Tropical, sun-loving hibiscus bushes produce large, beautiful flowers with a recognizable, conspicuous stamen. To cultivate them, you don’t have to reside in Florida or California. They can be grown outdoors in temperate climates during the summer and enjoyed as houseplants inside during the winter. All the details you require to grow these plants inside are provided here!
Can a hibiscus plant be left outside?
You recently purchased a tropical hibiscus, and now that fall has here and winter is quickly approaching, you’re not sure what to do with it. Fear not, I’ve been there! I used to bring my favorite hibiscus inside and outside every year when I was living in Iowa. You can succeed if I can. How? Read on!
Keep Hibiscus Indoors During the Winter First off, you’ll need to move your hibiscus indoors to protect it over the winter if you reside in a region where temperatures often dip below 50F (10C). Being tropical plants, they can’t withstand exposure to below-freezing conditions. (However, a hardy hibiscus, which you may find in the perennials area of your neighborhood garden center, can survive the winter outdoors. It will enter dormancy in fall, rest throughout the winter, and then begin to grow again in the late spring, with flowers appearing in the summer.
Before winter, learn how to bring hibiscus indoors. The good news is that bringing your tropical hibiscus indoors before winter is rather simple. Simply carry out these easy steps.
First, trim the stems of your tropical hibiscus. Take out up to 25% of the new growth. You won’t have to spend much time cleaning up a lot of yellow, fallen leaves by taking this simple step (this naturally happens as a result of shock when the plant goes from indoors to out). Even if there will still be some falling leaves, there is no need for alarm. It’s entirely normal.
After cutting back your hibiscus, you can move the entire pot inside if it is potted. Dig up your plant if it has been growing in the ground, then put it in a container. Use potting soil specifically designed for container plants. Additionally, avoid using garden soil at all costs. While garden soil works well for growing plants outside, it doesn’t drain well indoors. It may also encourage pests to enter by hitchhiking.
Optional: Speaking of pests, if you’d like to deter them from entering your home, give your hibiscus a prophylactic treatment or two. Insecticidal soap and neem oil are popular sprays that are safe to use on a plant you are bringing indoors. Find out more about protecting tropical plants before winter.
Indoor Winter Hibiscus Care The most important thing to understand about hibiscus plant care is that it prefers light. In actuality, it likes light, not just a lot of it. Because of this, your plant will thrive at a prominent location inside your house. Have a large, bright window? Bingo! Another option is a sizable patio door. not enough daylight? You’re in luck since hibiscus will thrive in the wintertime when grown under a shop or plant light. (Tip: An effective, traditional store light will do; there’s no need to spend a lot of money on a fancy, pricey plant light. I’ve always used that.) Your hibiscus will be happy in the winter if you give it more light.
When the top inch or two of the potting mix feels dry to the touch, water your hibiscus (just like you would any other houseplant). I’ve always discovered, and I’m willing to bet you will as well, that hibiscus demand a lot less water indoors throughout the winter than they did when you were growing your plant outdoors. Thankfully, that makes maintaining it simpler! I ended up watering my Tropic Escape hibiscus once a week or so when I brought it indoors for the winter. However, a number of elements, such as how hot or cold your home is, the humidity levels, the size of your hibiscus, the size of its pot, the type of potting mix, etc., will affect the precise frequency you’ll be watering.
Note: During the winter, keep your hibiscus away from both warm and cold drafts. This contains vents for heating. Hot (or cold) air bursts can create brown or fading foliage.
More positive news You shouldn’t stress over it. Let your hibiscus enjoy a peaceful winter’s nap. You can wait until spring, around March, when the days (finally!) start to get longer.
Seasonal Flowering Although I detest to say it, don’t count on flowers during the winter. Since your plant is dormant and may not have enough light to flower unless it is located in an extremely sunny area, you probably won’t see many. My plant only produced three or four blossoms each winter while I maintained it in my dining room in Iowa, a few feet from a north-facing bay window.
By the way, don’t worry if your plant does produce buds but you see that they are falling off. This also makes sense. In response to stress, hibiscus are infamous for losing their flower buds (such as being grown inside).
Thus, a little forethought, a sunny location, and routine watering are all that are required to bring your tropical hibiscus inside for the winter.
Is there a difference between hibiscus grown indoors and outside?
Hardy hibiscus plants are another name for perennial hibiscus plants. The temperature needs are the primary distinction between the hardy and tropical varieties of the plant. The tropical hibiscus needs a warm environment all year round. While the resilient hibiscus can withstand low temperatures, it will wither away in the winter and then reappear in the spring. You can take the right care of your hibiscus plant if you are aware of the kind that you bought. You should prepare to take additional precautions to protect your new plant if you reside in a chilly area.
Check the health of your plant’s leaves. Tropical hibiscus are identified by their deep green, glossy leaves. A resilient hibiscus has leaves with a heart shape and a drab tint.
- Hardy hibiscus plants are another name for perennial hibiscus plants.
- Tropical hibiscus are identified by their deep green, glossy leaves.
Verify the plant’s blossom color. The Tropical Hibiscus website states that hardy hibiscus blossoms have red, pink, or white flowers. Bright salmon, peach, orange, or yellow blooms can be found on tropical plants.
Examine the flower’s form. The hardy hibiscus has enormous buds in the middle of its flowers that range in size from roughly 2 to 4 inches, as opposed to the tropical variety’s double blossoms.
Think about the time of year and the store where you purchased your hibiscus plant. You have a hardy plant if it’s freezing outside and you bought it from an outside exhibit. A greenhouse or warm climate are required for the tropical hibiscus to thrive.
Verify the plant’s blossom color.
Where should hibiscus plants be planted?
Hardy Be patient because hibiscus takes a while to bloom in cold springs or in the early summer. Hardy Hibiscus thrives in direct sunlight. Although they will still grow, their ability to expand and flower will be compromised. Hibiscus may require shade during the hottest part of the day if you are in a location with particularly hot summers. Planting hibiscus should be done alongside or behind perennial flower beds.
How is an indoor hibiscus plant cared for?
When kept indoors for the winter, even in a sunny area, potted hibiscus lose leaves and become infected with little white pests, despite the fact that they thrive in the summer on my sunny deck. Each summer, they bounce back, but how can I ensure that they survive the winter?
Answer:
When the outside and inside temperatures are the same, bring your hibiscus indoors. This lessens the shock of being moved on the plant. Spray it with a horticultural oil or soap before bringing it inside to get rid of hitchhiker insects. If necessary, prune it just enough to get it inside, but save the serious trimming for the first few weeks of spring.
Hibiscus should be kept indoors in good light with some regular exposure to sunshine. During the winter, when it sleeps a little bit, it prefers room temperatures that are cooler than usual—more like 55 degrees. During the wintertime period of rest, avoid fertilizing. Sparingly water the potting mix, but make sure to prevent it from drying out completely. Keep in mind that heat from indoors dries soil quickly.
Can you grow hibiscus inside?
Every indoor plant has its optimal location where it will flourish. Hibiscus prefers to be close to a light window so they may get as much sunlight as possible. Your home’s sunniest window is the ideal location for them. Less sunlight won’t kill them, but they might not flower.
When ought my hibiscus to be planted outside?
Because they grow wild in Hawaii, Mexico, the Bahamas, and many other tropical areas, tropical hibiscus plants serve as a reminder of the sunshine and all the splendor of paradise. This will make it easier to comprehend the upkeep needed to produce hibiscus in the tough Midwest climate. The tropical hibiscus plant is NOT hardy and will not endure the bitterly cold winters in the Midwest. To create the ideal interior climate for the plant, bring it inside and put it in a sunny window for the winter. It might even bloom! The indoor hibiscus can be brought outside on a deck or patio as soon as the risk of frost has passed in the spring so that you can enjoy its beauty all summer. Bring the hibiscus back inside in the fall when the nights start to get cooler so you can enjoy it all winter.
Fertilizer and water The hibiscus’ large, glossy, dark-green leaves lack a waxy cuticle layer and require no special care when grown outdoors. As a result, they lose a lot of moisture to the air through evaporation and transpiration, especially on warm, windy days when they are exposed to direct sunlight. In these circumstances, it is essential to water these plants at least once a day. Saturate the soil to the point at which water freely drains from the drainage holes under the pot. Make careful to remove the saucer’s extra drained water within 10 to 15 minutes if it is not absorbed by the plant.
The soil needs to have its nutrients replenished when it is being watered often. Apply water and any general-purpose water-soluble plant food to the soil’s surface to accomplish this. Apply fertilizer after every fourth watering, as a general rule. *Note: As long as the pot the hibiscus plant is planted in has free flowing drainage holes, it is important to overwater the plant. Long-term soaking of pots in water saucers, however, may cause the development of root issues that could harm or kill the plant.
REDUCE THE FREQUENCY OF WATERING DURING THE WINTER WHEN THE PLANT IS INSIDE. When compared to the outside, a house has reduced light levels, no wind to help the leaves dry up, relatively brief days that are typically cloudy and dark. As a result, the plant will take longer to dry up than it did throughout the summertime outside.
Only water the plant when the soil surface looks to be extremely dry and the leaves are just starting to wilt. Apply fertilizer according to the same general rule: after every fourth watering, or once a month or so during the winter. Note: Excessive leaf withering will cause yellowing and ultimately leaf drop. Be at ease! The plant is still alive. After healing, it will produce a fresh batch of leaves and blooms. Just carefully water the plant, then follow the pruning instructions in the section below.
Trimming OUTDOOR CARE: The hibiscus may lose all of its leaves and appear awful, but with the right pruning and maintenance, it will recover and start blooming gorgeously in a few weeks.
During the summer, if the leaves begin to yellow and fall, use pruners to remove the final three to four leaves off the stems at the tips of each branch. Those are likely the only healthy leaves on the stalk. The blooms and buds at the tip of each stem will also be removed if the tips are removed, but that’s alright too.
Keep misting the plant (remember it will need water less often without any leaves). New green leaves will start to grow along the stem in a few days. It will soon begin to bloom brilliantly.
When getting ready to bring the hibiscus inside for the winter, keep in mind that the interior of a home has significantly less light than the patio does. Plants naturally respond by losing their leaves and experiencing bud drop. The plant is still alive. Remove all leaves, both green and yellow. Taking away the green leaves now will prevent future cleanup because they will ultimately fall off. Since the plant’s skeletal structure is now clear, pruning is much simpler.
Make use of this opportunity to reshape the plant into a V. Trim any stems that are weak, damaged, or crossed. Cut off any leaves or branches that have attempted to develop around the trunk or at the base of a hibiscus tree “tree.
As new branches develop during the winter, they will lengthen and “leggy. Cut the branches back in half when they are approximately 8 long. This will promote a bushy, full plant. The hibiscus can be placed outside once the threat of frost has passed. For a few weeks, place the plant in shade to give the leaves time to adjust to the increased light. Even plants can become sunburned.
Insects Small white insects known as “WHITE FLY” typically adhere to the undersides of leaves but can fly when startled. Within two to three weeks, the eggs they lay beneath leaves develop into small larvae that give rise to the subsequent generation of white fly adults. The insecticide Bon-Neem White fly adults can be killed by soap poured on the undersides of the leaves. Direct application of systemic houseplant insect control is made to the soil. Applications may need to be repeated. For application, adhere to label instructions.
Small, soft-bodied, and frequently greenish, APHIDS are insects. Aphids are sucking insects that are frequently observed on fragile, juicy plant components like flower buds and fresh leaves. Curled and puckered leaves indicate infection. Early June and early August are often when aphid problems are at their worst.
SPIDER MITES, which resemble dark patches on the underside of leaves, are sucking insects as well. Often going undetected until webbing is seen on the plant, at which point the mite population is out of control and the plant will begin to exhibit signs of stress, such as leaf drop and leaf yellowing. Early detection is crucial since spider mite control is challenging.
Hold a piece of white, clean paper underneath a branch once a week and vigorously tap the branch several times. Your hand’s palm should be across the page. The paper has reddish stripes that are spider mites. Temperatures above 80°F are ideal for spider mite proliferation. Water does not appeal to spider mites. They can be knocked off leaves with a daily hose shower, which will also lower the temperature within and around the flowering plant.
Diseases One of the most prevalent issues with hibiscus is leaf scorch. It appears in the spring after the plant has spent the entire winter indoors and is brought on by sun or wind burn. The leaves are curled up and have brown splotches after a few hours. Similar to humans, plants must gradually acclimate to increased sun exposure. Place a plant in shade for a few weeks, then gradually increase its exposure to sunlight by one hour per day. In this manner, leaf scorch will be avoided as the leaves thicken and adapt to their new habitat.
On hot, windy summer days, leaf scorch can also take another shape. Leaf margin burn occurs when a leaf loses more moisture to the air than it can be replaced by the roots or transported by the stem. To avoid this, water the plant more regularly on windy days, mist the foliage to lower the temperature of the leaves, and relocate the plant to a shady location away from the sun and the wind.
A fungus that prefers cool, moist environments is the cause of the minor issue known as flower blight, which occurs during rainy seasons. The easiest way to manage the problem is to get rid of any spent flowers as soon as they begin to deteriorate. Since hibiscus blossoms only last a day, this can be done every day.