Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
sammyyummy

Sad Hibiscus: Droopy leaves

sammyyummy
10 years ago

my mom has a hibiscus plant. it has sturdy woody stems but all the leaves looked wilted some even looking dried up. curiously the leaves are all a robust healthy dark green color; none of which has turned yellow at all. they all looked like they lost their vigor.

i was told it could possibly be wilt disease. so i used my ph/moisture monitor and found the soil on the outer periphery to be dry but the central soil where the plant is situated is wet (not soggy or dripping wet but noticeably wet.)

my concerns are:

1. ive read an easy fix using bleach water (1:2 cups water). should i pour it onto the soil while the plant is in there? wont the solution burn and kill the plant and roots as well?

2. how about the use of a cinnamon infused chamomile solution? can i also use h202 as well?

3. ive never been good at transplanting and am very wary trying with my mom's plant. her hibiscus has a fairly sturdy looking well-defined root ball. should i try to loosen it in the hopes of helping air go in, and dry the air?

please help.

Comments (9)

  • Gutzmek
    10 years ago

    Sammyyummy,
    Can you post a picture? This can help identify the issue. Wilt and Die-Back are common in winter, but different in treatments.

    Wilt is usually affects the entire plant.
    Die-Back is only a branch or two.

    Ed

  • sammyyummy
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hi.

    Its the entire plant - from the topmost leaves to the bottom - all the leaves are in various shades of green, no yellow ones but all are uniformly wilted or shriveled up/dried in some.

  • Gutzmek
    10 years ago

    Sammyyummy,
    Move quickly.
    Here is an informative link.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Wilt Disease

  • sammyyummy
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    thanks.

    ive also noticed something wrong with my hibiscus plant (not wilt disease like my mom's) but it looks very bare. It has one branch that shoots from the main stem. the main stem has about just a pair of leaves on the top and nothing more, same thing with the other branch. there are about 4 leaves at the common base.

    now what is wrong with my plant?

    no yellowing, no pests, no eaten leaves just bare or very sparse leaves

  • Gutzmek
    10 years ago

    Sammyyummy,
    Are the leaves exceptionally large? If so, your light levels are low. I have a few CV's that do this each winter. I am careful in spring as I move them outside to make sure they receive very little direct sun until they shed the winter leaves and fill out.

    Ed

  • sammyyummy
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    the leaves are of ok size but now there is hardly any new growth at all...though when I scrape the tip most branch, it is still green but it just looks dead without any foliage whatsoever

  • Manila Kamboj
    3 years ago


    I brought a hibiscus plant with lush green leaves and within 5 days, it leaves have become droopy, some turning yellow quickly. I placed it in a South facing balcony for 3 days and I am not sure if the sun damaged it. I have now kept it in shade and I am checking soil moisture. It is dry on top, so I added water this morning. Please help suggest, what might be the cause and how can it be treated. Thank you

  • Manila Kamboj
    3 years ago

    Thank you

Sponsored
EA Home Design
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars69 Reviews
Loudoun County's Trusted Kitchen & Bath Designers | Best of Houzz