Hoya kerrii flower belongs to the Grimaceae family. This plant is native to China, it can also be found in India, Australia. Thanks to its spreading shoots and textured leaves this plant got its name in everyday life wax ivy.
There are more than 200 species in nature, but several species are grown in indoor floriculture.
The houseplant hoya kerrii is an evergreen climbing liana capable of spreading its slender shoots up to six meters. Leaves are usually dark green, with variegated forms. The main difference from other species is the peculiarity of the leaf shape. Its shape is somewhat reminiscent of a heart. Peduncles are collected in bunches. The flower itself is in the form of an asterisk, the standard color is a white cream with a raspberry center. If the plant is well developed, then the flowering will be exuberant and abundant. After the hoya fades, the peduncles should not be cut off. Since re-flowering occurs on these shoots. During flowering, it is not recommended to rearrange the plant, otherwise, the peduncles may fall off. This houseplant is grown as an ampelous plant, it needs to provide good support or grow in hanging pots.
This plant can be grown hydroponically.
As mentioned above, in natural conditions there are many types of hoya, but at home, it turns out, not all of them can be grown. On sale, you can find various varieties of this plant, which differ in leaf color and shape. Also, hoya kerrii may differ in the color of the leaves.
This plant got its name thanks to the English gardener T. Hoy.
hoya kerrii care
With proper care, the hoya kerrii will bloom profusely and for a long time. Its flowering takes place on pedicels, which already had peduncles. Therefore, they should not be deleted. During flowering, the main condition is not to touch or rearrange the plant. Rearranging this indoor plant from place to place will cause the flowers to fall off.
– The soil must be loose and fertile. You can purchase ready-made soil for hoya kerrii, it can be a universal soil for indoor plants, or you can prepare it yourself. To do this, we take parts of sod, leaf, humus earth, and sand (1: 2: 0.5: 1). Mix everything thoroughly. You can add perlite or vermiculite to the soil.
– Planting is carried out in a special pot or hanging planter. Place a drainage layer on the bottom. It can be small expanded clay or pebbles. Pebbles can be used when planting in a pot, but it is better to use expanded clay in hanging pots since it is lighter. Next, we add the prepared soil to half of the container. Then we put the plant in the center, if support is needed, we also install it in advance. Next, fill up the soil, tamp it a little and water it abundantly.
– Hoya kerrii transplant is carried out only if necessary. If the plant is young, then you can transplant it once a year. We transplant adult plants only if it becomes cramped in the old pot, and the root ball has already filled the pot. It is best to replant in late spring using the same soil mixture as for planting.
Where to put hoya kerrii
– Lighting. In order for the plant to develop well and bloom, the light regime should be observed. The place should be bright, next to sunny windows. But the direct sun is contraindicated for them. If there is not enough light, the peduncles begin to fall off. And if it is too dark, peduncles are not formed. Airing can be done, but in such a way that air currents do not fall on the plant.
– The temperature during summer should be around 20-25 degrees, in winter it should not be lower than 16-18. The exception is fleshy hoya which blooms better at a temperature of 10-14 degrees. If the temperature is high, it will disrupt the resting time and the peduncles may not form.
– Humidity should be between 65-70%. Humidifiers can be used if necessary. Or increase the humidity on your own – spray 1-2 times a week. During flowering – spraying is contraindicated. In winter, spraying should be stopped. If the air is dry and semi-dry earthen lump, the plant goes into a dormant stage. You can also place the plant pot on a tray with pebbles and water to ensure good moisture.
How to water hoya kerrii
– Watering during the period of active growth should be abundant. The soil should have time to dry out between waterings. Watering needs to be optimally balanced. Be careful not to overflow or dry out the plant. In the spring, before active growth and flowering, the pot with the plant must be placed in warm water for two hours.
– Fertilizer should be carried out using liquid mineral fertilizers for flowering plants. It is better to halve the concentration. Feeding should be done twice a month. In winter, only a couple of times during the entire period. If the temperature in the room is low, then we do not carry out Fertilizer.
How to propagate hoya kerrii?
– Reproduction can be done in two ways: by layering on the mother plant – for this you need to wrap the shoot with wet moss and wrap the place with a film. After two weeks, roots are formed and the new plant can be planted in a container. But this method is not always convenient, since if the shoots are hanging down, it is not very convenient to wrap them with foil. And the shoots of the hoya are fragile. The second method of reproduction is to root the layers since as soon as the shoot touches the soil, it will soon form roots. They can be separated and transplanted after a month.
hoya kerrii Pests and diseases
hoya kerrii is a wax Plant, in addition to being unpretentious, it is very resistant to pests, but some hoya diseases are mainly associated with the fact that hoya care is disrupted.
– Pests can appear on hoya if they have run over from another plant. But if the growing conditions are violated, they can be affected by spider mites and mealybugs.
– Diseases are mainly associated with watering. With excessive moisture, the root system can rot. At low temperatures, leaves may fall off and wither. In bright and direct sun, the leaves can dry and curl, as well as turn pale.
hoya kerrii Bloom
The hoya kerrii flower is beautiful in itself. But from a design point of view, it can be combined with other hoya varieties. Also plant at the foot of other plants, so that when they grow, they twine around the trunk and cover the foot of the plant. Subject to all the conditions for caring for this beautiful planet, you can achieve abundant flowering and juicy dense foliage. This houseplant will fit perfectly into the interior of your home. Your hoya, caring for which, not too laborious, will delight you with its beauty. Good luck to you
