March 14, 2013

Chinese hibiscus flowers galore

It looks that by accident I have discovered it's secret to profused and continuous flowering of chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) and I want to share it with you today.
Since I applied it last spring (11 months ago) it flowers almost continuosly and let's me enjoy sometimes up to 19 flowers at the same time. There were about 3 breaks 1-2 week long, but the total impression is it flowers almost every day, though each flower only lasts for a day or two.









Chinese hibiscus has it all :) beautiful vibrantly-colored, four to eight-inch-wide, showy flowers, beautiful glossy evergreen leaves and proper height - not too small, not too tall (in nature it grows up to 2,5-5 meters). Perfect for indoor blooming plant. And this is why enjoy it. Look at the photos only and probably you will agree.

Last spring, while preparing the potting mix for tomatos I have decided that I will use the same for my chinese hibiscus.
Mix was simple - just added natural composted manure in 1:1 proportions.  So simple. If you would like to do the same don't use the fresh one - it will burn the plant. It has to be composted for few months.

The effect? Flowers, flowers, flowers, flowers... entire summer, autumn and winter.






It flowers on new growth, so it's good to prune the tips in spring and summer to increase flower production. To keep mature plants growing vigorously, prune out about 1/3 of the old wood in spring.

Today there is still snow outside, but I can still enjoy these amazing flowers.

Do you also grow it?
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