If you love indoor tropical plants but cannot seem to keep them alive, then you might want to consider a Hoya kerrii splash plant. Hoya kerrii is a variety of hoya that resembles a water lily.
It has two types, the Hoya Kerrii Splash and the Hoya Kerrii Hybrid, commonly seen in tropical gardens. The flowers can be white or deep pink and grow to about 12cm in diameter.
After about 24 hours, the flowers will start opening up “eyes.” Some people call them to splash because they make sounds like waves splashing around on a shoreline when it rains.
The leaves grow horizontally along stems with very little depth, so they look like long cords attached to an umbrella-shaped plant. The leaves grow in opposite pairs, with the upper pair being smaller than the lower pair.
The leaf edges of this plant are serrated, giving them a frosted appearance. This plant is an epiphyte, which means it grows on trees and other plants around it, but is not attached to them.
How to Care for Hoya kerrii splash
Light Requirements
The Hoya kerrii splash plant prefers bright, indirect sun and little or no direct sunlight. If the plant is receiving direct sunlight, it may burn. If the plant receives too much sunlight, this can result in leggy growth, leading to a lanky appearance of your plants.
The leggy growth will also appear to be fairly thin and spindly since most vigorous growth cannot occur under intense sunlight.
If your plants are receiving direct sunlight, you may want to consider providing a sunshield or placing the plant in a location that allows as many hours of light as possible while still keeping them out of the direct sunlight.
Water Requirements
Hoya kerrii does not enjoy frequent watering sessions and will be most happy when watered only once per week or less. The key to maintaining its happiness is ensuring that the soil stays evenly moist, though it should never feel wet or soggy.
The roots are most susceptible to rot when plants are kept wet for long periods. If the soil can dry out completely, the leaves will become brittle or even fall off.
In addition, if excess water remains on the leaves for extended periods, this can cause leaf spotting and discoloration that may not go away even with proper care and attention.
Spring and fall are the two seasons when you want to watch your plants to ensure that they do not become dehydrated.
What type of soil does the Hoya kerrii splash plant grow best in?
Hoya kerrii is a tiny, delicate water lily that needs the perfect conditions for thriving. It needs soil pH ranging from 5.4 to 6.5 for rosy pink blooms, and ideally, you should use potting soil mixed with loam to amend the nutrients of the clay soil in their pots.
The substrate must be well-drained, so it does not fill up with water and drown your hoya kerrii plant before it gets a chance to bloom.
Temperature Requirements
The hoya kerrii is a splash plant that can grow in temperatures as low as 22 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 degrees Celsius). The appropriate temperature range for this plant is 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit (16-27 degrees Celsius).
It is vital to ensure that no drafts are flowing across the leaves, or they may dry out and fall off in both cases. In summary, to grow a healthy splash plant, you should keep your house between 60 and 80 F (16-27 C) with no drafts.
What USDA climate zone can it survive in?
The hoya kerrii splash is a tropical plant with a hardiness zone of 10b, which means it can survive in areas with below-freezing winter weather for about 260 days a year. Being vernalized to low temperatures, this plant must be exposed to frost, or a person can only grow it between USDA climate zones 9-12.
The best fertilizer to use on a Hoya kerrii splash is
Many people are confused about the proper fertilizer for their hoya kerrii splash plants, with most people opting for water-soluble horticultural grade fertilizers.
While this type of fertilizer can be used on a hoya kerrii splash plant, it is also recommended that a granular organic fertilizer be added to the water every two weeks. The best way to go about using a granular organic fertilizer is to add them directly into your feeder pots.
Most granular organic fertilizers do not leach into the soil, which means the plant has no access to these nutrients. Most importantly, the fertilizer should contain phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium minerals. Do not use excessive fertilizer or too much nitrogen, or your hoya will burn.
Common Diseases Affecting Hoya Kerrii.
Black Spot
It is a common disease affecting hoya kerrii and other similar plants grown in nutrient-poor soil conditions.
Although it’s not considered a disease, black spot is often mistaken for mold, which can fool people into believing that their plants have died. In actuality, a black spot lacks nutrients or excess moisture, making the leaves turn black and eventually fall off (hence the name).
Black spot usually appears on the plant’s lower leaves but sometimes will show up on flower buds or even stems.
Bud Rot
Bud rot results in an infection of the buds before they even bloom. The yellowing and blackening growths on the buds are fungus combined with bacteria growing symbiotically on your plant’s stems and petals.
Leaf Spot (Leaf Blight).
Leaf Spot (also known as Leaf Blight) is another bacterial disease that affects your hoya kerrii, causing browning and spotting of the leaves. This disease is an airborne infection that can affect multiple plants at once, so keeping your hoya kerrii isolated from the rest of your collection is essential.
Root Rot.
As with most plants, hoya kerrii suffers from root rot due to a lack of water and nutrients, usually caused by fertilizers with too much phosphorus. Even though it might not kill the plant right away, this disease can prevent your hoya kerrii from reaching its maximum potential.
Hoya kerrii splash Propagation
The following are the steps to propagate your own hoya kerrii splash plant.
1) Place your cutting at the top of the soil. Make sure it’s not touching any other plants or pots.
2) Choose a pot with good drainage, as it will need some water and room for airflow around all sides of the potting soil or rooting media. The pot should be at least 3-5 inches deep but can be deeper if necessary. The pot should have good drainage holes or a drainage tray below for best results.
3) At this point, you might decide to plant your cutting in a rooting medium – this can be a half-soil mix or cactus mix (it is preferable for cacti to air dry for a week before placing them into pots). Choosing soil with water and light may increase success as too much moisture will kill your new plant.
How to Prune Hoya kerrii splash
Cut back any plant branches touching the ground or drooping down significantly (more than one centimeter). You can also cut back any branches touching the ground or if they are drooping down significantly (more than one centimeter).
Cut all of the tall flower stalks back to three inches in height. You can also remove dead leaves and stems [clean up] the plant often to remove dry and dead foliage so that it does not collect dead parts on its stem that could rot and become a health hazard.
You can prune your hoya kerrii splash plant if necessary by cutting its leaves off, or if you want them to get larger flowers, cut all of them once a year in Spring or Summer. You do not need to prune too much since the flowers will come out from between the leaves anyway, and they will grow back in approximately a month.
Conclusion
Hoya kerrii splash is a low-maintenance plant that needs to be watered every two weeks. It can also survive just fine on less than six hours of sunlight per day, making it ideal for homeowners with shady areas in their homes or limited outdoor space.
Related Article: Hoya Elliptica Growth and Care Guide