The curly-leafed variant of the wax plant or the porcelain flower is known as the Hindu rope plant (Hoya carnosa). This semi-succulent, perennial vine-like plant is notable for its luxuriant, waxy foliage and eye-catching blossoms.
Does The Hindu Rope Plant Have Any Other Names?
This ‘curly Hoya’ is also known as:
- Hoya compacta
- Hoya carnosa compacta
- Porcelain Flower
- Hoya compacta ‘Krinkle Kurl’
Different Types Of Hindu Rope Plants
This plant also comes in a variegated form with leaves, which have beautiful creamy-white or pink margins.
Main Uses Of Hindu Rope Plants
A multicolored Hindu rope hoya provides texture and color to an indoor or outdoor space. Other benefits of this houseplant include:
- Plants alleviate stress; it is not a surprise when you feel more at ease in plant-filled environments
- Plants increase productivity
- Plants enhance mood
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How To Prune Hindu Rope Plants
Pruning is not required for this plant unless you would like to reduce its size or redecorate its shape. It does not require pruning for its health and will develop into a long vine without. If you do have to prune it, be mindful not to eliminate any spurred stems. This is because flowers will sprout from both old and new spurs throughout every blooming season; thus, eliminating spurs will diminish the quantity of blooms your plant produces. Annually, the spurs expand in size, and eventually, the oldest spurs will produce the largest blossoms on the vine. If you want to prune spurred stems, it will not harm the plant and will promote further development in a broader style.
Best Soil For Hindu Rope Plants
A heavy soil would not be suited for the Hindu rope plant, as one might anticipate from an epiphytic species (one that can grow on other plants’ branches). It requires a fast-draining, airy, and light potting mix.
Soggy conditions will kill your plant, so adding orchid bark, peat, and perlite will assist in maintaining proper drainage.
How Much Light Do Hindu Rope Plants Need?
Too much direct, bright sunlight could cause leaf burn in Hindu rope plants, while too little sunlight causes their growth to be very slow, and they might not yield any flowers.
In terms of development and flowering, bright but indirect light typically offers the most incredible results. Avoid placing your Hindu rope plant in a window, which gets a lot of direct afternoon sun.
How Often To Water Hindu Rope Plants
When it pertains to watering, the Hindu rope plant is not picky. When the plant is actively growing during the summer and spring, let the potting media dry almost completely before watering. Throughout the cooler months, the plant is dormant. So, you can cut back even more and only water the plant infrequently.
Fill the potting mixture with a large volume of water and let the excess drain out of the pot to water a Hindu rope plant. And ensure not to leave the plant hanging in water for over 15 minutes if using a watering tray or setting it on the sink.
Ideal Temperature Conditions For Hindu Rope Plants
Hindu rope plants prefer stable and warm weather. Everything below 50 degrees Fahrenheit is going to be an issue. Given that most indoor temps are above this, this species does well as a houseplant. Just ensure to keep it away from extreme temp fluctuations. Avoid placing your plant on a draughty windowsill or next to a radiator.
Humidity Conditions For Hindu Rope Plants
Because this plant is epiphytic, it gathers moisture from the atmosphere to satisfy some of its water requirements. It thrives in humid areas, including kitchens or bathrooms, where the air has an increased moisture content due to washing dishes, showers, and so on.
If your plant is exposed to dry air, you could regularly spritz it with a gentle water mist or utilize a humidifier. It is also an excellent idea to cluster plants together just to enhance humidity. Pebble trays could be used effectively to boost humidity surrounding a plant, although the method is less practical for vines that are normally placed in hanging planters.
Best Fertilizer For Hindu Rope Plants
Contemplate giving your Hindu rope plant a little amount of fertilizer throughout its growing season to guarantee it continuously produces lush, vibrant leaves and an abundance of healthy blooms. It is sufficient to feed a dilute solution each couple of months, and the plant will not require any feeding throughout the winter.
Choosing a potassium-rich fertilizer will assist you in achieving the finest flowering outcomes. If the blooms and foliage are already robust and plentiful, you can leave them alone. Overfeeding these plants is frequent, leading to smaller-than-average leaves, which become crinkled and ugly.
How To Propagate Hindu Rope Plants
The Hindu rope variant of Hoya, like the Hoya carnosa, is a simple plant to propagate. You can easily propagate new plants from stem cuttings taken during active growth.
Let the lowest portion of the cutting dry after removing the leaves. Overnight, the milky latex will solidify.
- Put the cuttings in a tiny container filled with loose potting soil
- Wrap the potted plant with a transparent plastic bag to keep moisture in
- Place the plants in a shady spot till they gain a foothold
Growth Rate Of Hindu Rope Plants
The Hindu Rope plant grows slowly and is best suited for outdoor cultivation in USDA hardiness zones 10–12. The rope plant requires indirect sunlight while growing outside.
Hindu rope plants are simple to care for when grown inside. When hanging from a basket, the stems can grow to be several feet long.
The wire structure’s size might determine the length of a plant grown around a wire loop.
Ideal Pot Size For Hindu Rope Plants
Hindu rope plants, with their drooping tendrils, make excellent hanging plants. Just ensure the pot is not too big for the plant, as it loves its roots to be packed up closely. A small pot is also advantageous since the growing media dries out faster whenever there is less of it, making root rot less probable.
These slow-growing plants rarely require repotting, so do not be concerned if your plant outgrows a little pot any time soon. Furthermore, drainage holes are necessary for Hindu rope plant containers since they should be irrigated using the flood-and-drain method.
Repotting Tips For Hindu Rope Plants
As highlighted above, Hindu rope plants rarely require repotting, although you may need to do so if you notice indications of over-fertilization. Here are some other indicators that your plant needs to be replanted:
- After watering, the potting mixture dries out rapidly
- The potting mixture has compacted, robbing the roots of air
- Roots are clogging the drainage openings in the pot
- The plant looks to be in poor health
Repotting any plant, such as the Hindu rope plant, is best done in the midsummer and spring, whenever the plant is in its growing period. However, repotting should be avoided while the plant is in bloom since it could result in blooms falling off.
But generally, if it is a catastrophe, you have to do whatever it takes to rescue the plant. Select a replacement pot that is not over 5 centimeters (2 inches) deeper or wider than the one you are changing.
FAQ
Are Hindu Rope Plants Edible?
According to the University of Connecticut, the Hoya is a non-toxic houseplant suitable for both pets and humans. They do, however, caution you that, while touching or ingesting these plants is unlikely to cause sickness, even non-toxic plants could produce sensitivity in some people.
Are Hindu Rope Plants Toxic To Cats And Dogs?
Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Is The Hindu Rope Plants Poisonous?
Hoya carnosa ‘Krinkle Kurl,’ a Hindu Rope Houseplant, could be grown at any time by taking stem-tip cuttings. In damp sand or water, a section of the Hoya Plant stem, containing one or more pairs of leaves, swiftly forms roots. Nonetheless, it is not poisonous.
