I have cut open several of the buds and see no signs of insects. I could post a picture of these if someone can explain the way to upload it to the forum or gallery.

Thanks

Here's the current link

Here is a link that might be useful: pbase

Relatively slow change over the last couple of weeks from the 70s to the high 80s. Typical weather change here this time of year. Other hibiscus plantings in the immediate area don't seem to be affected the same way.

What puzzles me most is how and where the stem breaks. Did you see the picture? (Link: "pbase" in my last follow-up.)
Is that typical?

Yes, that tends to be where they drop the bloom.

Is there something different about the location of this plant compared to the others? Does the ground hold less or more water than the others? Does it look as healthy? Color similar? Leaf texture firm and glossy?

randy

Even though you don't see any bugs with naked eye, mature bud drop is usually a sign of thrips.

Also if this particular plant is a double bloom, "doubles" have a tendency to drop blooms every now and then for no apparent reason.

My hisbiscus is doing the same thing. Did you find a cure?

I had the same problem here in the Tampa, Florida area. The bud drop could be caused by gall midge. Place some buds in a sealable plastic bag. After a day or two, you may see the very small yellowish worm-like larva on the plastic. Control the midge affecting buds with Orthene sprays as needed. Hope this helps. See link below for further info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Better Lawns

I am in central Florida a great place for hibiscus. Though a great location for these plants I am having problems with them. A few of my hibiscus plants have accordian type leaves and distorted flowers. What is causing this? How can I prevent it. thank you in advance,

After they bloom when dead flower falls off do you leave the stem WILL it rebloom or do you cut the stem of the already bloomed flower off.Please help?

I am in Texas and my hibiscus appears to be cut back with shears. What insect am I fighting?

CUT BACK W/ SHEARS ??? THE ENTTRE PLANT OR SOME OF THE STEMS ???

the branches? sounds like the human variety

We found with sensor lights it was a deer! After asking a friend about this , I was told that they love the flowers!

glad you figured it out!

I have the same thing. Precision cut with the perfect bud just laying on a leaf. This plant always bloomed beautifully, nothing has changed.

I sent some pictures and this is what I find a the time lately.

That is EXACTLY what has been happening to my hibiscus buds!

Hibiscus plants drop their buds for a variety of reasons. Environmental factors often play a role.

Proper watering is important. Allowing plants to wilt between waterings will cause bud drop (and leaves to yellow and drop as well).

Keeping hibiscus plants too wet can cause root problems which ultimately can lead to a sick-looking plant dropping buds. Since your plants look healthy, this is not likely the issue.

Heat also can be a factor. Some cultivars of hibiscus (often double-flowered ones) begin to drop buds when daytime highs stay consistently in the 90s. As the weather begins to cool down in late September and October, plants dropping buds due to the heat will begin to hold onto their buds and bloom. Should you see this happen, you will have your reason.

Pests also can cause hibiscus bud drop. Aphids are small, sucking insects that will cluster on the new growth and buds. They are easy to see and diagnose when they are the problem, and can be controlled with any general-purpose insecticide. I doubt that they are a factor here since you would be seeing them.

The hibiscus bud midge or gall midge larvae feed inside the bud causing it to drop. Because they are inside the bud, they are more difficult to see and control. Cut open several buds that have just fallen or are about to fall from the plants. The larvae of the gall midge are tiny and look like little maggots, so look carefully.
Systemic insecticides, such as those you are using, should control these pests. Imidacloprid is a good insecticide for this problem. If you don't see any midge larva, the problem is more likely environmental conditions.

I have the same issue as the one on the photo taken by Barbara. Please tell me what was the solution ?

Daniela, in my case, it was white flies! I made a solution with room temp water and about 8-10 drops of Dawn dishwashing soap. I sprayed the entire plant every 3-4 days and it worked. I also had a problem with spider mites and the soap solution worked on them too.

Rinse away the soapy residue after one to two hours. Allowing the soap
to remain on the leaves for longer than a few hours can cause damage and
burning. Use a garden hose or spray bottle filled with plain water to
remove the residue.

You can rinse with water after but I didn't. I only use a very mild soap spray, there is no heavy soapy looking residue. Plus I had my sprinkler system come on twice a week that helped and my own hand watering in between. When I get a chance I will post new pictures of how beautiful my plants look now.

I live in Florida so I'm on the lookout for bugs alL the time anyhow. The soap spray does well on everything except giant grasshoppers. Looks like they are taking a shower in the spray. I have a native plant nursery near the house so I check with them about most everything.

Awesome thank you I will try

In the past two months we have lost two 4’ yucca blooms (next to each other), a long, new, flowering cane on a David Austin climbing rose and about half a dozen happy, healthy branches from a large, new potted qgardenia. Even looking closely, the cuts were clean, even, and shocking. No evidence of a forebite and a lower bite, but clean as a whistle. I cannot conceive a thrip made this damage, but we can’t imagine someone walking up to our house and cutting away healthy plants. Surely it must be deer!!

Anyone else have something similar?

Wow, Bambi strikes again and has a diverse taste this month. ;o)) is there a chance that a person might be doing this to get flowers and cuttings??? I was thinking they might make a nice floral arrangement. Ha!

Deer will eat anything when hungry enough but it is just coincidence that they are picking pieces that look nice (except for the gardenia which should not be blooming now).... as they prefer foliage here but would eat flowers too. Gardenias fall under those things that are deer resistant though. They may be starved if eating them as I have not seen other neighbor's gardenias damaged ever. Yes, I lean towards deer or some other wildlife. Any chance that you can adjust outside security cameras to record in this area?

We are looking into cameras. All these things are very close to the front door so we hesitate to be paranoid, but those cuts are so clean! We have deer around so it seeks most likely. First step is to move the plants that have seemed especially tasty. Our gardenias (all 6) are hybridized for heat and sun (even here in East Texas) and are still putting out some blooms, though we won’t see the real blooming again until Fall.

Oh, wow. Gardenias blooming in July. The only time that happened to me was around the Year 2000, in my previous house.... during an incredibly wet and cloudy El Nin~o Weather Event. The gardenia I used to have near the front of the house bloomed as it does normally around May but it then rebloomed in July. Enjoy the smells and stay safe.

Something attacked our hibiscus, Turk's cap, and the plants were dead most of the way to the ground. I cut them back until I found green plant which was right above the ground. They began to come back beautifully, and are about 2 to 6 inches high, but now something is cutting off the stems and leaving all the leaves on the ground. It looks like someone took scissors and cut them off. Any ideas what might do this. Some of the stem could have been eaten. It is hard to tell, but the leaves have not been touched. It is NOT deer. That I know. I am at my wits end after saving them from dying and now this.

Rodents? You may have to ck at night or put motion sensor cameras in this direction.

After doing quite a bit of searching, I believe it is cutworms that are dong the harm. I have a plan now and have already put it into effect. We shall see if the hibiscus are able to grow now.

Sounds like you were looking at night since they are so good at hiding during the day! Good work! What counter measures did you take?

Hello I have been in battle for about three years, your hibiscus has Thrips and could possibly have Hibiscus gall midge. I have 20ft x 15ft hibiscus (tree). I have been dealing with this for several years. The gall midge is easy to tell put your fallen buds in a ziplock bag and look at bag after 12 to 24 hrs you will see tiny yellow worms. I find the larve like to go to the top of the bag where the zipper is. Thrips are usually the reason for cut looking buds. I personally never had a cut worm attack my hibiscus they like other stuff in my yard better. Spraying the tree will work for the Thrips Bayer 3 in 1 is good but unfortunately the Gall Midge is way more difficult. The adult midge is a tiny fly they lay eggs on in the new buds the egss hatch and the larve eat the inside of the bud, when the bud falls to the ground the larve immerge from the bud into soil where they remain until they are adult midges and fly, then the entire cycle starts all over. Treating your hibiscus with a systemic is the best way to rid your hibiscus, but fallen buds MUST be picked up. I go shake my hibiscus several times a day trying to get the buds before they fall off on their own. Those worms in the picture are gall midge larva. The midge larve is capable of jumping several feet.

I just recently had my hibiscus trimmed of 90% of the buds and I'm currently using a two part control system treating soil and treating the tree with two different insecticides off setting each weekly. I hate pesticides but all my other avenue's of natural control or mild cotrol have failed miserably so this is my last ditch effort. The most common insecticide that is a systemic is Imidacloprid the same stuff my neighbors use for ficus whitefly and I believe that my midges are immune to imidacloprid. I wish you luck and hope you only have Thrips.