Growing Hibiscus in Pots – Care and Tips (2024)

FAQs

Growing Hibiscus in Pots – Care and Tips? ›

Place potted hibiscus plants in bright indirect light near a sunny window away from drafts. Reduce watering and fertilizing until spring. Keep an eye out for indoor pests such as aphids, mealy bugs or scale and treat plants as needed with insecticidal soap or neem oil.

Insufficient Sunlight: Hibiscus plants require plenty of direct sunlight to bloom. If they're not getting at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day, they may not produce flowers. Ensure they are in a sunny location. Improper Pruning: Over-pruning or pruning at the wrong time can remove flower buds.

Hibiscus plants in pots need water when the top couple of inches of soil are just barely wet. Do not let the soil completely dry out, and drench the soil until excess water comes out of the drainage holes. Planter-grown Hibiscus typically need to be watered every couple of days, depending on the weather.

Hibiscuses may live up to ten years when using fourteen inch pots. Make sure not to over-water, try to keep your plant on the dry side. There plants like humid weather, so it is beneficial to mist the leaves daily, or use a humidifier.

The plant blooms best in full sun, so increase sun exposure if you think that might be a factor. Also, make certain the soil is moist at all times to support the growth of the plant. Hardy hibiscus blooms on new growth, but pinching the plants too late in summer or pruning severely can delay blooming.

A good fertilizer ratio for hibiscus is 12-4-18 or a “high bloom” water-soluble fertilizer. Slow-release granular fertilizers, like Osmocote, can be used in combination with water soluble fertilizer when irrigating. Magnesium sulfate, also called Epsom salt, gives hibiscus foliage a good dark green color.

Beginning a month after planting, feed hibiscus regularly with Miracle-Gro® Water Soluble Bloom Booster® Flower Food, which was specially developed to encourage lots of colorful blooms. Using the Miracle-Gro® Garden Feeder makes feeding super-easy, but you can also mix the food in a watering can instead if you prefer.

Coffee grounds, crushed banana peels or tea grounds mixed in with the soil will provide a good supply of everything your hibiscus needs. You can alternatively water with liquid manure or decoction from plant residues or vegetable water.

Flower bud loss is commonly due to stress, from such factors as dry soil, low light, sudden environmental changes and high temperatures. Some cultivars of hibiscus seem to be more prone to bud drop than others, especially during the high temperatures of mid to late summer.

Your hibiscus will thrive best in a pot in soil that is rich in humus and nutrients. It is also important that this is very permeable and excess water can drain away well.

Why is my potted hibiscus not blooming? ›

The number one thing you can do to encourage flowers on your plant is to keep it in good health. Inside, hibiscus plants that are suffering from stress over lack of light, dry soil, or pests are going to put their resources towards survival instead of blooming.

One option is in the spring; apply a layer of compost around the base of the plant. Or apply fertilizer with 10-4-12, 9-3-13 or 10-10-10 around the base of the hibiscus.

Hibiscus can be grown in containers or planted in garden beds outdoors, but all things considered, most folks find it a bit easier to care for them in containers. The beauty of container gardening is the freedom to move your plants around to make sure their needs are being met.

Another way to check is if the flowers are salmon, peach, orange, or yellow, or double flowered, then you probably have a TROPICAL hibiscus. Hardy hibiscus do not come in these colors or in doubles! Many tropical hibiscus flowers have more than one color in a bloom either in bands or as spots.

I was a bit concerned when you mentioned that you wanted to plant the hibiscus outdoors. This is a tropical plant, and while you can certainly put the potted plant out in a protected area when all danger of frost has passed, it cannot be left out over the winter.

Why is my hibiscus not blooming? If your plant appears healthy and green and isn't producing any flowers, it is very likely that your plant is not receiving enough direct sun. Whether you grow hibiscus indoors or outdoors, they need at least a few hours of direct sun in order to bloom .

If a healthy, large, mature hibiscus is not blooming, it is almost always one of two problems: Not enough sun. Not enough potassium.

Container plants dry out more quickly, so if you have Hibiscus in a pot or container, expect to water it every 2 days. Hot temperatures or a dry spell can cause the soil to dry out more quickly, so the Hibiscus will need more frequent watering.

This is a perfectly normal reaction for a hibiscus that has just suffered a major change in its growing conditions. Stressed hibiscus losing its leaves. This kind of reaction is most common when you bring your hibiscus indoors late in the season, in late September, October or November.