I read a post from someone who swears that giving her Hoyas a teaspoon a vodka a month helps them bloom. Does anyone have information of whether this is a known practice and if so why it might work?

Hi Hoyadoing,

I like your username, very cute! and what a pretty Hoya you have there! Is it one of the variegated varieties of Hoya australis, like Wax Plant (Hoya australis 'Lisa') ? I've never seen a variegated H. australis in person but I do love the looks of the variegation!

I've never heard of such a thing as using Vodka for plants. I fertilize my Hoyas during the warm active growing months (late spring, through summer) and I use a diluted solution of bloom booster orchid fertilizer. I have no idea what the cost of Vodka is but I'd think plant food would be a lot less expensive.

I had always heard grain alcohol (ethenol) was bad for plants and wood alcohol (methenol) is bad for people. But that is one of those myths that should die (not the menthenol bad for people part though - it could kill you!). When there was a shortage of rubbing alcohol last spring, our Orchid Society discussed using vodka as bug spray. But, there are also a lot of studies using grain alcohol as a growth retardent. So, although the alcohol won't kill your plant (just the bugs), it may slow down growth. Would retarding the growth of a Hoya force it to bloom?

One of the hints from the florist is you can make your cut flowers last longer by adding a couple drops of vodka to the vase.

I don't know about making them bloom, but I do know that the loud singing all night disturbs all the other plants in the neighborhood!

Years ago there was a fad of people using stale beer as fertilizer. It died out pretty quickly.

I spent to much money buying hoyas, either here in US or overseas. I wouldn't even think of feeding them anything that's not intended for it.