Hoya kerrii

How to grow Hoya kerrii – growing requirements and care conditions:

well-drained soil, high humidity, moist soil, spray water on the air root, possible to grow in hardiness zone 10 but better frost free and will need protection in the winter and prefer more than 10C (50F), soft water (rain water or clean), better to grow it in container

How to care:
Fertilizer need to be once or twice a year and fertilize the plant in spray and in cold winter better not to put fertilizers, better to put fertilizer for blooming and fertilizer with high content of nitrogen in lace of nitrogen will be yellow leaves, when the plant young need to put fertilizer that fit for growth, trellising or even better to hang from the ceiling or somewhere high better when weep down because it easier for the plant to grow and it’s more impressive.

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seeds / Vegetative reproduction propagating by cutting or bending a branch over and covering it with soil and keep the soil moist

How to grow from cuttings propagating:
Propagate by cuttings possible to start by stem or leaf, cut the leaf or the stem, the leaf better to cut stem with at least 3 leaves, wait few days in the shade, until the tissue heal, after this put it in the soil and let it grow, moist soil and high humidity, better to use green house and do it in the spring to early summer.

Cuttings in water:
Cut the stem wait few days before put in water need to be soft water (rain water or clean), it’s important to use water contains low concentrations of ions, the moment that there are above five roots consider to add fertilizer

Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
Yes, for specific colors and very hard to find seeds

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Poisonous to humans, (but it’s only a problem if try to eat)

Recommended planting season?
Spring in hardiness zone 10a (possible until the mid-summer, spring to summer in hardiness zone 10b, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 11, all the year in hardiness zone 12+, the main problem that mostly when buy this plant it’s go out of greenhouse and then it cause problem when take it out in colder season.

Pests and diseases:
Aphids, mealy bugs, fungal

Pruning season:
All year, but better after blooming

How to prune:
Better to cut only dead the leaves and dead stems

Size of the plant:
2-4 m, 6-13 feet

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Medium growing / Slow growing

Water requirement:
Average amount of water and take care to spray water on the air root, better to use soft water (rain water or clean), let it dry between watering and also before blooming season let it dry

Light requirements and conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun possible to grow but be aware that might need little bit of shade depend where you grow it, if keep high humidity it will prevent the leaves from sun burn

Half Shade – will be better for the plant because in too much light will burn the leaves

Full Shade for plant it’s possible but need to know that without enough light the plants won’t bloom the plant need a lot of hours of indirect sunlight

The most important thing for the plants it’s too have enough light and better with sun, 75% of sun or filtered sun by net or window will have the best result on the flowers, also when grow it on a tree possible to use deciduous tree, shade in the summer to prevent the sun burn and give enough sun in the winter, not possible in hardiness zone 10a and better not in hardiness zone 10b

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
Yes, but in order to bloom need to be mature and that mean place to grow

How to grow indoors
Choose location with a lot light and even with sun, artificial home light won’t be enough, need to be aware that the plant need to be far away from ventilators, heater and air conditions, possible to grow it in the bathroom, be aware to that because of the high humidity need to use less water, fertilizer to put not only on the soil also on the air roots and to use it as hanging plant to hang it from the ceiling.

How to care indoors:
Most important when grow indoor it’s the location, light and humidity at least 60% humidity

Growing is also possible in a pot / planter /flowerpot / containers:
Yes, start with pot that will be 20-50% more than the root ball bigger the plant smaller the percentage and the plant grow slowly when it’s young, size of the container start with small and grow with the plant 5-12 liters (1.5-3 gallon), every time that the plant arrive to full capacity need to switch to bigger until arrives to desirable size, be aware that every transplant has negative reaction on the blooming also it’s important to switch soil because the soil lose the viability over time and it’s efficient of care for the roots and can cause to rotten roots, but when the plant big can use the air roots for water and fertilizer and then it’s possible not to switch soil, drainage it’s important and need to make holes and to use peat soil with perlite or potting mix soil and maybe some lava grit in the bottom or something like that, need well drained soil, better not to put a bottom for the container, when growing in pot need to put fertilizer at least once a year better twice times a year and need to fertilizer with liquate fertilizer the air roots, rich soil with organic material and humus on the soil, need to know when put water on the soil usually it’s not enough and need to take care of the air roots and spray water on the air root, better to use soft water (rain water or clean)

Blooming information

Bloom season:
Spring / Summer / Autumn (rarly)

General information about the flower
Star shape with little star in the middle flower is waxy, the flowers grow in inflorescence the shape can be umbel to ball shape, color white with red star in the middle

How to grow Hoya kerrii from seeds

Sowing requirement:
Better to use fresh seeds, use peat moss (sphagnum soil), high humidity, moist soil, ~25C (77F) in the day and colder in the night, a lot of light

Saving and care seeds until sowing:
Dry and dark location

Sowing season:
End of spring to early autumn, better to sow indoor or greenhouse

How to plant:
Put the seeds in sphagnum soil and keep it moist

Planting spacing:
5*4cm (2*1.8 inches) but better to put in separate pots, because

Depth of Sowing:
On the soil (need to cover the pot with plastic bag or to grow in plastic box that will prevent wind the move the seeds and keep above)

Conditions for seeds germinate:
Moist soil with high humidity

Watering requires for Seeds:
Small amount of water (do not over water, high humidity 70%) water in spray with soft water (rain water or clean without ions)

Germination time:
2-5 weeks, might take more but depend on the condition

Condition of seedling:
Moist soil, high humidity, after the first 2 month will start to grow algae need to transplant them to location without algae

Scientific name:

Hoya kerrii

Alternative names: Hoya lucky heart, Hoya sweetheart plant, Sweetheart plant, Hoya heart plant, Wax plant, Wax flower, Lucky heart plant, Heart shaped Hoya