Here is the Hibiscus in bloom this summer (2011) ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) The problem should be obvious from the photos. I was out of town for 5 days, leaving my teenage son in charge of watering the plants and feeding the birds. The birds got fed, the plants did not get watered. :twisted: What can I do now? I know I should prune the hibiscus, but how much & when? Thank you all for your help. Here is is on the right. By Sept it was a foot taller. ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) Here it is in Nov. 2011 ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) The debris..... ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) The tips are still healthy. ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden )
!!!! Someone please help!!! This plant is in need of something. Cayuga Morning, So many things race through my mind. More sunlight, repot with good soil, check for bugs!! Barb in Pa.
Hi Barb--thanks for the suggestions. I know bugs are not the problem, it is because it was not watered. I came home from my trip and all the leaves looked like wilted lettuce...very sad. I am reluctant to repot given that it already has had an assault. I think I need to prune it back, but don't know when to do it and how much. Maybe I should do 1/2 the plant, leaving the growing tips on the other half. Then when I get new growth,cut the remaining half back. What do people think?
I am sure you have given it a much needed drink by now. These plants usually recover pretty quickly when they get watered. Just be sure to check the soil before watering so you don't drown it. I see you have brought it indoors, and it is inevitable that it will lose leaves and pout from the shock of leaving its happy growing environment. You have it in a sunny spot, that's good, but it may need to go through a dormant period while in your home. I have brought my Hibiscus in too in hopes of overwintering it. It seems to be a thirsty one, so now that you're home, you can moniter your plant more closely. I occasionally take my indoor plants to the shower and give them a shower when it watering time. It helps keep them hydrated, and cleans the foliage. Good luck!
How was the weather while you were gone? They need to be indoors before the temperatures go below 40 degrees. They can tolerate temps between 32-40 a night or two as long as there is full sun and warmer day time temps to let it recover, but if the temperature got down to freezing or below it's reacting to that and it's chances of being revived are slim. Also, the transition from outdoors to indoors can cause the leaves to yellow and drop off. Also, what is the age of the plant? Tropical Hibiscus will survive quite well in a pot for 4-5 years if they are kept in full sun all day winter and summer up north. After that they start weakening and should be replaced. If this is the first year you have had it, depending on where you bought it, you may not get very many if any blooms next summer and probably would be best to let it go and buy new next year. Cut the stems back to 4-5" from the main stem, give it a good soaking but don't let it sit in a tray of water. Keep the soil moist but not soggy through the winter and do not feed it. They need a rest period so feeding them will not be healthy for them. If it is still a viable plant it will start putting out new growth when it is ready, usually sometime in Feb or March. Keep it in a sunny location and away from cold drafts while inside too.
Thanks everybody. I have decided to let it rest for now, watching it carefully re watering. Towards late winter, early spring I will try cutting it back to see if I get new fresh growth. Thank you all.
Well I may be late, but I would have said, if all it was, was lack of water and the tips of branches are fine... the plant is fine Maybe back to normal it will actually give shoots where leaves used to be
Hi Calin--Yes, that is my thought too, but obviously I didn't make that clear in my posting. My actual question was about how to prune it and when.
Calin--You were right! I now have baby leaves emerging where the adult leaves used to be. I have begun twipping back the terminal buds, hoping to push growing energy into the lower branches.
