Hoya growers in action in spring

Already in the second half of February, some of the more hardy hoyas wake up from their winter sleep and start to get active (read, ripen a leaf node bud, start to grow a tendril, scald a leaf, or even try to open a flower bud). At this time, in March, hoyas are also waking up - the largest sleepers:) And of course, we, hoya fans, suddenly have our hands full:) - we have to manage to blow off the winter dust from our favorites, take cuttings for rooting, and transplant those that are really longing for it.

But no less important work at this time is to give your hoyas support, because each new tendril that starts to grow and stretch is looking for it. And if you watch, in the morning the tendril stretches in one direction, but in the evening it already looks in a completely different direction. The tendril is diligently looking for somewhere to cling to. But as is usual with hoyas, not all hoyas are like that:).

• hoyas for which support is very important for further development
• hoyas that grow better in a hanging form and do not require any additional action
• hoyas that can grow both with and without support (free choice)

There are endless pictures and videos in which hoya growers both show and tell how they grow this or that hoya. I use Pinterest, Instagram or YouTube sites and safely borrow new ideas, as well as share my own experience growing hoyas.

Below you will see some pictures of what supports some hoyas in my collection do or do not have, but I would like to mention some practical nuances here:

• Before you decide to give your hoya support, keep in mind that the mustache must grow at least a couple of knots long, because when attaching to the support, you must always leave a free part at the tip of the mustache so that the mustache has the opportunity to move its tip and grow longer

• The mustache must be attached counterclockwise - this is an important!!! point. Observe how the mustache, if it finds an attachment point, wants to twist itself ... it will always be counterclockwise
• The tip of the mustache should always remain facing upwards after attachment, otherwise the tip will most likely dry out, and there may also be failures - traumatizing the mustache, when white sap begins to flow, such a mustache will most likely dry up to the point of damage, but nothing, another one will grow:)

• There are hoyas that need to be supported in a timely manner, already in the size of a small cutting, then you can expect a few leaves and the hoya will develop smoothly further, but if support is not given, its mustache can dry out, and then again you will have to wait a while until the hoya gets the chance to grow the next mustache
• Sometimes it seems that the mustache has dried up and looks dried out, but do not rush to cut off the mustache, it happens that the hoya activates a bud and even starts to grow a flower bud on such a a mustache that seemed incapable of anything - with hoyas you can never really know for sure:) But over time you will learn to understand which part of the mustache can be safely cut off and vice versa, where something else can still be born:)

• attach the plug (fastener) between the leaf nodes, so that the hoya has the opportunity to grow leaves at the node
• sometimes it happens that the hoya still takes offense at your concern to help her with support. It seems that you have noticed the above-mentioned and important nuances, but the hoya stubbornly withers its mustache anyway. It happens and sometimes it is not even clear whether it happened because you moved the hoya's mustache, or what other factors influenced it (water factor, heat, humidity, etc.). That's why I try not to even move those hoyas that are especially dear to me in every way during the growing period (read, I don't even breathe in the direction of the hoya:)), in advance, in good time (when placing the hoya in its permanent place of growth), providing the hoya with the opportunity, if it starts to grow its mustache, to cling to an additional trellis or to the support circle already installed at the start

• I also try not to move those hoyas that grow in a drooping form and that are starting to grow, as much as possible, so that they properly grow their new shoots and already have some leaves, because it is important for the hoya to adjust its shoots to the daily light source. Here I find it interesting to observe that hoyas usually direct their new shoots away from the window into the room

• "fact from life:)" - the hoya tendril has grown, turned in all directions, looking for support, without sprouting leaves, because it has not found support, but then you give it support and .. a miracle happens, not even a day or two passes, as you see that the hoya has already sprouted a new leaf, which grows larger not by days, but by hours:) .. this is the hoya's gratitude to you for your care .. I am still endlessly amazed and enjoying this:)

And in conclusion - I have used and continue to use various forms of support for my hoyas, but there are also several hoyas of impressive size in my collection, for which I have not found anything better than bamboo hoops, which I fasten in a cross-shaped manner in the pot, so far, but hoya growers are creative people and there are various options, so in the future I may also use some other options for supporting hoyas:)

Good luck!

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