E-brown & So-Hooked - These plants have very vigorous root systems and quickly become root bound. Being tight in the pot affects budset AND reduces branch extension, so it is not a good thing. Best performance can be had with regular attention to root reduction (every year, or every other year at most) and an annual pruning up top to rejuvenate branches. Additionally, continually watering ANY plant in sips is a death sentence. It guarantees that soluble salts will build up and remain in the soil. There is direct relationship between the amount of solubles in the soil solution and the plant's ability to take up water - the more salt, the more difficult for the plant to absorb water and the nutrients dissolved in water. I only mention these facts because I want others to know that while some folks might be satisfied with a more relaxed approach to care, better results are possible with a little more attention to husbandry. It's also important to remember the point I made above (about fertilizer). It's worth rereading. The plant prefers less P than most plants and it likes more K. Al

Fred, I'm not an expert on hibiscus, but you appear to have the outdoor variety and not tropical. In your climate (and mine) the type of hibiscus most of this post is talking about has to be taken in the house for the winter, or it will die (it's tropical). I have several of the outdoor variety, too (not tropical) that you appear to have. It doesn't make much difference (that I've found) if you cut them to the ground in the fall or spring. The canes will all die to the ground anyway, and new growth emerges in the spring. It is one of the last plants to start putting up green, so don't think it's dead. Hope I've helped.

Hort oil is a petroleum based oil that has been used as a spray for dormant plants for many decades to get rid of scale and other harder to kill bug by coventional pesticide means. If keep in much sunlight it will likely cause some leaf and bud drop. If kept in the shade it might get thru OK. A mix of neem oil and vegatable oil might be safer. Follow the direction on the neem oil and add an eighth of a cup of any handy veggie oil you have per gal of water. This is a lighter dose than a dormant oil spray and about the same as a commercial nursery summer spray. I would still spray it in a shaded area and keep it there a few day. It would have been better to have done this a week or two before plans to bring in so you can check for new eggs of the white flies and do a second treatment which in bad cases are often needed. A magnifiying glass would help. I use a insect lens for checking for death of egg and any nymphs. Discolored is good. Clean and clear looking eggs, nymphs is bad. Google whiteflies to understand their life cycles and some of the ways to treat them. I hope this helps? Good Luck and Happy Growing David

My Update : Well, need to tell you about my experiment with olive oil against spider mites : Young leaves on the plumeria suffered a little of the oil application. some brown spot appeared, scattered across the leaf surface. But for now, leaves are still green, and brown spots are small enough. The oily leaves look like they will survive. The essential is here : mites are gone - probably to hell where they belong - as far as I can tell. The dark side of the Force : Jasmine (Sambac) leaves which were treated the same way are now discoloured, looking partially translucent, brownish. Green places still remain on these leaves and I think they will survive, although they are damaged. To help it recover, I've rinsed thoroughly the plant in order to wash away the excess of oil. My conclusion : I believe that using oil (olive or other vegetable oil) can be useful against spider mites, but use it with the following cautions : On plumeria, this should be considered as a Autumn / Winter preventative treatment. I found it is safe to apply on the stem and apex of dormant plumeria. The oil can stay the entire winter on the plant. - in spring or summer, if you must fight a mite infestation, you can use it, but I strongly suggest to avoid the oil to soak the leaves for too long. You can leave it for one day, and then you must wash away the excess of oil with a water hose. A stem application is safe, and would prevent the mites travelling up to the apex. These caution rules apply to other plants that can be eventually more sensitive to oil. In short : oil is best for winter treatment. For the times when Plumeria are out of dormancy, washing away the mites with water alone or with dish soap (small amount) are safer. do it on a regular time schedule, say once a week : Plumeria and other plants will take benefit of this moisture. Et Voilà ! Your comments are welcome if you find something to add to this short experiment.