Hibiscus: Same Pot for 2-3 years. Is this restricting growth and why it looks so bad this year?
by
Jim Ginas
+20
2 years ago, LOTS of flowers EVERY DAY. I would look out to the pool and new blooms everyday. Last year, hardly any, this year, ONLY 1 so far! I think the Pot is too small and restricting growth. What else do I need to do?
NOT healthy, not flowering.
14 answers
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I think you are right. It's probably root bound. Take it out of the pot and plant that puppy in the ground with lots of organic matter. It's early yet so you might get some rebound this season. Let the winter kill it off, cut it down to the ground and do it all over again next year. At least that's what we do here in N FL.
Sara C
on May 31, 2012
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Definately need bigger pot and soil.
Rejeana C
on May 31, 2012
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I'm not sure hibiscus is perennial in your area. Where are the hometalking gardeners?
Donna McCrummen
on May 31, 2012
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@ Shabby: one of my fav girls just moved to Little Falls, NJ! close by your area. (Maryland girl, Mrytle Beach, SC, now Little Falls!) I'm originally from LI.
Jim Ginas
on May 31, 2012
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Jim, the easiest way to find out about the roots is just to give a tug and pull the plant out of the pot. I do question the hardiness of hibiscus where you are. Do you bring the plant inside for the winter, or is that a perennial hibiscus?
Douglas Hunt
on Jun 01, 2012
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Friend, you need a bigger pot, Miracle Gro Moisture Control soil and azalea fertilizer, also add 3 Tbs bone meal and 3 Tbs chelated iron. never allow a hibiscus to dry out or it will go yellow on you.
Garden Rebel / Sims Landscaping, Co.
on Jun 01, 2012
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@ Garden: thank you, copied & pasted to my phone so I can get all that today! (bigger pot, Miracle Gro Moisture Control soil, azalea fertilizer, bone meal, 3 Tbs chelated iron) @ Doug: we bring them into the sunroom in late fall (heated by 3 vents-house room temp, all windows and plenty of sun.) not sure if it is a perrenial hibiscuc. Wife had one we kept in the living room and we had that for 7-10 years now, grows flowers throughout the year, winter included. In-fact she made me bring it when we moved from southern MD to here 4+ years ago!
Jim Ginas
on Jun 01, 2012
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Notice the twisted trunk ? Hibiscus doesn't come like that. It looks like it could be a Rose of Sharon- multi colored. I have one of those in my front yard that's doing gr8 ! Oh wow this question was from 2012 ?? why do they keep these questions on here so long ????
Connie
on Sep 04, 2014
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This is a houseplant or tropical hibiscus and in our zone it will need to be brought inside. One thing about tropicals in my experience is that they do not like to be moved around, dried, out, in the wind or drafts,or their leaves get wet. I have 2 of them that are full and loaded with blooms again and i only repot to a pot about 2" larger than what you have. If you go too large of a pot then the plant will spend more time growing roots and not growing on top. A plant that is root bound will be tight roots and the roots will be coming out of the pot! A plant can be top heavy without being 'root bound'. I use fish fertilizer when I remember. I found that they like bright indirect light or in my case a light filtered shade under my Oaks. This will come back next year but as Douglas states check to see if the roots are tightly bound which I think they are not in that case leave the plant in that pot. I see no yellowing of leaves and they appear to be green. Get some fish fertilizer at Lowe's or Home Depot and water it and other plants with that. Bring it in about October (mine are brought in when the weather gets to about 40+ at night). When you bring it in I have to warn you the leaves will fall off and it will look pathetic. I overwinter my ferns and tropicals in the garage and water about once a week so it goes somewhat dormant. If you bring in the house treat it as a house plant and put in a southern window and water a couple times a week but not let it get too wet. Hope this info helps.
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Sep 04, 2014
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so 2 years later and AGAIN all they Hibiscus outgrew their pots - ROOTBOUND for sure! We bought new really large pots for bringing them in for winter. LOTS of beautiful leaves and flowers this year, so we are excited to see with new larger pots again, how next spring/summer works out!
Jim Ginas
on Sep 24, 2014
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I live in northeast wisconsin. I have a braided hibiscus tree planted in a large pot. I had it on my front porch and it bloomed all summer. When it got colder I brought it into the house, now all the leaves are falling off. What can I do ? Joyce
Joyce.palumbo
on Sep 26, 2014
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Joyce, The plant will readjust and after a few weeks, grow back new leaves. We do the same, we always bring ours in, place near a window and they actually blossom flowers during the winter too. Not sure if that is healthy for these plants as I know some say they should go dormant, but in southern states they bloom year round, so I don't know. We do the same and they have always done well year round. (OUR issue is changing to bigger pots again this year, and I clipped back the branches as they were getting too big for the inside and to keep them shaped.
Jim Ginas
on Sep 27, 2014
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plant this perennial in the ground, definetly should be taken out of the pot. The leaves fall off because it's in the dormat period.
Pat769509
on Mar 16, 2015
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Put it in the ground and watch it grow.
Maria
on May 12, 2016
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