Hibiscus plant help

Sharon
by Sharon
I am back from a winter in Florida and these are how my two hibiscus look....I have a couple of new green leaves coming, what do I do now? Thanks
  10 answers
  • Vanessa Vanessa on May 17, 2015
    I cut back branches every other week. I recently had to cut back to the base and then the green leaves will appear!
    • See 2 previous
    • Sharon Sharon on May 18, 2015
      Great....thanks Vanessa.
  • A A on May 17, 2015
    I have been helping my elderly mother a lot in her garden and I am learning a lot . We cut back her hibiscus in the fall and don't touch it again til the next fall.i know it may look sad now but be patient it will come around it likes to take it's time
    • Sharon Sharon on May 17, 2015
      Ok, so I should leave it until fall to cut back. Thanks.
  • Tammie ellerbee Tammie ellerbee on May 17, 2015
    Tropical hibiscus should not survive in Maine!
    • Sharon Sharon on May 17, 2015
      Tammy I bought them there last year and they were beautiful but I brought them inside for the winter and this is how they look now. There are a couple of new shoots on them so I'm hoping. I've moved them to my back deck. Just don't know to cut back now or wait and see.
  • Kathy t Kathy t on May 17, 2015
    I do the same thing. Best to start from scratch to see what happens.
  • I grow Hibiscus and this has happened to me a few times over the years. Make sure to trim them down, but not too much. You can still get new growth in the branches. Water heavily, make sure it gets good morning sunlight, fertilize lightly every few weeks. It should be okay. I actually have a post on my blog all about this coming next week. Sorry I don't have it ready now. Let me know if you have questions.
  • Melinda Edwards Melinda Edwards on May 20, 2015
    I live in Central Fl, planted multiple new hibiscus about a year ago. They were doing well, blooming, growing some, and all at once they turned brown and now look like the picture above. No leaves, but if the twigs are snapped, they are still green. I'm afraid to cut back, I did that when the leaves first turned brown and fell off. Any ideas?
  • Dobi Dobi on Aug 02, 2015
    I live in missouri, and we have several hibiscus plants. The only ones that I have seen in pots are the ornamental ones and they are only annual. We have dwarf in various colors and we do trim them back before the first frost. we leave about 3 inches or so above ground, Ours will flower all the way until it gets around 40 degrees. Thats when I trim them back. This year we have a wild one that I guess a bird donated to us! It is beautiful! And apparently you can start them from their seed pods. I have never done it, but my mother in law was telling me about it. good luck!
  • Debbie Cooper Debbie Cooper on Apr 06, 2016
    I have Hibiscus that grow up to zone 7-6.5. They look like that every year. You just cut the old stock off AFTER they have started to sprout to see if the previous yrs stocks get any leaves. Mine grew up to 6-8' tall in TN. This will be my first season back in KY so need to get seeds started inside!!
  • Debbie Chodes Debbie Chodes on May 04, 2020

    Can I cut my dry stems now on my hibiscus tree or is it to late?

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Nov 30, 2021

    i would not cut those dead ones until you see new ones forming