Planting out Hardy Hibiscus

6 years ago

I brought two hardy hibiscus seedlings home from a friend's yard in Ontario, Canada to SW Wisconsin. I transplanted them into a pot and they are about a foot tall.

Should I plant them out now, in my zone 4-5 area, or should I keep them in the house and put them out in the spring? If I should plant them out, what kind of protection should I give them, if any. Thanks!

Featured Answer

mnwsgal

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

I suggest you plant them now. Keep them watered well until the ground freezes then mulch them well to help survive winter. I have planted hibiscus seedlings in the early fall that have grown and are blooming now. If you are concerned about roots getting established, though there should be enough time if planted now, you can sink the potted seedlings in the ground and plant them in the spring. I have done that as well. Just be sure to completely cover them with mulched leaves, etc. for winter. Remove the mulch from the crown in the spring. Here hibiscus emerges late May early June. Be sure to mark the spot so you don't see the open space and put another plant there next spring.

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Comments (8)

A W
6 years ago
Plant them now, they should be fine, in your area you probably still have at least a month if not a bit more for them to get established. I have transplanted mine even later and they all survived.

Even if it gets cold and the leaves die after the first frosts, the roots will still be active, working on adjusting and establishing for a couple of weeks after that before the soil really cools down.

For winter protection, just give your plants a good mulching for the winter, and you can remove it or just thin it in the spring so that it can emerge and grow freely.

Just a tip, when the foliage dies, cut the stem off at the depth you will mulch or even a little higher, it will it easier to find where exactly they were planted after a long winter when you remove or thin the mulch in the spring. If the old dead stem looks a little high in the spring, you could always cut it closer to the ground.

Don't start panicking in the spring, they're the last ones to come up in the spring, and I wouldn't be surprised if your plants even emerge a week or 2 after other hibiscuses in your neighborhood/community because they are so young and were transplanted in the fall.
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Ed, its too late in your zone to plant it now and absolutely know it will make it thru the winter. Unless you really mulch it well. Your hardy hibiscus will easily make it through the winter next year. Just keep it in your sun room or porch til the spring and then plant it outside. It might bloom, but probably not. The rose of sharon also, very hardy, You can plant that out next spring too if you want. Almost all hardy hibiscus will live in the ground down to zone 4 with mulch.
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Jubilee
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you for your good advice, mnwsgal. These seedlings came from a hibiscus tree, which is what I want mine to be also. They each have one nice "trunk" on them so far. Will that single stem die back each winter? I know the hibiscus trees in Ontario don't grow a new trunk each spring when they break dormancy. Does anyone know how I get these seedlings to that point? Thanks!
A W
6 years ago
Oh sorry you mentioned hardy hibiscus, which has a thickish firm green stem that's not woody and has big flowers and dies to the ground every year.

If it's a tree I think you are talking about a rose of sharon (hibiscus syriacus) which is also really common, it grows as a woody bush or sometimes trained as a tree. It's also part of the hibiscus family, but it's flowers are smaller and it grows woody tree/bush form. If it is that kind of plant then it will not die back
Jubilee
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for the lesson! I didn't know the difference. I thought it was hardy (survives winter) verses tropical. So is the advice to plant out now and mulch still appropriate for Rose of Sharon tree?
mnwsgal
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I started Rose of Sharon from traded seed and grew them for several years. Don't cut them back to allow the stems to form trunks. If you want a tree form as opposed to a bush you may prune to a single stem. I might wait and do that the second year to be sure they establish a good root system the first year. Perhaps your friend has suggestions from his/ her experience.

I took mine to a plant swap as they were always eaten by deer and rabbits during the winter. I could no longer do the extra work they needed in my garden. So you may need to protect your plants with chicken wire.

Not sure if they need mulch for winter protection but I mulched around my ROS.

Mine did not have any self seeding. Probably because I deadheaded since with critter pruning they were short. YRMV
A W
6 years ago
Yea I would still plant now, and I still would give it a good mulching and hope it does well. Rose of Sharon is labeled as zone 5 and you said your in the zone 4-5 area so hopefully you don't have a record cold winter. Hardy Hibiscus is Z4 so it's more cold hardy but your should survive the winter.
Jubilee
Original Author
6 years ago
Ok, thanks. I am right on the edge of 4b and 5a. I appreciate the help and a place to go to ask and learn from others!