7 Tips for Growing Hibiscus

Hibiscus can add a tropical flare to your landscaping, not to mention that butterflies and hummingbirds will love it too! Growing hibiscus doesn’t have to be tricky. In fact, if you just keep a few tips and tricks in mind, you can get these beauties growing and experience success. If you want to add hibiscus to your landscaping this year, take a look below at 7 Tips for Growing Hibiscus. When you follow these tips, you can grow hibiscus that neighbors will envy!

7 Tips for Growing Hibiscus

1. Plant from seedlings. You will want to grow hibiscus from seedlings, keeping in mind that the mature they are the better. You will find hibiscus in pots of all sizes and some are even the size of small saplings. These are desirable for planting as they are nice and hardy and you can start enjoying blooms right away.

2. They love the sun. Hibiscus loves heat! They need full sun, at least 6-8 hours a day to grow successfully. Be sure you watch sun patterns in your yard so you can plant where the hibiscus will get the warmth it needs.

3. They don’t like damp soil. While hibiscus love regular watering, they don’t want to sit in wet soil. They should never be in muddy or saturated soil, and instead be planted in nutrient rich, well drained soil. If you have a great deal of rain, hold off on watering until the soil drains out.

4. Potting is preferred. Hibiscus do well in pots as opposed to be planted in the ground. They can not only stay a bit warmer this way, but you can also move them around as needed. This might be because of the sun shifting, this might be because you choose to bring the plant inside during the winter. Whatever the case may be, planting in pots is more convenient.

5. Bring them in as needed. As mentioned, hibiscus love to be kept toasty warm. This is especially important at night. Should the temperature be dropping below 40 degrees, you will want to bring the plant indoors. Keep an eye on the weather forecast so if cooler nights are ahead, you can be ready and protect your plant.

6. Fertilizer is your friend. Enjoy bigger blooms and more blooms when you fertilize your hibiscus. They do especially well when they are fed liquid fertilizer that is also slow releasing. Feed when you first plant the hibiscus (or bring it home) and again a few weeks later. You can feed your plant every few weeks or as needed.

7. Prune your plant. Your hibiscus will need to be pruned to encourage new growth and shape the plant. Take your pruners and cut away any dead or dying growth. You can also cut away any shoots that spring away from the main plant as well as the ends of your stems. This will help the plant bush out and help direct nutrients to healthy parts of the plant.

Are you ready to start growing hibiscus? Give these tips for growing hibiscus a try and see what stunning results you can achieve.