Hi Ashley, and welcome to the fabulous world of Hoyas! Your Hoya compacta looks very healthy, and $4.95 for that nice long rope is a good deal! If you want more than one "rope", I would wait until spring (round about March or so) and cut the rope in half, strip a few leaves off the cut end and root the cutting. Root it in a seperate pot because you'll want to keep it moister than your established plant will want to be. Once it's rooted, then you can put it in with the main plant. With any luck, you'll get a couple new shoots off the old vine, causing it to become fuller, too.

Denise in Omaha

Nice hoya Ashley...good luck with your new plant! I wish there was a sure fire way to make them bloom, if there is I sure haven't found it,lol. I am still waiting for a lot of my hoyas to bloom. Seems they have their own schedule and won't bloom till they are ready. Enjoy!

Ashley, welcome! I agree with Denise's advise to wait until spring to cut & root. Good luck!
Puglver, yes the hoyas are on their own schedule for sure.

Jan

Hi Ashley,

That is a nice sized cutting you've got there! Jan and Pug are right, hoyas will bloom when they're good and ready...sigh. I have yet a hoya besides lacunosa to bloom for me. By spring, I'm hoping that will change.

Oh, keep an eye out for mealybugs!!! I heard this is one they like to go after and it's hard to look for them due to the leaves. I don't grow this one so I can't speak from experience. Otherwise, happy hoya growing. I hope it blooms for you!!!

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Nice length of Hoya, Ashley! That's a great deal.
Thanks for posting the picture.

Josh

Thank you for all the warm welcomes, I'm excited to be a part of the Hoya community now! :)

I remember seeing a varigated Hoya Compacta which was looking a bit sickly. I think I want to go back and get it, try to nurse it back to good health and plant the two together.

Denise, I think I'll still trim them and see if I can make it a little bushy.

Thanks for the heads up on the mealybugs Brad!

I'll let you guys know if I go and get the other Hoya...most likely will now that I will be getting out of work early :)

Ashley

Alright, I went back and bought the variegated Hoya Compacta (half the size of Hoya in the photo above) and another Hoya Compacta alomst the length of the Hoya in the photo(this one has the beginnings of another vine!)

I haven't looked through the Hoya threads yet to see if there are any topics on it but are they good in Al's gritty mix?

Also, should I begin to fertilize it?

Ash

Hi Ash, congrats on more new hoyas...I see you are becoming a hoya addict just like the rest of us,lol..There are many good potting mixes out there for hoyas, but for what its worth, I grow all my hoyas in Al's mix and they love it. Everyone has their own growing techniques and favorite potting mixes for their hoyas and most of them works great. Since you already have the mix, I would try it and see how it does. If it doesn't work for you, you can always try something else. Just a suggestion...enjoy and good luck!

Thanks Pug! I think I might try one in Al's mix and keep the other two in soil, only because I am going to be making more of Al's mix in the early spring (I've just about run out). Sine the gritty mix is fast draning, do you find you have to water your Hoyas more often? If so, about how much? My peace lily in the mix needs to be watered every 2 to 3 days. Would Hoyas be similar?

Thanks

Ash

I water mine a little more often when its warm and the air is dry. With the turface I really don't water them as much as you'd think since turface soaks the water and slowly disperses it. I would say every 4-5 days in warmer temps and 7-10 days in winter...but again that's me in FL...so your conditions is different than mine, I would do Mike chopstick test,lol...

Pug, I think I will try the chopstick method. When in doubt, chopstick! haha!