I Have a Hibiscus Tree That Planted in Pot on Patio Deck

Question

It is about 7 years since we planted it and we bring it indoors for the winter. I was told to hose off good, trim back about 25% and water with solution of one teaspoon dish soap to 1 gallon water per gal. of water mixture along with systemic insecticide, which I have been doing.

The pot size is 20″ with good drainage and in direct sunlight. The tree hardly blooms and recently has been having yellow leaves. I was always under the presumption that it was getting too much water when there are yellow leaves. Please give comments being the tree is like a family member.

Answer 1

Yellowing of hibiscus leaves can mean too much or too little water, too little light, lack of nutrients or simply the fact that the leaf is old and going to fall off.
Hibiscus are very tolerant of hard pruning. If it were mine, I’d cut it back by half. Hibiscus are heavy feeders. If you aren’t using a fertilizer, it won’t grow or bloom. Use a well-balanced plant food (20-20-20 or 14-14-14) according to package directions.