I’ve been growing Hoyas for a while now, and boy did I mess up with lighting at first. My very first Hoya? Stuck it right on a south-facing windowsill because I thought “more sun equals faster growth”. Big mistake. Within weeks, those thick waxy leaves started turning pale yellow with crispy brown edges. Felt like I’d sunburned my plant!
The “Bright Light” Confusion Phase
After that disaster, I grabbed a cheap light meter from the gardening store. Turns out my south window was blasting over 20,000 lux at noon – basically desert sun levels. Moved the plant to my kitchen counter where the meter showed 3,000 lux max. Guess what happened? New growth came in super leggy with tiny leaves. Felt like Goldilocks trying to find “just right” light!
How I Figured Out Indirect Light
Finally dawned on me when I visited a greenhouse last spring. Saw Hoyas thriving under benches where sunlight only came through sideways. Back home, I took newspaper and taped sheets right on my west-facing window. Instant DIY diffuser! My light meter now shows steady 5,000-7,000 lux all afternoon. Took some trial runs:
- Test 1: Held hand over plant at noon – clear shadow but edges looked soft
- Test 2: Watched how light moved – bright spots never directly hit leaves
- Test 3: Left for 3 days – zero discoloration, soil dried normally
The real proof came this summer. My Hoya pubicalyx suddenly shot out two flower clusters after sitting all year in the “bright but never direct” spot near that filtered window. No fancy grow lights, no window films – just smart placement where morning sun skims past the leaves without ever landing on them directly.
Here’s the kicker though: even after getting it right, I still occasionally rotate the pots every watering day because the light’s brighter near the glass. Takes literally 10 seconds but prevents uneven growth. Moral of the story? Bright indirect light ain’t rocket science – it’s about keeping those leaves illuminated but protected, like sunglasses for plants.
