How to Propagate Hoya Carnosa

This article is a detailed guide on how to propagate Hoya carnosa. There are two main reasons you’d want to propagate your hoya carnosa: to have more hoyas (who doesn’t!), a sure path to creating your own exciting hoya jungle, or you plan to gift it to some of your favorite people so they’d also experience the enlivening proximity of the plant in their homes.

No matter the reason though, one indisputable fact is, propagating your hoya carnosa leaves the parent plant healthier and bushier. And of course, there is the joy that comes with successfully birthing a new plant, right?

If you came here to learn how to propagate hoya carnosa, you pretty much know by now that you are in the right place. And we promise that by the time you are done reading this, you’d fancy yourself a hoya carnosa propagation expert!

How to Propagate Hoya Carnosa

Hoya carnosa are beautiful houseplants that are popular for their thick, glossy leaves that bloom to produce sweet-smelling cinnamon, chocolate, or vanilla-scented flowers. They thrive in bright indirect light and can grow up to between 6 and 20  feet with long vines supporting the leaves.

If you have adult hoya carnosa plants, you won’t be short of the primary raw materials for propagation: vine or stem cuttings. To be clear, you can also propagate the plant using seeds and leaf cuttings.

Here though, we are going to discuss how to propagate hoya carnosa using stems cuttings. For newbies, this should be the preferred method because it is way easier with a higher chance of success.

Using stem cuttings, there are 2 basic Hoya carnosa propagation methods – in water and soil (potting mix). A third method involves the use of a propagation medium or substrate like sphagnum moss or perlite. Our focus would be on water and soil propagation.

There are 3 stages involved. These are:

• Obtaining the stem cuttings from the parent hoya carnosa
• Rooting the stem cuttings in either water or potting soil
• Transplanting the rooted cuttings (not applicable to soil propagation)

Hoya Krimson Queen Vs Princess [Difference & Similarities]

How to obtain Hoya Carnosa Stem Cuttings

The best time to prune your hoya carnosa for propagation is during the growing season, especially in spring. This allows the stem cuttings to root faster while the parent plants can heal faster with new growth after being pruned.

Getting your hoya carnosa cuttings properly is key to successfully propagating the plant. This shouldn’t be a tough call as long as one or more nodes are part of the stem cuttings

The node is where new roots, buds, and leaves would grow from the stem cutting. On hoya carnosa vines, you’d recognize the nodes as the somewhat bulgy ring appearing at frequent intervals.

Use a sharp, sterilized cutter (pruner or pair of scissors) to cut a long vine close to the major stem. Cutting it this close also serves to trim the mother plant into a more manageable plant to improve its appearance.

The cut vine should have several nodes. From it, you could create as many cuttings as you want. Simply ensure each cutting has at least a leaf at the top and at least a node close to the base.

Or you could cut multiple stems or vines from the parent plant and use each one for propagation. Simply ensure you trim the lower leaves. Allow one or a couple of leaves up top.

Now you have to cuttings, it is time to root them

How to Grow Asparagus from Cuttings

How to Propagate Hoya Carnosa in Water

To propagate hoya carnosa in water, you would need a glass jar filled with water.

1. Put one or multiple stem cuttings into the glass jar.
2. Make sure the water level is above at least a node on the cuttings. However, the leaves must be above the water, preferably above the jar’s rim.
3. Place the jar in a bright, warm area away from direct sunlight.
4. Change the water in the jar anytime it becomes murky or cloudy.
5. In 2 – 4 weeks, depending on the growth conditions, you’ll notice small roots sprouting from the nodes in the water.
6. Transplant the rooted stem to a pot filled with potting soil when the roots are about a couple of inches long.
7. Water the soil and allow excess water to drain out through the holes at the bottom. Then place the pot in a bright, warm area away from direct sunlight.
8. With frequent watering and routine care, the new hoya carnosa would surely thrive into a beautiful adult plant

Cebu Blue Pothos Propagation In Water or Potting Mix

How to Propagate Hoya Carnosa in Potting Soil

While water propagation is very popular, most people consider this the easiest with a greater chance of success. It has 2 major drawbacks though: you miss out on tracking the growth of new roots and there is the risk of over-watering that leads to root rot.

1. Simply plant stem cutting directly in the potting soil.
2. You can plant multiple cuttings in one pot. But if you want to avoid transplanting, stick to one stem cutting per pot
3. To speed up the rooting process, you can lace the base of each cutting with rooting hormone before planting. This isn’t compulsory though.
4. Water the potting soil and allow excess to drain out. Then place the pot in an area that is ideal for growth described in the previous method.
5. New growth on the stem cuttings is a sign that you’ve successfully rooted the cuttings.
6. Simply maintain the standard hoya carnosa care and maintenance routine. The plant should thrive into a healthy hoya carnosa.

How to Propagate Angel Wing Begonia

Best Potting Mix For Hoya Carnosa Propagation

There is no standard hoya carnosa potting soil. What you want is light soil that drains well and doesn’t retain too much water.

You could use high-quality potting mix purchased from a garden center. You could also DIY your potting mix at home. A good potting soil containing 1 part vermiculite, 3 parts coco peat, and 3 parts perlite would be great.

Hoya Carnosa Care And Maintenance Tips

• Water only once or twice a week when the top layer is completely dry.
• Being tropical plants, hoyas love humid conditions. Indoors, especially in winter, you can raise the humidity levels using a humidifier.
• Try to maintain indoor temperatures between 60 -70°F.
• Also, keep them away from any indoor heat source
• Hoya carnosa love low to medium indirect light but would also thrive in the morning sun
• If you have to feed them, do so using a balanced fertilizer solution once a month during the growing season.
• Prune them in spring to encourage new growth.
• Don’t prune stems without leaves. Known as spurs, flowers sprout from these stems each year.

How to Propagate Monstera Adansonii [+ Important Care Tips]

Wrapping up

The deep green, waxy-leafed hoya carnosa are extremely popular houseplants that require very little care to thrive. And thrive they do in the right conditions with rather long, soft woody vines that provide tons material for propagation after pruning.

As well as the stress-free care routine, knowing how to propagate hoya carnosa comes with a similar learning curve. With your stem cuttings, you can easily produce thriving young plants in a couple of months to add to your collection of hoyas.