How to Grow Hibiscus
Place your hibiscus in a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight a day., Hibiscus in containers should be outdoors in the summer and moved inside in the fall., Maintain the right temperatures for indoor hibiscus., Make soil mix with a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Place your hibiscus in a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight a day.
Though these plants will also grow in the light shade of very tall trees, they will grow more slowly and bloom less. -
Step 2: Hibiscus in containers should be outdoors in the summer and moved inside in the fall.
Set your plant in its container outdoors in a bright, sunny area during the summer and move it to a bright location indoors in the fall, where it will be exposed to at least a few hours of direct sunlight each day., While tropical hibiscus are indoors during the fall and winter, temperatures should be kept at 70 to 75 °F (21 to 24 °C) during the day and 55 to 65 °F (13 to 18 °C) at night. , Mix a 3- to 6-inch layer of compost, well-aged cow manure, leaf mold or decomposed pine bark mulch into the top 10 to 12 inches (25.4 to
30.5 cm) of soilwith a rototiller to avoid creating pockets of organic matter that will interfere with water absorption. , Hibiscus require soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH of 7 to
7.2.
If it is acidic with a pH of
6.8 or lower, sprinkle lime over the soil and till it in to bring the pH up.The amount of lime needed to raise the soil pH will depend on the texture of the soil.
Loamy soil requires 1 pound of dolomitic lime to raise the pH of 25 square feet of soil from
6.5 to
7.
Sandy soil requires less lime while clay soil requires more., The wind can damage the leaves and break tender branches., The potting soil should be made of 1 part topsoil, 1 part sphagnum peat moss and 1 part coarse sand, perlite or vermiculite.The pH should be around 7 to
7.2.
Check the label on the potting soil package to make sure it is within this range.
If the potting soil is acidic with a pH of 6 to
6.5, add 1/2 cup dolomitic lime per 2 gallons (7.6 L) of soil to raise the pH.
Do not use garden soil for planting hibiscus in containers.
It will not drain properly and could contain fungal spores or bacteria that will infect the hibiscus. , However, be sure to keep the mulch a few inches away from the stems.
Wet mulch pushed right up against the hibiscus stems will encourage bacterial blight and stem cankers. , Do this for the first year the hibiscus has been planted or potted, until it becomes well established.Use a soaker hose or water the hibiscus by hand with a watering can to help prevent fungal and bacterial diseases that thrive on wet leaves.
Give it 1 inch (2.5 cm) or 3 gallons (11.4 L) of water each time.
Measure how much water is given with a soaker hose by setting a 1-inch deep can next to the hibiscus before turning on the hose.
When the can is full, the hibiscus has received 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water.
From the second year on, water the plant when the top 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to
7.6 cm) of soil becomes dry.
Give it 2 inches (5.1 cm) or 6 gallons (22.7 L) of water each time. , Pour the water evenly over the soil until it drains freely from the bottom of the pot.
As the hibiscus will grow much slowly, if at all, during the winter, water it in the winter only when the potting soil is almost completely dry.Keeping the soil too wet in the winter may result in root rot.
Hibiscus will drop their flower buds if they are watered too much or too little. , Use a slow-release fertilizer that will last for six months so the nutrients are available from mid-spring to early fall while the hibiscus is actively growing.Hibiscus planted in the garden should be given fertilizer formulated for garden plants while container-grown hibiscus should be given fertilizer formulated for houseplants.
Garden fertilizer is too strong for container-grown plants and will burn their roots. , Recommended amounts vary, depending on how the fertilizer is formulated, so follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
When hibiscus are not getting enough nitrogen, the leaves will turn yellow.
You can sprinkle about 1/4 cup of granular 10-10-10 fertilizer over the soil and water it in to give the hibiscus a quick boost.
Too much fertilizer will burn the roots and cause the edges of the leaves to turn dry and brown. , They will not use it because they will be going through a dormant period and it could damage their roots. , The entire shrub can be pruned back by up to one-third with hand pruners right after it blooms.
This will encourage new branch growth and more flowers, as hibiscus bloom on new branch growth.Make the pruning cuts about 1⁄4 inch (0.6 cm) above a leaf.
New branches will grow from just below where the old branch is cut.
Remove the fading flowers before they go to seed to encourage another flush of flowers. , Hibiscus are susceptible to a number of diseases, including bacterial blight, leaf spots, and rust.
Bacterial blights and leaf spots are spread by environmental factors like wind, splashing water, and insects.
These diseases will cause yellow-edged tan or brown lesions on the leaves and flowers.Rust, a fungal disease that causes an orange powdery substance to form on the leaves, is also spread the same way., This is a gray mold that is similar to bacterial blight but is caused by a fungus.It will appear as soft brown spots on the flowers, stems and leaves and causes mature flowers to rot quickly.
Gray mold can also develop on the brown spots.
Another disease hibiscus is susceptible to is stem cankers, which are caused by fungi that infect hibiscus stems through wounds.The cankers are usually brown but may be gray at the center. , Pruning cuts should be made into healthy tissue about 1 inch beyond the infected area. , You can disinfect your pruners by soaking them in disinfectant for a few minutes between cuts.
Do not prune hibiscus with the pruners that are still wet with disinfectant as it causes damage to plant tissue., Rather than discard a shrub with root rot, you can try to help it recover by pulling the mulch off the soil with a rake and carefully digging the soil away from the base of the shrub with a shovel.
Make sure the soil dries out completely before watering it again.
Root rot occurs when the soil drains slowly and remains very wet for extended periods of time.Hibiscus with root rot wilt and appear drought stressed because the roots are no longer able to supply the stems and leaves with moisture.
The leaves often become dull green, yellow, red or burgundy.
Hibiscus commonly die from this disease. , Doing this, along with watering the diseased plant properly and giving it fertilizer each spring, will help it live longer.
Make sure you disinfect your pruners between cuts of the branches.
Verticillium wilt has symptoms similar to root rot but they will appear on only one side of the shrub first.The hibiscus may live for a few weeks or a few years but it will eventually die from this disease. , The organism that causes Verticillium wilt lives in the soil even after the infected plant is removed.
So, re plant and replace with a plant like:
Rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), which is a Verticillium-resistant hibiscus.It grows well in Zones 5 to 9 where it can reach a height of 8 to 12 feet.
New Jersey tea shrubs (Ceanothus americanus)are also a good option for re-planting in Verticillium-contaminated areas.They produce showy, white flowers in late spring and early summer that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
New Jersey tea shrubs grow well in Zones 4 to 8, where they can reach a height of 3 to 4 feet. , All of these pests pierce the hibiscus leaves and suck out the plant’s juices.
A healthy hibiscus can easily handle mild infestations of any of these pests with minimal damage.Aphids are often green or red but they can be almost any color.
They are small, soft-bodied insects that move slowly and are often found on hibiscus stems and the undersides of leaves.Mites are tiny spider-type pests that are barely visible to the naked eye.
They are often detected when their fine webbing is noticeable between the hibiscus’ leaves and stems.
The leaves also develop a bronzy-looking blush and tiny dots.Mealybugsand scale insects are flat, round or oval pests that move slowly to a permanent place on the hibiscus when they are young and then attach themselves and lose their legs.
Mealybugs are usually off-white and have a waxy coating that makes them look mealy.
Scale insects are smooth and commonly tan, off-white or brown.
Whiteflies look like tiny white moths that fly up in a cloud when the hibiscus leaves are disturbed., Besides being unnecessary, these treatments will kill beneficial insects like lady bird beetles, which are natural predators of these pests.Lady beetles will usually bring an infestation under control when given an opportunity.
While lady bird beetles can be purchased and released into the garden, this is rarely effective.
The lady bird beetles move on to other gardens very quickly.
They ordinarily arrive naturally soon after the pests. , Disposing of them prevents the spread of more pests to other plants. , The water will crush the pests and knock them off the shrub.
It also makes the environment less than ideal for spider mites, which thrive in dry conditions. , This will kill them and reduce the risk of spreading these pests to other plants. , Japanese beetlesand caterpillarseat hibiscus leaves.
Japanese beetles are medium-sized, oval, shiny green beetles.
Caterpillars that attack hibiscus can be nearly any color or size.
When you remove these pests by hand, drop them into a bucket of soapy water to drown them.
Wear gloves when removing caterpillars as some species will inflict a painful sting.
Caterpillars are fairly easy to find at any time of the day.
Japanese beetles are easiest to remove early in the morning while they are sluggish. -
Step 3: Maintain the right temperatures for indoor hibiscus.
-
Step 4: Make soil mix with a lot of organic matter for your hibiscus.
-
Step 5: Test the soil to determine its pH.
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Step 6: Select a planting site where the hibiscus will be protected from strong wind.
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Step 7: Use potting soil with a high pH for hibiscus in containers.
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Step 8: Spread a 2- to 3-inch depth of organic mulch around the hibiscus to help keep the soil moist.
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Step 9: Water your hibiscus as often as necessary to keep the soil lightly moist.
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Step 10: Water hibiscus in a container when the top of the soil begins to dry during the spring
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Step 11: summer
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Step 12: and fall.
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Step 13: Sprinkle a balanced
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Step 14: slow-release fertilizer with a 10-10-10 ratio over the soil around the hibiscus after planting.
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Step 15: Give outdoor hibiscus about 1/4 cup of fertilizer and give container-grown plants only a few tablespoons of fertilizer.
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Step 16: Do not give hibiscus fertilizer during the winter.
-
Step 17: Prune your hibiscus after they finish blooming.
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Step 18: Be wary of insects
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Step 19: splashing water
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Step 20: and wind.
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Step 21: Notice if the cool
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Step 22: damp weather is encouraging the growth of Botrytis blight.
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Step 23: Prune off any infected stems
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Step 24: leaves
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Step 25: or flowers.
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Step 26: Disinfect your pruners and dry them between cuts to help prevent the spread of disease.
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Step 27: To help your plant recover from root rot
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Step 28: let the soil dry out before trying to water it again.
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Step 29: Prune out any branches affected with Verticillium wilt.
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Step 30: Re-plant the area with only Verticillium-resistant plants.
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Step 31: Check your hibiscus for aphids
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Step 32: mealybugs
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Step 33: scales insects
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Step 34: and whiteflies.
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Step 35: Avoid pesticide treatments for pests.
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Step 36: Prune out severely infested branches and put them in the trash.
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Step 37: Hose down the hibiscus every other morning with a strong spray from the garden hose.
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Step 38: Remove mealybugs and scale insects by rubbing them off with a thumbnail or a cotton ball dipped in Isopropyl rubbing alcohol.
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Step 39: Pick off any Japanese beetles and caterpillars by hand and drown them in a bucket of soapy water.
Detailed Guide
Though these plants will also grow in the light shade of very tall trees, they will grow more slowly and bloom less.
Set your plant in its container outdoors in a bright, sunny area during the summer and move it to a bright location indoors in the fall, where it will be exposed to at least a few hours of direct sunlight each day., While tropical hibiscus are indoors during the fall and winter, temperatures should be kept at 70 to 75 °F (21 to 24 °C) during the day and 55 to 65 °F (13 to 18 °C) at night. , Mix a 3- to 6-inch layer of compost, well-aged cow manure, leaf mold or decomposed pine bark mulch into the top 10 to 12 inches (25.4 to
30.5 cm) of soilwith a rototiller to avoid creating pockets of organic matter that will interfere with water absorption. , Hibiscus require soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH of 7 to
7.2.
If it is acidic with a pH of
6.8 or lower, sprinkle lime over the soil and till it in to bring the pH up.The amount of lime needed to raise the soil pH will depend on the texture of the soil.
Loamy soil requires 1 pound of dolomitic lime to raise the pH of 25 square feet of soil from
6.5 to
7.
Sandy soil requires less lime while clay soil requires more., The wind can damage the leaves and break tender branches., The potting soil should be made of 1 part topsoil, 1 part sphagnum peat moss and 1 part coarse sand, perlite or vermiculite.The pH should be around 7 to
7.2.
Check the label on the potting soil package to make sure it is within this range.
If the potting soil is acidic with a pH of 6 to
6.5, add 1/2 cup dolomitic lime per 2 gallons (7.6 L) of soil to raise the pH.
Do not use garden soil for planting hibiscus in containers.
It will not drain properly and could contain fungal spores or bacteria that will infect the hibiscus. , However, be sure to keep the mulch a few inches away from the stems.
Wet mulch pushed right up against the hibiscus stems will encourage bacterial blight and stem cankers. , Do this for the first year the hibiscus has been planted or potted, until it becomes well established.Use a soaker hose or water the hibiscus by hand with a watering can to help prevent fungal and bacterial diseases that thrive on wet leaves.
Give it 1 inch (2.5 cm) or 3 gallons (11.4 L) of water each time.
Measure how much water is given with a soaker hose by setting a 1-inch deep can next to the hibiscus before turning on the hose.
When the can is full, the hibiscus has received 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water.
From the second year on, water the plant when the top 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to
7.6 cm) of soil becomes dry.
Give it 2 inches (5.1 cm) or 6 gallons (22.7 L) of water each time. , Pour the water evenly over the soil until it drains freely from the bottom of the pot.
As the hibiscus will grow much slowly, if at all, during the winter, water it in the winter only when the potting soil is almost completely dry.Keeping the soil too wet in the winter may result in root rot.
Hibiscus will drop their flower buds if they are watered too much or too little. , Use a slow-release fertilizer that will last for six months so the nutrients are available from mid-spring to early fall while the hibiscus is actively growing.Hibiscus planted in the garden should be given fertilizer formulated for garden plants while container-grown hibiscus should be given fertilizer formulated for houseplants.
Garden fertilizer is too strong for container-grown plants and will burn their roots. , Recommended amounts vary, depending on how the fertilizer is formulated, so follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
When hibiscus are not getting enough nitrogen, the leaves will turn yellow.
You can sprinkle about 1/4 cup of granular 10-10-10 fertilizer over the soil and water it in to give the hibiscus a quick boost.
Too much fertilizer will burn the roots and cause the edges of the leaves to turn dry and brown. , They will not use it because they will be going through a dormant period and it could damage their roots. , The entire shrub can be pruned back by up to one-third with hand pruners right after it blooms.
This will encourage new branch growth and more flowers, as hibiscus bloom on new branch growth.Make the pruning cuts about 1⁄4 inch (0.6 cm) above a leaf.
New branches will grow from just below where the old branch is cut.
Remove the fading flowers before they go to seed to encourage another flush of flowers. , Hibiscus are susceptible to a number of diseases, including bacterial blight, leaf spots, and rust.
Bacterial blights and leaf spots are spread by environmental factors like wind, splashing water, and insects.
These diseases will cause yellow-edged tan or brown lesions on the leaves and flowers.Rust, a fungal disease that causes an orange powdery substance to form on the leaves, is also spread the same way., This is a gray mold that is similar to bacterial blight but is caused by a fungus.It will appear as soft brown spots on the flowers, stems and leaves and causes mature flowers to rot quickly.
Gray mold can also develop on the brown spots.
Another disease hibiscus is susceptible to is stem cankers, which are caused by fungi that infect hibiscus stems through wounds.The cankers are usually brown but may be gray at the center. , Pruning cuts should be made into healthy tissue about 1 inch beyond the infected area. , You can disinfect your pruners by soaking them in disinfectant for a few minutes between cuts.
Do not prune hibiscus with the pruners that are still wet with disinfectant as it causes damage to plant tissue., Rather than discard a shrub with root rot, you can try to help it recover by pulling the mulch off the soil with a rake and carefully digging the soil away from the base of the shrub with a shovel.
Make sure the soil dries out completely before watering it again.
Root rot occurs when the soil drains slowly and remains very wet for extended periods of time.Hibiscus with root rot wilt and appear drought stressed because the roots are no longer able to supply the stems and leaves with moisture.
The leaves often become dull green, yellow, red or burgundy.
Hibiscus commonly die from this disease. , Doing this, along with watering the diseased plant properly and giving it fertilizer each spring, will help it live longer.
Make sure you disinfect your pruners between cuts of the branches.
Verticillium wilt has symptoms similar to root rot but they will appear on only one side of the shrub first.The hibiscus may live for a few weeks or a few years but it will eventually die from this disease. , The organism that causes Verticillium wilt lives in the soil even after the infected plant is removed.
So, re plant and replace with a plant like:
Rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), which is a Verticillium-resistant hibiscus.It grows well in Zones 5 to 9 where it can reach a height of 8 to 12 feet.
New Jersey tea shrubs (Ceanothus americanus)are also a good option for re-planting in Verticillium-contaminated areas.They produce showy, white flowers in late spring and early summer that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
New Jersey tea shrubs grow well in Zones 4 to 8, where they can reach a height of 3 to 4 feet. , All of these pests pierce the hibiscus leaves and suck out the plant’s juices.
A healthy hibiscus can easily handle mild infestations of any of these pests with minimal damage.Aphids are often green or red but they can be almost any color.
They are small, soft-bodied insects that move slowly and are often found on hibiscus stems and the undersides of leaves.Mites are tiny spider-type pests that are barely visible to the naked eye.
They are often detected when their fine webbing is noticeable between the hibiscus’ leaves and stems.
The leaves also develop a bronzy-looking blush and tiny dots.Mealybugsand scale insects are flat, round or oval pests that move slowly to a permanent place on the hibiscus when they are young and then attach themselves and lose their legs.
Mealybugs are usually off-white and have a waxy coating that makes them look mealy.
Scale insects are smooth and commonly tan, off-white or brown.
Whiteflies look like tiny white moths that fly up in a cloud when the hibiscus leaves are disturbed., Besides being unnecessary, these treatments will kill beneficial insects like lady bird beetles, which are natural predators of these pests.Lady beetles will usually bring an infestation under control when given an opportunity.
While lady bird beetles can be purchased and released into the garden, this is rarely effective.
The lady bird beetles move on to other gardens very quickly.
They ordinarily arrive naturally soon after the pests. , Disposing of them prevents the spread of more pests to other plants. , The water will crush the pests and knock them off the shrub.
It also makes the environment less than ideal for spider mites, which thrive in dry conditions. , This will kill them and reduce the risk of spreading these pests to other plants. , Japanese beetlesand caterpillarseat hibiscus leaves.
Japanese beetles are medium-sized, oval, shiny green beetles.
Caterpillars that attack hibiscus can be nearly any color or size.
When you remove these pests by hand, drop them into a bucket of soapy water to drown them.
Wear gloves when removing caterpillars as some species will inflict a painful sting.
Caterpillars are fairly easy to find at any time of the day.
Japanese beetles are easiest to remove early in the morning while they are sluggish.
About the Author
Catherine Hughes
Experienced content creator specializing in home improvement guides and tutorials.
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