A beautiful flowering liana is a frequent visitor in urban apartments. Hoya - wax ivy, the reproduction of which is within the power of everyone. She comes from India and China, where in natural conditions she climbs the slopes of the mountains and tree trunks. To get several from one plant at home is not difficult, there are several ways to do this.
Hoya: breeding at home
There is no shortage of happy planting material for the lucky owners of an adult vine. Its crown needs to be periodically molded, and all formed, but extra shoots can easily be rooted. If the house already has a hoya, how to propagate the question is usually not worth it.
Blooming meaty hoya
How to breed
Stem branches and cuttings are the main planting material. Much less often, the vine is propagated by seeds, because they are not so easy to obtain. Hoya flowers last after blooming on petioles for up to 2 weeks. They are bisexual, but to set the seeds they need the help of pollinators, for which they secrete a lot of thick sticky and strongly smelling nectar.
Propagation by cuttings
Young shoots of this year are not suitable for reproduction. Only last year’s will do, and they should have at least 2 pairs of leaves. Cut them with a sharp knife between the nodules. After this, the stalk is left for 1-2 hours to dry out the cut.
For your information! The root hormones are located in the nodules of the hoya, so it is from them that the stalk will drive the roots out.
On a cutaway shoot there must certainly be several knots. So the chances of safe rooting increase. However, there are usually no special difficulties with this, the liana is distinguished by its exceptional survivability, its cultivation is an interesting occupation.
Rooting
The most common way to root cuttings is in water. To do this, take a container that does not transmit light. It is covered with cardboard or foil. Cuttings are inserted through the cut holes. Leaves are removed from the lower nodule and immersed in water. To accelerate the process of root formation, the slice is pre-dipped into a root solution.
Hoya cut for cuttings
Successful roots require heat and high humidity. The optimum temperature is 22 ° C. If the leaves begin to fade, this indicates a dry air. To correct the situation, the container with the handle is covered with a glass cap or plastic bag to obtain greenhouse conditions.
After 2 weeks, a sufficient number of roots should form to make it possible to transplant the cuttings into a pot. The technique is quite painstaking, so many prefer to cut more cuttings and just keep them in a warm, not too brightly lit place, regularly adding water.
The second method of rooting is cuttings in the substrate. Soil is bought with a neutral alkaline reaction. Be sure to cover the top with a cap, which is raised once a day to spray the stalk with water. High humidity and soil sterility are the main components of success.
Step-by-step instructions that will help root the hoya stalk with a guarantee of success:
- Too long shoot is bad, 2-3 pairs of leaves are enough. If possible, it is worth rooting a few shoots.
- Small-leaved varieties are planted in pots horizontally or at an angle to cover several nodules at once (up to 10 pcs.). Large-leaved cuttings are sprinkled with earth on only 1 knot.
- The temperature should be maintained at a stable mark of 22 ° C.
- Do not forget about daily spraying.
- The chances of success remain as long as the shoot remains green and has at least 1 leaf.
Important! Cuttings placed in water should not be touched too often, because young roots are very fragile.
Hoya - leaf care and cultivation
If you can’t get the handle in any way, but there is at least 1 leaf, you can try to root it. This is the most difficult path, but not hopeless. When the petiole is immersed in a nutrient substrate, the survival rate of such material is low, since home-grown plants have too little of their own supply of substances necessary for growth.
Leaf rooting
Rooting a hoya from a leaf is a painstaking task, so it’s worth following a few recommendations:
- chemicals are used to stimulate root growth. Apply them in the form of a solution by dropping from a pipette onto a sheet so that the glass liquid over the petiole;
- without petioles, the leaves take root several times worse;
- There is a small secret: immerse a leaf in loose earth at an angle of 45 °.
Hoya: home transplant
The plant does not need too frequent transplants. This is especially not recommended to do more often than necessary, since the roots of the vines are extremely fragile. Usually they practice transshipment to a new tank no more than once every 3-4 years. This greatly simplifies home care for hoya. When the container becomes too close to the roots, the vine stops flowering.
Soil is bought with a neutral reaction. Universal soil is quite suitable, as well as land for flowering indoor plants. Take containers with a sufficient number of holes to drain excess water when watering.
Note! In addition buy expanded clay for drainage.
How to plant a hoya
Too spacious containers for lianas are not suitable. There she will build up greenery, but will not bloom, even if she is intensively looked after. The material of the pot does not matter. It can be plastic, ceramic, glass, most importantly, it must be opaque. In clay containers, moisture does not stay, so a flower in it will have to be watered more often.
Before transplanting, the hoya is well watered so that an earthen lump with roots is as easy as possible to remove and not damage. It is best to transfer the plant to a new container, filling up fresh soil. The entire procedure is done slowly so as not to break the shoots and roots. Be sure to establish a support along which the liana will let out new shoots.
Liana needs to provide support
How to grow hoya from seeds at home
Not the most popular method of propagation is by seed. Only fresh grains (not older than 1 year) are required, they have a brown shell. They are slightly dried, and then planted in soil with a high hygroscopicity. For this, even natural fibers (linen, felt, burlap) are added to it.
Germination rate - 7 days. The first on the surface of the landing container appears a short green stalk, on which leaves appear after. The following rules should be strictly observed at this time:
- the soil should always be slightly moist;
- waterlogging is dangerous, as it can provoke decay of sprouts;
- fungicides are sprayed regularly on the substrate to prevent mold;
- if the pots are in the fresh air, then snails and slugs pose the greatest threat to them, so you should choose a place higher above the ground.
Important! In the first six months, no fertilizer is applied, so as not to burn the delicate roots.
Sphagnum balls that are wrapped in a nylon mesh are well suited for germinating hoya seeds. Wet moss does not warp. Seeds peck through the net perfectly. To a permanent place, the sprouts are transplanted with sphagnum. This is the most gentle technique for thin and fragile roots.
Planting Hoya Seeds in a Pot
In the container where the seeds were sown, the sprouts are left for 3 months. This time will be enough for young vines to gain strength, strengthen, grow several leaves. Do not be surprised that all plants will be very different from each other in size. It's quite normal. Leave only the strongest and strongest of them. Weak sprouts should be thrown away, since it is unlikely to get a strong vine from them, and they will require a lot of time and effort.
Hoya seed sprouts
Sometimes a careful inspection of the sprouts reveals that among them there are mutated specimens. This is also not uncommon. There is little chance that a new variety has been formed due to crossbreeding. Therefore, all sprouts should be given a chance at life until they fully demonstrate all of their species features: the color and shape of the leaves, sizes, etc.
Note! The average germination rate of hoya seeds is about 80%.
If, after 1-2 weeks after sowing, the sprouts did not appear, you do not need to wait longer, it is impossible to make them appear. There may be several reasons for this:
- planting material is too old, therefore, has lost its viability;
- rotting of roots occurred due to excessive soil moisture.
Finding hoya seeds on sale is pretty hard. At home, they usually do not tie. The only chance is to buy in the online store. But there is no guarantee that the planting material will be of really good quality. It is much easier to buy a stalk in a specialized store, and some even offer rare and especially beautifully flowering varieties on request.
Given how easy it is to propagate a home vine, it is not surprising that the number of fans is so great. Beautiful greenery and flowers are a real decoration of any home, accessible even to beginner gardeners. And from cuttings you can always make a living gift, just pick a suitable pot!
