The porcelain flower (or wax flower) of the genus “Hoya” cannot only be propagated through its seeds. The plant, which grows vigorously under the right conditions, can also be propagated relatively easily using rooted offshoots.
How do you propagate porcelain flowers through cuttings?
Porcelain flower offshoots are best created from 10 cm long side shoots that are cut below a leaf axis. To root, they can be placed either in a glass of water with rainwater or in a peat-sand mixture. Ideal conditions are high humidity and no direct sunlight.
The best time to form offshoots in Hoya species
If a side shoot of the sometimes strongly climbing wax flower reaches a length that is disturbing on the windowsill at a certain point, the material obtained from pruning can basically be used at any time to form offshoots. The best time for targeted propagation of the porcelain flower is spring. After cutting, the cuttings should be placed directly into a glass of water or into the moist growing substrate so that they do not dry out.
Let the offshoots of the wax flower root in a glass of water
The over 100 different Hoya varieties worldwide can basically all be grown in the same way from seeds or rooted cuttings. For rooting in a water glass (filled with rainwater) or directly in the substrate, pieces of a shoot about 10 centimeters long are first cut off; the interface for obtaining several cuttings should always be directly below a leaf axis. Ideally, there should be around 3 to 4 leaves on each cutting. You should remove any flower buds that may be attached to the offshoots of the porcelain flower so that all the growth power can be channeled into the formation of the roots.
Rooting directly in the substrate
When growing offshoots of Hoya species in the substrate, the following criteria should be observed:
- Use of peat-sand mixture
- no direct sunlight
- even moisture
Depending on the species to be propagated, there can be differences in rooting. While some wax flowers form roots within two weeks even without rooting hormones, others require 6 to 8 weeks, even with appropriate help. You can promote root formation in many species if you ensure consistently high humidity by putting plastic bags over them (€5.00 on Amazon) or using a greenhouse.
Tip
It is not difficult to recognize that the home-grown offshoots of the wax flower have rooted. As soon as new leaves have formed on the tips of the offshoots, the small porcelain flowers can be transplanted into individual pots. After that, however, it can take several years until the offshoots bloom for the first time.