Hello Hoya Royalists! Does anyone have any tips for cleaning Hoya leaves that won't leave white spots or water spots? I had been told that Hoyas don't necessarily like to have water touch their leaves. Any help is appreciated.
Keeping Hoya leaves clean....
Hoyas don't like water touching their leaves? Huh?
Hoya leaves are so waxy I can't imagine they know when their leaves get wet. Mine have always gotten wet when the pot gets crowded, and I have not noticed a difference. Besides, most plants don't care if their leaves get wet, its just that some may rot if the water stagnates, and others could get burned if sunlight gets magnified by water droplets.
When I started your post I was wondering why you did not hose them down, that is how I do all my plants that get dusty. It just shows they need a good shower.
LOL, all of my hoyas as well as a couple hundred other plants are out on my pool deck and another deck and front and back porches. The only way they get water is by me spraying them with the hose or if it rains. It would just take waaay too long to have to keep refilling a watering can! People have the same misconception about not getting water on African Violet leaves ... it doesn't hurt them to get water on their foliage, you just don't want water sitting around the crown of the plant which will rot it.
Now, I guess if you have water that leaves spots on your plant foliage and you don't like that look, I guess you could try to water beneath the leaves directly into the soil. Maybe you could try cleaning the spots off the leaves with a sponge and purified bottled water? Or maybe a little rubbing alcohol would do the trick. I know a lot of folks like to use a leaf shine product to make their leaves shiny ... I have never been one to agree with that stuff although I have never thought to check the ingredients to see what is in it. I just have too many plants to worry about shining leaves .... I just let nature do it's thing.
I put all of my plants in the shower every so often...does them wonders!! I just make sure the water isn't too hot or cold first ^_^
Occasionally, if I'm bored and have some time I'll take cotton balls dipped in water and gently wipe all of the dust and ick off the leaves.
Scrubbing bubbles works well.
Gabi
Scrubbing Bubbles? Wow...doesn't that burn the leaves, Gabi?
Hoyas love water on their leaves....the more the better. If you have spots from the water, sounds like you have hard water and/or lots of chemicals in it. If you don't have tons of plants to water...leave them out in the rain or collect rain water for them. Those 'shine' products tend to clog the 'pores' of the plants... I go with hosing them down and then wiping the leaves if it is too much spotting.... or spray them with pure water or soft water.
We get really picky about our hoyas...I know i do. Seeing them in the wild totally shocked me!!!
Thanks everyone - I had read that thing about water on the leaves in an old houseplants book...maybe it only had to do with the sun-through-the-droplets problem. This is good news, as I can now "shower" them when they need a dusting - Huzzah!
I've used scrubbing bubbles on my hoya leaves to remove the bird poop that my lovebird leaves. After i spray it on, I hose the plants down.
I used Scrubbing Bubbles after Mel told us about it and it works like a charm! Spray it on the whole plant, wait a minute or so and then take the plant into the shower to rinse it off. Haven't noted a single problem due to its use and my plants like their clean leaves. :)
Barb
Well, scat my cat!!!! learn something everyday (hopefully!). Thanks.
Ditto to what Barb said! The Scrubbing Bubbles even removes those ugly water spots and does work like a charm!
I've even sprayed the plants, got caught up doing something else and forgot to wash it off. I've never seen a bit of harm. In winter, I've been know to take a house plant or 2 with me in the shower. Heck, may as well clean myself, the plants and the shower at the same time.
Mel
Now I have heard everything.
I put my plants in the shower occasionally, but I don't shower with them.
And I don't want to know any more. :-)
Ha...I've showered with my plants once because I forgot to take them out of the shower (after watering them the night before) and was late for work!!
They love the humidity!!
Yeah, I learned about Scrubbing Bubbles from here..I think it actually was Mel who posted about it. I bought some and tried it a few times - works great! I don't do it as much as I should, but it really is some amazing stuff.
Gabi
WOW! Who would have thought - those little buggers with the brushy mustaches that run around the bathtub rings could clean my plkants?>???!?!?!?!?!!?!? Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! I am going out to buy some Scrubbing bubbles!
One of my Hoyas gets a Scrubbing Bubbles bath tomorrow. I would never have thought of that.