How Can I Tell if My Hoya is Overwatered? — The Answer

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The delicate flowers of the Hoya make a pretty addition to any home.

This tropical plant comes from South India and it’s also known as the porcelain flower and wax plant.

As a general rule, Hoyas are easy to care for and live for a long time so it’s a houseplant that’s worth investing in.

One aspect of Hoya care that sometimes causes trouble is finding the right watering schedule for your wax plant.  

Also, novice plant parents often tend to give their houseplants too much water. 

So, how much water does your Hoya need and how much is too much?

 

How can I tell if my Hoya is overwatered?

Early symptoms of overwatering to look out for on a Hoya include yellowing leaves. Even though Hoyas are tropical, they don’t like to be left sitting in water for a long time. And if they get too much water this can be fatal. 

To avoid overwatering your Hoya, it’s important to learn all about its watering needs.

As well as this, you need to know about the signs of overwatering which is a common problem in Hoyas.

So below, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about an overwatered Hoya.

 

Signs of an Overwatered Hoya

It’s quite easy to overwater a Hoya because they typically need less water than other houseplants. This is because they store water in their thick, waxy leaves.

So when they get too much water, they’ll quickly develop symptoms and you must catch these symptoms early. Otherwise, the problem will develop into a bigger issue such as root rot. 

One of the most common symptoms of overwatering is yellowing leaves that drop off prematurely. And this will happen more to the leaves closest to the soil. The leaves might also turn black in some cases.

Overwatering can also cause buds to drop off before they’ve flowered. Or it can even prevent your plant from budding at all.

Wilted leaves on a Hoya can be a sign of both under and overwatering. 

However, the wilted leaves on an overwatered Hoya will be limp and soft. Whereas wilted leaves on an underwatered Hoya will be dry and brittle.

A lot of the symptoms for over and underwatering are the same. So one way to find out if it’s too much or too little water causing the problem is by feeling the soil.

If the earth is damp and your plant is unhealthy and wilting then it’s probably overwatering causing the problem.

But if the earth is dry then underwatering is probably the issue.

In severe cases of overwatering, Hoya’s can easily become victims of root rot.

This is a fungal infection that will quickly take hold in damp conditions. 

Hoyas are particularly susceptible to root rot so if your Hoya is wilting and it has damp soil then check its roots.

If the roots are brown, slimy and smelly then you need to quickly treat your plant for root rot.

 

How to Save an Overwatered Hoya

If your Hoya is only showing mild symptoms of overwatering then it’s got a good chance of recovery.

You should simply stop watering your plant and let it dry out before you water it again.

You can help your plant to dry out by moving it to a brighter spot. Hoyas like indirect sunlight so moving it to an east-facing window is ideal.

But if you think that your Hoya has root rot then you’ll have to remove it from the damp soil and cut away the affected roots.

You should repot the plant in fresh, well-draining soil. Hoyas need a lot of drainage so you should choose a succulent potting mix.

Make sure that you completely sanitize the pot before putting the plant back in. If you don’t do this then there’s a high risk that your plant will get infected again. 

To prevent an overwatering problem from recurring in the future, then you might want to change your Hoyas pot.

Hoyas don’t need a lot of root space so it’s better for them to have a smaller pot rather than a larger one. 

If your Hoyas pot is too large then the water will take longer to evaporate.

Thus creating damp conditions. You should make sure the pot has plenty of drainage holes too.

And it’s worth bearing in mind that some pots are more breathable than others. For the best levels of drainage and airflow use a terracotta pot. These are more porous than metal or ceramic ones.

 

Hoya Watering Tips 

Hoyas are very good at storing moisture in their leaves. This means that even after the soil has dried out, they still have a vital supply of water available. 

So when it comes to watering Hoyas they’re definitely more at risk of overwatering than underwatering. So before watering your Hoya, always feel its soil first. 

You can gauge the moisture levels in the soil by sticking your finger into the pot. 

But if you don’t like the idea of sticking your finger into the earth, you can always buy a digital moisture measuring device to probe into the soil.

If the soil is dry then give your plant a drink. If it’s still wet then let your plant dry out a bit more before watering.

Ideally, you should water your Hoya when the top one to two inches of soil are dry.

And you should never leave your Hoya sitting in a tray of water. So always empty its drip tray after watering.

And the last, but one of the most important things to remember is that Hoyas will need a lot less water in the winter. 

During fall and winter temperatures are much cooler and Hoyas are dormant. This means that they will need very little watering compared to the summer.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Overwatered Hoya

 

How can I save an overwatered Hoya?

In mild cases of overwatering, you should stop watering your plant and move it to a brighter spot to dry out before watering it again. In more severe cases you might have to clean its roots and repot the plant to save it.