How to To Prune a Hibiscus

Pruning helps to shape new plants and to keep older plants healthy and vital. Plus, "pinch pruning" will encourage hibiscus to develop plenty of showy blooms. These instructions are for Chinese or Tropical Hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis).

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Loppers
• Pruning Shears

1. Use well-sharpened pruning shears to prune poorly shaped young plants in early spring. Remove crossing branches, dead, diseased or injured wood and any branches growing toward the center of the plant.

2. Prune out and remove 1/3 of older wood on mature hibiscus plants in early spring to keep plants growing vigorously. Mature plants left unpruned will eventually grow leggy and weak. Use lopping shears for larger branches.

3. Pinch branch tips throughout the growing season to encourage hibiscus to be bushy and full. More branches mean more flowers!

4. Stop all forms of pruning in the fall. Pruning encourages new growth which is more susceptible to frost damage.

Tips & Warnings

• Pinching (also known as tip pruning) increases flower production by forcing the terminal growth tip to multiple growth points further down the stem.
• Tropical hibiscus can easily be trained into espalier or topiary form. See "Related eHows."
• Tropical hibiscus require excellent drainage and night time temperatures over 60 degrees to flourish.
• All hibiscus require protection from cold weather. When the temperature drops below 30 degrees, cover plants or bring indoors.

[Downnnc]

on 5/13/2008 Depending on whether or not they are perennial of annual. My perennials are just coming up and it is in the middle of May. On the other hand, check under ground in the mulch, scrape the bark, if you see green, it is alive. If not, could be it could be dead. Give it some time. It'll come back.

[wkygrrl]

on 6/7/2007 i have heard that there are two types of hibiscus; tropical and hardy. if it is a tropical, it must be brought indoors to survive winter, but my mother in law has a hardy variety which, like you, she trims to the ground every fall and it comes back bigger and better each year! i would try again with a new plant and if it is remaining in the ground make certain it is a hardy variety! good luck!

[avilam]

on 10/1/2007 I have two hibiscus plants and last fall I pruned them all the way to the ground, because those were the instructions on the tag that came with it. So here we are in may and the plant has not started growing at all. Is it dead or what? any help would be greatly apreciated please and thank you!