Garden Doctors: Starting a Hoya vine from cutting

Leslie asks: How do I start a Hoya vine from a cutting? I understand seed propagation isn’t always easy since the ripe seeds have a short viable period.

Here are the steps you should take:

Have your clean, four-inch containers filled with a dampened propagating mix and have your cuttings ready. (Some propagators prefer using two parts soil-less mix with one part fine-grained bark mix.)

Poke holes with a pencil to accommodate the cutting or cuttings. This preparation prevents the rooting hormones from being disturbed when the cuttings are inserted in the propagation medium.

Dip the cuttings in freshly purchased rooting hormone, shake gently and insert the cutting into the prepared containers. If the cuttings are small, more than one can be inserted in each container.

Gently firm the mix around the new cuttings.

Place the containers out of direct sun and don’t allow the medium to dry out. Covering them with a plastic bag (making sure that it doesn’t touch the cutting) will help keep them moist. New roots will appear about six weeks. Repot as desired.

Rooting hormone should be discarded after each use. Always use a fresh product for the best results.

Here are some additional hoya growing tips and interesting facts for those readers not familiar with this easy to grow houseplant.

Tips: Once rooted, grow inside in a bright, indirect light and don’t allow the roots to remain in water. Over-dampness and wet roots are a no-no. You will only need to water once a week and at the same time lightly fertilize with a diluted, water-soluble, houseplant fertilizer. During the winter, allow the plant to dry out and do not fertilize.

Some interesting facts:

Hoya is called a wax plant because of the waxy appearance of the flowers. It is part of the milkweed family, Asclepiadaceae. The flowers are fragrant and the plant is known for its vining nature that enables it to grow nicely on a support around a kitchen window.

There are many different varieties and bloom colors, flower and leaf shapes. A popular variety is the Sweetheart Hoy, H. Kerrii with its red and white flowers and four-inch, heart-shaped leaves.

Hoya grown in more tropical conditions cling to trees by aerial roots: Roots that form along plant stems are typical of vining epiphytes.

Michael A. writes: Every year my yellow onion sets go to seed. How can I bring them to maturity?

Sets are small, immature onion bulbs that are planted the same way as seeds. They are really not recommended for the production of mature, dry bulbs because they frequently result in bolting (going to seed) rather than forming a nice, big onion. They are good for producing a quick crop of smaller onions.

If onions are allowed to form seed stalks, the center of the bulb becomes woody, undesirable to eat and not suitable for long storage. The variety and the planting date are extremely important in the production of a good bulb crop. Transplants are the easiest way to produce an early crop. Seeds require a longer growing period and the plants have to be thinned. However, it is the cheapest and most commonly used method.

Judy writes: I think I may have one of those “good bugs” in my garden, and do not want to destroy it without identifying it first. It is orange with black markings and a black head. Can you tell by my description if it is beneficial?

It sounds like you are lucky enough to have a soldier beetle, or a “good bug” in your garden. Soldier beetles are a golden/dull orange colored beetle with black markings on their wing cover, a half inch long and have black heads. This is the time of year you will see them wandering around in your yard and on your plants. These beetles feed on grasshopper eggs, cucumber beetles and various caterpillars. They lay their eggs in groups in the soil. The larvae are whitish, flattened and hairy. There are two generations per year and the larvae overwinter in garden trash or in the soil.

Dana Lozano and Gwen Kilchherr are garden consultants. Send your gardening questions to The Garden Doctors, at pdgardendoctor@gmail.com. The Garden Doctors can answer questions only through their column, which appears twice a month in the newspaper and online at pressdemocrat.com.