How to Grow and Care for Hoya Obovata

Hoya obovata is a variety of hoya that is less common and typically harder to find than the popular Hoya carnosa. Hoya obovata has large, deep green oval leaves, often with a silver splash pattern. While hoyas are typically not grown for their blooms, the porcelain-like flower clusters are quite stunning if you are lucky enough to see them. Hoya obovata is a faster-growing variety whose unique appearance makes it sought after by collectors and beginners alike.

Hoyas are extremely popular houseplants and for good reason. These attractive trailing plants are characterized by thick, waxy leaves and long tendrils. They make fantastic hanging plants, but can also easily climb trellises and moss poles. The semi-succulent epiphytic plants pull nutrients and moisture from the air, and their thick leaves hold water similar to succulents. It makes them drought-tolerant, and, overall, relatively easy to care for.

Hoya Obovata Care

This houseplant requires very little ongoing care and maintenance. Here are the main care requirements for growing a Hoya obovata:

• Place it in a bright, south-facing window.
• Use well-draining potting mix, preferably a mix of peat, perlite, and bark.
• Water infrequently and let the soil dry out between waterings.
• Avoid temperature extremes and keep the plant away from drafty hot and cold air.
• Fertilize regularly fertilization during the spring and summer.
• Do not deadhead the flowers.

Light

Hoya obovata requires consistently bright indirect light to thrive. In their natural habitat, the plants grow up among trees and receive filtered dappled light.

Outdoors, keep the plant away from harsh, direct sun to prevent sunburn.

Soil

Airy, well-draining soil mixes are best for the plants because the roots require good drainage and aeration. A mix of peat, perlite, and orchid bark is popular for hoyas to provide adequate drainage and room for the roots. Alternatively, use a mix of potting soil, pumice, compost, and orchid bark.

Water

Hoya obovata is very sensitive to overwatering and should be allowed to dry out thoroughly between waterings. The frequency of watering for your Hoya obovata depends on a variety of factors such as the amount of light it receives, the type of pot (plastic, ceramic, terracotta), the potting mixture, and the season. Wait until the soil has dried out and then water thoroughly. In the fall and winter months, reduce the amount of water while the plant is in dormancy.

Temperature and Humidity

The ideal temperature ranges between 65 and 75 degrees F. Avoid placing your hoya obovata too close to fans, heat vents, or drafty windows to ensure they are not exposed to any extreme temperatures. Spending the warm summer months outdoors benefits potted plants; just make sure you keep it out of the harsh direct sunlight.

These epiphytic plants appreciate humidity and/or regular misting. However, this is not a requirement and hoyas can typically thrive in regular household temperatures and humidity levels.

Fertilizer

Hoya obovata is a fast-growing plant that requires fertilization twice a month during the spring and summer. To encourage foliage growth, use a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen.

If the plant forms flower buds, switch to a fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus to encourage vigorous blooming. Do not fertilize it during the winter dormancy period.

Types

‘Splash’ is a variegated Hoya obovata with waxy green leaves and yellow variegation in the center of the leaf and white splashes throughout.

Pruning

Cut the plant back when it starts to look overgrown, or the vines become leggy. A good time to prune the vines is in the spring when the plant has restarted its active growth, or after the bloom. Using sharp, sterilized hand pruners or scissors, make a cut right above a leaf node at a 45-degree angle.

Yellow or wilted leaves should be removed as soon as they occur, as it will help the plant direct its energy on the healthy foliage.

Propagating Hoya Obovata

Hoyas are easy to propagate from stem cuttings in soil or water.

1. Take a 4-inch cutting with at least two leaves at the top and at least two nodes (the spots where the leaves form from the stem).
2. Dip the cut end in the rooting hormone (optional).
3. Place the cut end down in a glass of filtered water, or a propagation vase, or plant it in a 4-inch pot filled with damp potting mix.
4. If you are propagating in soil, keep the soil moist until the new plant is established.
5. After about four weeks, roots should begin to form.
6. If you have started the cutting in water, plant it in a pot filled with moistened potting mix.
7. Once the cutting has rooted, place it in bright, indirect light.

Potting and Repotting Hoya Obovata

Hoya obovata does not require regular frequent repotting. Slightly rootbound hoya plants are more likely to bloom. Repotting your hoya obovata every two to three years in a pot that is 2 inches larger than the original pot should suffice.

These trailing plants do well in a variety of different pots, but the pot must have large drainage holes to prevent waterlogged soil and root rot.

Terracotta pots tend to be a popular choice for hoya obovata plants because the weight of the pot helps to offset the weight of the plant as it matures, but any type of pot with adequate drainage is appropriate.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Hoyas are susceptible to a range of common ‘sap-sucking’ houseplant pests including aphids, mealybugs, scale, and spider mites. They are also susceptible to a disease called sooty mold which grows on sweet, sappy residues on the leaves.

The best way to avoid sooty mold on your Hoya obovata is to clean the leaves regularly with a damp cloth to ensure that any sap that leaks onto the leaves is not left there for extended periods.

How to Get Hoya Obovata to Bloom

Bloom Months

Hoya obovata typically blooms between April and August.

How Long Do Hoya Obovata Plants Bloom?

The bloom lasts for about a week.

What Do Hoya Obovata Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The flowers grow in a ball-shaped cluster or umbel, with the tiny, porcelain-like flowers packed tightly together. The white flowers have a red center and a strong, sweet scent.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Providing optimum growing conditions and keeping the plant slightly rootbound is your best bet to get the plant to bloom. It takes at least two to three and up to seven years to reach the flowering stages, sometimes longer. Once you detect flower buds, feed it with a high-phosphorus fertilizer.

Caring for Hoya Obovata After It Flowers

Never deadhead the flowers, it damages the flower stalks from which the plant will bloom the next year.

From: thespruce