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Where did my Hibiscus' leaves go?
Jim asks:
Question
I have a tropical hibiscus that I bought a little over a year ago. When I bought it, it was very full of leaves, and soon began to bloom, but over the past year it has lost most (almost all) of it's leaves. It's looking very thin. It still blooms large petals, but where have the leaves gone? It did have aphids at one time, but I began to feed it with a plant food that helped eliminate the aphids. I still try to feed it every 6 weeks or so and I water it when the soil looks dry. What can I do to get the leaves back to their fullness? I live in San Diego, so I don't think it ever gets cold enough for it to freeze, maybe in the 50's at the lowest.
Answer
I have a few questions for you (You reply back below by posting a comment). How much sunlight on daily basis would you say the hibiscus receives? Is the sunlight direct or indirect? Is the hibiscus in the ground or in a pot? How is the drainage in the pot or location the hibiscus is planted in the garden? Hibiscus do best in full-sun with well-drained soil. If your plant is in a pot make sure it is draining properly, roots sitting in water will cause the defoliation and will eventually lead to death of you hibiscus. Cold should not be an issue in San Diego.
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Here is a picture of the plant:
http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd428/jimfrisbee/2011-12-15180700.jp...
Not sure if my previous response got posted, but as you can see, it's in a pot, but I was considering moving it into a large planter that I have along the side of my house. The soil in the new planter is pretty clay-ey, so should I mix it with something to help the roots settle easier? As of now, the plant has been outside all the time, so it gets direct sunlight regularly, and I don't think the roots sit in water since the pot has a hole at the bottom for drainage. Is there a particular brand of food you'd recommend feeding it? Thanks again!
posted by Guest on 12/16/11 at 10:42 am
With good drainage and sunlight it's likely the plant could use some additional fertilizer, I like to use a like liquid fertilizer with a balanced formula.
posted by admin on 12/16/11 at 12:57 pm
The hibiscus is located outside, so it gets a fair amount of sun during the day. It's in a pot, but I was considering moving it into a large planter along our side yard. I don't know what the drainage of the pot is, but perhaps moving it into a planter would help. The planter soil is fairly clay-ey, so should I mix the existing soil with something before I plant it? Also, do you recommend any particular brand of plant food that might help it along? Thanks for your help!
posted by Guest on 12/14/11 at 9:47 am
Yes, I would recommend adding a quality potting soil mix when you relocate the hibiscus, the new potting soil will add nutrients the plant may be lacking. Flowering plants like the hibiscus will benefit from regular fertilizer, I like to use a liquid or water soluble blend that can be added to the watering can each time you water.
posted by admin on 12/16/11 at 1:17 pm