cocoabeachlorax - after the flowers fade, seed pods will form. Once those turn brown you can harvest them. I dry them on a paper plate indoors for a couple of weeks before packing them away until I can winter sow them. They're pretty easy to grow from seed and don't need any special treatment. Other hibiscus I've grown from seed are rose of Sharon (hibiscus syriacus). Those grow a couple of feet the first season but they won't bloom for a year or two. Hibiscus moscheutos/hardy hibiscus may not bloom their first year either but they're sure worth waiting for! I bought my first plant last year--'Luna Blush'--and watched the flowers to see if they formed seed pods. Harvested the seed pods after they turned brown. WARNING!!! Seed collecting can become habit-forming!

Pa No problem, but if you like doing propagations you should really consider a greenhouse. I have only had mine for a year and I couldn't live without it now. Grew tomatoes and cucumbers last year. My best year yet with both of them. Seeds grow great, props grow great. No pests, no animals eating them to the ground. Climate control. The plants are so much healthier. And I built a 10x16x12 ft tall greenhouse for a little over $220. With Free windows I got from the free section off of craigslist. Now I'm building the other side another 10x16x12. The greenhouse is changing my life for the better. Good Luck.

Cut the dead wood back in the late fall or any time before March leaving a few inches so you will know where it is. Some times my will start showing shoots in May even as late as first week in June. This year it was showing little shoots in april. Spring came early this year. They do need a lot of Sun. Full sun means at least 8 hours of direct sunshine. 10 is even better. I usually put a little 10-10-10 around the base in March and once it starts growing I hit it with Miracle Grow every two weeks. it also helps to mix a table spoon of epson salt with one gallon of water and pour atound the base about once every 6 to 8 weeks. They need a lot of water - just don't keep the soil soggy. Hinch the name "Marsh Mallow" Tomva.s method works really great for starting new plants. I like to dig mine up in the early spring and just shake the pieces apart and plant. I got 9 pots from one of my 4 year old Kopper King this year. The flowers will grow on new growth only. As soon as a flower wilts I will cut it off. This will help new growth and the energy will not be wasted on seeds. You can't use the seeds of a Kopper King or a lot of the other hybrids anyway. Patented plants - Tom the biggest thing is you just can't sell the new plants without permission. Oliver Shagnasty Beautancus NC

I have just gotten interested in Hardy Hibiscus the past couple of years. I tried winter sowing some seed that I traded for, the past two winters. This past winter I didn't get any germination...disappointing. The winter before I ended up with only two seedlings. One was an annual yellow that didn't come back, but one grew and didn't bloom that summer. This year it was slow to emerge in the spring, but I have been watching it form buds for a few weeks and I just came in the house from looking at it and I am so excited. It has two buds unfurling and they are a luscious pink. Here in the northeast, how do you collect seed since they bloom so late? I am going to try to grow more from seed again. I would love to have more of these beautiful plants. :-)