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Carolina Gardening

Help overwintering Hibiscus acetasello

14 years ago

I have tried unsuccessfully a couple of times to overwinter this tender Hibiscus in my minimally heated greenhouse, but each time it quickly faded away. Has anyone had any success keeping it alive during the winter months? I have rooted about a dozen cuttings of H. acetasello 'Haight Ashbury', and can bring some to the Raleigh plant swap this weekend if you have a warm greenhouse and want to try overwintering it. Of if your are not coming to the swap but are in the Raleigh area and want to try it, email me. For anyone not familiar with this Hibiscus, its foliage looks very much like a dark bronze Japanese maple. Its flowers are insignificant.

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Comments (4)

tamelask
14 years ago
I don't have a warm greenhouse, but have you tried it in the house? I could try that for you- i have windows in all directions- surely one exposure might work?
trianglejohn
14 years ago
Back when I grew it I tried it every way possible and never got it to last until Spring. I think it needs supplemental light, that our winter days are too short for it. Keeping it warm and moist is one thing but I think you'll need a light source on a timer to give it 12 hours of daylight each day at least.
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I think if you set up lights, as the others mentioned, in your garage over wintering area it would help a lot. Even cheap $10 T8 four foot double light fixtures from Walmart would help. They also put off some heat that can help warm your garage and a light timer can be as cheap as $4 so they turn on and off when you aren't there to do it. Or if you want less heat the same fixtures can take LED tubes. I have many steel shelving racks in my art studio for thousands of gesneriads year round and all of my various tropical plants come indoors for the winter to share the warmth and lighting. My hibiscus, cinnamon, coffee trees, orchids and more.
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My suggestion would be to cover the window openings as you indicated, not bother with the space heater unless the weather gets bitterly cold, and use the area as a giant cold frame. That would be better than a heated environment for all your hardy plants. The small number of tropicals (mandevilla, coleus, possibly Confederate jasmine and tropical hibiscus) should be wintered IN the house, as you probably won't be able to keep the unfinished room warm enough to keep the non-hardies happy (especially given that it's a northern exposure). That's where your lights would be useful - don't waste them on the hardies in the unfinished room, as those should be dormant anyway. Other cuttings? woodies would be fine in that room - you're just doing normal hardwood cuttings. It would also be a good place to start seeds of perennials that need some chilling. Non-hardy plants probably need to live all the way inside the house, and warmth-loving seeds would be slowed down by temps which I expect would not make it much above 45-50. If it were my plywood subfloor, I'd make sure that all my pots were in goodsized trays or saucers, and water carefully. A plastic covering will help, but because the covering won't be sealed at walls and overlaps, you can't count on it to be proof against spills or spray. Sounds like you've been busy, and having fun!
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You can leave them out for the majority of winter. Bring them in if a freeze threatens then take them back out in the morning. If it's a light freeze you can probably just wrap them, move them against the house or the garage & wrap them up, water them really well too. Don't fertilize after this month. Water less than usual but don't let them get dried out, you'll lose some leaves just from moving back & forth, don't worry about that. And whatever you do don't cut them back until the end of February, first of March. You know we have those warm days & the plants send out new growth, pruning encourages the same & the new growth, of course, is more likely to freeze. Tally HO!
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Tropical hibiscus needs to be brought inside (where it can get temps of 50F or warmer). Do not forget to water it (water if the soil feels dry). And check for insects before bringing it indoors (spray with insecticidal soap). It may loose a lot or all leaves inside but let it pout and keep it watered and lose to sunlight. Hardy hibiscus too if potted; if planted outside, mulch it (2-4") and prune off the dead sticks in Spring. Tropical hibiscus needs to be brought inside (where it can get temps of 50F or warmer). Do not forget to water it (water if the soil feels dry). And check for insects before bringing it indoors (spray with insecticidal soap). It may loose a lot or all leaves inside but let it pout and keep it close to sunlight. Hardy hibiscus too if potted; if planted outside, mulch it (2-4") and prune off the dead sticks in Spring.
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mommyto2
14 years ago
I overwintered mine in the house last year. I have a large window that faces east and can get some south sun during the winter. I overwintered all of my cuttings (hibiscus, coleous, brugs, elephant ear babies, etc) with no supplemental light. I had to turned them every now and then to keep them from leaning to one side, but aside from that, they made it through just fine.
I suggest that you don't over water them. In my experience over watering in winter is the major reason for any plant failing to survive. There were times when I only water them until the soil felt almost dry and the pot was light and I picked it up.
I'm hoping to overwinter mine this year again. I just dug one out of the bed to make room for other plants and the remaining one is about 5 feet wide and 7 feet long and I have trimmed it twice during the year :0)

Monica
karen__w z7 NC
14 years ago
Ralph, my greenhouse will be up and running in about 3 weeks and I plan on keeping it warm enough to get my coleus through, so it will probably be warmer than yours. I've never tried to overwinter 'Haight Ashbury' but I'd be glad to give it a shot.

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