Month: April 2018

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Bug Pests on Adeniums, Hoya and Rare Plants

Adeniums, Hoyas, rare tropical, fat plants and other unusual plants have the some of the same problems as regular foliage or vegetables plants – Bug pests. We have received many questions about bug pests and what to do. First there are bad bug pests and good bugs. Many beneficial bug include ladybugs (beetles), some caterpillars, lacewings, praying mantis and beneficial nematodes.

Bug pests Control – Not All are Bad

Once   a year during late summer our adeniums becoming a feeding ground for an orange stripes butterfly caterpillar.  No we do not use sprays or anything to stop the leaf striping bug unless it gets out of hand.  During this time we make sure not more than 25% of the plants are being stripped.

Why do we not wipe caterpillar out? Because once the adeniums are stripped of leaves they come back with more leaves and branches! The caterpillars help us! If more than 25% are being stripped we manually remove the caterpillars. These are good bugs to us!

Bug Pests Aphids and Spider Mites

In our area we very rarely get have bug problems. We see spider mites sometimes if we fail to spray the plants once a month. Once a blue moon we see aphids on the tropical which ladybug releases twice a month for one month works. Remember we have a large quantity of plants so we are proactive in bug pests efforts.

Insecticide soaps products work great for small plant grouping. AdeniumRose Company is required to spray the plants once a month to be class III certified. However, we use natural remedies to prevent losing beneficial bug pests if at possible.

The monthly bug pest spray AdeniumRose Company LLC use that meets the Class III requirements is Bayer Advanced.

When using an insecticide read the directions carefully. Spider mites, aphids and other pests hatching a cycle. If you have a problem remember you need to do a series of applications 5…7 days apart for a full month. Even if you do not the bug pests anymore still spray because the eggs are easy to overlook!

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Hoya Wax Plant Easy Growing

Hoya wax plants are fantastic indoor plants with many different flower colors, sizes and many are fragrant too. While hoya plants can grow outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11 they are most commonly grown indoors in indirect sunlight. Choose hoya wax plant with small, large, veined, variegated and even heart shape leaves.  Most hoyas are easy to grow and provide balls of flowers.

Giving Your Hoya Wax Plant Light and Water

Indoors:  Fine a bright spot for you Hoya an east- or west-facing window if possible to give longer hours of light. Hoyas plants prefer long hours of indirect sunlight. if your Hoya has variegated leaves then give it more light for more variegation. if you have a south facing windows then give the hoya some space from the window to avoid direct sunlight all day.  A few hours of direct light is ok but not all day long!

Hoya plants do need sunlight to bloom so you may need to adjust the location they find a happy place!

Outdoors:  Make sure the hoya does not get too much direct sunlight! They do best in about 60% light (pool screen is 90% light).  If you have an overhang that is protected from direct sunlight then that would be a good location.

Water Hoya plants when the potting soil becomes almost completely dry. Use room-temperature water that has been “aged” or left sitting in an open container for at least 24 to 36 hours. Hoya plants are tropical plants that could be stressed by cold tap water. If you can let water sit for 24 to 48 hours so the chlorine and other chemicals in tap water  dissipate.

AdeniumRose Company waters hoyas in the early morning:  The soil should allow for good drainage. Stay away from too much moss in your soil. Use plenty of perlite to allow air circulation in the soil.

Seasons: Just like other plants hoyas have a main growing season. Expect the most growth from spring through late summer.  During this time water more often. They do grow ear round if they receive proper sunlight but during winter they slow down.

Fertilize your Hoya Wax Plants to optimal Growth

Use fertilizer such as Dyna-Gro Grow once a month.  If you are having blooming problems use Dyna-Gro Bloom. AdeniumRose Company does not use time released fertilizer on Hoyas.

Pale leaf color could be caused by poor nutrients in the soil. if you see light leaves give fertilizer twice a month. Also, give the plant a bit more sunlight during this time.

blooms on a hoya wax plant
hoya wax plant lucardenasiana

Flower blooms – Do not cut off the stems after they flower or crop the vines. Hoya will produce more flowers for the same vines/stems. If you want to promote branches then crop/prune right above leaves.

special note:  AdeniumRose Company Inc. uses the same soil for hoyas as we do for Adeniums. The soil coir holds a bit o moisture while the perlite lets air in and help prevent root problems.