Q&A for How to Get a Hoya Plant to Bloom

No. I have a Hoya that is very old and has three new stems that are very long. I have it on a tall piece of furniture, and I drape the long stems on top of the furniture.

If the spots are dry, the plant has too much light and heat. If the spots aren't dry, it's caused by a disease or a fungus.

Blooming season is very long. If there aren't any buds in March, they can appear later and you could still have flowers in August or September.

It might not be receiving sufficient sunlight. Also, consideration should be given to the amount and type of fertilization. Assuming its potted, it could be time to consider either potting up or renewal of existing potting mix and root stimulation.

To have more flowers, you can re-pot your Hoya every two years. You can also use potassium fertilizer.

It looks like a small white cluster that will grow after some weeks. It appears at the end of small stems.

I would drape them around something. I have one on the top shelf of a secretary, and I just drape it around the top of this piece of furniture. I think you need the right light, temperature and fertilizer, and maybe re-potting will do the trick.

It should be started out in a small pot - say 4". Keep in mind that it likes to be a little root bound before it will even think about flowering.

You could have a couple of things going on here. Make sure you have the plant in bright indirect lighting - a couple of hours of direct sunlight can help promote blooming. Your hoya likes to be a bit root-bound and will be more likely to bloom if it is - that is why young and newly started plants take about 3 years before blooming. Don't overwater your hoya - once a week in the summer months and let it dry out in the winter months before watering. Fertilize with 5-10-5 in the summer - dilute it in water and only put it on the soil only right after you have watered. Always make sure the pot has holes in the bottom to promote drainage and use a soil that will not compact.

Length has nothing to do with the actual survival of the plant. If the leaves are turning yellow and falling off the plant, I would inspect for root rot (too much water). If the leaves are looking shriveled, I would make sure that when you water, water is reaching and penetrating down to the roots.

I have re-potted hoya at different times throughout the year (finding that the normal rhythm of the plant's growth cycle can work to my advantage). I use winter for re-potting my much older, larger and harder-to-handle plants to provide them with a longer period of adjustment or time to recover from any shock. Re-potting of my younger plants takes place in the spring when they normally come out of their dormancy, triggered by more light and warmer temps. As far as temperature goes, a good rule of thumb that I use is that I don't let temps drop below 50 degrees F where I grow my plants; however, there are a few genus that can withstand cooler temps downward of 30 degrees F.

The brown spots could be from various reasons. Have you checked it for pests? Are the spots affecting the entire plant, or just a leaf or two? If your plant hasn't bloomed in 3 years, it's possibly due to not enough light. They love bright indirect sunlight and need it to bloom. If you haven't done so for awhile, fertilizing the plant with a very weak dose of the right fertilizer would also help.

Not knowing exactly which hoya you have, I cant give you a firm answer to your question, but I can offer this: In my experience, I have yet to have (with one exception) a type of hoya that remained one single vine. Some definitely grow slower than others do, but most have always eventually branched out. If yours is a type that doesn't or is slow to do so, you may try taking some cuttings to root and plant with the single vine you currently have to help fill in the plant/pot.

Don't cut the shoots or stems. The flowers bloom on these. If you are lucky enough to get a bloom, don't cut the shoot or the stem it bloomed on. The flowers rebloom on the same ones year after year (providing you have the right conditions).

Hoyas don't generally change color in the fall like, say, a maple would. If your hoya's leaves are changing color, it could be for a few different reasons. One possibility is that it's a verigated (multicolored) variety developing its verigation. Sometimes a verigated plant will "revert" and start producing only solid green leaves. Watering can be another factor. If your leaves are turning yellow and mushy or falling off, then you're most likely over-watering. Light exposure is another factor. Some varieties of hoyas will turn pink, red or almost purple if they are receiving intense sun exposure.

You can pot it up at any time, but spring is probably best. Mix some peat and perlite into your potting mix. Now hold the rooted cutting above the pot with the roots dangling in and gently pour in the potting mix. Water gently.