Ann, If you're looking for one of the EA lacunosas, it'll probably be large enough it will be difficult (at best) to try to repot it. If you CAN, I would always suggest changing as much of the EA soil as possible to something that's probably about like what you use for your violets (maybe a little more perlite...) But lacunosa's leaves pop off pretty easy and it's a hard one to repot without losing a lot. And, on top of that, I find that it's one that can go south when you disturb its roots. Awhile back, I found one of the silver-splashed varieties and after repotting it, the roots don't want to take up water and I'm still waiting to see if it's going to survive it. If you can regulate your watering to work with the EA soil, I'd probably suggest you just let it remain in the soil you get it in. Denise in Omaha

I suspect a lot depends on the Hoya, but what ricfl uses it basically identical to what most of mine are in. My bella and multiflora are in much more water retentive mixes, since they flip out if they get too dry. I am considering putting my carnosa compacta and kerrii types into Al's gritty mix to help save them from overwatering. That one is popular on the succulent boards, composed of crushed granite, fine bark, and turface.

The best mix for a hoya is actually soil free. Pick up a bag of fine grade orchid mix (Lowes sells a good orchid mix made by Gubler, get the one in the blue bag). Hoyas are NOT cacti and succulents, and they should not be treated as such. There are some hoyas (austalis ssp. oramicola/rupicola) that would rather be watered once a month, and some hoyas that are very thirsty (buotii, lasiantha, praetorii, javanica/multiflora) and do best grown semi-hydro. The average hoya (carnosa, pubicalyx, most pottsiis, obovata, etc.); however, does best being watered once every 7-10 days. Hoyas are tropical/subtropical plants, and as a rule, they thrive on heat and humidity. There are also exceptions to this rule. Hoyas are epiphytes. In nature, most hoyas grow up trees, using their aerial roots to attach to the trunks. Because hoyas are epiphytic in nature, soil should be avoided or used minimally. Hoyas need a well-draining, airy mix that will provide their roots with enough moisture and areation to prevent rot. The issue with using soil, even when it is mixed in with perlite, is that it compacts. Every time you water, the smaller soil particles sink to the bottom of the pot, compacting together. This leads to blocked drain holes and can cause root rot. The key to a successful, well-draining potting media is to make sure each of your ingredients is the same size. This is another reason I am fond of my mix (1/4 inch orchiata bark, 1/4 inch new zealand sphagum moss or 1/4 inch hydroton balls, and 1/4 inch perlite, one part each...so, if I make 3 cups of mix, it is one cup each ingredient). My mix is expensive, and, unless you have over 300 hoyas, you don't need it (heck, even I don't need it, but it works for me, so I stick with it). I suggested an orchid mix as a substitute, and hoyas do very well in orchid mix. The average hoya should be fed 1/4 strength fertilizer at every watering. I use MiracleGro water soluble tomato food (1/4-1/2 TEAspoon per gallon of water) because it is inexpensive and provides all the micro and macronutrients. The reason you feed at every watering is because in nature, hoyas are fed naturally, in very small amounts. The mists from the jungles run down the trees, and onto the aerial roots of the hoya. Inside this mist water, macro and micronutrients from vegetative decomposition and animal excriment, nourish the hoya in small amounts. Flush your plant once a month to rid the pot of any excess fertilizer residue. You do this by watering the plant for 2-3 minutes straight or soaking the entire pot, plant and all for 2-3 minutes. Hoyas also, for the most part, prefer being rootbound. This means if you repot, don't use a pot bigger than 2 inches larger than the rootball. They like it snug. When you get ready to repot your hoya: *Soak your orchid mix overnight. This flushes out any ecessive tannis that may be present in the bark. It also rids the mix of dust. *The next day, drain and rinse your mix thoroughly. *Remove your plant from the pot. Gently rinse as much of the old potting mix/soil off of the rootball. At this time, check the roots. They should be firm and lack any foul odor. Also, check the stem where the roots attach from. A wee bit of yellow coloration is okay, as long as the stem is firm and has no foul odor. If the stem is soggy, peeling, black, or has a foul odor, you may need to restart your plant entirely by taking cuttings. *Set your plant aside. * If you are using a new pot, soak it in a 1:10 part bleach water solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) for 10 minutes or so. Rinse thoroughly. If you are reusing your old pot, rinse all the soil off first, and then soak in bleach water solution for 10 minutes or so and rinse. *Add 1 inch of your orchid mix to the bottom of your pot. Place the rootball of your plant in the pot. Add a bit of mix at a time, gently shaking the plant and pot to get the mix thoroughly around the rootball. Once the rootball is thorougly covered in the mix, top off around the base of the plant, if needed. *Wait a week and water.

Nan, if you can repot EA plants into your own mix, that's ideal. But it is so difficult, because most of them are a crap-load of rooted cuttings and it's really hard to do it without damaging them, setting them into distress. If you leave them in the original soil, they will do well for about 18 months to 2 years. I would grow them in the original soil then in the spring of the following year, I would repot them carefully into your own growing mix. However, before you do this, I would take some cuttings and get them going so that you can replace the plant if necessary. If you need any advice on rooting, just contact me through this site. Best of luck! Denise in Omaha