Hibiscus

Just got back to the office to find my hibiscus looking not so well! A few of the leaves have turned completely yellow but the buds on the end are flowering & about to open. I am wondering if this is a sign of under or overwatering? i have been watering it every 2 days bit have been out from friday til today, although i believe it was watered yesterday in my absence. can anyone help?

 

I'd like to know as well, AndyK. Fancy Hibiscus in America who ID'd mine for me said to keep it well watered and a garden specialist here said to give it iron. I've done both and still have virtually no leaves because they still yellow and fall off but I've got blooms.

In the meantime, here's a little light reading on them ...

http://www.fancyhibiscus.com/indexnew.html
http://americanhibiscus.org/ahslinks.htm

 

from what im reading they will do better outdoors and yellowing often happens when the plant is indoors. it will be going home with me tonight to go in the garden!!

 

Forgot to say AndyK that mine is a hardy one and is outdoors! Like Bonsai, Hibiscus are outdoors shrubs and should be outdoors in a nice sunny spot. Do you know which kind you have? Does it have shiney or dull leaves?

 

they look fairly shiney, i bought it from the indoor plants section of the garden centre, i intended to keep it in the office and then plant out when it got bigger, but i think i'll just send it straight out!

 

Be very careful Andy. The 'pot' Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa sinensis) is a tender, evergreen shrub with glossy leaves and large (4" or more) flowers. It will not cope with even the mildest of winters in the UK and is commonly planted out of doors in the Med. and sub-tropical/tropical regions where it relishes heat and intense sunlight. In the UK it can be placed out of doors for the warm summer months only and must be brought under cover before the nights become too cold. US websites will recommend planting outside, but that is in places such as California, Florida and the Gulf Coast.

The most common of the 'hardy' Hibiscus are hybrids of H. syriacus. These have smaller flowers that are borne from mid-summer onwards. They are very hardy, deciduous shrubs that come into leaf later than most other garden plants. The leaves are smaller than those of H. rosa sinensis and tend to be matt textured. There are a few other Hibiscus that are moderately hardy such as the H. moscheutos hybrids and H. coccinea, but they are never grown as house plants. All Hibiscus need maximum light and should be given the brightest possible spot, whether indoors or out.

Your office plant is almost certainly H. rosa sinensis and unfortunately the symptoms for over and under-watering are much the same. It should be watered thoroughly when the compost is slightly dry, rather than watering little and often. Stick your finger into the compost and if it feels moist about half an inch below the surface, leave for another day. If you are going to feed, apply when the compost is moist (immediately after watering) about every 2 weeks. Do not apply fertiliser to an ailing plant, it will not be able to utilise it and can make matters worse.

 

DaveP, for the most part I agree with you. Here both varieties are grown out of doors, H rosa sinensis and H syriacus.

I had both but gave the H syriacus (grafted as a tree) away to a friend just recently as I had it in a pot and thought it needed to be in the ground. Both have suffered yellowing falling leaves. I am thinking my rosa sinensis is suffering because it is in a pot but I have no place in the ground to put it. I did have one in the ground for years and it suffered the same ill fate.

I was told by a garden specialist here to give it iron pellets, which I did with a modicum of success, but the plant never amounted to anything and I dug it up and gave it away.

The H rosa sinensis tolerates our short light frosts but I agree the English frosts would be too much for it, hence me asking AndyK which variety he had.

As mine gets maximum light and is watered correctly, I am at a loss as to my yellowing falling leaves still.

I have the same problem with Oleander.

 

I have a hibiscus (blue bird) had it for about 10 yrs now, gorgious blue flowers every year without fail, its about 6ft and a lovely shape.

 

i have no idea which variety it is, unfortunately i bought it from a garden centre & it had no label, only a price! I asked the guy at the till who said it was a hibiscus. I've potted it on and put it outside, it seems to be quite happy at the moment but still some yellow leaves. I will see how its doing in a couple of weeks but i have 2 flowers completely open, a lovely peachy colour with deep red centres. I will post some pics if anyone wants to guess the variety?!

 

Please post a picture, AndyK. Mine is peach with deep red centers, supposedly a double now a single. Here's were I queried my problems ...

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=000305

Fine was identified by Fancy Hibiscus as Peach Blow!