Hoya Mathilde is a slow-growing hybrid and rare houseplant. A cross-pollination product between a carnosa and Serpens, this one is easy to maintain. It is cheaply propagated using stem cuttings or layering methods.
Knowing a Hoya Mathilde
What is a hoya mathilde? This is a perennial houseplant with characteristic waxy foliage. This foliage comprises trailing vines and spurs from which flowers develop.
Young ones have rounded leaves. The chlorophyll in this one is more visible. When mature, the leaves remain pretty round-shaped. Notably, these leaves have defining light silver ‘splashes’ or patterns.
When growing conditions are specifically met, the plant bears brilliant and gorgeous blooms. The flowers are white with pink centers. They have a sensational mild sweet scent.
The growing nature makes this one suitable for pots and hanging baskets. This hybrid is better suited to indoor growing conditions.
How to Care for Hoya Mathilde Splash
Special care details include watering, lighting, feeding, and pruning.
1) How Often Should your Hoya Drink?
Watering is one of the most crucial care ingredients for this hybrid hoya. Though essential to keeping your plant performing, watering should not always be treated as a routine thing.
The leaves of this one are semi-succulent too. They have the adaptive ability to save water. This in turn aids them in losing moisture at a slowed rate. Many experienced gardeners use an unpopular watering approach. Mostly, corrective watering and plant sign observation is put into practice.
For beginners, this could be challenging. As such, to get it right, you ought to make routine checks on the plant throughout the growth cycle.
During pretty much all its growing season, watering your Mathilde will ensure it stays sturdy and grows with vigor. Sufficient water establishes the growth so finely.
i) Summertime Watering
There are a few factors that dictate summer watering – though regular watering can be observed and put into practice.
For areas with relatively higher temperatures and direct sunlight
- Water your hoya weekly when the air is really dry and it’s windy
- Let your plant drink bi-weekly if it is hot, sunny and calm
Every time you water, sprinkle evenly and thoroughly. Then stop adding once it starts trickling out of the drainage holes. Allow excess water to draw out completely.
TopTip: Do not place your potted plant on the saucepan immediately after watering.
ii) Watering During Winter
During the winter and fall, your houseplant isn’t actively growing. Here are a simple do’s and don’ts approach for any beginner.
It is quite safe to water your plant on a monthly routine. First, though, check your plant to determine if and when it requires any watering;
- Poke the surface of your plant vessel as well as the bottom (use the drainage system)
- Stick in your finger for a little while to get the feel of the moisture content
- You can use moisture meters if you’re unsure
- Take a closer look at the leaves and stems
If the finger feels moist or wet, you need not shower them. When your plant leaves and stems feel soft and look wrinkly, they’re thirsty. Nonetheless, keep checking and probing for potting medium dryness.
2) Situating your Hoya Mathilde
The top secret to growing an ever-thriving hoya Mathilde is exposing it to constant bright indirect light. The splashed leaves are at risk of shriveling if you deprive them of quality light.
- The East/West-facing window is the most ideal location for vast tropical regions
- Let your Hoya enjoy bright light at most 3 feet away from the window
- Keep them away from the afternoon light on all South-facing windows unless your home is poorly lit
If the sun’s rays fall off the other window, you should transfer the mathilde to another spot where it can receive more sunlight.
If you are relying on natural light, remember to reposition or rotate your mathilde occasionally. This aids your plant in gaining sturdiness. It also helps it evade getting leggy on one side. More importantly, evenly distributed light ensures your hoya can bloom when it is time.
If your home does not receive enough bright light (below 3000 – 5000 lumens), it is safe to use grow lights. If you are on a budget, buy a grow light that produces 25 – 40 watts per sq. foot. Use the provided user manual instructions on when, and how to position the device.
Is your houseplant still receiving inadequate natural light indoors? Consider other outdoor rooms which can allow dappled or diffused light.
3) Soil Requirements
Being epiphytes, this hoya requires a well-draining, lightweight root medium.
If you want to get the best out of growing a mathilde splash, go for a premium aroid or hoya blended potting mix. These blended ones are special for:
- Moisture distribution - Optimal environment for microbes to populate and promote microbial activity - Root health, boosted absorption hence improved nutrition
These blends normally comprise the following:
- Orchid bark
- Pumice
- Crushed hardwood charcoal
- Some fiber
- Earthworm castings
With enhanced breathing and free air circulation, the above-listed parts will allow for comfortable root function. The great quality about these blends is they won’t get compacted easily. And this is significant as your vessel will not saturate/stagnate.
With these qualities, ‘unwanted’ water can easily escape through the draining holes. This ensures there’s only enough moisture for the healthy development of the roots.
Your pot medium or content should alleviate/improve soil structure without negatively impacting aeration. The best clue to arriving at this is a careful selection of your potting mixes.
If you cannot find one with pumice, go for perlite.
4) Temperature-humidity Environment
The Hoya mathilde splash grows well in warm and humid conditions. The plant will grow fine in regions of 60 to 80 Fahrenheit. If you want your hoya to serve your growing needs just protect it against temperature conditions of 50 F.
The plant is in love with high humidity and it grows vigorously, producing many leaves and flowers when exposed to such conditions.
The ideal humidity for ranges between 40 to 60 percent. The plant can adapt to low humidity levels.
5) Hoya Mathilde Fertilizing and Feeding
Fertilize your Hoya before it reaches the flowering stage. Dilute a houseplant fertilizer then apply half the recommended strength once every month during the spring and summer. Always use fertilizers with a growth boost factor.
When flowering, switch to a portion of plant food with a high phosphorus ratio such as 5:10:3 or 10:15:5.
Using any fertilizer or orchid plant food is not necessary during dormancy (winter months).
6) Pruning your Mathilde ‘Splash’
This cute plant requires minimal or no pruning if you have provided a means to climb. Here are tips or signs that can tell you the plant needs some pruning.
- Overlapping vines
- Outgrown width
What kind of and how should you prune? It involves little vine cuts and unwanted growths only.
Note that aggressive removal of the spurs completely affects how often the Hoya Mathilde will bear flowers. Hence this determines their subsequent blooming seasons.
Growing new Hoya Mathilde Splash
At some point and due to an increase in demand for these plants, gardeners face a dire need to have new ones. Growing itself is fashionable while ensuring this hoya’s generational continuity is another. And you can do that out of your own making.
Here are the propagation methods for this hybrid.
a) Use of Stem Cuttings
Preps: (Cull if it is a new plant) or inspect thoroughly a healthy Hoya mother plant.
What you need: Sharp, sterilized knife or pruners, seedling pots, potting mix, water at RT
Steps:
- Cut a few three-inch Mathilde stems that have at least two nodes and two leaves
You should decide if you want to grow the cuttings in water or a pot
- Situate the stem cuttings in a bright and warm room
- If you grow in water, then it is much more convenient to monitor root growth
- Most stem cuttings will have grown sufficient root size within two to three weeks
- Transplant your baby plant to new smaller permanent vessels pots
These will be your new plants. So take care of them as you would for a newly bought young hoya.
b) Layering Propagation
This propagation method produces new plants if you fancy trying it at any stage of the season. However, the best time is springtime.
What you need: moist moss, floral pins, water, and a drainage pot
Preps: Select a Hoya mathilde that is free from pests and diseases. You may want to separate (cull) it in advance if you bought or were gifted.
- Prepare a nutrient-rich potting mix and place it in the drainage pot
- Identify a perfectly dangling stem from a healthy mother plant
- Cover around one of the lower nodes with moss
- Lower it cautiously then bend it such that the covered node only reaches your drainage pot
Do not break the selected stem or detach it from the mother plant
- Use floral pins to firmly secure the stem to the potting mix
- Keep the potting mix moist but not wet or soggy
This method can take at least 1 month before roots can start to grow. Wait for roots to grow 2 or so inches long. Then carefully cut the rooted stem just below the node and plant it afresh. With up-to-date care, layering produces new plants that grow vigorously.
Problems your Hoya may Face
These mainly include issues arising from longtime neglect to poor conditioning or treatment of your houseplant.
a) Disease – Fungal Growth
One of those problems is a fungal attack. This is likely to happen if the humidity in both the pot (vessel) and the indoor garden is too high.
Another cause for fungal growth is mobile spores that get carried in the wind.
In case your Mathilde or other houseplants show signs of leaf rot, here is what you can do to solve it.
- Place your plant in a well-ventilated room
- Stop misting the leaves
- Remove the affected leaves of all the infected plants in your room
- Then spray copper soap, myclobutanil, or other antifungal houseplant sprays
- Spray your houseplants with mild sodium bicarbonate (use ½ teaspoon per gallon of water)
(Please make sure you read the labels before using any product meant for treatment).
Work closely with your moisture meters if you really want your houseplants to possibly evade or never experience the issues.
b) Pests – Sap Suckers
The leaf adaptations and structure naturally attracts pests occasionally. And more so if you go about exposing your houseplants.
The two common pests that may be invited are scales and spider mites/thrips.
Though easy to kill and control, the first ugly task is to detect and identify them early. Otherwise, they will multiply quickly under favorable indoor conditions.
c) Too Much Light or Low Lighting
It is not necessary to expose your houseplant to direct light. Even though hoya Mathilde plants can tolerate up to 2-hour direct afternoon sunbathing. Keep in mind that any prolonged or excessive exposure to direct sunlight can lead to damage (leaf burn).
Do you need a Hoya Mathilde?
The best way to own or buy this one is by visiting a rare plant seller. Alternatively, if you can, buy online. Trusted sellers include Etsy and Amazon (India).
Talking Points – Conclusion
- Carry out a comprehensive potting mix sampling before buying
- Water this waxy houseplant after you’ve had both room and pot moisture well assessed
- Avoid exposing it to excessive heat surrounding and for long periods
- Pruning your hoya mathilde will have great effects on its flower-bearing capability
- Ensure your home/indoor rooms are well-ventilated and properly lit
With these tips on care and maintenance, your houseplant should evade pretty much all growth issues. If you’re a beginner, have good knowledge and weather bits about your USDA zone.
Sources & Reference
- Summer Winds Nursery. What are Hybrid plants? https://www.summerwindsnursery.com/ca/inspire/blog/what-are-hybrid-plants/. Accessed online June 28, 2022
- Hybrid Plant. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/hybrid-plant. Accessed online June 28, 2022
- Porcelainflower Hoya carnosa (L. fil.) R. Br. (NCBI LinkOut) https://eol.org/pages/581249. Accessed online June 28, 2022