving only the upper pair. Before rooting the Hoya, the cutting is dried for a couple of hours, then the cut is treated with a root formation stimulant - heteroauxin or root and buried in a soil mixture or in a vessel with water.

Substrate options for rooting cuttings:

• peat and sand, taken in equal parts;
• 2 parts fertile garden soil and 1 part sand;
• vermiculite;
• sphagnum moss.

A bowl with a cutting placed in water or a substrate is covered on top with plastic film or glass and regularly moistened with a spray bottle; do not forget to ventilate quite often. Experienced gardeners use plastic bottles with the bottom cut off and provide air access by unscrewing the cap.

The vessel with the rooted cuttings is placed in a warm place where it is possible to constantly maintain a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius. The roots will appear after 2 weeks. The plant is transplanted into a separate pot without waiting for the root system to develop, because, as they lengthen, the fragile roots easily break during transplantation.

Hoya propagation by leaf

A leaf that is healthy and young is selected, and it is cut off with a small fragment of the petiole - this is where the growth point is located. This is important because, cut off at the very base, it will remain a leaf blade sticking out in the ground, albeit with roots, and will not form a shoot.

The method of obtaining a new specimen from a separate leaf is similar to how hoya is propagated by cuttings. The planting material is also dried and treated with root or other root formation stimulant. The composition of the soil mixture is the same, however, several leaves are planted in a tight pot and fed periodically. It will take a long time, about a year, before a pagon forms from a rooted leaf.

Growing Hoya from Seeds

In indoor conditions, the pollination process is difficult, and it is almost impossible to become the owner of planting material. However, if you're lucky, you can purchase it at a specialty store or order it from suppliers. Hoya seeds in the photo look small, hemispherical in shape and dark chestnut in color, with a characteristic fluff, like a dandelion. They ripen in small pods. They should be sown in a soil mixture consisting of leaf and turf soil mixed with chopped sphagnum moss in the year of collection.

Shoots appear quickly, in about a week. The soil is constantly watered, but make sure that excess water flows into the pan through the drainage holes. The container with the seedlings is kept in a warm corner of the room, and after about 3 months the plant with 2-4 leaves is planted in separate containers. To prevent fungal infection, periodically spray with Bordeaux mixture.

Knowing how to grow hoya from seeds, many new specimens are obtained, but this method is not entirely suitable for hybrid plants - the parental characteristics of the variety are often lost.

Hoya transplant at home

Hoya does not like frequent transplants. An adult plant is moved to a new substrate once every 2-3 years, young specimens - annually. It is always important for a novice gardener to know what kind of pot is needed for hoya and how to plant the plant correctly, selecting the most necessary components to compose the soil mixture.

Choosing a pot and transplanting time

The succulent grows poorly in spacious containers, weakly increases its vegetation mass, “sits” in place for a long time and refuses to bloom. Therefore, it is advisable to plant the plant in a small pot. The material from which it is made does not play a significant role. The gardener just needs to remember that moisture evaporates from a clay container faster than from a plastic one, and the watering regime will have to be adjusted accordingly.

When to replant hoya is also important. You should not start replanting on the eve of the winter season; it is better to wait until spring.

Plants moved to a new soil mixture in the fall do not take root well and often die over time, never recovering from the replanting measures.

Earth mixture for growing hoya

Soil for hoya can be purchased from a specialized flower shop or you can make your own substrate. The following selection of components is possible:

• leaf soil - 2 parts;
• - 1 part;
• turf land - 1 part;
• sand - 1 part.

For planting more mature plants, add 0.5 parts of humus. The Hoya is watered well the day before so that no problems arise when removing the flower from the old pot.

For Hoya beautiful, you need a slightly different composition of the soil mixture - 1 part each:

• leaf soil;
• crushed fern roots;
• fibrous peat;
• sand;
• 0.5 parts of crushed charcoal fragments.

How to plant hoya correctly?

It is advisable to disturb the roots to a minimum; if possible, use the transshipment method. The root collar is buried at the same level as in the previous container. Place the plant in the center of the pot, holding it with one hand, carefully add soil so as not to damage the roots. If the hoya has long stems, before moving the plant to a new container, strengthen the support in it, and then plant the flower so as not to injure the root system by driving a peg into the substrate.

The main condition for replanting is that the soil for hoya should be loose, air- and moisture-permeable, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction.

Hoya: home care with photos

It is easy to care for the plant. The basic techniques for caring for hoyas are no different from caring for many succulents.

Accommodation requirements

Liana prefers brightly lit places in the apartment. But the impact of scorching rays on the surface of the sheet plates must be excluded. Window sills of south-eastern or southern windows are suitable, provided there is diffused light.

The plant should not be disturbed by frequent rotations around the axis of the flower container.

The temperature preferences of the succulent are moderately warm. In the autumn-winter period it is kept at temperatures of at least 12 degrees Celsius. In summer, plants are not happy with the intense heat; they wilt and look depressed if they are not immediately helped by spraying. They respond with gratitude to moving to the garden or balcony, where they stay during the warm season. When night temperatures drop to 15 degrees or slightly lower, hoya is brought into the house.

Watering and spraying

The moisture regime for growing different types of hoya is different. Plants with hard leaves are watered after the top layer of the earthen clod has dried a few centimeters. Hoya southern needs constantly moist, but not soggy soil.

Varieties with thin and pubescent leaves prefer to grow in dry soil mixture and partial shade of western windows. However, acidification of the soil in the pot must be avoided.

The plant is favorable to spraying, however, as the room temperature drops and daylight hours decrease, the need to increase air humidity disappears.

Feeding Hoya

Plants are regularly fed with a mineral complex for beautifully flowering succulents. Add it to irrigation water in strict compliance with the proportions specified by the manufacturer on the packaging. The frequency of feeding is maintained no more than once a month.

Before fertilizing the hoya, water it well the day before. Some gardeners are interested in whether there should be calcium in the nutritional composition. Most experts agree that the plant does not respond well to hard water and, therefore, is not at all favorable to this element.

Many people are also concerned about the question of whether Hoya needs pruning. The plant is pruned in the spring in order to initiate the development of lateral branches and give the vine a more magnificent shape.

How to make hoya bloom at home

Many flower owners complain that hoya does not bloom. How to care for hoya to enjoy amazing fragrant flowers every year? Flower growers with experience in growing wax ivy advise keeping the plants in a cool winter, providing them with a rest period, watering them very rarely, and not feeding them at all. If the plant overwinters in a warm place, there will be no flowers.

After the hoya petals wither, the flower stalks are not cut off - in the next season, umbrellas of inflorescences will form on them again.

Fertilizers for hoya with a high nitrogen content prevent the formation of buds. It is preferable to choose preparations where there is either no nitrogen at all or a very small amount.

Possible problems in growing

Mistakes in caring for hoya include overmoistening the substrate. As a result, the root system, and then the entire plant, is damaged by fungal diseases. Due to lack of lighting, the vine develops slowly and refuses to bloom. And when the temperature in the room where it is kept drops below 15 degrees, it sheds its leaves.

Among the pests on hoyas, scale insects, flat mites and aphids were noticed. Repeated treatment with insecticides helps get rid of them. It is more difficult to fight root nematodes - they are difficult to notice, and when the cause of the plant’s poor condition becomes clear, it is too late to save the plant. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to preventive measures - disinfection of flower containers and purchased soil mixtures.

Hoya has many fans. The waxy inaccessibility of its flowers always evokes admiration and surprise at this unusual natural creation. Caring for hoya at home is within the capabilities of anyone, even an inexperienced gardener. You just need to apply not so much effort. But how much grace there is in this monumental foliage and graceful umbrella inflorescences!

General rules for caring for Hoya - video

Hoya is a magnificent vine that can often be seen in houses and apartments. Its wonderful flowering attracts the attention of many. The name of the plant is due to the gardener Thomas Hoy. The article will talk specifically about such a plant as hoya, in particular about reproduction.

General information

Hoya is a very flat plant that requires careful care at home. Without timely garter or support, it will be difficult for him to develop. External characteristics:

• The shoots are thin, stretching downwards.
• The leaves have a rich green color, varied shapes, and dense structure.
• The color range of inflorescences is wide, from white to colored. Each flower looks like a small star, inside of which there is a small crown of a different color.
• Has a wonderful aroma.

Once the plant begins to bloom, it should not be moved or moved, otherwise the color will fall off. With proper care, flowering will be abundant and long throughout the warm period. Faded inflorescences are not removed; over time, new ones form on them.

There are many types of hoya in nature, about 200. Let's look at the most popular:

• Meaty. Many call it wax ivy. Growing at home it can reach 2 meters. The leaves are quite massive and large, with a waxy sheen. It may have a cream or red tint, with a yellow border around the edges. The color palette of the inflorescences is white and light cream, with a pink crown inside. They smell fragrant.
• Beautiful (beautiful). A small shrub, with gentle branches 30-580 centimeters long. The leaves are small and fleshy. There are quite a lot of inflorescences, all small, white, with a crimson crown inside.
• Multi-flowered. The plant climbs very beautifully, the leaves are oblong, dark green. The inflorescences are white-yellowish in color, with many small flowers inside. The aroma is pleasant, reminiscent of lemon.
• Majestic. A small shrub with climbing shoots. The leaves are oblong and dense. The inflorescences are dark red, with an asterisk inside. The flowers are yellowish on the outside. They smell fragrant.

Reproduction methods

Cuttings

There is more than one way to propagate a plant at home. The simplest one is cuttings. For successful rooting it is very important to create the right conditions. To make the cuttings take root faster, use simple rules:

• The root should be cut with a sterile and sharp object.
• It is better to cut short cuttings that have 1-2 leaves.
• There must be several nodes on the cutting; it is on them that roots or leaves will form. Root hormones are inherent in the nodes.
• The tip of a long cutting may dry out due to lack of moisture.

Cuttings can be rooted in several ways:

1. By water:

• The pot is filled with water and wrapped in foil to block light (to prevent the development of green algae). The petioles will be in a vertical state, inserted through the foil.
• The leaves on several nodes are removed, after which one of them should definitely be covered with water.
• Before lowering into water, the sections are dipped in root hormone.
• The pot is left in a warm, humid environment.
• The temperature should be about 22°C, both air and water.
• Wilting of cuttings indicates insufficient air humidity. You can correct the situation by covering the cutting with foil. A greenhouse with the necessary climate is created.
• In just half a month, your cuttings will be covered with roots.

The plant is transplanted into a pot when the root system is just beginning to develop. Longer roots become too fragile and break easily when separated.

This method is quite painstaking. Many people resort to a simplified version. Place the cuttings in an ordinary dark vessel (for example, a vase). Move it to a warm place and spray it often. As the water evaporates, add more. Roots appear successfully under such conditions.

1. Solid substrates. In this method, it is very important to choose the right substrate. It must retain moisture well. Also, too raw will not work. Loose soil is suitable for hoya so that all excess water is not absorbed, but drains. Buy a high-quality and pure substrate from a specialized store. Before planting, the pot should be disinfected.

There should be inherent moisture around the plant. This is achieved by creating a greenhouse and frequent spraying. Several plants in one room can significantly increase the humidity.

Tips for replanting hoya:

• Do not use long cuttings.
• If possible, it is worth planting several cuttings in one pot.
• Small hoya cuttings are planted in a pot horizontally, or at an angle. It is imperative that several nodules are covered with soil. You can bury 10 knots.
• For planting in a hard substrate, use strong and healthy petioles.
• Stick to a temperature of 22°C, in which case growth will be active.
• High air humidity and constant spraying are important.
• Placing pots next to each other will increase humidity.
• For large species of hoya, one node with a leaf is placed in the ground.

Be careful to plant cuttings correctly. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish the cut end from the growing one. If the growing end gets into the ground, it dies.

If the stem is green, or at least one leaf is on it, rooting has a chance of success. You should not despair, do not throw away the sprout, give it the opportunity to sprout.

When the cutting is constantly twisted and examined, it is unlikely to survive.

After 14-20 days, the first roots and signs of development may appear. But this is only if all the rules have been followed and the plant is shrouded in care.

Basically, hoyas initially form a shoot, so that in the future there will be a good vine, it should be tied up. The tip of the resulting lash refuses to grow down - the plant stops growing. This phenomenon is absolutely natural, but it applies to hoya ampelous.

When a florist orders cuttings via mail, they arrive in a dry state. Then they are placed in warm water with added sugar and allowed to sit for a couple of hours. With proper transfer, the cuttings remain moist, and the chances of successful rooting are quite high.

Leaf

Sometimes they try to grow hoya from a single leaf. In fact, the chances of finding a new plant are not so many, but the method has a chance to exist. In any case, you will have to use powder to form roots.

To propagate a plant in this way, you should make every effort. The leaf is planted in light soil; it takes root quite quickly, but unfortunately does not grow into an adult flower.

Many scientists in the field of botany have proven that it is much easier to grow a plant if the leaf was taken from nature, the places where hoya grows. In such conditions, it receives much more useful components and can withstand weather conditions more easily. Almost all leaves taken from nature successfully become beautiful and healthy plants.

Tips you should listen to if you want to grow hoya from a single leaf:

• To stimulate growth cells in hoya leaves, it is worth resorting to chemicals.
• When using products, it is better to take a pipette. It is much more convenient to drop it into the center of the leaf so that the liquid flows evenly down.
• A leaf that has at least a tiny petiole has a much better chance of growing into a full-fledged plant.
• The leaf is planted only in loose soil, always at an angle of 45 degrees.

Seeds

Another way to propagate hoya is by planting seeds. Fresh seeds are brought to full maturity by lightly drying. The soil for planting should absorb moisture well. For these purposes, the following is sometimes added to the ground:

• Felt.
• Burlap.
• Other artificial fabrics.

Seeds are planted quickly enough, within a year after collection. Otherwise, it will be difficult to wait for growth. over a longer period they will lose the ability to germinate.

Initially, the seeds are brown in color. After planting, they turn green, and after 7 days the first sprouts hatch. A short stem with several leaves appears. This period is considered the most difficult. The rules of care must be clear:

• Drying out the soil is contraindicated.
• Due to the large amount of moisture, putrefactive processes may begin and the sprouts will wither.
• To avoid the above problems, spraying with fungicides is highly recommended. Oil-based products should not be used. Observe the dosage strictly.
• Seedlings should be protected from snails and slugs, which will attack especially at night.
• At the initial stages of growth, fertilizers are not used; there is a huge risk that the seedlings will burn.
• It is important to choose the right substrate, then fertilizers will not be needed, good soil already contains all the necessary components.

The young plant is kept warm, with acceptable humidity and good lighting.

According to numerous reviews from gardeners who grow Hoya at home, it follows that the seeds germinate well in sphagnum balls wrapped in a nylon mesh. Moistened moss holds its shape remarkably well. Small seeds simply need to peck through the mesh. The sprouts can be transplanted along with the ball to a permanent place of growth. In this case, the delicate roots will not be damaged.

The sprouts remain in the sowing bowl for quite a long time, about 3 months, while they are considered to be young plants. To transplant them into a pot, they must gain strength, get stronger, and sprout at least a few leaves. It is not uncommon for the sprouts in the seed bed to be quite different from each other (in size, structure). Only strong and fully formed ones are replanted; the rest are given time to grow. Those that remain flimsy and weak are simply discarded.

A bowl may contain a plant that is not similar to itself, with various mutations. Give this growth a chance to fully grow and you may end up with a new and beautiful looking Hoya. This situation is rare, but does occur. Almost 80% of the seeds become a full-fledged strong plant. If this does not happen, there are several main reasons:

• Old and non-viable seeds were planted.
• Young roots have rotted due to active watering.

At home, hoya does not throw out seed pods, so it is impossible to grow a flower from seeds at home. Finding them on sale is also quite difficult, especially in a flower shop. Maximum via the Internet, but no one guarantees quality. Therefore, the main method of propagating hoya is cuttings.

Difficulties you may encounter when growing hoya

If you decide to acquire a plant such as hoya at home, be prepared for the following difficulties:

• Spots appeared on the leaves. This occurs with a lack or excessive amount of light, frequent fertilizers, or the application of fertilizers in large quantities. Stains can also occur from watering with cold water.
• No flowers. The plant may lack nutrients in the soil, or there may not be enough light. Another reason is wintering in a warm environment. Hoya may not bloom for several years if the flower stalks have been cut off.
• The leaf of the plant dries out and curls, becoming lighter. Occurs due to a decrease in temperature or direct exposure to the sun's rays.
• The leaves are falling. The air is too dry.
• Buds appear, but before they have time to bloom, they fall off. The indoor air is too dry and there is not enough moisture (or too much).
• Leaves and shoots are falling. The plant was watered with cold water, or moisture stagnation occurred.
• Putrefactive processes of the root system or stem. Too much moisture.
• Flowers are falling. There is little light, the plant was often rearranged.
• The plant grows slowly, the leaves change color. There is not enough nitrogen in the soil.

Plants may be susceptible to pests and diseases. If you do not provide the hoya with decent care, she may suffer the following troubles:

• Spider mite. Appears when the room with the flower is too hot and dry. Recognized by the presence of brown or whitish spots on the leaves. Over time, they turn yellow, dry out and crumble. The plant stops developing. In this case, increase the humidity and treat the flower with the necessary preparation.
• Shield. Hoya loses its attractive and healthy appearance, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. A fungus appears. At the initial stage, the plant can be treated with soap or alcohol water. In advanced cases, it is taken out into the fresh air and treated with karbofos.
• Powdery mildew. It is visible on the leaves in the form of a whitish coating. With severe damage, plaque covers the stems and buds. To correct the situation, provide good ventilation in the room and humidify the air.

You can deal with sucking pests at home using regular garlic and onion infusions. You need to take a teaspoon of chopped onion and 1-2 teaspoons of garlic. Fill with water and leave covered for 24 hours. Treat the plant with tincture.

There are several ways to root cuttings.

Rooting in water

The book “Hoya Basics” describes the following method. The wide pot is wrapped in aluminum foil, which blocks the water from light (green algae does not develop) and keeps the cuttings in an upright position. The leaves on one or two nodes of the cuttings are removed, since at least one node without leaves must be under water. The cuttings are placed in water through a small hole in the aluminum wrapper. Before doing this, it is advisable to dip their sections in the root hormone. The vessel should be placed in a warm, damp place. The temperature of water and air around the plants should not exceed 22*C. If the air humidity is high, the temperature can also be maintained higher. If the cuttings wither, this means that the air humidity is insufficient. In this case, you should loosely cover the cuttings along with aluminum wraps. This creates a small greenhouse with a tropical microclimate. Under such conditions, a mass of small white roots will soon form on the cuttings. This usually happens after 14 days.

It should be noted: when the roots on the cuttings grow too long, they become quite fragile and easily break off when the cuttings are separated from each other. Therefore, it is advisable to plant plants in a permanent place at an early stage of root formation.
The method described above requires some effort.

I simply place my cuttings in a dark vase or other opaque vessel. I top up the evaporating water and spray the cuttings daily. The vase stands in a warm sunny place. Roots form without problems.

Rooting in hard substrates

Cuttings can also be immediately planted in loose stone mixture, sphagnum, porous flower soil or other moisture-retaining substrates. The most important thing here is that the substrate is of medium humidity, but not too damp. The soil must have such a structure that any excess water can drain out immediately. It is also important that the substrate and rooting vessel are sterile! Rooting powder greatly speeds up the appearance of roots. There should always be one leaf node in the substrate. Evaporation of moisture must be prevented in some way. To do this, you can again use a foil bag or regularly spray the leaves. Several hoyas together in a small room, due to their “breathing,” significantly increase the humidity of the air.

Here are some useful tips:

1. cuttings should be short.
2. If possible, it is better to plant several cuttings of the same species in a pot.
3. cuttings of small Hoi species should be planted in the substrate horizontally or at an angle. One or two nodes should be covered with soil.
4. use only fresh, healthy cuttings for rooting in hard substrates.
5. the temperature should not fall below 22*C. Then rooting occurs faster.
6. Maintain high air humidity (spray regularly).
7. Place pots next to each other, which significantly increases air humidity.
8. in small species, 4, 5 or even 9 nodes can be buried in the substrate. For large hoi, one node with leaves should be pressed into the soil.
9. it is important to know which end of the cutting is the growing one and which is the cut end, which is not always clear. If the growing end is planted in the ground, the cutting will die.

As long as at least one leaf or one stem, even without leaves, is green, there is a chance of successful rooting. Don’t lose hope and, especially, don’t throw away the plant prematurely! Constantly looking at and inevitably turning the cuttings can also lead to “sad” consequences. If the pot with cuttings is placed in a bright and protected place, then after 2 - 3 weeks signs of new growth should appear. Some hoyas first form a long shoot, which should be carefully tied up if you want to grow a beautiful climbing plant. The tip of their new lash never wants to “voluntarily” grow down and growth stops. This, naturally, does not apply to hanging hoyas.

Cuttings that arrived from afar (by mail, etc.) are usually overdried. They should be kept in warm water for several hours, to which a little sugar should be added. If the cuttings were properly packaged during shipment and retained natural moisture in the leaves and stems, then the chances of rooting are much higher.

Hoi propagation from a single leaf

Sometimes you have to grow hoya from a single leaf. It takes a lot of luck to get a new plant out of it. You can’t do without rooting powder here.
In 1856, Dr. Atillo Tassi, professor of botany and agriculture, director of the Royal Botanical Garden of the Royal Academy of Lucca, managed to grow the plant from seeds that he discovered in a bag containing a single pod of Hoya carnosa, which had ripened 20 years earlier. In his report, he talks about methods of propagation of Khoi: he describes the method of propagation by cuttings and also mentions propagation by a single soil leaf. Many botanists have conducted such experiments in the past. The leaf was planted in the mixture. Roots usually appeared without problems and the leaf did not die. But it never grew into an adult plant. Many Khoi collectors later tried this method with the same result.

Several years ago, Dale Kloppenburg received ten beautiful hoi leaves and flowers from Chanin Thorut, collected during an expedition in Southern Thailand. Kloppenburg measured and photographed them, then planted each leaf in a separate dark green plastic pot filled with loose soil mixture and placed it in a greenhouse. He buried the bases of the leaves into the substrate at an angle of 45*. In favorable conditions, roots appeared quickly. In the following months, these eight leaves sprouted and today have grown into beautiful, strong and healthy plants. Kloppenburg later received some exotic leaves and flowers from Ted Green of Kaaawa (Hawaii). These are the leaves of H. finlaysonii and H. verticillata. He also wants to grow them into adult plants.

Kloppenburg claims that plants collected from nature sprout more readily than those grown in cultivation. He explains this by saying that the important factor here is the vitality of the plants, which they received from the intensity and exposure to sunlight and from the proper nutrition that the plants had in nature.

Here some tips to successfully achieve the emergence of a sprout from a single leaf.

Essentially, the petioles at the base of the leaves produce masses of roots. The art is to stimulate the leaves to produce growth cells and develop shoots. You can try to “excite” the leaves with chemical stimulants, such hormones as adenine sulfate [one of the three nitrogenous bases of DNA, which is found in all living cells], kinetin [a hormone from plant cells that regulates their division and brings dormant buds out of dormancy] 2- 4D [?] or gibberellic acid [a growth-forming substance, one of the most active gibberellins]. By the way, 2-4D is, in fact, a weed killer. But in a very weak concentration (one drop per 4 liters of water) it stimulates root formation. Dale Kloppenburg used an eye dropper for his experiments. He dripped the solution onto the center of the leaf above the cutting and it flowed down to the place where the roots formed.

Experiments with gibberellic acid showed weak, depleted growth. Kloppenburg carried out additional experiments with indolyl 3-acetic acid [this is the abstruse name for heteroauxin]. He diluted one small crystal in a glass of water and, after roots appeared from the leaf, applied the solution to the base and cuttings. Experiments were carried out only on strong leaves. H. carnosa, H. verticillata, H. kerrii, H. diversifolia and H. finlaysonii successfully sprouted. Dale Kloppenburg in his book “Hoya Basics” writes that the process of propagating hoya from a leaf is possible, but requires additional research.

For three years now, I have had 2 rooted leaves of H. kerrii in my collection, which I bought at a flower shop for Valentine’s Day. Over the first two years, the leaves became about 1 cm thick, but they never produced any shoots or new leaves. A hoi collector I know gave me the advice to replant the leaves and carefully examine the root system. While replanting store-bought rooted leaves of H. kerrii, he noticed that their roots were compressed into a hard piece of wood. I followed his advice and was amazed! Both leaves of H. kerrii were sticking out of the pieces of wood. The roots were so powerful that they had already partially destroyed the wood. I removed it and planted the leaves in Hoi substrate from Haage. After this, both leaves became noticeably stronger and healthier. But they still remained “only” leaves. On one English forum for gardeners, I read that there is a high probability of growing a plant from a leaf if such a leaf has a piece of petiole. All the same, even under these circumstances, hoyas are reluctant to give new growth. I think they only tend to germinate when they have enough leaves and don't want to grow in unacceptable conditions.

Growing hoi from seeds

Having a seed pod, you can propagate hoyas in the most natural way. Fresh seeds must ripen, for which they need to be slightly dried. For sowing, a well-permeable substrate is used. It’s good, for example, to add chopped sphagnum to the earth mixture. You can also mix artificial materials into the soil, such as felt, burlap or other fabrics, or use them directly as a substrate. Hoi seeds very quickly lose their ability to germinate, so they should always be sown fresh, in the year of collection.

Seeds germinate quickly, often within the first week. From brown they turn green and soon sprout. First, two cotyledon leaves are formed on a short stem. From now on, the young seedlings are exposed to all sorts of dangers. They should never dry out. From excessive dampness they rot and fall. Therefore, it is advisable at this time to spray the seedlings with some fungicide, for example, Bordeaux mixture (oil-based solutions cannot be used) or other substances containing copper. Follow the dosage strictly! The lives of seedlings can also be threatened by snails and slugs if they climb into the seeding bowl at night. Seedlings should be kept moist and warm with good lighting. Fertilizers should not be used at first. In the collections, many cuttings and seedlings burned due to fertilizers! The substrate in which the roots develop well has all the necessary nutrients.

It is very convenient to use small sphagnum balls wrapped in a nylon mesh for germinating seeds. Wet moss holds its shape. Small seeds easily germinate through the mesh. Young plants are planted in pots directly with these balls. This way the fragile roots do not break off.

About 90 days from the moment of germination, seedlings are considered young plants and are kept in a sowing bowl. For the first transplant into an “adult” pot, they must have strong roots and several pairs of leaves. Often they differ in size and strength even in the seeding bowl. Only healthy ones should be transplanted into separate pots. Let the “lagging behind” grow up in a bowl for some more time. Some remain weak forever and must be discarded. Particular attention should be paid to mutants or seedlings of unusual appearance. Perhaps a new interesting form of this species will grow from them [this happens among cacti, although quite rarely]. The chances of growing a young plant from seeds are about 80%. If this fails, in most cases it is because “old” (not capable of germinating) seeds were sown or the roots of the seedlings have rotted due to excessive moisture.

It is impossible to find hoi seeds in Germany [even more so here]. All Hoi sellers grow their plants from cuttings. This is not due to the reluctance of traders, but to the difficulties of fruit formation in Khoi. Hoyas in cultivation very rarely form seed pods. Most Hoi lovers, like me, keep their plants indoors and never see seed pods on them.

Prepared for publication by Svetlana Shavelina