Potting Mix Recipe for Hoya Plants

I feel a little anxiety about sharing Hoya advice and experience with others because most of us (Hoya lovers) are as passionate as complete zealots about our Hoyas. All I can do is share my own experiences, my successes and failures, and let you decide which pieces and parts you would like to take and use for yourselves. With that in mind, this is the potting mix I make for my Hoya plants. Also, see the very bottom of this article for the whole recipe in one location.

The base of this potting mix is orchid bark because (I’m sure you already know) Hoyas grow in nature as epiphytes, living on trees and other plants. They love to have bark in their roots. I love the Orchiata company that produces this Pine bark from New Zealand. It is grown and harvested responsibly which is really important to me. I start by filling a bowl with different sizes of orchid bark. If you like a chunkier mix, use larger pieces of bark. Smaller pieces if you prefer a finer mix. I tend to like a slightly finer mix and so I use the small and medium bark sizes. The percentage of orchid bark in the total mix should be about 50%.

Coco coir is the next ingredient in this recipe. If you have used Coco coir before, then you know that it’s very thirsty when it comes out of its packaging. If you haven’t used it before…well…get ready! It’s terribly fun. Like a crazy science experiment. It’s incredibly absorbent! I like to start with the coir in a separate bowl so that I can let it absorb a lot of water. Add it to the orchid bark at a percentage of about 20%.

Next up, of course, is some perlite. I love the brand that I use but you can use any kind or size of perlite that you like. I add about 20% perlite to this mix.

The fourth ingredient in this mix is horticultural charcoal. Please be sure to use charcoal that is horticultural grade. I tend to add charcoal to most of my potting mix recipes because it removes impurities from the soil. It also can help to prevent any gross smells that can happen in potting mixes too. I add about 5% charcoal to this mix to keep everything fresh.

Last to be added is worm castings. Yes, it’s poop. But it’s a fantastic gentle fertilizer and I add it to most of my potting mixes. I even add it when it’s fall or winter and I’m not actually fertilizing my plants as part of watering routine so don’t be afraid to add it. If you are opposed to using worm castings, you can just leave them out of this recipe entirely.

If you would like to see me mix this recipe on YouTube, here is the link to my video.

So, this is it! I have used it with all of my Hoyas and I haven’t killed one yet. Best of luck, my friends.

Mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.

Potting Mix Recipe for Hoyas

• 50% Orchid Bark
• 20% Coco coir
• 20% Perlite
• 5% horticultural Charcoal
• 5% Worm Castings