At the top, it has some bare stems, should I cut these off? They look very dry and shriveled. I also bottom watered it for about 30 mins when I got it home, but the leaves are still wrinkly, should I do it again? Just want to avoid root rot.
And there are a few leaves that have these spots on them when the grow light shines through, are these normal?
by holfwaley666_
3 Comments
This Hoya looks like it’s been a bit neglected for a while. If they are not watered for long enough, sometimes the roots can dry rot and they will no longer uptake water for the plant, that’s why the leaves are still wrinkly. I had this happen with a Hoya Rosita that was about the same size as yours. The best way to save it (in my opinion) is take a lot of cuttings and propagate them, they will root and start growing within a few weeks. Then you’ll still have a lush healthy plant with much healthier roots. You can keep the cuttings as longer vines, as long as there’s a bare node in the substrate you’re good!
The whole plant looks severely dehydrated, so the root system is probably shot and needs rerooting.
That said, can we get some better closeups of the leaves with the yellow dots? I’m worried that may be Hoya ringspot virus, which is an incurable disease. If it is, it’s not worth the effort of trying to reroot the plant, the whole thing would need to be culled.
The good news is that’s only transmissible to Hoyas and a couple of nightshades, so since you said it’s your only Hoya, you have time to confirm (unless you have a slew of pepper plants nearby). With an established collection, I would have recommended erring on the side of tossing the plant immediately.
This is a Hoya krohniana super silver and in my experience they like loads of water. I would honestly take it in the shower and douse that baby. The leaves may take a few days to fully plump back up. Water when the dirt gets dry and the leaves feel flat and you’ll be fine. One of the best beginner Hoyas!
What kind of pot/dirt is it in? That would be a bigger cause of root rot than giving it too much water on one occasion.
As for the stems, if they are completely dry and brown you can cut them but I would just wait for them to fall off on their own. Hoya like to put out long vines and then fill them with leaves later so don’t cut healthy stems!
As for your spots, after you throw that thing in the shower and let it dry I would treat it with an antibacterial/antifungal pesticide. You’ve got some kind of growth or microscopic pest that’s causing those spots. I recommend captain jacks dead bug brew, takes care of pretty much everything.
I hope you love your new Hoya, these are prolific flowerers and easy maintenance. When in doubt wait another day to water and you will be pleased