What do you think contributes to the beauty and vibrancy of Hawaii? For some, it is the dense greenery.
In case you want a plant that can bring a vibrant touch to your home garden along with thick and colorful flowers, consider planting a hibiscus tree.
This intuitive guide will explain all the steps related to growing and caring for hibiscus trees.
However, let us first examine what different types are available so that we can select the optimal one for your garden.
How to Choose the Best Hibiscus Species
An inquiry into Hibiscus spp Will provide you with more than 300 species ranging from perennials, annuals to shrubs.
Given the number of options available in the market, it is very easy for someone looking for an ideal hibiscus tree to feel lost.
Luckily, there are three most popular types that will flourish in any backyard garden as well as be found in most nurseries which has been included in this list.
How to Plant a Hibiscus Tree — Two Easy Steps
Most types of hibiscuses possess similar conditions required for cultivation regardless of how diverse they are.
These are the best steps to follow when planting your hibiscus tree.
Plant the Hibiscus Tree in Full Sun
Hibiscus trees do best in full (6-8 hours) sun exposure and warm locations. However, be careful – temperatures above 90℉ will burn and wilt blooms, leaves, and flowers. If this is the case with your garden location, utilizing umbrellas or shade cloth can help protect the plants from direct sunlight.
Plant the Hibiscus Tree in Well-Draining Soil
Hibiscus plants thrive in soil that is:
- Fertile
- Well-draining
- Moist but not soggy
- Slightly acidic (pH 6-6.5)
It is important to note that if your garden soil is dry and cracked or water pools on the surface, any wilting from frequent watering means root rot due to poor soil quality.
Luckily, you can improve your gardening soil with these easy tips:
- For poor draining soil — add compost and peat moss to amend heavy clay soils. Also, plant in a raised bed to control drainage.
- To increase acidity — use organic soil amendments such as sphagnum peat.
Plant in a Pot or Directly in the Ground
If your garden is located in a tropical climate with ideal soil conditions, go ahead and plant your hibiscus tree directly into the ground.
However, for those who wish to manage soil and weather conditions more closely, planting while potting serves as an effective alternative.
Why Plant a Hibiscus in a Pot
- Pot plantations allow you to easily relocate your hibiscus out of direct sunlight or strong winds, providing better protection.
- Additionally, utilizing potting soil guarantees the best possible reserve dirt container.
- Best of all, you can place the pot wherever you need added beauty.
When to Propagate Hibiscus Plants
There are two primary methods of propagating hibiscus plants: cuttings and seeds.
Before undertaking any form of propagation, ensure that you have waited long enough into spring to avoid frost death can occur at temperatures as “warm” as 29-32F.
For seed based propagation, either collect them from your own plants or purchase packets available in stores.
How to Collect Seeds from Your Garden
- Watch for pollination signs as the hibiscus flowers shed and green seed pods appear. Allow the green pods to fully mature, which includes ripening to brown color.
- Gather the seeds quickly, before the pods become too dry and burst open, causing loss of seeds.
- Store the seeds in a cool area until they can be used for planting.
Pro tip: For better yields, sow indoors 6 weeks prior to last frost date. Prior to soaking overnight (8 hours minimum), nick the hard coating so it can soak easily and expedite germination rate.
If your aim is to achieve a clone of the parent plant, disregard seeds and use cuttings instead.
To seamlessly propagate hibiscus plants via cuttings, follow this easy step-by-step guide.
Your flowering plant boasts striking blossoms; however, critical phases include caring for hibiscus plants which boost their longevity.
5 Tips for Hibiscus Tree Care
Watering
As with the majority of flowering plants, hibiscus thrives when watered adequately and suffers under conditions where there is too much water. During hot days, above 80°F, it is best to water twice a day.
In case your potted plant thrives overall, but seems to dry out very fast, consider transferring it into a bigger pot that can hold more water.
Fertilizing
Use water or slow release fertilizers to boost growth as often as needed but always in small amounts. A balanced fertilizer such as those which contain equal parts of N, P and K like 10-10-10 should be used.
If brown edges are visible on leaves then likely over fertilizer was applied. Remember that these trees need constant light feeding.
Cover established plants with thin layers of woodchip mulch so that moisture is retained while weed growth is kept at check.
Pruning and Deadheading
Before beginning any pruning steps, disinfect your pruning shears. In the spring, prune to clean up dead and diseased limbs, old canes, limbs that rub with other branches, or those which prunening older branches that rub against other branches.
Another approach includes thinning out overgrown trees by one-third after blooming while maintaining two to three nodules per branch for vigorous new growth.
Avoid pruning fall flowering shrubs in early autumn. Such pruning prompted by fresh growth is far more vulnerable to winter temperatures than dormant stems are.
Although picking withered flowers is not essential it is helpful on cut hibiscus flowers avoiding reseeding while encouraging successive blooms.
Preventing and Controlling Pests
While most temperate climates won’t have many disease issues, warm humid regions tend to have issues with fungal leaf spots. Removing infected leaves and cleaning debris helps control these pests.
The following is a list of the most common pests that infest hibiscus plants:
- Aphids
- Whiteflies
- Japanese beetles
- Spider mites
- Thrips
- Hibiscus gall midge
Don’t disregard infested plants, as unchecked pests have the potential to spread rapidly and decimate other plants in your garden.
Controls for both aphids and whiteflies consist of leaf sprays with either insecticidal soap or oil. For dealing with Japanese beetles, handpicking and drowning them in soapy water works alongside pesticides specifically labeled for use on Japanese beetles.
Overwintering
Hardy hibiscus trees will survive winter by dying back and then sprouting anew in spring. Tropical hibiscus trees, however, cannot withstand freezing temperatures below 50°F and will die permanently.
Pro tip: Light watering — only providing water when soil feels dry — is ideal for keeping the plant healthy. The root ball will be intact even if the plant appears defoliated after being brought inside, allowing it to thrive once temperatures warm up outside.
Getting Started
Gardening Channel looks forward to helping you learn how to grow lovely hibiscus flowers in your garden, which can be bought as potted plants from nurseries or grown from seeds and cuttings from a friend’s plant.
If you have any gardening questions that need answering, visit our blog first to see if we have discussed them already. If the topic has not been addressed yet, leave a comment and we’d be glad to assist.