Originally from the tropics of Australia, China and Malaysia, the species of the Hoya genus, which has over 100 different varieties, can only be cultivated successfully indoors in this country. Since seeds of these plants can only rarely be found in specialist shops, the offspring of particularly beautifully blooming porcelain flowers from offshoots is a good idea.

Porcelain flowers can be propagated via offshoots, for example

The right care for healthy mother plants

The porcelain flower or wax flower is not necessarily one of the most uncomplicated indoor plants. For example, it can happen that the porcelain flower no longer blooms for a long time after repotting or after a change of location, apparently for no reason. When it comes to care, it should also be noted that most subspecies of the wax flower have to spend the winter indoors, but prefer a slightly cooler temperature than the usual room temperature depending on the season. Porcelain flowers are less sensitive to sunlight: Even in shady locations without direct sunlight, the elongated shoots can grow quickly if there is a sufficient supply of nutrients.

Growing wax flowers from seeds

The cultivation of wax flowers from seeds is not very common among hobby gardeners and passionate Hoya breeders, since seeds are difficult to form on the specimens cultivated in the house in this country and they are hardly sold commercially. If you still want to grow wax flowers from seeds, you should put them directly into a substrate made of peat and sand as soon as the seeds have ripened. Particularly popular varieties are:

  • Hoya carnosa
  • Hoya australis
  • Hoya bella (slightly smaller)

Since the porcelain flower often needs several years to flower after propagation, the rooting of offshoots usually saves a certain amount of time.

Root offshoots of the porcelain flower

If you would like to grow more specimens of your Hoya for your windowsills or for seasonal installation in a suitable place in the garden, you can cut off a long shoot of the plant in spring and divide it into several pieces, each about 10 centimeters long. The base of these is either placed in a water glass filled with rainwater or directly in a substrate made of peat and sand. Most wax flower species form roots within a few weeks, which are noticeable through the formation of new leaf shoots.

tips

Some people fall in love with the pretty flowers of the wax flower so much that they multiply them many times and want to green the whole house with them. The plants, which are also not entirely non-toxic for humans, can be dangerously toxic, especially for birds and other pets.

Category:

Vegetable garden