My Braided Hibiscus Plant Is Bloomimg

Question

They drop off the plant after they open, and the foliage is not as full as it should be. Plant is about 2 feet tall in a container outside with sunlight. Can you tell me why the blooms are not lasting and how to increase foliage and get the open blooms to stay on the plant longer that a day? Thank you!

Answer 1

I am going to assume that you have a tropical hibiscus.(the leaves are real dark green and shiny) The blooms only last a day. They love sun, in zones 7-8 and up, they would do better with a little afternoon shade in the hottest part of the day. Mine love full sun all day long, but I am in zone 6. Water it when the soil is dry.
You will have to bring it in in the winter. Place it in a sunny location and it will be fine. It will take temps down to the 30’s, but don’t like it. The leaves will fall off, but when warm weather starts, the plant will leaf out. I usually give mine a hard pruning before bringing in for the winter, and they are barren until putting outside the next spring. If you want the plant to get fuller, simply pinch out the growing tip. This encourages basal branching. You will lose color for the time bring, but will resume when the new growth is mature enough to send out buds. I’ve found that hibiscus seem to bloom more frequently when kept slightly under-potted (potbound). This way, the plant is focusing on blooms and not making new roots.