Hoya propagation

[Begonia]

How do I propagate a Hoya vine?

Also, I have donkey tale and string of pearl. has anyone done these.

Thank you. Ms. Begonia

[Ann B.]

Hi, Ms. Begonia!

You seem to love houseplants, and these are also some of my favorites.

I have 3 varieties of Hoya, and I should know the botanical names, but right now, I do not. The Hoya can be propagated from a leaf or a stem cutting.

Hoya leaf propagation - Just break off the leaf by twisting it until it falls off, place it on top of or barely into moist soil. Keep in a humid and warm environment and roots should form. No rooting hormone is required. It will take quite some time to develop into a plant large enough for a hanging basket, but since they take such little care, the wait is worth it.

Hoya stem propagation - cut a section of the stem, remove a few of the lower leaves, and if you want you can dip in rooting hormone. Then stick the stem with at least one node in light, well drained soil and keep slightly moist until roots have formed. This takes less time than a leaf cutting to form a sizeable plant.

TIPS:

Avoid removing the flower stem, and the flower stem will continue to produce flowers. I have been known to remove a few to take to school to give Hunter's teachers. The blooms are so perfect, they almost look plastic. But even without blooms, these plants are beautiful.

I take my hanging baskets of Hoya outside for spring, summer and fall and hang them in part sun. They love it, and will bloom numerous times. It is helpful to feed them with a good time released fertilizer.

Donkey's Tail - Propagation of this plant is the same as the Hoya, but I, personally, do not stick the cut end of the 'leaves' in the soil. I just lay them on top of moist soil.

I have never seen one of these bloom, but they do enjoy being outdoors in part sun (morning and afternoon). Like Hoya, they can take full sun, but will need to be watered more often, and I would reduce the amount of sun in the heat of summer.

String of Pearls - Ah, now this one is my baby. I have one that is only a few years old, and it has strings of pearls that are over 2 feet long, and it is still in its original tiny pot. Propagation is the same as Donkey' Tail. Most often, I will cut off a few inches of string and let it lay on top of sandy soil, and water once ever week or two. You will have several 'pearls' develop roots. You can then separate into multiple plants by cutting the 'string' and repotting.

My string of pearls has bloomed several times, but the blooms are small, and not pretty. The seeds are fuzzy and small. I have given some seeds to friends, but have never tried any. Like most succulents with small seed, I suspect it takes a long time germinate. I should really try as mine is producing a lot of seed now.

Good Luck, Begonia! Everyone who sees my string of pearls can't wait for the propagation time required and are anxious to see them in stores this spring. Despite the fact they costs about $7-8 for a 5 inch hanging basket with 4-5 inch strings, they say they don't mind paying the price for such an easy care neat looking plant.

Good Choices and Thanks for the Question!

P.S. I have already taken photos of many succulents propagated in this way, but I need more before adding a new section on www.landspro.com. I also need to have a better idea of how long it takes to produce a sizeable plant for each type of succelent.

If you or anyone else would like to preview some of the photos I already have, please let me know.