The hibiscus is a beautiful plant that makes large, brightly colored flowers. They can be kept inside or outside and only need a small amount of care in order to bloom. If you care for this plant properly, you will be well rewarded.

The hibiscus is a tropical plant and therefore, the most important care it needs is to be kept warm. It needs to be kept in temperatures that remain between sixty and ninety degrees most of the time. If the temperature goes beyond this range for just a short time the plant will probably be okay, but it might lose some leaves or flower buds.

If the temperature is regularly going below fifty degrees, it will stop growing and flowers will stop blooming. Temperatures that go below freezing will hurt the hibiscus. If it stays below thirty degrees for many hours, the plant will most likely die. Even though this plant is tropical, it cannot get too hot either. If it gets above 95 degrees, the flower buds will probably fall off. However, the plant will live in these conditions if given enough water.

When it is hot, the hibiscus needs lots of water regularly. However, don’t flood the roots or let the plant sit in water. If the leaves get droopy, this means it’s not getting enough water. When cold, do not water the plant as much. Only water the plant when the soil gets dry. During cold months, if this plant is watered too much it may develop a fungus disease which attacks the roots. This can kill the plant, so if it is cold it’s better to let the plant get too dry than to over-water it.

To keep your plant healthy, you will need to feed it. Get a high quality plant feed that is high in potassium and follow the directions on the package. Don’t get anything that is high in phosphorus such as “super bloom” fertilizers. This can hurt the plant. Hibiscus likes to be fed in small amounts regularly rather than larger amounts less regularly.

You should also try to keep bugs off your plant as much as possible. Spraying the plant with a hose will get most bugs off, but there are also some products on the market that rid plants of bugs.

You should keep your plant in soil that has good drainage. When you move the plant, don’t go up in pot size very drastically. If you currently have it in a two gallon pot, move it to a three gallon pot next. Don’t jump up to a bigger size.

Hibiscus only needs between two and four hours of direct sun a day. It needs plenty of shade during the day. If your flower buds are falling off before opening, this may be a sign that your plant is getting too much sun.

If these plants have adequate care, they will make large, gorgeous flowers that come in many colors, such as white, pink red, bright pink, mauve, raspberry, dusty rose and plum. You are to enjoy this beautiful plant.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Gardening

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