That is so pretty! I love purple in it. I have a Hugs & Kisses that I have had about 8 months that has not bloomed yet either so I hope it will be as worth is as yours.

That is so pretty! I love purple in it. I have a Hugs & Kisses that I have had about 8 months that has not bloomed yet either so I hope it will be as worth is as yours.

My Hib. Moscheutoes are starting to bloom. This 7 inch beauty is from Midnight Marvel. Had to bring some plants inside again. Another reason all my plants are in pots. We are in a tornado watch....again.
Ed

that is a pretty neat looking flower there...

Both beautiful Ed. Did you buy Sea Spray as a small plant, is that why it took so long to flower? Both of your plants look amazingly healthy. My first Hibiscus is still flowering like mad so now I'm looking to add a second one to my collection. With so many to choose from, I can easily see how enthusiasts end up with so many plants.

Linda

Second and last bloom from Sea Spray for a while. Will be pruning and starting cuttings for friends this weekend.
Ed

Ed,
Did you order "Sea Spray" online? If so what site do you buy them from, I want to buy some more but not sure which site is best.

Hibiscus_0bsessed,
All of my online ordering was done through HVH (link below). I have ordered and received 7 plants over the years and all have arrived as expected. I have attached an image of 'Swamp Music' I got 2 days ago. Here are some items to keep in mind:
They are shipped from SoCal. If temps are hot pay the extra money for a quicker shipment.
4" pots are babies and need a lot of TLC upon arrival. Good instructions are provided, but I keep mine indoors for a week or two with a few hours of direct sun. I watch the leaves for dehydration and change accordingly. After that I plant them up and start slowly moving to real sun outside.
6" pots are very robust, will attach a photo of one I got last week. I re-potted 4 days after arrival, and It wants to go outside.
I would watch the forums{{gwi:807}} and even try to get registered. Watch the "store opening" posts. The highly sought flowers sell fast.
Hope this helps.
Ed

Here is a link that might be useful: HVH

This post was edited by Gutzmek on Sat, Jun 15, 13 at 20:33

Thanks so much Ed, I live in Central Cali so it has been pretty hot. Haven't desided which one I want yet but I will post as soon as I get one. Thanks again!

Hibiscus_0bsessed,
I forgot to post the link. I edited the post and added. FYI - Hidden Valley Hibiscus (HVH) is in SoCal. This would be a much shorter ship than mine to Kansas.
Ed

i also got an order from HVH - 6" Burnt Saffron in good condition but in the shipping it got tipped, so the dirt was all spilled out, I have it outside and think i will repot it next week, its diong fine right now but needs straightening. i didn't want to repot it too soon after being shipped and having its roots disturbed... it did come with a bud on it, so i got to see it already.

Do you have pictures to post Merkity?
~Mercedes~

Wow, Ed, that is a gorgeous bloom! And great photos as well. I ordered a 4" HVH Acapulco Gold shipped to my dad in Iowa, and he's enjoying watching it grow. I wanted one of their varieties myself but was concerned that I don't have the appropriate window space to keep it alive in KS over the winter. Then I heard this weekend that hibiscus in general are prone to having mites. I'm interested in your experience with tropicals in KS.

Jo

Jo,
I fight pests regularly. During the winter I fight mites, during the summer it is white flies. It is too easy to use harsh pesticides, but I try and take natural approaches when possible. Start with healthy plant, as they can fight better than a sick plant. As for your question, after last winter, I am no longer afraid of mites.
Ed

Jo, You've probably read HVH's 'Winter Care' already. It stresses that heat is more important than light. I had some seedlings last winter that were tucked in a corner and didn't get any direct sunlight. They didn't grow much, but they were fine. This winter I will have more plants, so I plan to use artificial lights.

Try showering off your plants before you bring them in to reduce the number of unwanted pests. Plus I recently read about Dyna-Gro's Pro-tekt and I'm going to try to add that to my fertilizer regimen.

"Silicon (Si) is Pro-TeKt's most valuable asset."
"Added Si in cell walls structurally protects plants against pathogens and insects by making cell walls stronger."
--AL (tapla, on these forums)

~Samantha

Here is a link that might be useful: Al gets scientific about Pro-tekt