How to Care for a Chinese Hibiscus
Chinese Hibiscus is a beautiful, blooming house plant, that bears flowers in many gorgeous colours ranging from yellow to peach and red. This deciduous flowering shrub with glossy evergreen foliage is mostly grown indoors, owing to its temperamental nature. These plants are extremely sensitive to frost and cold climates and would not survive in low temperatures.
The hibiscus shrubs thrive well under the roof, and can be grown outdoors only in areas where the temperatures do not drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. You can plant your hibiscus singly or grow it as a hedge plant. It can also be pruned into a single stemmed small tree. If looked after properly, in frost free areas, Hibiscus can grow as high as 15 feet.
Instructions
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1
Plant in lightweight potting soil
Plant your Chinese hibiscus in a lightweight, well-draining potting soil and not in the normal garden soil. Make sure that you select a pot that has a proper drainage system to allow the excess to water seep out. -
2
Position
Place your plant in a location where it can get adequate amount of sun light, but make sure that it is protected from strong winds and hot sun rays in the afternoon. Hence, a spot close to window would be an ideal location for your hibiscus plant during the winter months. -
3
Give your hibiscus lots of light
Outdoors, the Chinese hibiscus requires full sun; therefore, make sure that your potted plant placed inside also receives lots of bright light. If grown in low light, your hibiscus will fail to bloom or flourish. Sunroom location is the best choice for this plant. -
4
Keep your Chinese hibiscus warm
Remember that proper heat is a crucial requirement of a Chinese hibiscus, even more so than light. These plants require temperatures between 55 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (12.7 to 29.4 degrees Celsius) for their vegetative growth and flower initiation. -
5
Watering
These plants require at least one inch of rain every week. Keep the potting medium moist all through the year, but do not let the container sit in water or the soil become too soggy. Use room temperature distilled water or rain water if possible. A hibiscus shrub needs relatively lesser amounts of water during the winter months, so let the soil a bit dry between watering. -
6
Fertilizer
Feed both your indoor and outdoor Chinese hibiscus with recommended amount of fertilizer. Fertilize your outdoor plants once in a month, and twice a month indoors.
