Hoyas are the hairy, soft plants that grow best during the summers and the autumn season. Most of the species of the Hoya (like the Hoya Linearis) are pet-lovers, i.e. they do not cause any kind of harm to animals, especially your pets. The length of a Hoya plant can be approximately 70 cm. The smell of fresh Hoya is just like the smell of a fresh lime fruit kept right in front of you.
It is said that roots can absorb more amount of minerals than the leaves. But, leaves can exert a lot more amount of water than the roots can. That water can be in any form, such as vapor, or even mist. Misting is a very constant and needed process that takes place with the plants during cold months. Due to the cold atmosphere, the plants cannot hold much water and starts finding ways to exert it from their bodies.
Misting is a different way of transpiration that takes place in the form of dew. The water particles collect on the upper surface of the leaves only in the morning time in the winter season only. The misting of Hoyas may help the plant to be clean from inside, as it excretes a lot of water through this misting process. Plants can become free and unburdened by the misting process.
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Structure of watering needed by the Hoyas:-
The Hoyas need proper watering methods to grow well. The structure of the watering should be such that the upper surface of the potting soil should be properly and accurately soaked in water. This will benefit the plant to get water whenever required and the plant will not face scarcity of water any time. Winters are the sleeping time of the Hoya plants. Watering in a huge amount in this period may result in misting of the plant and the transpiration rate of the plant through the leaves also increases rapidly.
When the Hoya plants are re-potted, they should be watered less so that they do not suffocate due to overwatering and also receives the required amount of water when they need it the most. Therefore, the watering procedure for the Hoyas should be very strictly followed and it has to be assured that watering takes place the same way as suggested for your lovely Hoya.
Reasons for misting of Hoya:-
Misting of Hoya is a continuous needed process. But why does the plant feel the need for misting? Here are some reasons as to why Hoya feels the need for misting.
Plant cannot hold a lot of water-content in its parts:
In most seasons, misting takes place at a very regular and rapid rate. The plant cannot hold the amount of water that is given to them and therefore find different ways to lose it or get rid of it. Misting is one of its ways to get rid of the excess water that is forcefully stored on its body parts.
When a plant cannot hold much water, the rate of transpiration performed by the plant also increases. That is also a way in which the plant can throw the unwanted water out, but transpiration has its limitations.
Transpiration can take place only in the presence of sunlight or any indirect light. Therefore, at some point, transpiration gets restricted. But, misting does not have any light limitations. It can continuously go on till all the excess water present in the plant parts is thrown out.
The rate of transpiration is very less in the rainy season as sunlight exposure is very less in that season. Therefore, the rate of misting increases rapidly in this season too along with the winter season. A plant may undergo misting either twice a day or in a very huge amount during the rainy and the winter seasons.
When humidity level increases rapidly:
Humidity is one more reason why misting of the leaves of the Hoya plant takes place. When there is enough humidity around naturally, then there is no need to provide an excess amount of humidity to the plant. But, still, when excess humidity is provided to the Hoya, they are not able to handle so much humidity and cold weather and start misting.
Taking into consideration the weather conditions that are present around the plant and then providing external humidity to the plant is one way in which we can reduce the rate of misting of the Hoya plant in the cooler seasons and to a great extent in other seasons too.
If we implemented the pebble-tray method of providing humidity to the plant in the cooler seasons, then that may increase the humidity level for the plant to a very great extent very rapidly and this can result in being dangerous for the plant. In cooler seasons, as humidity increases, the rate of transpiration and rate of misting both increases equally. But in their way, the transpiration may stop or halt somewhere, but misting continues till the plant attains its normal temperature. So, both transpiration and misting are equally needed by the Hoya plant for its self-purification.
When there is need for the plant to excrete its unwanted substances:
One more natural reason for the process of misting of Hoya plant is the excretion of unwanted materials from their bodies. There is a need for excretion for every living thing otherwise the health of the living being would affect a lot. Excretion is a natural process to purify each living being and that should continuously take place.
The Hoya plant may excrete only those substances that are unwanted to them and these substances are very heavy. So, there is no source for the Hoya plant to excrete them except through transpiration and misting. As discussed above, transpiration has its light limitations, but that’s not the case with misting.
Misting can help the plant get rid of its waste whenever there is an urgent requirement to do so or whenever the plant wishes to do so. That is why misting is a very important source for a plant to throw its waste out of its body and purify itself.
Misting can sometimes cause difficulty for the plants too as it may even excrete the amount of water that is needed by the plant and that the plants do not want to lose. This can be called a side effect of the process of misting on the Hoya plants.
One more factor that is usually completely neglected by us is the temperature factor. Temperature is indirectly proportional to misting but is directly proportional to the rate of transpiration. As the temperature increases, the rate of misting decreases because the plant gets a warm atmosphere and does not feel cold anymore. So, the temperature may also affect the rate of misting greatly.
Taking into consideration the above reasons, it is clear that misting is one of the necessary processes that take place inside a Hoya plant. But the rate of this process can be adjusted by the humans according to the care that we give to the plant and the attention that we provide to the excretory processes and the working of the Hoya plants.
Advantages and disadvantages of the process of misting on the Hoya plants:-
There are various advantages as well as disadvantages of the process of misting. They can be listed as below:
Advantages-
- Cleansing of the plant from inside:
The plant when misted gets clean from inside as all the excess water and other harmful materials in the plant body get excreted out. The cleansing action of the Hoya plant is a very rapid and strong plant action that is performed by Hoyas to make them clean and clear. Misting can clean the plant by excreting not only water-content from it but also by excreting other harmful substances from the plant body. Therefore, the plant should getmisted at a particular time every year so that it keeps growing and cultivating more and more in each passing year. Budding takes place at a considerably fast rate:
When the plant starts getting misted, it purifies itself inside out. So, new leaves and buds start to grow from the plant at a very speedy and quick rate. Budding refers to the growth of new leaves, nodes, and internodes on the plant and this happens only when the plant is cleaner from inside and fresh and evergreen from outside.Budding usually takes place in the rainy season when the plant gets fresh rainwater. But if the Hoya plant starts misting in the winter season, then there are strong chances that budding may happen in that season too.
- Maintaining humidity around the plant:Misting is a very necessary step for maintaining the humidity level around the plant. Through the mist, a lot of humidity can be retained and maintained in the atmosphere that would be useful for the plant later on. Humidity should always be equal all over the plant so that in case one part of the plant loses its humidity, then the other part would provide it to the weak part. This association would lead to a good balance in the level of humidity in all the plant parts.
Disadvantages-
Misting is inappropriate while the plant is in budding condition:
Budding takes place faster due to the misting taking place in the plant and that is considered as an advantage for the plant. But, if the plant continuously mists even when the plant is in budding condition, then that will be dangerous for your plant as this would interrupt the growth and progress of the new buds.
Budding is the growth of new roots, small stems, nodes, and internodes and that needs complete dryness around the plant. That would not be achieved if your Hoya plant would continuously keep misting.
Maintains humidity only if kept in large numbers:
About the misting of Hoya, this is also true that it cannot maintain the whole humidity quotient only by itself. A single Hoya plant cannot release as much humidity as needed by the plant to perform its functions. There should be many Hoya plants kept in one dark place so that they can release and balance a lot of humidity altogether.
Consider a Hoya plant kept in a dark place for a very long period. This plant will release a lot of mist to keep itself humid and moist. But, that would only maintain the temperature of the plant and not be able to balance the humidity of its surroundings.
- Too much misting may lead to molding: We have learned since childhood that everything has a limit and if the limit is crossed, then everything becomes very dangerous and harmful. The same goes for misting too. Over-misting of the plants and letting the plants be watery all day can lead to the catching of molds.
The plant may form molds on the surfaces that remain watery the whole day. This may damage the leaves, stem, and other exterior parts of the plant that are in contact with the mist for a longer time.
There may be many arguments and reasoning to the question that does the Hoya like being misted or not? But the solution or answer to this question will always remain the same. Plants love to get misted but only when they can make their surroundings better for living through this misting process.
One more reason whyHoya plants love to get misted is that it is the best way in which they can release their excretory stress during the colder seasons. Many other ways can be implemented by us to make the Hoyas mist less during the winter season. But all the ways start from giving less water-content to the plant so that there would be no need for the plant to excrete the excess water quantity from its surface or through its body parts.
Your lovely Hoyas may not face the situation for over-misting if you provide the plant with all the requirements (especially water-content requirement) in appropriate amounts so that they do not have to strive for any nutrient for growing in right proportions and amounts.
Hi there! My name is Constance and I am a professional botanist. My enthusiasm for organic farming has led me to start this blog about gardening for beginners!
I write articles and tips on improving your home and garden with less work. I also share my own advice from the perspective of someone who loves all things green – like how to grow vegetables in containers or how to make compost out of kitchen scraps.