Hey all! Pretty new at being a plant owner here. I recently purchased a Hoya Pubicalyx and Krimson Queen from a newly opened shop in my area. They both seemed pretty happy in their plastic containers and were hanging by the window inside the shop receiving filtered light. I noticed that the soil wasn't well draining and I didn't want to take the risk of losing them if I accidentally over watered them so I repotted them into terra-cotta pots with a mixture of orchid bark, perlite and fox farms ocean forest soil. That was about a week ago. Fast forward to today, the leaves of both plants definitely feel softer and can bend like paper which I know is a clear indication that they're not getting enough water. I noticed that the texture of their new potting mix might be too airy and that could be the reason why their leaves became so soft and bendy.. I also currently have them under artificial light because my apartment hasn't been getting good lighting unfortunately. Could I have shocked the plants by providing them with a completely new environment too fast? Am I safe to adjust the soil I put them in or should I just leave them as they are at this point?

I wouldn't repot - that sounds like the pretty perfect soil mix to me. It could be they are suffering from transplant shock. How much old soil did you remove from the roots?

After you water, do the leaves feel crisp again for a day or so? How do you check for moisture in the soil mix?

Thanks for your response, Daisy. I got most of the old soil off during the transfer, however the roots were pretty much stuck in a wet ball of the previous soil so I let it stay that way to prevent disturbing it any further. I noticed that after watering it, some of the leaves are nice and crisp but most of the younger leaves aren't doing so well. They appear droopy and are also a lighter shade than the rest of the plant. I usually check for moisture by sticking my finger into the soil and going off by the feel of the plant. If their leaves are a little soft and the pot is light I usually do a thorough watering. This is done about once a week or so. I might try a humidifier to see if it will make any difference!

Hi Emt93,

Your Hoya's look great to me. I agree with Daisy, you've used the perfect potting media for Hoya's! The new soil in your first photo appears quite dry and since you are using terra cotta pots that tend to dry very quickly, you will likely have to adjust your watering routine and water more often.

Here are our database entries for both plants where you can view member photos and find growing information:
Wax Plant (Hoya pubicalyx)
Krimson Queen Hoya (Hoya carnosa 'Tricolor')

The humidifier will not work the way you expect, neither will misting.

Yes, you will have to water more often. They look good to me also but if the younger leaves are still soft after watering, they are suffering a little transplant shock. Give them time to recover.