Hibiscus care - this is how he feels right at home

This is how the garden hibiscus gets the best care

How often do I have to water my hibiscus?

Young plants in particular need a lot of water to grow, so they should be watered regularly. If the drought persists, the hibiscus, also called garden hawk or rose hawk, tends to shed its leaves. Therefore, you should always keep the soil around the hibiscus moist, but at the same time avoid waterlogging.

Does the hibiscus need a special fertilizer?

Organic fertilizer or compost, which is applied to the soil in spring, is suitable for fertilization.

How can I move the hibiscus?

The best time to transplant the hibiscus is spring, around the end of March. You should proceed in the following steps:

Prepare a new planting hole about 50 cm deep with loosened soil
If necessary, cut out or cut back the bush
Dig up carefully and generously so as not to damage roots
Water the planting hole
Insert the shrub, cover with soil and at the same time sludge
Trample the soil, pour it and cover with compost or bark mulch
water regularly

Do I have to cut my hibiscus?

Yes, once a year you should prune the hibiscus in order to maintain the abundance of flowers, to train the growth habit and to avoid aging and excessive growth. If you notice that the flowers are getting smaller and smaller, it is also time to cut them back.

When is the right time to prune the hibiscus?

The garden hibiscus is cut in spring. The best thing to do is to wait until the end of March. Then the severe night frosts should be over and fresh shoots do not freeze to death right away.

How and with what do I cut the hibiscus?

Use well-sharpened garden shears or loppers to cut the hibiscus. Make the cut diagonally above one eye or directly on the trunk. The hibiscus thanks a cut back with a brisk new growth and can be shortened by about a third without problems.

If you have created a blooming hibiscus hedge, you cut the hedge down to around two thirds a year.

My hibiscus is infested with aphids, how can I fight them?

The hibiscus is also very popular with aphids with its flowers. As a preventive measure, you can plant the hibiscus under herbs such as lavender, sage or thyme, the smell of which is unsavory for aphids.

If you have discovered the unwelcome guests anyway, you have the choice between collecting them or showering with a powerful jet of water. Then spray the entire bush dripping wet with soapy water. You can get ready-made, organic soap mixtures at the hardware store or garden center. There are also chemical agents for use against particularly stubborn aphids.

My hibiscus has yellow leaves, now what?

Yellow leaves usually indicate a lack of nutrients. With this so-called chlorosis, your hibiscus needs more fertilizer.

If, on the other hand, individual yellow spots have formed on the leaves, the hibiscus is infected with yellow spot disease. This is a virus attack. The best way to contain it is to remove any affected leaves. Other plants in the garden could also be affected, so you should examine these as well.

What do the brown spots on the leaves of my hibiscus mean?

Brown spots on the leaves can come from the leaf spot fungus. You simply collect the affected leaves and dispose of them.

Why do the flowers of my hibiscus fall off unopened?

This happens when the hibiscus is running out of water. So it is essential to water in dry periods.

How can I safely overwinter the garden hibiscus?

You have probably planted the tried and tested winter hardy variety Hibiscus syriacus in your garden. You can protect young plants in winter by covering the ground with a layer of bark mulch. Older plants do not need special protection.

My terrace is decorated with a hibiscus in the bucket. What do I have to consider when caring for it?

The Hibiscus rosa sinensis is often used as a container plant for the terrace, which absolutely needs a sunny location. However, once the flowering period begins, it must not go crazy, otherwise it will throw off the flowers.

It needs a lot of water, but you should make sure that there is no waterlogging in the bucket or pot and that excess water is poured off. Through holes in the pot, which you can usually drill yourself, or a drainage layer made of stones are helpful.

Before the first frost, the container plant must be brought into the house. Here it hibernates best at temperatures between 10 and 15 ° C.