Hi Mary-Jane,
How much sunlight, water and fertilizer does the plant get?

I started some seed very late in the season last year (July or August). They grew to about 3"-4" before first frost. This year they came up early, then got nipped by that strange spring cold-snap. Most of them are back up to about 6" now, with one outstanding individual at 15" and growing. I don't expect to see blooms until next year on any of them. They get East and West sun, are in average garden soil, receive water about once a week (when the soil dries down an inch from the surface) and I fed them with an 8 week time released bloom-booster fertilizer twice this year.

My past experiences with rose of sharon hibiscus has been, on average, about two to three years from seed to bloom but that was in a warmer climate, Zone 8-9. I don't know if that will hold true in colder climates, like zone 5-6 that I'm living in now. I wouldn't expect that you'd have to wait longer than 3-4 years under good to fair growing conditions, then again, some plants have other ideas, lol.

Regards,
Dan

Thanks Dan,
I water it at least once or twice a week. It gets plenty of sun. I just moved it this spring I put it in a big bed among roses and perrenials.I had it in a lawn before. Now I can water it more than before.
I gave it some transplant fertilizer when I moved it. And I just gave it some Miracle grow Ultra Bloom 10 52 10. It does have more leaves than last year. I guess it just takes a couple of years to really see it flowering.

It's fuuny how much slower it is compared to a hardy garden hibiscus that I started last year from seed. That one came back from the ground this year and must be over 3 feet tall I may possibly see that one flower this year. I also just gave that one some 10 52 10 fertilizer.

I guess I need to be more patient.
Thanks
Mary-jane

If by "garden hibiscus" you mean Hibiscus moscheutos of something similar, I would expect that sort of growth. Moscheutos hibiscus have a different metabolism and method of growing compared to hibiscus syriacus. The fact that you transplanted the rose of sharon this year may also have something to do with it's growth rate but it sounds like it's doing fine.

Patience isn't easy to come by when you're waiting for a first time bloom, lol. Hopefully it will surprise you with a display soon.

Good luck,
Dan

It sounds like you are doing everything correctly. I grow my ROS from cuttings and each took about three years to grow tall enough to flower. When I grew the hibiscus from seed they all bloomed the second year, (going on ten years now), and are usually about three to four feet tall. Where did you get the ROS seed and what varieties and colors are available? Thank you.

Hi Paul,
Thanks for your help. I got the seeds from another gardener.
These I believe are suppose to be white.
Thanks
Mary-Jane

Thanks Mary-Jane. The white ROS are so lovely. BTW, did you mulch the plants? That helps during hot summers and very cold winters. I am a mulch believer; it works. Ruth Stout was awesome. FYI, winters get cold here in Bavaria, (I'm here twice a year), and in Alsace, and ROS do well in both locations. Mulch is well-used here too.

Hi Paul,
Thanks for the info and help. Yes I did mulch them with natural cedar mulch. I guess I just need to be patience.
Thanks
Mary-Jane