Ep. 128 - Hoya Potting Mix
and "the Soil Equation"
Is there a perfect Hoya substrate recipe?
Our answer may surprise you. We’ll walk through our preferred ingredients, why we use them, some ideas for both new and experienced Hoya parents, and even the “potting equation” as a whole! You know us – we couldn’t help getting into the details! What is a “coarse” mix? How do we both feel about coconut husk chunks? And which one of us hasn’t repotted one of their Hoyas in five years?
Mentioned in this episode:
our preferred recipes for the substrate we put our Hoyas in, and whether this is even necessary
customizing your potting mix for specific plants, and when or why this might be better than straight-from-the-bag commercial potting soil (check out Ep. 74 for more about that)
what’s the difference between different coconut products? (We think of coconut coir, the shredded or ground fiber of the coconut husk, as a good alternative to peat moss, while coconut husk chunks or chips are chopped into larger pieces, making it a good alternative to fir bark)
the “equation” you should take into account with your substrate and potting choices to help a plant thrive in your growing conditions, and in your care (first mentioned in this Chill ‘n Chat!)
how the texture, or coarseness of a substrate impacts drying, drainage, and plant health
These images show Matthew’s Hoya mix, which he also uses for most of his Aroids (that’s why it might remind you of what we discussed in Ep. 49). Here’s the recipe:
2 parts potting soil (he likes Edna’s Best Potting Soil by E.B. Stone Organics)
1 part materials that won’t break down with time, and increase drainage (here, Matthew uses perlite, pumice, LECA, and horticultural charcoal)
1 part materials that retain moisture (sphagnum moss, coconut husk chips)
Stephen’s mix is basically the same ratio of potting soil to additives, but he thinks of it a little differently. Here’s his recipe:
1 part potting soil (he likes the house mix from our local favorite, Indoor Sun Shoppe)
1 part a mix of perlite or pumice, orchid bark, sphagnum moss, and horticultural charcoal if he has it on hand
As you can see, these mixes aren’t that different,
but the Plant Daddies each think of the components they add a little differently, and make adjustments that suit their plants. In either case, they likes how porous clay allow the substrates to dry faster, while plastic and glazed ceramic retain water longer. For the conditions they grow their Hoyas in, and with their care routines, these substrates drain well and remains airy, while also staying lightly moist for a convenient length of time.
If you end up finding that a potting mix stays too wet for too long, or a plant dries too quickly and you can’t keep up on the watering, those are reasons to change your pot type or substrate additives. You may even find that you don’t need to be very fussy about what you include in your potting mixes - even Doug Chamberlain of Vermont Hoyas moved to a simpler mix than the one he started with, because it worked just as well.
We also answered a listener question about Hoya pot selection and soil recently when Matthew posted a video to our TikTok and Instagram showing how he mixed his Hoya soil when repotting his Hoya finlaysonii, so take a look there if you’re interested in that similar content!
Links to the products mentioned are provided for convenience, in case you are curious to see what we use ourselves! If you decide to make a purchase, Plant Daddy Podcast earns small commissions on some purchases through the links above. We use these revenues to keep the podcast going and the plant geekery coming. :) Thank you for your support!