One of my earliest memories is an amazing Hoya growing in the entryway of my Aunty's house in Hawkes Bay - you always noticed the perfume before you saw the flowers! I've been on a lifelong quest to replicate this beautiful welcome at my own home ever since.

The bottom line is: You can’t MAKE your Hoya flower. But it is possible to encourage it with the right conditions and nutrition.
Hoyas take time to mature, and some may not flower until they're a few years old. (There are exceptions though- some hoyas flower even as cuttings.) Be patient – next year could be the year for your flowers!
Here are some tips for tweaks that you can make to get your Hoyas flowering:
Not enough light is a common cause of slow blooming. Increasing light hours or brightness can encourage flowering. A full spectrum grow light can be a good solution if you don’t have a well-lit spot inside your house, they’re easy to find online and reasonably cheap.
Cause some stress: Apart from being beautiful, the reason for flowering is to make seeds and reproduce. This process ensures the survival of the hoya plant species. Hoyas can go into reproductive mode in times of stress, like a cold period or dry spell. Understanding your hoya's natural habitat can provide clues for creating the stress that they need to flower.
If your hoya isn't growing leaves, it's unlikely to grow flowers. Maintain a good foliage fertilizer during non-flowering periods.
Just like we say ‘you are what you eat’ for humans – our plants are only going to be as good as the soil and nutrients they have to work with. If your Hoya leaves aren’t thriving, try upgrading to a better quality potting mix or a specific hoya mix / fern fibre to give it a boost. If it’s not growing leaves, it’s unlikely to grow flowers.
If/when your Hoya does finally flower – DON’T CUT THE SPENT FLOWERS OFF! It’s tempting, but Hoyas will repeat bloom from the same spur year after year. You’ll be cutting off all your future blooms. This little stump that's left after the flowers drop off is called a 'peduncle'

If your plant is growing flower buds but they’re drying up without flowering, (This is called ‘bud blast’) try these tips:
Avoid moving the plant or changing its living conditions once buds have formed. Where it currently is, obviously is working!
Give your plant some fertilizer when a new peduncle or buds appear.
Increase watering slightly when buds appear but avoid over-watering.
If you know the specific name of your Hoya – do some Googling and find out what humidity levels it would have in the wild – see if you can imitate them at all.
Be patient: Some hoyas take months to flower; younger hoyas might have nothing but bud blast, but grow out of it as they mature.
Monitor temperature highs and lows; big or fast changes can cause buds to pull the plug.


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