Best Hoya potting mix | Make your own Hoya potting mix

[@margimorris7360]

So nice to see someone using a book to read from. My kids just bought me a book of plants and just love it

[@lookatthatleaf]

Yes, important to note that there’s no one perfect medium for all hoya! Thank you for this video Miro!

[@BasiePlants]

Exactly :) Though I wish there was xD Alas, they had to spread all over SE Asia and adapt to different environments :D

[@teartamother1892]

I recommend you today to a friend who is about to get her first Hoya,we live in New Zealand love your knowledge and humour ❤

[@mariapennylane]

I like how you explain that people in different environments can’t advise on exactly what other people should do. There are soOoo many factors!! Thanks for another informative video ❤😊

[@mgoldsmith4376]

Hello, so you are correct. I live in Florida I could never give substrate advice to you. Many of my hoya are outside. They get drenched daily sometimes so my mix is three sizes of quality orchid bark, number 3 perlite, biochar, humic acid (granular ) worm castings and a soil mix that only makes up about 20 % of my substrate. I root in coco husk/large perlite unless it is. fine rooted hoya like elliptica. then I add coco choir. Because my plants get so much water, I will top them regularly with fresh worm castings. This helps keep nutrition through the very airy mix I must use. I have hoya growing out of the ground up trees and hanging ones that have attached to trees so that might tell you how hard it is to grow anything that actually needs soil. Love watching your videos though as I've just begun growing inside. To be fair though, the humidity INSIDE even with the AC running is rarely below 50% and that would be in our very short winter. A side note, for me a Hoya rooted in sphagnum is a cutting. Because I must cut any roots attached to sphagnum. The amount of rain I get 3/4 of the year would never dry out like the rest of my mix and always ends in root rot. Totally agree with the rock wool thing and any of the fancy rooting media. I can deal with perlite rooted hoya or even in soil as I can rinse that off. How do you get a Hoya out of rock wool anyway?

[@MelissaWalker82]

Another fantastic and valuable video, Miro! Killin it! The content, not the plants ;)

[@BasiePlants]

hahhaha :D Well, not all plants lived :D But none were hurt in this video!

[@sheilacasper2030]

Thanks for doing this series. I appreciate it.

[@BasiePlants]

Thank you for watching

[@heatherchapman9850]

Winter here in New Zealand, I live at the very bottom of the South Island so cold with plenty of frosts. Our home is kept very warm with in built fire which goes day and night, so all my hoya are kept cozy. I use the same mix you use and find self watering pots the best thing ever. I enjoy your videos and have learned a lot from watching, thanks for your effort.

[@atociekawe9136]

I use only lechuza pon, but who cares. New video must be watched 😂❤

[@BasiePlants]

If it works, it works! :D I use DIY pone and it is mostly good, but sometimes I run into some issues :) But for me, many other things worked too, I think it is time to stop experimenting and settle for one thing :P

[@robinhavens695]

Love your sense of humor!!! Sooo fun💚🎉💚

[@tigrezz0852]

He is such a cutie 😊

[@lilithmoongoddess]

I love you you're awesome I can listen to talk all day you're hilarious and so smart you rock

[@offplanet740]

This was sooo helpful, thank you!

[@alessandracarbone240]

I have managed to keep 11 hoyas alive in an average of 25% humidity in winter, in the past 3 years. Some of them still in the soil I got them in for more than a year… most of them in my own potting mix- now I realized it should probably be less airy though so far, only the last one I got left me almost immediately (a small curtisii variegated a small stem of which has rooted in water and I need to pot it somewhere, hoping he’s going to make it 🤞)… I just love the heck out of them all.

[@dakinikiss9413]

I live in the high desert mountains of Amerika's Southwest at 2134m elevation where it's hot and dry--40 degrees and very arid low humidity; at times less than 10%. My house has a swamp cooler/evaporative cooler that adds water into the air during the summer heat. I typically use a combo of cactus mix-perlite-rice hulls-orchid bark for potting most of my plants, including the hoyas, and they do well only because I am their watering and misting slave. 🤣🤣The winters are also challenging because it's very cold and very dry from the central heat--so I'm a watering-misting slave year round, and have to pay for plant care when I'm away for travel. lols!😭💞😩

[@magdalenasowa5451]

All my plants (hoya, monstera, syngonium, begonia, philodendron and syngonium) grow in mix from shop with rare plants: compost soil: 30%, perlite: 20%, coconut chips: 20%, gravelite: 20%, washed quartz sand: 10%. They grow really good :)

[@candib24.9]

Appreciate the simplicity of the mix. As a newbee to hoys i have been skeptical to investigate the mix they came in. I only repotted those that showed decline in my care…root mealies (no surprise there). I put those in leca and they’re rooting nicely. This video came in very timely for me, now i know what to mix. Thank you as usual Miro. 💯🙏🙌

[@BasiePlants]

Oh no! Sorry to hear you ALREADY had to experience root mealies :( I lived in blissful ignorance for 2 years or so into my growing until I discovered them.

[@candib24.9]

@@BasiePlants i only discovered that i had them after watching your previous video on watering 😂. My variegated compacta was wrinkled and after watering it, it didn’t normalize, so when u mentioned in your last vid i checked right away and you were correct! Must have came with them when i bought it 2-3 weeks ago. All the more reason to investigate early i guess🙈

[@herrenfam]

Great video with so much information! I really appreciated the information about low-humidity growing conditions effect substrate compositions and watering styles. That information can be difficult to find. I grow my larger Hoyas in organic mix, but it tends to dry out super fast in my desert environment (Las Vegas, NV, US - will be 117 F here Sunday!) so I liked the suggestions for compensating for this!

[@lindaschquers2940]

❤ you always give me a chuckle

[@JessDivaTM]

I love potions! I have access to Orchiata here in Canada but i love stocking my bins with a little bit of everything and experimenting with all my plants mixes :)

[@BasiePlants]

Me too :D

[@faithgibbs4913]

Great video. I grow my Hoyas in 1/3 perlite, 1/3 orchid mix and 1/3 cactus mix. It works very well for me. I do think I’ll try the mix you suggested on some and see how it goes. I love your channel. Keep up the great work. 😊

[@BasiePlants]

Nice mix! I don't use cactus mix that we have here since it is the worst mix lol :D I am pretty sure you would kill your cacti in it - it has a lot of peat, no perlite either... Some sand I think? Not very great mix, yet SOMEHOW very expensive.

[@stephaniej4069]

I have consistent 20% humidity, summer goes to 40… I use pon the most also self watering pots are a life saver! For organic mixes I use peat and perlite at about 2-1 ratio and sometimes a bit of bark depending on the plant. I don’t have a cabinet at all and so far so good🤞🏻 I’m at around 90 plants and they’re all doing really well

[@BasiePlants]

Glad to hear that! and yes, self-watering pots have been game changing for me as well! I think finally after 2-3 years some of these plants are getting enough of moisture and they are expressing their joy :D

[@karenb136]

Hi Miro. I have been using for my mix 1/3 perlite, 1/3 coco chips and 1/3 Miracle Grow tropical potting mix. I live in Florida and humidity almost always arond 55% even with my air conditioner and dehumidifier running. I water depending on who is thirsty. Love your new (and regular) videos! 🌱💚🌱

[@BasiePlants]

Oh yeah, my humiidity is always high too. I am not in Flordia, but an old house, a lot of plants... It does the work :D I am glad to hear you like the new series :)

[@1ebonystar]

Thank you Miro😍, New Jersey , USA❤❤❤

[@1ebonystar]

I grow my Hoyas in pon & leca☺️

[@ReedingBetweenTheLines]

I live in 30% humidity in California and I’m still figuring out my soil mixture. Appreciate this video, you are so knowledgeable!

[@lilymeowington9395]

I root my hoya in perlite put into recycled jars, in my greenhouse tent. I look forward to all your videos! Thanks Miro!

[@BasiePlants]

I root some in perlite, in ziplock bags :)

[@candib24.9]

This has been a great propagation method for me aslo 💯

[@annettearrington957]

Loved this video! I'm still searching for the perfect mix!

[@flatcreek4665]

Great video. I went to my very first plant swap last weekend & came home with 3 new Hoyas. (2 were no ID’s) Bringing my Hoya collection to 5 now. You do a great job of explaining Hoya’s needs. Thank you!

[@BasiePlants]

Oh nice! :D The collection is growing then :D Now, let's round it up to 10 😂

[@MelissaWalker82]

Because this is such a valuable and informative video, wouldn’t it be great if we all thought of a friend who grows that we can send this to? If you can, let’s boost Miro’s signal! ❤️

[@BasiePlants]

[@walle5667]

Hello from Germany 🙋‍♀️ I do use Seramis, but I use it as a substitute for Perlite/ Pumice. I mix some into the soil to increase aeration. On the package it says to keep some soil around the root ball of your plant, fill up a pot that has no holes drilled into it half way with Seramis, stick the plant in (some soil still attached to the roots) and cover everything with Seramis again. Now, that sounds hella risky for a Hoya and I haven't dared stick one into a pot set up like that. I did, however, put a Rhipsalis, a Snake Plant, an Aloe Vera and a Spider Plant into that scenario 👀 Mainly because I had run out of pots, had some old Ikea ones lying around (the ones made of metal painted white) and these guys were the "step kids" (as we say in German) I didn't much care about anyways 😬 Well, they're all alive, kicking and thriving and have for about 4 years now. So it seems to work for succulents and/ or step plants you don't care much about to lose 😁

[@BasiePlants]

It could work! I am sure it can work similarly to LECA but also in self-watering I assume. The issue that I had with it is the endless dust. No matter how much you rinse, there will always be more xD

[@_hazplants]

After many years of testing Seramis in different settings, there is a result: Dont use it. In the end, it causes just problems.

[@Aquamarine.Aubrey]

Ps. Love this series! So glad you're doing it!!! ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🌱🌱🌱

[@Aquamarine.Aubrey]

Love this video 🎉 my humidity is pretty low (30ish%). I use coco peat, perlite, and bark. But I water 2x/wk. I'm a hoverer though 😅

[@BasiePlants]

What hoyas do you grow in that humidity? I am interested to know because I never tried them out in anyting below 50% since the entire house is pretty humid and it'd be a useful info :)

[@4theloveofhoyas]

Thank you Miro!!!! Always saving the day for my hoyas ☺️ and me. I love these series!!!!

[@northernplantucky]

Soooo much of this information applies to epiphytic cacti and peperomia as well!

[@BasiePlants]

I can vouch for epiphytic cacti but not for peperomia. I have only successfully killed those :D Even when they FINALLY started thriving, they got thrips.

[@sanjmanj]

I grow the majority of my hoyas at 30% ambient humidity. My house sometimes gets above that in summer and regularly gets below it in winter. I use a "nicer" potting mix like espoma or black gold and I add perlite and orchid bark to it. Depending on the thickness of the leaves, I keep some hoyas in terra cotta and some in plastic nursery pots. I keep them in an eastern window that gets a lot of light and water about once a week. I do have a rudsta cabinet for my more demanding hoyas.

[@BasiePlants]

That sounds great! :) I sometimes even put undemanding ones in the cabinets, they fit nicely :) I would put them on shelves, but Ikea here doesn't have those nice glass shelves anymore :/

[@rachaelnugent]

I'm glad to hear someone else mention the price of bark. I recently went to get some and walked away when a 4L bag of orchid bark (just bark, not mixed with anything, nothing fertilisey) was £15.

[@BasiePlants]

I KNOW! Omg I can just make an entire video on my outrage of all prices - plant-related and not plant related haahha :D

[@grannyplants1764]

@@BasiePlants please do!🤣

[@alessandracarbone240]

I enjoyed it all❤

[@pamgustaveson3735]

This was so helpful and helped clear up much of my confusion on potting mixes. Regards. Pam definitely cooler and abit dryer here than many parts of the US midwest.

[@BasiePlants]

I am glad it did! I hope it's more straightforward than the old video :)

[@kcgrows]

Thanks for another great summer school video, Miro! I live in New York City, so we have hot humid summers and dry cold winters. With the exception of one hoya Sumatra that I was afraid to move out of coco husk after the first two died when I transitioned it, all of my hoyas are in self watering setups in LECA or PON. I did have a few that died over the winter when the roots stayed too wet, so this coming winter, I will try to keep all of my water reservoirs at a lower level. Also, half of my hoyas are on my windowsills with only sunlight and the others are in Ikea cabinets where they receive 14 hours of light a day. Recently, I started many hoya cuttings in moss and have left them there out of laziness. If they continue to do well in that, I may leave them there, perhaps adding in some perlite or orchiata when they grow out of their rooting vessels. The experience I have gained growing orchids successfully in moss has given me courage. Hope this helps others on their way to hoya growing success!

[@BasiePlants]

Yes, growing orchids taught me a lot too. They are not the same, but there are some similarities :) I would treat some of these hoyas as perhaps sympodial orchids - the roots are fine and sensitive, so they definitely won't like to dry out so much. Even most orchids, even the thin root ones, have thicker roots than hoya. I think you can easily add bark and perlite to your moss and it will be fine :) I really only worry about moss when I receive something in moss, as usually that is not high quality moss. But when I root in moss I know I am using good stuff, not packing it in like a maniac and not keeping it that wet :D But had the same challenge like you with LECA in winter - always some root die back. If I keep the reservoirs full, they die back. If I don't, they dry out... and die back. Sure, many new roots grow, but the best are always in the middle section of the pot. Top is too dry, bottom is too wet. I ended up switching to pon and some of this has changed - it doesn't dessicate the roots as much as leca, but I don't like lava rock tbh. So I think as time goes by, I will try a mix of pumice, bark, maybe some moss, some perlite? Maybe even coco chips :) we will see. I think a Paphiopedilum-type mix would do wonders!

[@kcgrows]

@@BasiePlants I would say that orchids and hoyas like similar growing conditions but that’s where the similarities stop. 😂 There’s an orchid KZbinr in the Netherlands who grows every orchid in pumice in self watering with great success. It would be great if we could find just one inorganic substrate that we could grow everything, but life is never that simple. 🙃

[@BasiePlants]

@@kcgrows I know some Swedes grow hoyas in pure pumice too, and they are doing great! But we don't have it here :( I treat it like gold atm xD

[@kathrynparsons27]

You are my go to source as a new Hoya mom….i love your humour, humility, endless Hoya knowledge, and honesty that they are just plants. I have been busy using pon…but now nervous ….. are you now turning away from pon? Should I too?

[@BasiePlants]

They ARE just plants. Thank you. If pon works for you and you like it, there is no need to turn away from it just because I am. I am making DIY pon, so there is always the case something might be wrong with the ingredients. For example, with LECA, not all brands are the same. And with some LECA brands, the process of making LECA involves some salts... and that means you have to soak the LECA for 48-72hours so the ppm is not so high. The same could be true for my lava or zeolite. It also could be that some of my ingredients are sharp, damaging the roots as I repot and that is why I have die back.Some growers have talked about this in the past - sometimes potting mixes can be a bit hostile to roots if they are not smooth (Miss Orchid Girl has a video on this, in relation to seramis I believe). IMO lava rock is also very heavy and I think that can lead to small root stress and damage when repotting, also causing die back. In general, I think organic mixes are gentler on the roots, and pumice too, since it is very light and smooth.

[@kathrynparsons27]

@@BasiePlantsthank you so much for responding. My journey continues. Fingers crossed that they survive while I go to Italy for 2 weeks…..❤

[@paigemcmaster5040]

Thank you!!! My grow tent is at 80% and I find most mixes are too dense, but these recipes look great!

[@BasiePlants]

You can also try with pure bark :) I know some growers who grow like that. My tents are also around 80% and I have hoyas that do well in coco peat and perlite (50-50) in selfwatering, but I will admit it still makes me nervous a bit :D Though, plants seem to thrive, so who knows XD But I would not risk this with more expensive sp. :)

[@paigemcmaster5040]

@@BasiePlants Oh, bark/perlite would kill my hoyas because I'd forget to water them enough haha

[@passionateplantperson]

Loving this series!!! Even though I am not a beginner, i still find the information and different perspectives beneficial. Would love if in addition to a video on the easier Hoya, you could then do the more difficult ones and share your experience on how to make those thrive ie..conditions, medium, etc. 😊 thanks Miro!!

[@BasiePlants]

I am glad to hear you do :) I was worried more seasoned growers would be bored, but it's nice to hear that is not the case. Haha, I actually have an opposite video in the works... What Hoyas to avoid! :D But, I really should think of a good, cohesive list of easy to care for hoyas too :)

[@jacquelinecosme7608]

Hi I’m new seened a few of your videos find them interesting and useful

[@deborahmcsweeney3349]

Oh yes and loved your video today!!

[@BasiePlants]

Glad to hear it! :D

[@gita_]

I would love to know more about how you fertilize your Hoya. 🌱

[@BasiePlants]

That is coming! In 3-4 episodes I think :)

[@magimannu]

rock wool, wow! I once got my freshly rooted hoya linearis in styrofoam... I kid you not - not perlite, but styrofoam pieces... It's like these people used what ever they had laying around at their house :D

[@MiniMuon]

Thank you for the video! I guess it comes also in term what kind of gardener you are for your plants. My best growing indoor plants are living in some cheapest gravel and I hose them water when I remember, throwing fertilizer too often at summer (as saying it smartly). When I try really hard and make an effort to the potting mix, I find plants suffering - I think my watering routine is not enough for it. That's why I like Hoyas, they are - at least what I have - pretty easy and I have saved them form catastrophies more than once, so for people like me, they are very forgiving companion.

[@Yoliplanting]

I live in the tropics but it is too scorching outside for those plants so they live inside not in a cabinet but in air conditioner so this was very helpful💚

[@BasiePlants]

Yes! :( It is so so hot here now - almost 40 degrees! I don't want to live let alone go out and water the plants. I have some latifolia propagations outside I rooted in spring and they are not having fun. Shhhh tell no one.

[@Yoliplanting]

@@BasiePlants 🤣🤣

[@j.c7941]

Hi Miro 💫 Thanks for another schooling. I live in Florida and only use Orchid potting mix. I won’t use any soil because Miracle Grow here is always infested with gnats and I dumped them long ago. The only one I’m struggling with in this mix is my Compacta’s which I mentioned in another video and I also sent you a pic on Instagram (although I’ve stripped it now and am using neem oil) to see if anything will grow back. My others are Hoya Bella, Krimson Princess, Retusa, Burtoniae, Kerrii and Shepherdii. I look forward to the next video. 🙏🏻💫

[@BasiePlants]

I must have missed the photo on IG! I will try to look through the messages. Orchid potting mix is a great idea, I loved growing in bark and moss and I am slowly moving back to that. Sorry to hear about the gnats, they are soooo annoying!

[@stephaniefullenwider1132]

Yes!!! Thank you for another awesome video, once again, Miro. This is super helpful. I’ll be adjusting my soil mix and I look forward to lower humidity adaptable Hoya! 😊

[@BasiePlants]

I am glad I could help :D Yes, I am testing some hoyas for this! Though, in most of my house it is around 50% xD

[@stephaniefullenwider1132]

@@BasiePlants sheesh. I live in Arizona, USA. The humidity today was excessive at 27% 🥲 maybe that is why I have killed all the Hoyas. RIP

[@joehisel5966]

My humidity gets down to the 20%-30% range in winter. I made my mix with 1 part peat moss, 1 part worm castings, 1 part miracle gro orchid bark and 1 part lava rock(>12mm). I have to water about every 5 days during summer. I water about every 7 days in winter.

[@KathyGallagher01]

Enjoying this series very much thank you. So take away from this is coco peat, perlite, and bark mix, equal amounts of each. So me being a new Hoya parent, bought cuttings and used tree fern fibre to root them, was amazed how quickly they rooted, however it does dry out quickly so I have them in a semi hydro set up (sort of). To be honest I’m now terrified to take them out of it to pot them into something different 🫣. Im sure will get the hang of this Hoya thing eventually cause you know what your doing and I’m watching and learning, slowly 💚

[@BasiePlants]

I've heard great things about tree fern fiber, but never had a chance to try it out. Personally, I don't like mixes that take a lot of work - those that have to be watered all the time :D Maybe you can amend it a bit and add something to retain moisture a bit to it? But coco peat, perlite and bark in equal amounts is a good starting mix :) Or 1/2 bark, 1/4 coco peat, 1/4 perlite :) as long as coco peat doesn't get much over 30% of the mix in high-humidity environments or self-watering pots, I think you are okay. :)

[@BasiePlants]

* but it may be necessary to go as high as 50% coco peat in very dry conditions :)

[@KathyGallagher01]

@@BasiePlants thank you for getting back to me your a star, will take on board what you say and give it a go 👍💚

[@TheQueensWish]

Hi Miro! I love it when you get super technical and specific about stuff like this. It helps! I’ve had to restart my Rotundiflora in water to get fresh roots, what would you suggest for potting it? It was so dried out! The other one that I fret about is Polyneura. It came in moss and that stuff stays wet a long time. Maybe too long. Any advice for these two I would appreciate! Thank you Miro!

[@BasiePlants]

I keep my rotundiflora in pon. It is doing well :) I used to grow it in bark and moss, but maybe try bark, coco peat and perlite - a third of each. My rotundiflora is now in self-watering. From my experience she grows better when she is kept moist (not wet) Polyneura likes to be on the more moist side :) If the moss is good quality, it should be okay... but polyneura roots easy in water too, you can root it again and move to coco peat and perlite, but make sure it stays watered :)

[@kathyjenkins4067]

I use non-clumping cat litter in my hoya mixs!

[@turogers13]

"Summer Camp" is "Winter Camp" here in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada 🇨🇦 1:24 Lots of snow today and yesterday and tomorrow, next week, next month, I think you have the idea. ☃️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

[@karenmyers9146]

I liked this information so much I watched it twice. Also was doing an unboxing and I’m sure you can guess what it was lol

[@BasiePlants]

Oh wow! Thanks! :D Haha, well... let me guess... Oh, I bet you were unboxing new pillow cases. 😂 It could NOT have been hoya.

[@samtata5632]

Just preparing my courage for repotting into my first self watering . I am in a dry apartment year round and the watering is hard for me to keep up with . Some dry in a day , others dry in a week . It is too advanced and complicated for me . I will begin with organic porous mix in self watering and hope for the best 🥰😉

[@marialakshmi2330]

🎉 me too. Need to buy some self watering pots or DIY with some string like Krystal does (Plants With Krystal) 🪴

[@megusina2794]

Hi from Madrid 🔥🔥🔥🥵 Right now 31º and 21% (19% couple of days ago) in my terrace. I use both, pon (lechuza, no reservoir) and organic (coco peat, leca, coco chips, perlite and bark) depending on the Hoya.

[@BasiePlants]

We had 37 today :D Next week, 38 and 39. I cannot wait! XD I admire you for being able to use pon with no reservoir. I did and my gosh, the amount of work that took!

[@megusina2794]

@@BasiePlants OMG. It is even worst there!! 🥵 I go out several times a day to spray them and add some water (not all of them). My poor little things!! 🌿 Winter, please come back soon! 🙏🙏

[@dorianepellorce2181]

Thanks for your beginner’s videos, always useful ! Loved too your videos 30 days hoyas. Is there a difference between coco coir and coco peat? Thanks! Doriane, in France

[@OneMoreGreenPlant]

Great video, greetings from Poland 🎉

[@BasiePlants]

Greetings from Serbia! :)

[@OneMoreGreenPlant]

@@BasiePlants I was sure you are from some Nordic country, I don’t know why I was thinking like that 🙈, love your channel and humour 👌

[@noramalpica9971]

What is the name of the book you have? You’re videos are very informative. I saw the one about flat mites and I’m glad I saw the video because I had them on my Hoyas. Thank you once again.

[@sarahcaldwell3576]

I love your advice. Can you provide info on those clear pots (right side in video) & the white pots (left side in video) in the background please?

[@BasiePlants]

They are santino pots :)

[@sarahcaldwell3576]

@@BasiePlants thank you so much!

[@sarahcaldwell3576]

What exactly is Coco Peat? Is it coco coir or peat moss? I want to get some.

[@marialakshmi2330]

@@sarahcaldwell3576🪴 it’s peat moss 👍🏼🪴

[@leslieshaw8594]

Thanks for the new series, love it! Do you ever use horticulture charcoal in your potting mixes?

[@BasiePlants]

No :) It is beyond expensive here for very small packages xD

[@leslieshaw8594]

@BasiePlants oh dang! I feel lucky now, I had no idea it wasn't readily available internationally. I use a mix very similar to yours adding a little of the h.c. and I believe it helps.

[@ceciliapacheco6027]

Thank you very much ❤❤❤

[@deborahmcsweeney3349]

This was perfect timing! I usually do a mix of orchid soil that is pretty chunky and then a regular potting mix. But I went out and bought a more expensive soil mix that is supposed to be great for airods and hoyas. Nice mix but now I have a strange issue. For hoyas in my prop boxes that only had that soil I started seeing a lot of fungus gnats. Then they started showing up around anywhere I used that mix. And the last time I went to that soil bag that had been closed up, fungus gnats came flying out as soon as I opened it up. I think the soil was contaminated with fungus gnats! Ugh so now I will go back to making my own mix again. Has anyone else experienced this? I've never seen it in the soil mixes I buy for my greenhouse growing. I will be really reluctant to buy it again! Lol

[@amberclear7016]

Fungus gnats love peat.

[@BasiePlants]

They do! But anything organic and decomposing will do it for them. So they can also appear in LECA too - just not as frequent.

[@BasiePlants]

There will be contamination in organic potting mixes. Some people bake them, but I never did. I hope I don't get gnats again since there are no great solutions for them here... apart from sticking matches upside down in the potting mix. I guess that was a bad batch of poting mix you got there. :(

[@FreyjaMclean]

Hi Miro! What are your thoughts on vermiculite? I try to avoid perlite because when I buy that, it always ends up coming out with a lot of dust. I'm hoping vermiculite might be a good substitute. As always, thank you for all your help!

[@BasiePlants]

I never used vermiculite. :) It is different than perlite; it will also hold on to water. You can try it with a hoya that is perhaps not of high value :) That is how I test my new mixes out too.

[@batuhilal1363]

lovee this videooo

[@TheC3.]

Rock wool? What the heck?! I love RePotMe orchid medium. For people residing in the US, it should be easy to obtain.

[@kulbruh]

Pine bark, little sphagnum moss, clay pot, filtered sunshine under tree, slow release fertilizer and they will thrive. But I live in their native habitat, so the climate is very suitable for them.

[@marialakshmi2330]

😮 lots of rain? 👍🏼

[@kulbruh]

@@marialakshmi2330 Yes, they don't mind rain, just not gonna flower in rainy season.

[@sricharita9265]

Can you make a video on Dischidia care? I’m specifically looking for Dischidia Hirsuta. Struggling to find decent care video. Love your videos.

[@BasiePlants]

I will try in the future :) I find hirsuta very easy. I grow mine in pon and in my tent, I water it about once a week and it flowers all the time. :)

[@mommayanna]

How can I tell if there are root mealys in the coconut chips? I bought a bag b😂fore seeing this video and already mixed it up.

[@BasiePlants]

They are not going to be in coco chips that you buy for plants; instead they might come on plants that are in coco chips (or in any other potting mix)

[@nadine_double_v9901]

Hi Miro, so happy I found you ! Do you confirm, I can use this mix in self watering pots with water in the bottom during spring/summer ? New subscriber from France 🌱🪴🌿☘

[@BasiePlants]

Hi! I do use coco peat and perlite (half and half mix) in selfwatering pots, but not with all hoyas. I use it for those that like more water - multiflora, lockii, lasiantha, bella, chinhungensis, engleriana, vaccinioides etc... :) Ones that are more succulent I will add some bark.

[@nadine_double_v9901]

Thanks a lot !

[@Osminoqtos]

For the most of my hoyas I use pon without self watering. It works for me. Some hoyas are planted in coco chips mixed with pon, but i dont like it because organic componentsin the mix are attracting fungus gnats, and yes, they go for the roots of the plant too. I dont recommand pure seramis because it holds way too much water and root rot ist just a question of time. Some Hoyas are special. Like Hoya sp burmanica, called Hoya sp "polyneura complex". This one grows fast like seeweed and is also thirsty like seaweed, i have to water every 3 days, even the plant is planted in a big pot.

[@BasiePlants]

Glad to hear it! I used pon without self-watering at one point, but it was too much work for me. I couldn't leave my plants for more than 3 days and now I can go away for 2 weeks, no problem. Now... if only I knew where to go xD I agree with seramis - soooo much dust! Algae also seem to accumulate fast on top in high light + there is of course nutrient buildup.

[@grannyplants1764]

Another very good, informative video, but at some points it made me nervous, sounded like a ticking bomb in the background 💣 it’s ok I really love Miro’s Hoya summer camp, thank you 💕🌿🥷🏻💥

[@BasiePlants]

A lot of people don't watch but listen to the videos; the click is a sound cue that something is happening on the screen that needs attention - like the potting mix recipe or if I say something that I later realize is not 100% true

[@grannyplants1764]

@@BasiePlants how interesting, I never heard it before, thank you for clarifying it! 🤗

[@kpfno2]

Not from Germany but from Poland and I've tried seramis as a perlite substitute in my organic mix like over a year ago and I honestly do not like it at all lol. The one i got was a bit bigger than regular one and was even dustier and more fragile than perlite. And since unlike perlites dust, seramis dust is composed of clay, it holds lots of water which obviously led to rot on roots of some of my hoyas. Those that surived didn't grow much at all. For whatever reason even tho it suffocated the roots it also made the potting mix dry way too fast for my conditions, and I mind you I have around 50-60% humidity all year round, and temperature of around 28 in summer and 21 degrees celcius in winter. I guess using pure seramis would be a more suitable solution and I do see some people here growing or rooting their cuttings in it but I have little faith in purely inorganic media under my care lol. They just dont work for me and I from what I see not many people have any of their bigger hoyas in seramis anyways. I also only use perlite in very small amounts, that are just enough to provide some areation and instead Im using small leca balls (not those brick colored ones that are usually used for hydropnics) and pumice. The combination of this three different size ingredients together with a lots of bark provides my mix with a lot of air pockets and so far all of my hoyas are doing great. The ratio I use is 25% peat, 50% bark, 25% perlite+pumice+leca. I know cocopeat would be more enviromentally friendly but I hate it with all of my heart. Ive tried it so many times, and every single time roots of my hoyas rotted in the matter of days.

[@BasiePlants]

I used seramis by itself and it was okay. It was not mind-blowing, and I would not replace anything I have with it tbh becasue I had the same experience as you - dust, dust, DUST. noooo end. There was also algae build up, salt buildup on the top... easy to crush with fingers and turn to more dust. I swear, by the time it would get to me, half of the bag I was ordering would get crushed xD I only tried it on handful of hoyas and I would add it to mixes sparingly as I paid a lot for it, so I never had rot issues. Have you tried pure pumice? You might like it :) Inorganic media has its benefits and drawbacks. I don't think it is better than organic media at all, just whatever works :) I do believe in getting to know the mixes, ingredients etc if you ever need to grow something like Hoya medinillifolia and can't figure it in anything else than pure pumice, for example :) I use a lot of perlite, but I hate that it always floats to the top. I would prefer larger perlite, but I guess that is impossible to find nowdays. I heard of small LECA, but never have seen it hear. I would try it out if I had :) Cocopeat never caused any issues for me, but of course, I understand different mixes work differently for different people :D I had some issues with my DIY pon, and some people swear by it :D But we learn, we adjust, we go on :D I don't mind rerooting them, just as long as we don't lose any xD

[@marcodeoliveira7628]

I grow my hoyas in pon or in coco coir mixed with perlite, coco chips and sometimes even pon. I think once you understand the basics of aeration and water retention you can use plenty of things in a mix. So basically I want a o say that I grow my hoyas in whatever I have available at the moment. 😅 so far, they are all doing great. Ok, maybe one or two died… 😜

[@BasiePlants]

Are you talking about your shepherdii there? :P Yes, I agree :) I think it is important to understand how to use all the mixes and ingredients but I will also say I have a bit of OCD (lol so humble) and I don't like to see too many different mixes (or pots, or trellis heights) Some people are like "Oh, so dynamical!" when they see that and I am like "Must... create... order.... "

[@marcodeoliveira7628]

@@BasiePlants shepherdii is doing great and it's in pon that's constantly flooded and that's the way it likes it. idk maybe it' thinks it is a mermaid haha

[@BasiePlants]

@@marcodeoliveira7628 or a swamp plant

[@ROMANS.12.2-USA]

Do you soak/buffer your coco coir/peat? I was using some but worry about cal/mag deficiency since I did not prep the coco peat before potting

[@jasmin-yd9ro]

Thank you🥰

[@marsf4883]

I am a hoya beginner, and have been using pon to grow hoyas mainly because that’s what they are shipped to me in lol. Also, have tried an aroid mix too, and they seem okay in that too. 😅

[@BasiePlants]

Pon is probably the easiest to learn (and other inorganic mixes). So if it works, it works :D Sometimes when I can't figure someone out, they go into pon.

[@BasiePlants]

Plants, not people. To clarify.

[@marsf4883]

@@BasiePlants :😅

[@neutronshiva2498]

@@BasiePlants Please dont use people as fertilizer. I know it can be done but there are better ways to fertilize pon XD

[@1evie11]

See like a week ago I was looking for this type of a video from you! I'd like to move my Hoya to a bigger pot so I won't need to water as often. But I'm also scared of root rot 😅

[@BasiePlants]

In my experience, dry rot was always a bigger issue. Try self-watering pots :) Maybe there is a cheap option?

[@janetmccalder5541]

Love ur videos .. learn so much .. fr the prairies of Canada .. find my Hoyas do much better in natural light as apposed to an ikea cabinet ..

[@BasiePlants]

If you can have natural light it is almost always better to grow them that way :)

[@bubbyanne2]

Another excellent and informative video, thank you! If I were to switch a few plants to pon, like a couple lacunosas and Bella, would taking cuttings be preferable than trying to switch the whole plant? (You mentioned root die back) I’ve done semi hydro with leca and it was easy. I want to try mix my own pon and try semi with it, I’ve seen many people using it with great results and have seen several different recipe ratios with extra things added sometimes. It gets confusing.

[@BasiePlants]

I would recommend rooting them direclty in pon :) It is easier than transferring though some people have success with that too. IMO, hoyas root so easy (most of them at least) so it is not a problem to reroot them in pon :) My pon mix is also DIY: 2 parts lava rock, 2 parts pumice, 1 part zeolite :)

[@bubbyanne2]

I just found this reply. Thank you so much. I haven’t had much luck when transferring in leca and pon seems more dense with smaller pieces. Thank you for your pon mix, I wrote it down in my notes that I take from your videos. ❤

[@utakcaline444]

Très intéressant Miro, pour ma part, je fais le même mélange que vous et rajoute du seramis à ma perlite et du biochar, ce mélange est top pour mes hoyas, elles poussent en terre cuite pour la plupart (sur un lit de chips de coco humide) , j habite dans le sud de la France donc les températures sont douces. Bisous

[@BasiePlants]

Oh so nice! And to hear someone grows in terracotta! I have sooo many terracotta pots I don't use. I used to grow in them but it was too much work and the humidity in my room was insane. Glad to hear they work out for you :)

[@utakcaline444]

@@BasiePlants thanks

[@mn4169]

I mis perlite, earth, orchid bark and bark chips from trees we have cut up for fire wood and some charcoal from our fire if there is some.

[@leannhillier-jv8wf]

Good advice to sink in my big head! Do you ever use zeolite? And if so where or instead of?

[@BasiePlants]

I use it in pon :) It is part of many pon mixes. My DIY pon mix is 2 parts lava rock, 2 parts pumice, 1 part zeolite. :)

[@wendyrossman3756]

30 to 35 % humidity for me. My mix is 30/30/40 perlite, bark and potting mix. I have an repurposed fish tank for most of my Hoyas.

[@BasiePlants]

Yes, that is pretty low humidity :) I am sure some could do well in that, but some do want higher humidity to grow well and bloom - for me those were meredithii, benvergarai, benguetensis, callistophyllas, pubicorollas, EVEN verticillatas...

[@christineexley585]

Hi, Do all your self watering plant pots have wicks? I have one that has a terra cotta insert that you pot up with damp soil. Then you lower it into a ceramic base that the water is stored in . I believe that these are usually called violet pots, but was curious to know if they would work with some of the thin leaf hoyas as well? Thank you and love your content.

[@BasiePlants]

They all have wicks :) I think that could work! We don't have those here, so I never tried them out. If you are unsure, test them out on some "cheaper" hoyas :)

[@christineexley585]

@@BasiePlants Thanks, I will do that.

[@susiesmith2543]

What do you use for hoya bella?

[@BasiePlants]

Coco peat and perlite (50-50)

[@leaf-lantern]

From Munich Germany❤❤❤

[@Amandasplants]

Thanks im humidity goes from 50 to 30 i just just soil bark charcoal but for rootin i use a 'dirty moss mix' with a ziplock over of needed but im a brok b no cabinets i wish lol

[@BasiePlants]

Cabinets are not necessary for most of the speices :) Some are finnicky, but then we just don't get those xD Plenty to choose from!

[@yvonnevigil7489]

Very interesting video. I'm a new Hoya parent and I was thinking of Orchid mix with Cactus soil . Want to be able to purchase this in store not on line. Seeing if I am a indoor plant lover. I garden outdoors but no plants in house except my Mathilde Baby. Thanks

[@marialakshmi2330]

Only 20 percent cactus mix. It’s more acidic.

[@plantingwithnat]

As I am waiting for both my hoya serpen and hoya tengchongensis is ok to use this soil for both of them?

[@surenetto1102]

If i mix cactus and succent and potting mix soil, does the money tree will survive and grow?

[@marialakshmi2330]

Succulent Jade plant? 70 percent succulent mix and 30 percent gritty or even 20 percent gritty mix. Jade likes slightly more moisture than other succulents like echeverias 🪴

[@ROMANS.12.2-USA]

Do you soak/buffer your coco coir/peat? I was using some but worry about cal/mag deficiency since I did not prep the coco peat before potting

[@marialakshmi2330]

Someone said it could also be salty??? 😮

[@mamakimsplants]

How about coco peat, lava and pumice, would this mix work in 3rds? Thinking about moving to pon, but scared to go all in it just doesn’t seem water retentive enough, I know it should be semi hydro.

[@BasiePlants]

I tried a mix where I mixed in coco peat with pon, I added about a third of coco peat and 2/3 pon, and I did not love it. It did okay for the plants, but I didn't like the texture. I Pumice is good for water retention too :) Maybe you can try coco peat, perlite, bark and pumice? Pumice is very light so I like it in the mixes. To me, lava rock is too heavy. My friends in Sweden use 50% quality potting mix and 50% pumice with good success.

[@mamakimsplants]

@@BasiePlants thank you I, try adding bark, perlite and leave out the lava rock, I didn’t think about it being to heavy! 😀

[@beckythebealge]

What size f pumice do you use for that one Hoya?

[@marialakshmi2330]

😞 no one sells pumice around here (Australia). I do get green zeolite, or for double the price akadama 😮

[@rebeccaparis6470]

💚💚💚

[@anascrazylife7209]

❤

[@SaadAl-Shammari]

😍👏🏼

[@_hazplants]

Miro, are you drunk? 🤔😅 And yes, I see a stable and growing Miro-Fanbase here in Germany. 🤭

[@BasiePlants]

hahahah NO! :D Oh really?! :D That is neat to know!

[@Immortalstar.]

Get to the point already.

[@BasiePlants]

Click off the video.

[@Immortalstar.]

@BasiePlants I've been did hours ago

[@ingaiio8027]

that's interesting that i'd just watched your previous soil mix video the day before, and was wandering if these 2 y.o. advices are still actual. i have hoya Krohniana black, which can be probably identified as Lacunosa also(?). and it had root rot twice. both were in the mixes you'd provided in this video (peat+perlite+bark+coco chips - my standard aroid mix). first root roted plant i couldn't safe, cause stems also started to rot. the new plant was looking pretty good and even finaly started to grow, but something happened again( .. i'm even not sure it was because of overwatering, i had a 'first hoya' trauma and probably even underwatered this one. or, most likely it was a fertilising issue.. anyway i'm trying to reroot it in small propagation box with perlite, and wandering which soil mix to use after it will root again (hope so). thinking of trying inorganic mix with bark, or something like that.. not really sure, cause never used it before. i think my humidity is about 50-60, in spring and autumn even 70-80 happens. *i'm a newby in hoyas, this is my first hoya, but i do really like her. and yes, i'm grateful for your videos, they open to me a whole new world of hoyas and understanding of them)

[@BasiePlants]

The advice in that video is still current :) The thing with lacunosa, she doesn’t really want to be underwatered. I grow some of mine in coco peat and perlite (50-50) and still manage to do it :) unless in a self-watering pot or in a cabinet/ tent, I would not put it in pon. If watering is an issue, self-watering pots do great for lacunosa. you can put bark in the mix too, but it will need a lot of water. If stems start to rot, cut back to the part that makes sap once cut. Thought if cutting is very small this probably won’t work.

[@ingaiio8027]

@@BasiePlants thank you, that's good advices) can i ask is there a big difference (for roots) between peat (peatmoss) and cocopeat? (i'm not sure is that the exact name of what we have, it calls here - cucunut substrate, it looks like a dry finely ground coconut thing)