How to Grow Hibiscus to Dry for Tea
Hibiscus not only produces an attractive tropical flower, but when that flower starts to fade, it can be plucked and turned into tea. This makes hibiscus plants a dual-use addition to any garden. Assuming your local climate is suited to the needs of the hibiscus plant, growing the plant for the purpose of making tea is mostly about producing as many flowers as possible. If your climate is not at least sub-tropical, you will also need to plan to preserve your plants against the winter weather. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Sand
- Peat
- Perlite
- Vermiculite
- Watering can
- Heat mat or space heater (optional)
- Hand trowel
- Fertilizer with equal ratios, such as an NPK of 20-20-20
- Pruning tool
- Tarp (optional)
Instructions
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1
Prepare a seedling pot for hibiscus by filling a biodegradable pot with a mix of sand, peat, perlite and vermiculite. Plant the seed in a 1/2-inch deep hole in the potting mix, and cover it up. If you are using store-bought hibiscus plants or sprouts, skip to Step 4.
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2
Water the pot lightly from your watering can to prevent the seed from becoming waterlogged, and keep the pot in a warm environment with temperatures between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This might mean a greenhouse and/or supplementing the heat with a heat mat or space heater.
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3
Watch for sprouts. The seed should germinate sometime between 1 week and 1 month.
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4
Transfer the hibiscus sprout to either a larger pot or into a garden plot once it has several leaves. Set the biodegradable seedling pot directly into the soil with the aid of a hand trowel. If planted in a garden plot, mulch the soil to control weeds once the plants are 1 1/2 to 2 feet high.
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5
Fertilize the hibiscus plant about once per season with a liquid fertilizer using an equal NPK ratio, such as 20-20-20, as directed by the manufacturer.
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6
Prune the hibiscus plant every spring with a pruning clipper, both to control its height and to promote more flowers. Each sub-branch that is cut back in the spring will produce extra shoots by late summer.
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7
Pluck or clip the hibiscus flowers from the plant once they start to fade. Pull the petals out to leave just the cup at the base of the flower, called a calyx. Lay the calyces out on a cookie sheet to dry in the sun. Once dry, store the calyces in a jar or other container.
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8
Bring potted hibiscus plants indoors if winter temperatures drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If the hibiscus is planted in a garden plot, cover the plot with a tarp to protect them on cold nights.
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Tips & Warnings
In sunny, dry weather with daily highs above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, hibiscus calyces will dry in less than five days. High humidity or drying in shady conditions will extend that period.
Drying in the sun bleaches some of the color out of the dried calyces. To retain full color, lay the drying tray in a partly shady location. This necessarily extends the drying time, however.
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
