Hibiscus

[Kentucky Cardinal]

I plan on planting several large Hibiscus plants this fall.

My friend tells me I cannot use regular soil for growing them because they need a special soil mixture.

I've never heard of such a thing.

Does anyone on this newsgroup grow Hibiscus, and if so, do you use regular garden soil or a special mixture?

Thanks

[Priscilla H. Ballou]

I have an indoor hibiscus plant I got almost 16 years ago, and it grows in ordinary crappy potting soil

Priscilla

[FarmI]

Cold climate, deciduous hibiscus or the one that likes warm climates? I cant' tell you anything aobut warm climate ones, but the cold climate deciduous ones grow quite happily in unamended, normal garden soil.

[Coleslaw]

I bought a hibiscus about a month ago. There was nothing on the care label saying it needs special compost/soil. I re-potted it in moisture retaining compost mixed with indoor compost since it will spend autumn to spring indoors. It's happily out on the terrace about to flower :)

[Nad R]

I have two "Hardy Hibiscus" that grows very well in Michigan. They produce large white plate size flowers in the late summer. In November I cut them down to the ground. Early spring I see them starting to come out of the ground. They grow about four feet high shrub like plants with cool looking flowers.

Hardy Hibiscus is a little different from other forms of Hibiscus plants. If it does not have the word Hardy it will probably not survive a cold snowy winter.The non hardy hibiscus in warm climates may not need cutting down.

What also grows well in Michigan is a plant called "Rose of Sharon" these are large shrubs, about six to eight feet in height. Many will call the "Rose of Sharon" a Hibiscus plant also. These plants need little care and does NOT get cut down to the ground. "Rose of Sharon" just needs trimming once in a while.

Best to use your own soil. If the plant does not survive, find another plant. Reason is how large of an area do want to dig out. If the roots eventually hit your natural soil the plant may not perform well. That's the risk of planting many plants that will look great for few years then they shrivel up and die.

[j]

eciduous ones grow quite happily in unamended, normal garden soil.

I haven't seen that, but I want it. I had a swamp hibiscus (Scarlet Rose Mallow) that went through a few winters in Atlanta and I think lack of light finished it off.

Knock me over! But, of course!

These plants need little care and

Grows like crazy here, it seems like any kind of bad soil and any kind of light. I just pull it out of the places I don't want it.

I usually whack it into shape, I've got hedges of it, but I have one that I've just let grow. It's about 9' tall and the branches just sprawl out. Has about a half dozen blooms and looks like it should be on a Japanese etching.

j >

[Nad R]

I believe mine was called "Kopper King" with a large white flower with a red center. Not positive I tend to toss those labels and my memory fades as I get older. The "Rose Mallow" has a reddish flower.

The "Rose of Sharon" large shrub does have flowers that look just like the hardy hibiscus with much smaller flowers. Big shrub small flowers. Small plant big flowers. I guess it is the flower that gives both the title of hibiscus even tho the main stems look radically different.

[FarmI]

It is indeed a hibiscus. That is the cold climate one and why I was asking the OP what sort of hibiscus they were talking about.

[Nad R]

But the "Hardy Hibiscus" is a cold climate plant also. Not "the" only cold climate hibiscus plant and different from the larger shrub "Rose of Sharon" and both are deciduous and each of the plants care is different.

[dr-solo]

I was surprised to find out that at least the hardy ones do well in marshy areas. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago