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.

Today I went to a plant swap near my house and picked up some new succulents for free, but the selection was of course very limited. The swap is hosted by a Facebook group in L.A., and I seldom visit FB and almost missed it. I told the people there that they should email me when they have another event. Next week-end my brother and I will be looking a real estate in Palm Springs for a second house, and I am holding off on buying cactus until we have additional property. There is a great cactus nursery in Palm Springs, and I will probably buy cactus there instead of San Diego, as I am not that sure how well things will survive in the extreme desert. My climate here is very similar to coastal San Diego, and so succulents do very well. I think in Palm Springs I will need cactus instead.

To me, those leaves are succulent, just as much as Schlumbergera segments are. Both are jungle cactus. However, you are entitled to your opinion. Mine just differs and I can back it up. Pereskia is weird and maybe it shouldn't be a cactus :)

It's not a cactus. I believe it's a Haworthia attenuata. If you had it in direct sunlight, that is probably one of the problems. I think the other is under watering. In your 2nd photo, the leaves look dried and crunchy. I definitely agree with the repotting suggestion -- and with the suggestion for a cactus/succulent mix (not Miracle Gro preferably) with 50% perlite (sifted and washed to remove dust) or preferably pumice if you have it. Depending on your location, you can even increase to 60/40, with perlite being the large proportion and the soil mix being the smaller one. I live in FL where the weather is warm almost all year, and the sun is furious. I grow ALL my plants outdoors, but under a covered lanai -- so they get bright sun but shaded sun. Haws, like all succulents, should be watered when they are dry and watered thoroughly so the water leaves the drainage hole -- and then watered again when they are dry, not damp. Haws like a planting mix with good drainage, decent light but no direct sunlight, and fresh air if you can give them some.