Bananas.org - View Single Post - Are hibiscus flowers able to grow larger with age or amount of care.?

lorax · 11-15-2008, 08:44 AM

Like Tog Tan, I'm a tropical dweller and Hibiscus for me are boulevard trees. However: I also grow Hibiscus in pots, and have since I was Canadian. I've found that they get big and will eventually develop a woody stem if they're babied. Here are my tricks:
1. Make sure the plant is in a south-facing room that is normally quite warm all on its own. I had a 10' hibiscus tree in my kitchen for quite some time; when I moved I had to leave it there because it wouldn't fit out the door.
2. Once a month, give it a good misting with an insecticidal soap. This is a preventative/curative for spider mites, to which Hibiscus are quite prone.
3. Make sure you've got an unglazed earthenware pot with good drainage holes.
4. Fertilize once a month with liquid fish fertilizer. Or, just bury a few sardines in the pot. The former is less smelly.
5. If it's a young Hibiscus, pinch judiciously to get it to bush out a bit. If it's an older one, try pruning back the lower branches.
6. Water daily. Mist on particulary hot days.

With these care instructions and luck it will get nice and big, and bloom frequently.

Or hang on, are you talking about making the flowers themselves larger? That's a lot harder.

11-15-2008, 08:44 AM	#3 (permalink)
lorax Banned lorax's Photo Gallery Location: Ecuador, South America Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 13 / Köppen-Geiger BSh Name: Lorax Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,532 BananaBucks : 308,146 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 742 Times Was Thanked 3,040 Times in 1,188 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 464 Times	Re: Are hibiscus flowers able to grow larger with age or amount of care.? Like Tog Tan, I'm a tropical dweller and Hibiscus for me are boulevard trees. However: I also grow Hibiscus in pots, and have since I was Canadian. I've found that they get big and will eventually develop a woody stem if they're babied. Here are my tricks: 1. Make sure the plant is in a south-facing room that is normally quite warm all on its own. I had a 10' hibiscus tree in my kitchen for quite some time; when I moved I had to leave it there because it wouldn't fit out the door. 2. Once a month, give it a good misting with an insecticidal soap. This is a preventative/curative for spider mites, to which Hibiscus are quite prone. 3. Make sure you've got an unglazed earthenware pot with good drainage holes. 4. Fertilize once a month with liquid fish fertilizer. Or, just bury a few sardines in the pot. The former is less smelly. 5. If it's a young Hibiscus, pinch judiciously to get it to bush out a bit. If it's an older one, try pruning back the lower branches. 6. Water daily. Mist on particulary hot days. With these care instructions and luck it will get nice and big, and bloom frequently. Or hang on, are you talking about making the flowers themselves larger? That's a lot harder.