Hoya Chelsea - Plant Care Guide - Teak And Terracotta

We cover all you need to know about the hoya chelsea…

Hoya Chelsea Care Summary

Light needs:	Bright indirect sunlight.
Watering needs:	Check soil weekly and water only if it is mostly dry
Fertilizer:	Use a well diluted balanced feed monthly in the warmer summer months.
Soil:	A mix of orchid bark, cactus compost and perlite.
Humidity:	60%.
Temperature:	15-25°C (59-77°F).
Where to buy:	Try our list of Rare Plant Shops.
Other names:	Hoya Carnosa ‘Chelsea’
Common issues:	Root rot from overwatering.

Introduction

The hoya chelsea is known for it’s big heart shaped leaves.

Hoya Chelsea Light Needs

Bright indirect light is ideal. They can be ok with some direct sun, but could burn, so be careful. They can do ok in medium light too, they will grow fuller and quicker if given bright indirect light.

How Often to Water

Check the soil with your finger and water the plant if the soil is mostly dry. Check it weekly. You do not want to overwater this plant, it is easy to do as they can get root rot very quickly if allowed to sit in wet soil for too long. Less is more when it comes to watering a hoya!

Fertiliser

Use a well diluted balanced feed monthly in the warmer summer months.

Soil

The soil must replicate their natural environment as much as possible. They grow on trees in the wild so need a bark-based soil mix or they can get root rot. A mix of orchid bark, cactus compost and perlite is great.

Tip: make sure you give them a soil mix suitable for epiphytes that has plenty of orchid bark, as they hate to sit in heavy wet soil and will get root rot easily. Remember that they grow on tree bark in the wild and not in soil. For more info see our guide: Hoya Soil.

When To Repot A Hoya Chelsea

They will not need to be repotted each year, but check them at Easter time and move them to a bigger pot if the roots are starting to get crowded.

Humidity

Aim for 60% humidity, they will do well in a moderately humid environment. They’ll be ok in less, but will thrive if given the right levels.

Temperature

Try to keep the plant at 15-25°C (59-77°F), temperatures dropping off at night at fine as long as they do not get down to freezing.

How To Propagate

Take a stem cutting with a few nodes on it, and take the leaves from the lower nodes and put it in a jar of water with the top nodes with leaves above the surface. Once it has developed a decent amount of roots, pot it up into a hoya soil mix and treat it as a juvenile plant.

Hoya Chelsea Vs Krinkle 8

These plants are really similar, the Krinkle 8 has more elongated leaves, while the chelsea has much more rounded leaves.

Hoya Chelsea Vs Carnosa

The Chelsea is actually a type of carnosa, bred to have more rounded leaves.

Hoya Chelsea Vs Mathilde

The hoya mathilde has speckled leaves with a flat surface, but the chelsea has plain green, dimpled leaves

Hoya Chelsea Flower

The chelsea’s flowers are light pink and furry with a reddish center.

Is It Toxic To Cats?

They are non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Where To Buy

Try our list of Rare Plant Shops.

Other Names

Hoya Carnosa ‘Chelsea’

Hoya Chelsea FAQs and Common Problems

Common issues are root rot from letting the plant sit in wet soil, make sure you only water the plant when it is almost dry and keep it in a very well draining soil mix.