Quck answer
To propagate a rope hoya, follow these steps:
1. Choose a healthy and mature hoya plant with long vines.
2. Prepare a clean and sharp pair of scissors or pruning shears.
3. Cut a healthy vine from the hoya plant, making sure it has at least two or three nodes.
4. Remove any leaves from the bottom half of the cutting.
5. Dip the cut end of the cutting in a rooting hormone powder.
6. Fill a small pot with well-draining soil and make a hole in the center.
7. Insert the cutting into the hole and gently press the soil around it.
8. Place the pot in a warm and bright location, but away from direct sunlight.
9. Water the cutting lightly and keep the soil slightly moist.
10. In a few weeks, roots should start to develop, and you can transplant the cutting into a larger pot.
By following these steps, you can successfully propagate a rope hoya and grow new plants from cuttings.
Rope hoya (Hoya carnosa, USDA hardiness zones 10-12), also known as the Hindu rope plant or wax plant, is an intriguing indoor plant with thick, dark green, waxy foliage. While rope hoya is commonly grown in hanging containers, it also thrives in tabletop pots, where the strong vines are trained to grow around a trellis. The rope hoya is a resilient plant that can be easily multiplied by taking stem tip cuttings from a healthy adult plant.
Preparing the Potting Mix
Fill a pot with a lightweight potting mix made up of a combination of half sand and half perlite, vermiculite, or peat moss. Place the filled pot in a saucer of water and let it sit until the potting mix absorbs enough water to become completely moist. Set the pot aside to drain overnight or until the potting mix is damp, but not dripping.
Taking a Rope Hoya Cutting
Snip off a 2- to 3-inch tip cutting from the end of a vigorous rope hoya stem. The cutting should have at least two or three healthy leaves at the tip and at least one leaf on the stem below the tip.
Remove the leaves from the bottom half of the tip cutting, leaving 1 to 2 inches of bare stem for planting. Leave the leaves at the tip intact.
Planting a Rope Hoya Cutting
Dip the cut end of the rope hoya tip cutting into a powdered rooting hormone. Gently tap the stem to remove any excess powder.
Immediately insert the bare stem of the rope hoya tip cutting into the potting mix, with the leafy tip sticking out just above the potting mix. Lightly pat the potting mix around the stem to secure it in the pot.
Place the pot in a warm, well-lit area away from direct sunlight, where the temperature stays around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the potting mix daily and add a small amount of water if the soil feels slightly dry. Avoid overwatering, as overly damp soil can cause the tip cutting to rot. Keep the soil moist, as rooting will not occur if the soil is too dry or too wet.
Care and Maintenance
Provide your plant with proper care and maintenance to extend its lifespan. Continue to water as needed until new growth emerges, indicating that the hoya rope cutting has rooted. At that point, transplant the cutting into a pot filled with any commercially available general-purpose potting mix.
Position the plant in bright light, but avoid direct sunlight from a sunny window. Water the potting mix when it feels dry, then allow the soil to dry out before watering again.
