Chinese hibiscus, or Chinese rose, which is very simple to care for at home, still has some features that are desirable to consider when growing. Let's look at those optimal conditions under which this plant will be lush and flowering.
Homemade Chinese rose: care, substrate selection, lighting control
In flower shops, these plants can be purchased throughout the year. But it is better not to buy those seedlings that are sold in the winter - they have reduced viability. The soil in which the Chinese rose will grow well (leaving at home requires a transplant, even if you purchased the plant in a pot), must be saturated with air and moisture. This means that ready-made soil mixtures from flower shops are not quite suitable for hibiscus (there are too much peat in them). It is better to make a substrate for a Chinese rose yourself. It is necessary to add sand, sod and leaf humus to ordinary earth. The latter makes the soil moisture-absorbing, which is very important for hibiscus. Check the acidity of the soil - it must be slightly acidic so that the hibiscus successfully absorbs nutrients from the substrate.
If a Chinese rose grows on your windowsill, home care should include lighting control. Choose a southern or eastern window for the plant and make sure that it does not overheat. The north side would be ideal for hibiscus if it could be made to bloom in low light conditions. Indeed, in order for buds to appear on the Chinese rose, she needs to be in direct sunlight for up to six hours a day. Initially, this plant is an inhabitant of the tropics, it does not have a period of rest. Therefore, the flowering of hibiscus can continue indefinitely if it has enough light, and the temperature is in the range of twenty-four to thirty degrees Celsius. At higher buds will fall. The roots need to be shaded.
Chinese rose. Home care: watering
The period of active vegetation requires a large amount of moisture. Especially on hot days. Hibiscus has nowhere to store water, so its lack is immediately visible - the leaf turgor decreases, they can begin to fall off. Drying for several days can destroy the plant. However, excess moisture and its stagnation in the roots are also very harmful. To prevent overfilling, it is necessary to take care of good drainage and to timely remove water from the sump. Hibiscus is fed with complex fertilizers with a low phosphorus content.
If a Chinese rose feels good at your place, reproduction of it will also not be difficult for you. It can be done by dividing the bush, seeds and cuttings. The last way is easiest. For him, you can take the shoots that remained after trimming. They should be no shorter than ten centimeters. First, they are kept in a container of water, and after the appearance of the roots, they are transplanted into a loose peat mixture.