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My Hoya looks Terrible

11 years ago

My first post on this forum. I am no Hoya expert for sure, but I have had this plant for years. Admittedly I have neglected it and it has dried out a lot. It has little specks on the leaves. I do not think it is pests though. Can it ever recover from this or will it grow new leaves? Any tips would be welcome, I hope the photo upload works.

Thanks,

Perle

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Comments (7)

Klea
11 years ago
Hi and welcome to the forum, Perle! :) I think your hoya looks great , very nice looking indeed! If the specks you're talking about is the silvery/white kind, that is normal for hoyas. A lot of hoya species have these specks, and often that's what makes them extra decorative! It's thought to give the plant some kind of protection from the sun, as the specks reflect more sunlight away from the leaves. :)
emt23
11 years ago
Welcome Perle! I have to agree with Klea. ~ Mary
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perle_de_or
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks! I have had this plant for years. At times, it has totally dried out. The specks are actually little indentations and are not part of the the leaf pattern. I am currently trying to root a cutting from it, not sure how that will work. I am enjoying browsing this forum.
mdahms1979
11 years ago
Have you ever fertilized your Hoya? I am sure we can help you to get it growing. For its age it should be much larger.
I suspect that it is growing in too little light. What exposure is the window there? If that's a Beefsteak Begonia beside it I would think it's pretty shady?

Hoya carnosa is a tough plant but it does best if only allowed to dry slightly between watering. A bright East window or a slightly shaded South or West window would give the best growth. Your plant look healthy otherwise and I suspect that the leaf markings are just cosmetic and not from pests etc.

Mike
perle_de_or
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks Mike. I moved those plants there to take pictures. I normally have the Hoya in a south facing window, but don't let direct sun get on it too much. I need to be more careful about not letting it dry out so long. I have a rooting going from it that it doing pretty well. This forum is getting me enthused about acquiring a different variety, so have been trying to find a good resource to find one. I have only fertilized it a couple of times, maybe that is why it never bloomed!
Yes, that is one of my Beef Steak Begonia babies. I have a huge plant that I take cuttings from for those.
User
11 years ago
FYI: I keep a couple of KQ on the edge of a west window, they get a fair amount of direct sun, but I started them to it gradually & they're just fine. In fact, one is even thriving!!

Exposure to direct sun from indoors isn't as strong as same would be from outdoors. I believe they can take it just fine.
mdahms1979
11 years ago
Yes I find the only time that direct South or West light is a problem is during the winter when the sun comes directly in the windows. Many Hoyas will develop a nice red colour at this time but Hoya carnosa tends to look washed out and yellowish. I still think brighter is better though and a nice medium to light green leaf will result in the most blooms.

Mike

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