The right location of our plants is more important than many would think and should be the first consideration when buying your plants.
A good location is essential for the health of your plants.
Choose the plants that occur in nature in places comparable to your garden, and you will be rewarded with success for their prosperity and the harmony of the plants. - Beth Chatto
I think the quote fits very well, especially since you can derive a lot from it. A plant needs light for photosynthesis, so without light plants cannot generate energy and therefore cannot grow. So before you buy a new plant, please consider whether you have the right place for it or whether you would want to provide additional light.
East and west windows are considered the perfect location. They offer many hours of sunshine, without direct midday sun. High sun can be too hot for many plants and thus cause sunburn, as it does for us humans. What you also have to consider is that the sun dries out your plants faster and in summer you should therefore keep a close eye on your plants on the balcony. For your Hoya's, I would also recommend to put them in bright indirect light, ideally in or next to an east-facing window. Many Hoya's require a lot of light primarily to form buds, some even suggest exposing them to some sunlight to stress them out. However, this thesis was neither confirmed nor refuted.
South facing windows are exposed to direct midday sun and only plants that are really heat-resistant should be placed here. These include for example cacti, many succulents (yes, many Hoya's belong to the succulent family, however as mentioned before direct sun could really harm your hoyas) ornamental bananas, noble and scented geraniums and lance rosettes.
Plants can also survive directly on the north window; shoemaker palms, single-leaf plants, philodendrons or our well-known Zamioculcas zamiifolia, also known as lucky feathers, would be particularly suitable here.
If you have your plants on a shelf, you must also note that plants that are higher up may receive less light due to the incidence of light.
In the winter months everyone has to decide for themselves, if you would like to have the natural cycle, then you should keep your plants a little cooler too. Or if you want the same conditions all year round, then you should think about using grow lights, since the sun is less powerful and, above all, the days are shorter. I will make a separate post about grow lights and I will be happy to give my recommendations.
