Hibiscus Care

Arizona Growing:

Red Flowers found at big box stores are stronger in full Arizona sun, other can prefer afternoon shade, as the 115 degree summers require quite a bit of water and mulch to keep the soil moist, and the plant turbid.

Prune: Clean out any old wood and open up the middle of the bush by removing any branches that are filling up the space in the middle, and any spindly branches that will not produce a good growing limbs. As the weather warms up, the plants will start to send out new shoots, and this is the time to apply a fertilizer high in nitrogen, to promote the new growth. Keep on applying the high nitrogen fertilizer, until the plant looks like it is starting to get to the flowering stage, which is usually getting towards November, and then start to apply a fertilizer higher in potash than nitrogen, to promote the bloom growth. If you keep on applying the high nitrogen, you will get lovely lush green bushes, but no flowers, you need the potash to get the blooms and to add size and colour to the blooms.

Fertilize lightly and often -- hibiscus are heavy feeders. Use fertilizers that include the trace elements such as iron, copper, boron, etc. A dry fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 is all right, however most growers prefer low phosphate fertilizer such as a 7-2-7, feeling that it helps produce the most impressive quality and quantity of blooms. Those so-called "bloom specials" with the 10-40-10 type of formula are avoided by most professional growers -- phosphorous can build up in the soil over time and cause a general decline in the health of tropical hibiscus plants. Over-use of high nitrogen fertilizers may encourage leaf growth rather than flower production. Water soluble fertilizers are good both for spraying leaves (foliar feeding) and for fertilizing potted plants. (High phosphorous water soluble fertilizers can be used successfully when applied as a foliar feeding.) Experiment and see what works well for your local growing conditions.

Every Two Weeks Fertilize

PH of Soil:

Slightly acid soil (a pH of 6 to 7) helps the plant absorb nutrients. Hard water and proximity to things like concrete can move the pH in the wrong direction -- toward an alkaline pH. Get a PH Soil Tester. Fresh Coffee Grounds have a PH of 4.5

Water: 

Keep Moist but do not over saturate nor let dry out

Slow water schedule in winter to citrus water schedule

Mulch: I always apply a good covering of mulch after I prune, this keeps the weeds at bay, conserves moisture, the roots love to grow just under the covering of the mulch, in the cool moist ground, and also the mulch gradually breaks down to provide a good humus to the ground which the worms just love. I have used sugar cane mulch, composted grass and leaves, pine bark fines, Ti tree mulch, any thing will do, as long as you use some of kind of covering to keep the ground cool and stop the surface from drying out, as hibiscus have surface roots, and if the ground surface continually dries out you lose these roots, and the plant suffers.