What's the problem with our hibiscus?
doriswk
last year
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last yeardoriswk
last yearlast modified: last yearRelated Discussions
Tropical Hibiscus Problem
Comments (2)Boy, I have never had this happen to this degree. I'm wondering if it is due to splashing up from the soil, and if I mulch more heavily with bark that might reduce the fungal contamination. I've got about 30 to 40 hibiscus planted in my yard, so there's NO way I'm going to pot that all up! I wouldn't begin to have that kind of room in my garage, either lol!! But, I think I'll mulch, and also try to innoculate everything with mycorrhizae. I've got about 1/2 of them already innoculated. That should help keep the bad fungus in check, if the mycorrhizae can populate, they'll compete for space with the bad stuff, and hopefully crowd it out next winter when we get our rains. Patty S....See Moretropical hibiscus problem
Comments (2)May, are you sure the fly's are coming from the hibiscus and not another plant? If they are coming from the hibiscus, when you repot use new soil. Find a good well-draining mix. Or make your own w/all purpose, peat, and sand. Just a couple cups of sand, depending on the size pot..What size it the hib in now? As longer days approach, and hib gets better light, leaf drop should stop. Are you planning on taking the hib outdoors in summer? They do great outdoors if you have access to an area. Toni...See MoreProblem with Hibiscus
Comments (3)I would think that if there is no growth above the twelve inches, that part could be clipped off. I recently had some plants that were not planted correctly and I dug them up. They looked as if they were unhealthy and dying. I potted them up in fresh potting soil and they were on the rebound in a couple of days, all new growth. One of mine had two older growth twigs and the leaves returned to it, so I suspect if you have no growth on the top, that part has died and/or dried out. I'm not sure why your re-potting went so wrong. Did you maybe fertilize it when you re-potted it? The fertilizer can burn the roots. Glad you didn't give up on them. Some plants can come back from the brink of death with just a little TLC. Good luck. Darren...See MoreHardy Hibiscus problem
Comments (6)Hardy hibiscus can drop flowers for lots of reasons, with very hot weather being one of them. They also are happier with weather that stays consistently the same, whether it is consistently hot and dry or cooler and wetter. It seems like mine goes into a stall when the weather abruptly changes from one pattern to another. Thrips or gall midges would have been my first guess but you looked for thrips and didn't see any (and I always have ants on mine and that doesn't seem to impede flowering). I know y'all had a good, cooler and wetter period earlier in the summer and then the weather sort of abruptly changed and y'all got hotter and drier, so I'll guess the plant didn't like the temperature change. That's just a guess though. I have hardy hibiscus in barely-amended clay soil that sometimes holds too much water and it doesn't seem to bother the hibiscus plants at all, though that is not the same as having them close to an air conditioner drain. However, I've grown swamp hibiscus near the air conditioner drain for years....or, at least, I did until 2011. Even the water from the air conditioner drain didn't keep them alive through that summer. The swamp hibiscus I had in the formerly swampy land and on the edge of the used-to-be pond that doesn't hold water any more also died in 2011. Drought can kill them, but wet soil never has---not even when we had 12.98" of rain in one day in April 2009 and they stayed in that extra-wet soil for a couple of months before it finally dried out. My hardy hibiscus in the flower border around the veggie garden bloomed beautifully in July, and I think that's because of all the rain that fell in our area in May and June. It has just sat there and stalled since then, but we're in severe drought and it likely just hasn't had enough water to bloom. I've watered the garden enough to keep the perennials alive, but not enough (apparently) to keep them happy and blooming. If yours is in sandy soil that drains very well, it may just need to be fed. Hardy hibiscus can need an occasional feeding in sandy soils where nutrients leach out of the soil during periods of lots of rain. It could be all that rain central OK had earlier this year leached out the nutrients if the plant is in sandy soil. I've never had to feed mine, but it is in clay which is a whole different situation. Our clay is mineral-rich and very fertile so I don't feed the hibiscus that grows in that clay. I'm not sure what the exact issue is with yours, but thought I'd throw those ideas into the mix. Dawn...See Moreken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last yeardoriswk
last yearlast modified: last yeartapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)