damaged hoya carnosa?

Question

i leave my hoya outside during the summer months and it has been great! Unfortunately an early frost got it and the leaves are brown mushy and several trendills are dead. How can i save it? Is it okay to trim back and remove all leaves???

Answer 1

Trimming all damaged growth is about the only thing you can do now and hope there is enough left to regrow, most likely it has only been set back, not killed. A frost hopefully has not damaged the major stems and roots, as would a freeze. Any thing mushy is dead and can only be a host for rot. Remove anything "iffy".
I have one that is more than 20 years old. My understanding is that they bloom best if they are not moved around and they don't mind being pot bound. About they only things that bother them is to be too cold or over watered. I never move mine. It's been in the same window and the same pot all this time. I water it when I think about it (no more than 2x per month) and give it weak fertilizer 4x a year. It blooms reliably and profusely for 3-4 months during late spring and summer. The fragrance is so intense in the evening that it almost chokes us.
I have done some pruning to keep it under control. IN fact, If I wanted to move it, I'ld have to do radical surgery because it is wrapped around a lot of curtain rod and shelf fixtures. IT now is THE curtain for that west facing window.
When you do your pruning, Water it only if it is very dry. ONCE. Don't water again until you see signs of new growth.
Mine is from a cutting given me by a friend of my mother's (Mom is now 92, and the friend of hers was 89 when she died 18 years ago). That lady had her's in the same pot and same window for at least 40 years. I am not kidding. These plants can become family heirlooms if given the controled neglect on which they seem to thrive.

Answer 2

I would definitely try it, if leaves don't come back I think you could take some root and start another plant from it with rootone. My hoyas are my favorite plants! Good luck...