Things You'll Need:
- Pruning clippers
- Spade
- Hand watering can
- Hay or straw
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Step 1
Cut down your hibiscus so that the stems are about a foot long.
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Step 2
Dig up the root ball. Drive a spade into the soil about 12 inches away from the crown in a circle around the plant. This will sever the roots and make it easier to remove the plant from the ground. Make another circle with the spade, driving it even deeper into the ground than you did on the first round. Position the spade so it is under the root ball and push the handle toward the ground. Grasp the root ball with your hands and remove it from the planting hole.
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Step 3
Remove excess soil from the root ball with your hands or by shaking it.
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Step 4
Set the root ball on a hard surface. Drive the spade down through the plant and roots, dividing it into several smaller plants that each have some roots and growing stems. Each division can be re-planted and will grow into a new hibiscus.
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Step 5
Replant hibiscus divisions so that they are growing at the same level as the original plant.
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Step 6
Water newly planted divisions with a watering can.
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Step 7
Mulch the soil around the newly planted divisions to retain moisture and reduce competition from weeds. Apply a 2- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch, such as hay or straw.
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Step 8
Apply a protective winter mulch immediately after the ground freezes in late fall. Use hay or straw and apply a layer approximately 4 to 6inches deep. Remove the mulch in mid spring.
