Alright, let’s talk light for these hoyas. Seriously, figuring this out felt like chasing my own tail sometimes. Here’s how my adventure went down.
The “Where Do I Even Put This?” Phase
Started simple. Got my first Hoya Carnosa, all excited. Stuck it in my darkest corner because, honestly? Didn’t wanna burn the leaves. Looked nice there. Big mistake. Months went by. Nada. Zilch. Not a single new leaf. The poor thing was just… existing. Not dying, not growing. It needed a wake-up call. Got me digging.
Trial and Error City
Fine. Moved the Carnosa. First stop: My brightest south window. Left it there for like a week in summer. Boom. Crispy leaf tips showed up pretty quick. Ok, too much sun. Pulled it back a few feet. Then tried my east window – gentle morning sun. Carnosa perked up after a few weeks! Saw tiny new growth. Okay, promising.
But then I got a Hoya Kerrii, the heart-shaped one. Figured same rules, right? Stuck it back a bit from the east window. Thing hated it. Leaves started looking pale, stretched out like it was reaching for something. Needed more light? Seriously? Moved it closer to the window, like maybe a foot away. Bingo. Firmed up, started putting out thicker leaves. Lesson learned: Not all hoyas read the same memo.
Got adventurous next winter. Short days, weak sun. My Carnosa progress stalled again. Frustrating. Read online about grow lights. Browsed endlessly. Felt overwhelming. Finally just grabbed a cheap clip-on light with a standard bulb. Bang. Stuck the Carnosa under that sucker for maybe 10 hours a day. What happened?
- First couple weeks: Unchanged. Thinking “great, wasted money.”
- Week 3: Noticed a tiny little reddish nub peeking out near a leaf joint. New growth point!
- Month later: That nub became a whole new vine!
Grow lights work. My Kerrii got jealous, so it got a light too.
What Actually Worked For Me
Alright, after burning things, stretching things, and finally getting growth, here’s what I ended up doing:
- Bright Indirect Light is Key, Mostly: East or west windows are generally solid spots. South windows? Only for the tougher types like Kerrii or Obovata, and never with the sun blasting directly through the glass onto the leaves. Think dappled sunshine, like under a tree.
- Direct Sun is Tricky: Found out the hard way they don’t want harsh, midday stuff. Morning sun? Sometimes ok. But afternoon sun? Usually a recipe for crispy leaves. Not a good look.
- Spotting “Not Enough Light”: They tell you! Look for slow growth (like, zero for months). Long gaps between leaves on a vine. Leaves looking kinda flimsy or stretching wide apart. Or losing those nice splotchy colours.
- Spotting “Too Much Sun”: The leaves basically fry. Crispy brown or yellow patches, especially on the edges or top surfaces getting direct sun. Leaves bleaching out, losing their green.
- Grow Lights are Winter Saviors: Total game changer. Found out they don’t need fancy spectrum stuff, just decent intensity close enough.
- For the weak ones: 6-8 hours under a light.
- For the medium ones: 8-10 hours.
- For the sun-lovers (like Kerrii): 12 hours worked well.
- Distance Matters a Ton: Started with the light a foot away. Barely did squat. Moved it to like 6 inches away? Boom. Action. Way more effective.
The Constant Adjusting Part
Look, it’s never truly “set it and forget it”. Seasons change. Plants put out new growth. I have to constantly look at them.
- Summer sun shifts – gotta pull plants back from windows or add sheer curtains.
- Winter gloom? Lights go on earlier, stay on longer.
- New vine stretching weirdly? Probably leaning away from the light. Time to rotate or move.
Takes some babysitting, honestly.
The Payoff (Why Bother?)
Yeah, it’s effort. But seeing them actually grow? Big difference. New leaves popping out, those intricate patterns showing up strong, stems thickening up… Feels good. Even got the Kerrii to bloom once, tiny little weird flowers that smelled sweet. Mostly, they just look healthier, happier, more… alive. Way better than just sitting there looking greenish.
Took lots of moving pots around and staring at leaf tips, but finally cracked their light code. Mostly.
