Hoya imperialis used to be a drop-dead easy Hoya for me to grow, but even this tough easy plant has given me great difficulty over the past year or so. Here is one that I am trying to bring back around with a repotting. I used a net pot inside of a cache pot with this one to more easily see when it needs to be watered. Note the chlorotic leaves and lack of vigor.

I know that this is a really common Hoya, but it remains one of my favorites and I have had it a long time so I have tried to give it a new lease on life with a repotting using tree fern fiber, which I will cover in detail at a later date.

Hoya sp. EPC-610 aff. verticilata is another Hoya that just sat there all summer without growing a leaf or new bit of vine. It also got the jet spray treatment and a complete repot in hopes of bringing it back to life.

A word on the clear pots and why I have not used them much in the past. I always felt that roots did better in the dark, but with all of my root problems, I finally gave in so that I could better see what is going on in the pot. Another problem with clear pots is that they quickly green up from algae, making them worthless for viewing in a few months. I am hoping to combat this by keeping them in a dark cache pot.

Hoya micrantha is a Hoya that I have had for probably around seven years and while it is a very common plant without a lot of commercial value, I am attached to it. The plant did nothing all summer, so I pulled it out of its pot and found extensive root rot. I carved away as much rot as I could and repotted in new mix with a clear pot. We will see if that will bring it around.

I have told many people in private about the struggles that I have had with my Hoyas over the past 12-18 months, but now I am letting everyone know. I don’t know if I have lost my Hoya growing mojo, or what but I have had more root rot in the past year than I have had in my 15+ Hoya growing career. It is hard to put my finger on what is causing the issues and I have blamed everything from too cool temperatures, to bad potting soil, to water chemistry, to changes in fertilizers. I have been exploring all of these and about a dozen other variables, and so far I’m not giving up, but it does get discouraging.

This week I am trying to save a number of Hoyas by water blasting the roots, cleaning them up and re-potting them. Ordinarily I would restart them from cuttings, but it is too late in the season to take dozens of cuttings so I’m trying to bring them around by cleaning as much rot off as possible to see if they will reestablish.

Below is Hoya hanhiae ‘Pink’ which had flowered a lot this summer, but never grew a leaf and looked worse and worse. I have re-potted using a clear pot to give be a better idea of when to water the plant.

I think that it is hard to find more unusual or cooler looking flowers on any other Hoya. It is unfortunate that the flowers are so short lived and have no scent. The blooms only last a couple of days and fall off.

Hoya ruthiae opened her flowers today. This is another Hoya that is incredibly prone to root rot and must be constantly guarded against.

If you are lucky enough to receive a rooted cutting with an old peduncle, you can get flowers in record time. Here is an example:

I am a little discouraged that my Buntok cuttings won’t grow for me, but continue to put on buds and want to flower. Many times this is a species last ditch effort at survival because they are stressed. I really don’t want to lose this plant, but if these cuttings don’t make it, I have nothing else to fall back on.

I am so pleased at how well this Hoya australis ssp. Oramicola did for me over the summer. Not only has it flowered repeatedly, it has also grown prodigiously.