Alright, let’s talk about the Hoya curtisii. Got mine a while back, looked like a tiny, speckled thing. Cute, but I wasn’t sure what it wanted.
Finding the Right Spot
First thing, light. I stuck it on a windowsill, thinking Hoyas like sun. Big mistake. The little leaves started looking a bit pale, almost washed out. Not scorched, just… unhappy. So, I pulled it back. Put it maybe five, six feet away from an east-facing window. That seemed to do the trick. Gets that bright, morning light but none of the harsh afternoon sun. That’s where it lives now, gets good indirect light most of the day.
Watering – Less is More
Watering was the next hurdle. I tend to overwater things. Killed a few plants that way. With this curtisii, I forced myself to hold back. I started checking the soil. Not just the top inch, I’d stick my finger way down in there. If it felt even a little damp, I’d leave it alone. Waited till it was pretty much dry. In the summer, maybe that’s once a week, maybe a bit more if it’s hot. Winter? Way less. Maybe every two weeks, sometimes longer. The key thing I learned was watching the leaves. If they look plump, it’s fine. If they start to look a tiny bit wrinkly or soft, then I water.
Soil Mix Matters
When I got it, it was in some dense nursery soil. I knew that wouldn’t work long-term, especially with my watering habits. When it was time to repot (which I don’t do often, Hoyas like being snug), I made a really airy mix. What I did was:
- Used regular potting soil as a base, maybe 40%.
- Added a good chunk of orchid bark, like another 30%.
- Threw in perlite, maybe 20%.
- And a bit of horticultural charcoal, like 10%.
The point was drainage. Water needs to run through fast. Don’t want those roots sitting in wet muck. It’s been in that mix ever since and seems happy.
Humidity and Feeding
People talk about humidity for Hoyas. My house isn’t super humid, maybe 40-50% normally. The curtisii doesn’t seem bothered. I don’t mist it, don’t have a humidifier right next to it. It just copes. Maybe if your air is super dry, you’d need more, but mine’s been fine.
Feeding? I keep it simple. During spring and summer, when it’s actually growing, I give it some diluted general houseplant fertilizer maybe once a month. Like, half or quarter strength of whatever the bottle says. In fall and winter, I stop feeding altogether. Doesn’t seem to need much.
How It’s Doing Now
So, after figuring all that out, it started to grow. Slowly, at first. Then it put out these long vines. It trails down the side of the shelf now. The leaves keep that nice grey-green colour with the silver speckles. Haven’t seen any flowers yet, but honestly, I just like the foliage. It’s a tough little plant once you figure out not to kill it with kindness, especially with the water. Just gotta check for pests now and then, like spider mites, but haven’t had any issues so far. Just give it good light, ignore it mostly when it comes to watering, use chunky soil, and it seems to do its thing.
