HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HOYA (EXAMPLE: HOYA CARNOSA FRECKLED SPLASH)

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HOYA (EXAMPLE: HOYA CARNOSA FRECKLED SPLASH)

Here are some tips for caring for your Hoya Carnosa Freckled Splash plant, in particular. Most Hoya Vines follow these rules!

 

Light

Place your Hoya Carnosa Freckled Splash in a location with bright, indirect light. A bright, North-facing window can be perfect for this plant. Avoid direct afternoon sunlight! The sun can burn the leaves of this Hoya... and cause this Hoya to drop its leaves! This vine can eventually flower in a simi-dark room, but that is not preferred.

 

Water

Water your Hoya vine when the top inch of the potting mix is quite dry. Overwatering will lead to root rot, so it's better to underwater than overwater. Water less frequently in the winter. In fact, almost all Hoyas can go practically bone dry between waterings without severe harm. But it is better to let the top inch of the potting mixture go dry between waterings. That way, there is always a bit of moisture in the pot.

 

Soil

Use a well-drained potting mix with a slightly acidic or neutral ph. You ‘should’ use 1/3 standard houseplant potting mix, 1/3 perlite and 1/3 Orchid bark. You want water to drain straight through the potting mixture. Always pour off the water in the catch tray.

 

Temperature

Keep your Hoya vine at a temperature between 60–85°F. It can take temperatures down to around 45 degrees – INDOORS! But keep it warm if you can!

 

Humidity

Hoya vines prefer humid conditions, so aim for at least 60% humidity. You can group your Hoya vines with other moisture-loving plants or run a humidifier nearby. (But this is not absolutely necessary! Just keep it away from heater vents/air conditioner vents and it will adjust to your home.

 

Fertilizer

Use 1/4 teaspoon balanced, water-soluble fertilizer per gallon of clean water (NOT TAP WATER) every time you water during the growing season. Reduce feeding in the fall and winter.

 

Pruning

Resist the urge to prune your Hoya vine to shape the plant. Avoid cutting off the long tendrils, as new leaves and flowers will emerge from them!!! The more you allow your Hoya vine to grow upward, the better chance of flower spurs forming!

 

Repotting

Repot your Hoya vine every 3 to 5 years, or so, or when it becomes root-bound… and that could be after a decade. Better to top dress the soil in the pot every spring. Choose a pot that's slightly larger than the current one.

 

Research the concept of top dressing the soil in a pot on the internet. It can be VERY important to your Hoya.

 

Lastly, this is your ultimate INDOOR plant. NEVER place this plant outside. It WILL attract mites, mealy bug, white fly, scale and other pests that WILL kill your Hoya Vine! Quickly! So, protect this awesome plant and it will reward you with growth, beauty, long life, and eventually, those incredible flowers!

 

 

Check out my blog for other Hoya information. That is: ancienthoyas.blogspot.com.

 

Also, YouTube has a HUGE Hoya following all over the site. Check that out.

 

Enjoy.

 

Ronald L. Jones

HOYA KERRII IN BLOOM - 2026

My Hoya Kerrii is full of life and strong as a Hoya can be. As you can see, this monster of a plant lives in this small CLAY pot. After many years in this clay pot, it is still not root bound. I would guess, perhaps, I will repot it in around 4 or 5 years. Also, the leaves at the bottom of this plant are original and I have yet to lose one off the entire plant!

Now, I want to tell you a little secret about this hoya. I saved this Hoya Kerrii from one of my local Walmart's about, maybe, 8 years ago? It was a Valentines Day sweetheart single leaf product and was discounted to a little over one dollar. I purchased the hoya, took it home and 3 years later it began to grow a stem from the bottom of the leaf. And now, today, it has grown into this huge hard to control plant. 

If you have the patients of a saint, you can grow a Hoya vine from a single leaf. Be prepared to wait at least 3 years before you see a result. Eventually, nature must take its course!

And also remember this fact I am about to throw out at you! If you want a huge hoya, let it climb!!! If you want a smaller hoya let it roam along the floor or a table... or, let it hang from a hanging pot.

One of these bottom leaves is the original single leaf I purchased from Walmart.

This hoya is supported by a large tomato vine cage!

Here is a flower spur growing toward the South facing window at the light source, that is behind this sheer silk-like curtain.

Here... another flower spur!

This Hoya Kerrii has thick almost unbendable vines that grow where they want to. These stiff vines ate 8 feet up into the ceiling of my laundry room. And, they are full of flower spurs!

Absolutely huge, thick, strong and beautiful leaves on this plant!

The color patterns are absolutely insane!

And finally, here is a picture of one of the flower clusters of the Hoya Kerrii. If you have one of these hoyas, be prepared to protect your carpet or table or floor from these flowers. They can drop a lot of a very red nectar that may stain what it touches. So, take care. Also, this nectar is very, very odd tasting. It is sweet, spicy, a little hot and feels very odd to the tongue. So, if you are a person who likes to sample nectar from flowers, be ready for something strange and weird.

OK! Until next time! Love your Hoya vines and they will love you back!

Ron