I planted a Celia Hibiscus in a large pot in my backyard. The plant is growing and I've got beautiful orange/rust colored blooms. No problem with blooms at all; however, the leaves on the plant are not a deep healthy green but are yellowish. The same kind of hibiscus is planted in the ground in my front yard and is blooming beautifully also and the leaves are a deep healthy green. I think when I potted the plant in the back, I put too much fertilizer in the soil in the pot. I'm definitely not over watering it.(that was the first thing I checked) Any solutions to get my leaves back to a deep green or should I not worry about the leaves since the plant is growing and blooming. Thanks!
Do you have a picture? It sounds like it could be either chlorotic from and iron deficiency. You could do soil test for that and check. there is a soil amendment called ironite. it come in a 5# bag and is for greening up plants gently. Or you could check closely for spider mites. You will notice a fine dusty look, it is almost gritty/dirty looking and feeling (use a magnifying glass to look, they are that small). Mix a spray bottle of soapy water (I use dawn) 1-2T detg. and a tablespoon of veg. oil and about 32oz water. shake and spray, saturating the foliage. if mites are not the problem this won't hurt the plant, either. Just gives it a nice bath otherwise. It will also kill any other insects residing there.
Thanks Carolyn. I will check for mites first. How do I go about doing a "soil" test?? The detg. bath sounds like a good idea for the other "pests" that are eating the leaves on some of my other plants. Thanks again!
You can buy a soil test kit in the garden dept at a box store/garden center, etc. OR... we bought a soil probe 4-way analyzer from Stokes Seeds (I think, it's been a few years) but it works by inserting the probes into the ground and it has a switch that you move to the position of whatever you are testing for Ph, moisture, lumens or light quantity, and I think the last was combined fertility and it was the best price of anywhere when we bought it..I think it was 25.00-30.00 or around there. So if the Ph of your soil is "locking" in the nutrients, your plant can't absorb what is available. I think buying one is a good investment if you are going to garden any at all. There is also a digital one that is programed (Ph only) and tells you the Ph of 400 different plants. Your hibiscus needs a Ph of 6.1 to 6.5 which is slightly acidic... If this helps.
I keep a Dawn dishwashing mix on hand for any signs of pests. One thing that Carolyn didn't mention... do not spray the plants when the sun is shining on them. They will get burned. I find that evening is the best time.
Thanks, Cheryl, I thought about that as I started this reply, but forgot by the time I finished, with all the interruptions, to include that.
