How to Take Care of a Tropical Hibiscus
Few plants say "tropical" better than the hibiscus. Along with their glossy green leaves, they decorate our summer gardens with their saucer-sized papery flowers. Available in red, pink, yellow, orange, and white, and an untold number of hybrids, they are a relatively low-maintenance, and showy shrub if you follow a few basic steps to ensure their health. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Hibiscus plant
- Compost
- Spray bottle
- Liquid soap
- Orthene
- Epsom salts
- Balanced time-release fertilizer
- Old blankets or sheets
- Pruning shears
- Mulch
Instructions
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Make sure that you're in the right zone to grow your hibiscus plant in the ground. If you're in a zone north of zones 9 and 10, you'll need to plant it in a container so that you can move it indoors during severe cold snaps.
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Make sure that you plant your hibiscus in fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of composted organic matter; a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is ideal. Drainage is particularly important for hibiscus, since they're susceptible to root rot in soggy conditions. Make sure, too, that if you're planting in the ground and putting down a layer of mulch, that you leave a two- or three-inch gap between the mulch and the plant stem.
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Feed your hibiscus regularly. As well as rewarding you with vibrant growth and prolific flowering, a well-fertilized plant will also be better able to tolerate pests. A balanced time-release fertilizer, say a 14-14-14, will work fine, though there are growers who recommend going with a 3-1-3 ratio fertilizer with its lower phosphorous content, which is said to encourage more blooms. Make sure to avoid high nitrogen formulas, since that will encourage lots of green leafy growth at the expense of flowers.
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Keep a spray bottle filled with a mixture of water and liquid soap handy, and spray the buds and leaves whenever you see signs of insect pests (don't forget the undersides of the leaves). Whiteflies and aphids are common problems for the hibiscus but can usually be controlled with the soapy spray or even a high-pressure blast from the garden hose.
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In winter, prepare your plant for a frost by covering it with carboard boxes, blankets or sheets. Whichever you use, make sure that they cover the entire plant all the way to the ground. Water the plant well and make sure that there's a good thick layer of mulch around it for extra insulation. If you're in an area north of zone 9, bring in your potted hibiscus until the threat of frost passes.
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Prune the plant hard in early spring, after the last chance of frosty weather. The new blooms will form on this new growth in about 6-8 weeks. For the rest of the growing season you can lightly prune to maintain the shape of the shrub.
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Tips & Warnings
If your soil is particularly sandy, as in southern Florida, be prepared to feed your hibiscus more often. A 90-day time-release fertilizer may only last 30 days if the nutrients are being washed away quickly by the heavy summer rains. If your plant develops a problem with bud drop, where buds fall from the plant before having the chance to bloom, small insects called thrips are the likely cause. Treat your plant with orthene and soap, and repeat as necessary. If you're fertilizing and watering well, but still seem to have yellowing leaves and poor bud formation, your hibiscus may well be suffering from a magnesium deficiency. An occasional dose of magnesium sulphate (commonly known as epsom salts) can often work wonders.
Do not use malathion to try to control pests on your hibiscus. It may well remove the pests, but it will also remove the leaves from the plant. If the plant is damaged by a cold snap, resist the urge to prune the damaged leaves before spring arrives. Pruning will spark new growth which will be even more vulnerable to any subsequent cold weather.
