Hoya Kerrii Splash Care Guide - Watering, Propagation & Repotting

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by Admin

The Hoya Kerrii Splash is a subspecies of the Sweetheart Hoya or the Hoya Kerrii. And you can easily tell by looking at tis shape and color. However, the biggest difference between the Hoya Kerrii Splash and the regular Hoya Kerrii is that the former has white/silver speckles all over the leaves.

With hoyas, the term “splash” is used to indicate that the leaves have these small white/silvery speckles. As such you have plants like the Hoya Carnosa Freckles Splash for example.

In any case, the most striking feature of the Hoya Kerrii Splash is not doubt its leaves which form a heart shape. Thus, this is where it gets its nickname.

Its leaves are thick and succulent-like. However, the plant is not a succulent. Instead, its leaves are attached to vines and it is epiphytic.

Nevertheless, the fleshy leaves do store water which allows the Hoya Kerrii Splash to tolerate dry periods.

In addition to its beautiful leaves, the plant also features lovely flower clusters which form a spherical ball. Each bloom is star-shaped with a red center. They are also fragrant.

Hoya Kerrii Splash Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Hoya Kerrii Splash grows best with medium to bright, indirect light. It can tolerate low light as well but will grow much slower. This will also cause it to produce fewer leaves and smaller ones at that.

Because of its silver splashes, the plant does need more light (and will tolerate brighter locations as well) compared to the standard Hoya Kerrii, which has all-green foliage.

However, this feature also means it is not able to tolerate less light as well either.

The other reason why keeping the plant in a well-lit location is important is because it will not flower without sufficient lighting. It needs a good amount of light to bloom.

So, if you want to see it blossom, make sure you put it somewhere with good illumination. If you don’t get enough natural light, you can supplement that with grow lights.

However, whether you rely on natural or artificial light, avoid overly intense exposure. This means keeping it away from direct sunlight (although it will tolerate morning sun). Similarly, distance it enough from the grow lights to prevent leaf burn (at least 8 inches or so away).

Make sure the plant get at least 5 hours of indirect or filtered sun daily or 10-12 hours of artificial light.

Temperature

The ideal temperature for your Hoya Kerrii Splash is between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes is one of the easiest aspects of care because most homes have this living condition.

The reason is that we humans enjoy this climate range as well.

Therefore, in most cases, you don’t have to do anything special to keep the plant happy indoors.

However, a few things to keep it mind.

Avoid sudden temperature fluctuations as the plant does not respond well to that. Avoid very hot or very cold locations. This includes placing it near a radiator, air conditioner, heater, oven, fire place or even an open window where cold drafts and breezes can suddenly come in.

Because the plant is native to Southeast Asia, it will tolerate hot climates much better than the cold. In fact, it is not well-suited for colder environments.

And you want to avoid leaving in in temperatures under 50 degrees for extended periods of time.

If you do, it will slow the plant’s growth. Later this will get stunted and stop growing altogether. The lower the temperature gets or the longer it stays there, the more problems and stress it will experience.

This also means that its is best suited for USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 12 outdoors, There, it will be able to grow outside all year long. But anywhere colder, you’ll need to take it inside once the climate drops to 50 degrees.

Humidity

Humidity is another aspect at largely depends on where you live.

Since the plant is used to tropical climates, it is a fan of moderate to high humidity. In Southeast Asia, humidity tends to stay between 55% to 75% on a regular basis. It will also go up to 85% or higher when the rains come.

As such, the Hoya Kerrii Splash likes humidity at 60% and above.

Fortunately, its thick leaves store moisture (much like succulents do). This allows it to tolerate lower humidity that plants that don’t have this feature. it also makes it somewhat drought tolerant.

Nevertheless, the higher humidity you can give it, the faster it will grow and the larger leaves it will have.

Thus, try to keep humidity at 40% and above as much as possible.

It will be able to tolerate levels lower than this depending on other factors like how much water it gets, the temperature, sunlight and so on.

But, the drier the air gets, the higher the risk that the plant’s leaves become dry, crispy and brown on the tips and edges.

How Often to Water Hoya Kerrii Splash

The Hoya Kerrii Splash is an epiphytic climber that features beautifully marked thick heart-shaped foliage. This means it will tolerate little water without much of a problem.

Thus, you want to use this to your advantage because the plant is sensitive to overwatering.

As such, less is more when it comes to watering.

You want to avoid adding water too often as this will leave the roots standing in water. Doing so increases its risk of root rot.

As such, the basic rule is to let the soil dry out before watering. But avoid letting it stay bone dry for very long periods of time. That said, it won’t have any problem is you water it once every 2 or 3 weeks.

I also know that different growers have their own styles for telling when to water their Hoya Kerrii Splash.

I have a friend and she feels the leaves to know when to water. The foliage will feel firm and supple when it has water. And they will flatten out and get wrinkled when it needs water.

Another friend will lift the pot to know when the soil is dry. A heavier pot means the soil still has moisture. But a light pot indicates dry soil.

Of course, both methods require some experience.

You can use a moisture meter or just stick your finger into the soil. Alternatively, you can use a wooden stick and insert it all the way down to the bottom of the pot. When you take it out, the wet portion will tell you until where the soil is still moist.

You can use any of these methods as they all work. The key is to let the soil dry before adding more water.

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Hoya Kerrii Splash Potting Soil

The Hoya Kerrii Splash needs a light, airy potting mix that drains well. Additionally, using soil with pH between 6.0 and 7.0 will allow it to grow at its best.

Again, the most important thing here is to make sure that the soil does not stay wet. This means you want to avoid heavy and dense soils that hold on to too much moisture.

Using this kind of soil negates your efforts to wait until the soil dries out because it will retain way too much moisture after you water that the roots end up standing liquid.

Thus, make sure the soil is well-draining.

Additionally, you want to use a pot that has drainage holes at the bottom.

Together, this will allow the roots to get enough oxygen which they need (since the plant is an epiphyte).

The easiest ways to achieve this is to use a mix made from:

2 parts peat moss
1 part perlite

If you have potting soil at home, you can likewise use:

1 part potting mix
1 part perlite

On the other hand, in case you prefer to buy something out of the box, you can use Africa Violet soil instead.

Does the Hoya Kerrii Splash Climb?

Yes, the Hoya Kerrii Splash is a climber and it will go up a trellis or wooden support. In fact, you’ll see a lot of growers get very creative in the way they design the supports because the plant tends to wrap itself around them.

So, while it is similar to the monstera and philodendron in that it is a climber, the Hoya Kerrii Splash does so in a different way as it wraps around the support instead of just growing straight up.

This means you can use elaborate twists and coils which the plant will follow.

Fertilizer

Feed your Hoya Kerrii Splash once every 2 to 4 weeks during the spring and summer. The plant is a light feeder so you can use a weak fertilizer or dilute a balanced or all-purpose product.

The important things are that:

It gets fertilizer so it receives the nutrients it needs
Don’t over fertilize the plant

Also, because of its unique thick, heart-shaped foliage, the plant’s flowers are often overlooked. Nevertheless, these are lovely when they do appear.

So, you want to use the right fertilizer at the right time.

This means, for the most part you’ll be using a standard houseplant fertilizer. You can use a balanced or all-purpose one as well as the plant is not really picky.

The goal here is that it gets enough nitrogen as this is the component that will promote foliage growth and development.

But once the plant is about to bloom, you want it to turn its focus on flowering. Thus, switch to an orchid bloom booster which contains more phosphorus. Phosphorus is the mineral that encourages flowering.

Pruning

The Hoya Kerrii Splash is a slow grower. But over time, its vining stems will grow long. When allowed to climb, these can reach lengths of 12 to 15 feet if you don’t prune it.

That said, you will need to do some regular trimming as some stems will go wayward or look untidy.

But for the most part, these will be minor and more maintenance pruning as opposed to heavy cutting.

If you do prune, save the stems as you can use them for propagation as I’ll explain below.

One final but important thing about pruning is that you should never cut off old blooms or their peduncles.

The reason is that this is where the new flowers grow from. Therefore, if you cut them off new blooms will need to wait for the peduncles to grow back before being able to flower.

This means waiting one or two growing seasons before this can happen again.

How to Propagate Hoya Kerrii Splash

Early spring to early summer is the best time to propagate your Hoya Kerrii Splash. This gives the new plant an entire growing season to get bigger before the cold weather arrives.

It is also when the plant is actively growing quickly which allows the roots and new shoots to appear sooner rather than later.

That said, the best way to propagate the Hoya Kerrii Splash is through stem cuttings.

You can do so by:

Cutting a healthy stem from the mother plant.
When doing so, choose a stem that is 3-6 inches long with at least 1-2 nodes and a few leaves.
Then prepare a container and fill it with well-draining soil (50% peat and 50% perlite works well).
Moisten the soil.
Then plant the stem cutting into the soil with the nodes buried under the surface. Remove the lower leaves so you don’t have any foliage on or under the soil.
Place the plant in a warm location with good humidity. Choose a spot with moderate to bright, indirect light as well.
It takes about 4 weeks for new roots from grow from the nodes.

Alternatively, you can propagate the stem cutting in water as well.

Here, you’ll be submerging the stem and nodes in the water.
Again, remove any leaves that end up in the water as these will rot.
With water propagation you can watch the roots as they grow.
And once they get to about 1-2 inches long, you can put them up into soil.

How to Repot or Transplant Hoya Kerrii Splash

The Hoya Kerrii Splash only needs seldom repotting. In fact, many growers will wait between 2 to 5 years before repotting their hoya.

The reason for this is that the plant is a slow grower and an epiphyte. So, to start with, it does not have a large nor extensive root system. Additionally, since it grows slowly, it will take time before the root system fills out the pot.

Last but not least, the Hoya Kerrii Splash likes to live in a tight pot. Leaving it in this environment increases its chances of flowering.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

No. The Hoya Kerrii Splash is not toxic to dogs, cats or humans even when ingested. Therefore, it is pet friends and safe to keep around young children as well.

Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests and Diseases

Mealybugs, spider mites, scale insects and thrips are the main pests you want to watch out for. While your Hoya Kerrii Splash may never experience them, you always need to inspect for them since you never know if they come around.

And once they do, their population will grow very quickly.

Treating these pests is much easier when you catch them early. And you can just spray them off on the sink or with a garden hose.

Later on, you will need to use neem oil or insecticidal soap.

As for diseases, be careful with excess moisture as it increases the risk of root rot as well as bacterial and fungal infections.

Hoya Kerrii Splash Care Guide – Watering, Propagation & Repotting