How to Water, Plant & Grow Hibiscus

Rose Mallow or Hardy Hibiscus

Hibiscus are gorgeous tropical-looking flowers with fantastic blossoms of varying shades of red, white, salmon and yellow flowers. They have been distributed everywhere, so even people in cold climates are raising hibiscus in their greenhouses and sunny windows during the winter. These hibiscus are a native of Asia and the Pacific Islands. There is also a hardy hibiscus that originated from Europe but has spread throughout the southeastern United States. It is also known as a Rose Mallow plant, which has smaller leaves and red, white or pink blossoms.

Instructions

Planting

1. Plant your hibiscus seeds. If you have collected seeds from a previous season, they can be soaked and planted. They should slowly germinate within a few weeks. The seeds are easy to identify on the plant--once the flower has wilted, and if it was pollinated, it will form a bulge that will swell into a seed pod. Allow it to dry and collect the BB-sized seeds for planting later.

2. Take cuttings from branches with leaf buds and root them in a vermiculite mixture. Cut a pencil-size piece and scrape away a little of the top surface of bark at the base. Remove all but the top few leaves and dip in a rooting powder. Cover the whole pot in a plastic bag and let it sit in a warm place. They should root after six to eight weeks.

3. Divide the roots and separate into different plants, if you have a good-sized bush. Do this early in the spring after the ground has thawed for a hardy hibiscus, or in the late summer when you are preparing your potted tropical hibiscus to move inside for the winter.

Watering

1. Water your hibiscus as if it were in the tropics during the growing season. Shower the leaves and the base so it gets a good soaking and then let it drain thoroughly. If it is potted (as most tropical plants need to be outside of a tropical climate) make sure the soil is mostly humus and drains well.

2. Allow the tropical hibiscus to dry out between waterings during the winter months. It may drop its leaves, but these will come back into buds when the daylight hours are longer. The hardy hibiscus will be outside and will need no water or further care other than an over-mulching of composted plant matter.

3. Filter your tap water to remove chlorine from the water, if you are using it to water your indoor potted hibiscus. If you cannot filter it, let the water sit out for a few hours before using it to water the hibiscus. This will allow the chlorine gas to evaporate from the water. If you have a salt-filtering unit in your house, do not use the water for your plants, as it will still contain too much sodium.

Growing

1. Grow hibiscus by giving it plenty of sunshine. The tropical hibiscus can tolerate full sun even in the equatorial zones, but the hardy hibiscus will prefer six to eight hours of sunshine. Sometimes extra-high heat will cause the hardy hibiscus to wilt, but it should perk up in the cooler afternoon temperatures.

2. Rejuvenate both kinds of hibiscus by pruning. The hardy hibiscus will prune itself by dying back to the ground over winter freezes.The tropical hibiscus can be pruned back a week or two before being brought indoors for the winter. Cut the branches back to four to six inches of the main stem.

3. Fertilize every two weeks (with a general balanced fertilizer only) during the growing season, for both of the types of hibiscus. After the winter weeks, start fertilizing at the first sign of growth with a half-strength fertilizer for the first two weeks.

Resources

• Tropical Hibiscus
• Dave's Garden - Hardy Hibiscus