New to Hibiscus

14 years ago

I recently got my first braided Hibiscus, and want to be sure I don't screw it up. I'm from upstate New York so I know I'll probably need to bring it in during the winter, but when is the ideal time to bring it in? Also any other tips for keeping happy are more than welcome.

I noticed some other varieties of Hibiscus last week, and was wondering what varieties you would recommend for my area? We have a small privacy fence(4ft tall x 12ft long) that I'm not allowed to remove so I would love to hide it some if possible, and possibly a few other areas.

Comment (1)

hibiscusgord
14 years ago
Hello. I use to be like you, but I have nurtured 12 hibiscus beauties over the past several years.

Based on my experience this is what I would suggest:

They do not tolerate any regular temperature drop below 45F. They need some direct sun, but not a whole bunch.
Make sure it is out of the wind, and feed it regularly with high quality liquid plant food. I use the Botanicare line; pricy, but worth it. They all need a sunny window in the winter to produce blooms or you will just have a nice green bush all winter. I personally keep all of mine in my basement with grow lights for the winter. My winter is about 8 months of the year because I live in Alberta, Canada.

As for varieties: All will do well if given the right conditions. They are native to humid and warm climates with moderate direct sunlight only. I have many varieties and they all do well as long as I do not let them get cold outside.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me and I can help you with my experiences over the past years.

Cheers!

Gord