In December of 2024, I purchased two Hoya from a vendor on FB Marketplace. She was kind enough to throw in this little guy, a H. lacunosa 'silver.' Since that day this little plant has not grown AT ALL. Nothing. It is exactly as it was when I first received it. This is really, really weird. The other plants that I purchased took off like gangbusters and are doing very well. Not this pitiful little thing. It's kind of depressing.
Has anyone had this happen to them with a Hoya? Is there anything I can do about it?
Now I am beginning to wonder whether the H. lacunosa requires something special or some specific growing conditions that I am unaware of? Nearly a year later, here we are…it appears to be alive, but nothing ever happens with this little plant. I hope someone can help me jumpstart this stubborn little piece of greenery.
Any and all suggestions will be appreciated! #2 PENCIL ADDED FOR SCALE
by Key_Championship7270
6 Comments
Try giving it a bit more light and some fertilizer
lacunosa is typically a very fast grower. no growth in almost a year definitely indicates an issue. what do the roots look like? are there even nodes? hoyas will root from leaves/stems without nodes sometimes but won’t grow into a plant, turning into basically a zombie leaf, like those single hoya kerrii leaf pots. there’s also flat mites that could be eating any new growth the plant is attempting but to me i don’t see damage to indicate that.
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Cuttings that don’t have established roots often need a little help. Increased humidity and light are usually what they need to thrive.
My first suggestion is an ikea akerbar greenhouse. You can add some cheap lights to the top and seal it to create a simple environment for your Hoyas. I have 3 and my cuttings and smaller ones start there.
For absolutely no roots, I purchased acrylic display cases and use it as a prop box. It holds a huge amount of humidity and perfect for getting that sucker going.
First thing: is there a node? Or is it just a couple of leaves? Cause individual leaves will root, but they will never ever grow.
If you don’t know what a node looks like I’ll try and explain. Each leaf attaches to the main vine with a “leaf stem” called a petiole. The petiole will root on its own, but will never grow. You need not only the petiole but a piece of the main vine for it to grow–theres only new life in the vine.
Second: Are there roots coming out of the vine and how established are they? This appears to be in coir and I personally have terrible luck rooting small hoyas in coir. Tbh, I don’t root any hoyas in it cause it doesn’t work well for me, but small hoyas are especially troubling.
If there are roots, I would take it out of the substrate and try good old-fashioned soil. A chunky soil with lots of perlite and orchid bark mix but soil.
If there aren’t roots you need to root it, which goes back to my personal preference NOT to root in coir. I would remove the coir, fill with perlite instead, put the cup on a small plate. Then get a clear glass vase (dollar store or thrift) and spray the inside with water. Also spray down the perlite. Then put the clear glass vase over the plant in the perlite on top of the tray –terrarium style. Then set in a warm, sunny spot. This is my preferred way to root hoya, especially small hoya.
Change the substrate completely. If I were you I would try it in pon, the lacunoses do quite well in pon.
My 1-year-old H. Isabelchanae was the same, two leaves since I received it. Just a few days ago I decided to change but in reverse, it was in pon and I put it in substrate. Let him move forward or die, but let him do something 😅
I would take a look at the roots, change the substrate into a chunky mix (I do perlite, orchid bark, and a bit of tropical mix), and repot into a smaller pot. In my experience, Hoyas love to be snug in their pot. Then, in a week or two, I would fertilize.
Just because nothing is happening on top, doesn’t mean there isn’t something going on underneath! If it was very freshly rooted when you bought it, it’s possible it’s been establishing its root system this time. I have had Hoyas that I’ve kept for over a year just eventually burst with growth and/or blooms.