Hoya kerry - home care

Hoya kerra is a flower for lovers. The leaves of this amazing heart-shaped liana are a ready-made valentine in a pot. This is how it is sold in Europe on the eve of the holiday of all lovers.

What does it look like and what family it belongs to

A tropical vine of the Hoya genus lives in Thailand. In the wild, it grows as an epiphyte on trees. Vines reach a length of 10 meters, covered with fleshy heart-shaped leaves. Blooming in the form of umbrellas of small light flowers, stars.

Valentine flower

According to the color of the foliage, the hoya with a heart has several subspecies:

• Spotted Leaves - leaves have yellow blotches all over the surface;
• Hoya Variegata - a discolored (variegated) spot is located in the center of the leaf plate;
• Albomarginata - the color of the leaves of this species is distinguished by a white border;
• Spot center - the leaf has an elongated shape and variegated spots on the surface.

Home care

The tropical beauty prefers the conditions of her homeland and, like any liana, loves space, a lot of light and moist air. Home care for Hoya Kerry should be correct:

Temperature

The plant can tolerate hot summer days subject to high humidity. But a decrease in temperature for fleshy leaves will end in tragedy. Tropical flowers are not adapted to low temperatures. Optimal conditions in summer are 18-23 ° C, in winter 18-20 ° C, not lower than 16 ° C.

Lighting

The succulent hoya leaves are afraid of direct sunlight and the scorching sun. But abundant lighting is necessary for her. Will feel great on western windows.

Watering

Only dry soil should be watered, the roots are very sensitive to moisture stagnation. In the summer, it will be enough once a week, with warm and settled water. In winter, watering is halved.

The hoya itself can help to adjust the irrigation regime. If the foliage becomes sluggish - excess watering, wrinkled foliage - a signal of a lack of water.

Spraying

The Exot loves spraying and showering. Once a week, you can pamper the plant with water treatments.

Humidity

Requirements for humidity only at elevated temperatures - that is, the entire summer period Additional spraying solves the problem and the hoya will feel good. In addition to humidity, the flower needs daily ventilation of the room in which it lives.

Priming

The soil mixture should be loose and nutritious. For feeding, humus and sod land are added to the peat. Sand, bark and wood ash will add looseness.

Top dressing

Fertilizer must be treated very carefully. The introduction of baits is necessary only during the flowering period of the vine and no more than once a month. Fertilizer is suitable for flowering succulents.

Healthy appearance and flowering are indicators of proper care

Features of growing in the open field

In the open field, Hoya Kerra is able to grow only in its homeland - in Australia, in the South of Asia. In the conditions of the Russian climate, liana will not grow in open ground. The temperature swings and inhospitable weather conditions of the cold seasons will ruin the flower.

Bloom

With proper care, Kerry can please with its unusual flowering. Bunches of small stars on long peduncles dot the entire length of the vine. Flowers are light yellow, light green, pale pink. Bracts are often of a different color - contrasting or a tone lighter.

Interesting to know! During flowering, sap is released, which drips from the flowers and leaves sticky spots.

Flowering begins in spring and lasts until late autumn. There is no need to cut off the faded umbrellas - new flowers will appear on them. The flower smell is specific, cloying, unusual.

Hoya inflorescence

During flowering, it is important:

• to make complementary foods to feed the creepers;
• do not remove the plant from its usual place of growth;
• reduce watering;
• reduce spraying;
• exclude swimming.

Pruning

This procedure will not benefit tropical exotic. The liana is cut off only during illness or for reproduction.

How does it multiply

There are several ways to multiply Kerry. But a young plant after rooting will not bloom immediately.

Seeds

It is very difficult to grow a plant with seeds at home. You need to take care of the seedlings in greenhouse conditions. And the seeds of this exotic are very rare.

Cuttings

Cutting is a common and effective method. The stalk is needed young, which has never bloomed. Can be placed in water or immediately rooted in a mixture of sand and peat. It can take more than a month for the roots to appear.

Rooting a leaf

The leaves are rooted in the ground, but the probability of successful rooting is less than in the cuttings method. Leaf propagation requires even more patience. The leaf sprouts, and then a new shoot appears.

Rooting leaves used as a gift for the holidays

other methods

By layering, you can quickly get an adult plant that can bloom a year after separation from the mother. Aerial roots on the stems of lianas quickly begin to grow in moist and nutritious soil. And the mother plant continues to feed the young stem.

Transfer

The purchased plant needs a transplant in two weeks. A young one requires an annual change of soil, and an adult flower once every 2-3 years.

For transplanting, you need a small pot with a good drainage layer. Stagnant moisture will destroy the roots. It is also advisable to ignite the flower pot.

Transplant soil mix:

• humus;
• sod land;
• peat;
• sand;

Hoya roots are very delicate, it is important not to damage them during transplanting. The old soil does not need to be strongly separated from the roots.

Pests and growing problems

Problems when growing hoya are associated with improper care of it:

• Excess moisture and watering with cold water will cause rotting of the roots, leaves and stems of the vine.
• Direct sunlight will burn the delicate greenery.
• A change in location during flowering will cause the buds to fall off.

Pests

Excess dry air is a breeding ground for pests. Hoya can be home to:

• ticks;
• scabbards;
• mealybug;
• whitefly.

You can remove pests with a shower and soapy water (laundry soap). For more serious damage, treat with special agents.

The beauty hoya is an unusual and interesting phyto-friend. Beautiful leaf hearts, spectacular blooms and long lashes of this exotic liana will help create a corner of paradise in your home.