Just planning to start your own personal flower garden? No need to think that at first you will have to confine yourself to only modest plants. A great option is beautiful hibiscus. This lovely plant is absolutely not demanding of itself - it will easily tolerate drafts, temperature extremes, poor lighting, and even irregular watering. Therefore, they often adorn the halls and office spaces of various organizations. We will introduce you to the important basics of care (hibiscus is not picky about it) that will allow the "Chinese rose" to bloom and delight every day! Let's start
Plant description
In the natural environment, hibiscus can grow up to 3 meters tall. Its trunk is smooth, without villi. Crohn - volumetric, branched. Leaves reach a length of 10 cm, most often have the shape of a trefoil. The bark is gray, it contains a fibrous substance, which gives it additional density.
Blooms "Chinese rose" from June to September. The flowers are quite exotic in appearance (you can see them in the photographs). The approximate diameter is 10 cm. Some "giants" can reach 16 cm in diameter.
The inflorescence is located on a long peduncle, its shape is a funnel-shaped cup. It can be both simple and terry. A simple inflorescence is five petal-weed. In the center of the flower are golden stamens turning into a pistil.
Petals in the natural environment can be a variety of colors - from white to rich purple. At home, representatives of the red shade are more popular. The vast majority of varieties have flowers that do not have any smell. Only a few impress with an unusually pleasant aroma.
Inflorescence blooms at dawn. Already by sunset its petal is dropping. On an average plant, up to 20 new inflorescences may appear per day, on a large - up to 50.
Location, plant lighting
With home and garden care (hibiscus can be street), it is important to remember one thing: it is a photophilous plant. In an apartment, it is best to place it by the window, or in another well-lit place. Remember that a plant needs at least 5 hours of sunlight per day. Choose southeast and southwest windows for it. But on the north side, the "Chinese rose" may not bloom at all. Penumbra well tolerated only varieties with brownish petals.
Another caveat - the flower develops very quickly and decently grows in a short time. Therefore, plan its future location, taking into account this fact - on the "growth". He does not like hibiscus and small pots. Also choose models made of light material - dark ones can become very hot in the sun.
Another important rule of care (hibiscus is a well-growing plant) is to remember to transplant it on time. After all, the closer the pot, the slower it develops, the plant blooms less often.
Temperature mode
"Chinese Rose" in summer loves a temperature of 20-22 ° C. In room conditions in winter it needs to be lowered to 14-16 ° C. This will positively affect the future flowering of the plant.
Care (hibiscus is quite unpretentious) can be carried out without such a reduction, if you do not have any opportunity to provide it.
Air humidity
The plant prefers high humidity microenvironment around itself. How to ensure this in care? Hibiscus should be irrigated periodically from a spray bottle. But at the same time, it is important to observe one rule - to prevent water drops from falling on the "Chinese rose" flowers. Otherwise, they simply fade, become stained and quickly fall off.
An increase in humidity can also be achieved by installing the pot on a pallet with wet sand, pebbles or expanded clay. Of course, the fluid in it needs to be updated periodically. At the same time, make sure that the bottom of the pot does not touch the water.
If you ignore these rules of indoor care (hibiscus does not like rooms with dry air), then it is likely that the beautiful buds of the plant will not open at all.
Watering
This representative is very hygrophilous. Therefore, care at home (hibiscus flower is most often indoor) and gardening involves abundant watering. Saturate the substrate with moisture until it is completely saturated with water.
At the same time, plentiful watering is not the same as frequent. Water the plant only when the topsoil is completely dry. In autumn and winter (for indoor representatives) we switch from heavy to moderate watering. To produce it is worth every 2-3 days - provided that the soil has time to dry.
It is best to use not cold tap water, but softer - standing. Its temperature should be room temperature.
Substrate
We continue to talk about cultivation and care. Hibiscus soil we will select light and nutritious. It is important that it is also neutral - a pH of about 6. It is also important to take care of good drainage - the plant does not tolerate stagnation of water in the substrate.
And now the tips for "preparing" the soil:
- The ideal composition of the substrate for hibiscus is turf, leaf filling, humus, sand in the proportions of 4: 3: 1: 1. For completeness, crushed pieces of charcoal can be added.
- For beginners, a more simplified option is also suitable - a mixture of turf, humus and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1.
Top dressing
Care (we present the photo of hibiscus throughout the article) includes periodic top dressing. But it’s important not to “overfeed” it with fertilizers.
In the period of a set of forces before active growth, the plant needs potassium-phosphorus elements. But pure phosphorus can harm it, so it's best to stop at a universal composition. For all other types of feeding, the optimal time is the summer months. During this period, hibiscus develops most actively.
He also needs magnesium - with his lack of leaves begin to turn yellow. Refuse nitrogen fertilizers - the plant does not tolerate them very well.
Before feeding, be sure to water the "Chinese rose". Perform the procedure in the evening or in cloudy weather.
Transfer
More about planting and care. Hibiscus (up to three years old) needs planned annual transplants. For these purposes, you need to stock up on a wider pot and a specially prepared substrate (garden soil, sand and peat in proportions of 2: 1: 1). The larger the plant becomes, the harder it is to prepare this mixture for it.
But as soon as the flower steps beyond the mark of 3 years, the need for such frequent transplants disappears. The procedure will become necessary to produce once every 2-3 years.
Pruning
Care and propagation of hibiscus (garden and indoor) is also a mandatory pruning. Only during this formative procedure every year the "Chinese rose" can please you with its beautiful inflorescences.
After each flowering, be sure to cut the tops of the shoots. Why is this done? To give the promise to form not on the upper, but on the lateral stems - and it is on them that the buds that please the eye appear. And further. In hibiscus, inflorescences are formed only on young shoots! Therefore, we can say that every missed last year’s stem is minus one bud in the current year.
But in early spring, we will pinch the tops of all the shoots - both young and old. We recommend not to refuse periodic pruning of home hibiscus during the calendar year - the procedure will definitely not harm this plant.
Pay special attention to the tops. So called shoots that grow parallel to the main trunk of the plant. They must be cut off as they appear! Remove branches growing inside the crown as well. Careful periodic pruning will provide the hibiscus with abundant flowering and rapid growth.
Plant propagation methods
The following paragraph of the story about the care and breeding of hibiscus. As for the last event, it is presented in two ways:
- The seeds. Just say, not the best option for a beginner grower. The fact is that it is very laborious, which is why it remains the prerogative of experienced breeders.
- Cuttings. A simpler option, which has other indisputable advantages. In this type of reproduction, the “baby” retains absolutely all the characteristics of the variety of the mother plant. And another important plus - in most cases, a new pet begins to bloom in the first year after planting.
And now we will analyze each of the two methods presented in detail.
Hibiscus seed propagation
The best period for sowing is the end of February - mid-March. Immediately before planting, seeds should be soaked in Epin for 12 hours. A suitable substrate for them is a mixture of peat and sand.
After planting the seeds, be sure to cover the container with them with film or glass - this will create a semblance of greenhouse conditions. The temperature inside this microcosm should be in the range of 25-27 ° C. The soil must be periodically sprayed from the spray gun, as well as ventilated.
As soon as the sprouts have 2-3 leaves, they can already be transplanted into separate pots. But, we warn you, the planting will bloom only for 2-3 years after that.
Hibiscus propagation by cuttings
Another interesting tip on how care should be. The hibiscus flower is best propagated by young shoots. They can be rooted in two ways:
- In water. It is best to pick up a container of dark glass, and then fill it with water. Place the stalk in the bowl, and put a cap on top of, say, a glass jar. This is necessary in order to increase the moisture in the microworld around the shoot. Roots with this method appear on the 25-30th day. After that, they are transplanted into a substrate whose overwhelming content is peat. You can add a little sphagnum - it is useful for a young plant.
- In the ground. Prepare a substrate consisting of peat and coarse sand. Before rooting, be sure to remove all leaves from the shoot, except for the top two.
Difficulty in care
Now we will analyze the difficulties of leaving (grass hibiscus and its other varieties) - we will consider the manifestations and their causes.
| Dry leaves | The room is too dry. It may also be a sign that in winter the temperature in the apartment is too high for the plant. |
| The root system dries up | Low substrate temperature. |
| Leaves are sluggish, look drooping | Hibiscus lacks moisture. |
| Pinkish spots appeared on the foliage | You went too far with fertilizers. Another reason is the lack of light. |
| Lush bush but no bloom | There are several reasons: the plant does not have enough light, it received a lot of fertilizing containing nitrogen, and the room temperature is too high in winter. |
| New leaves grow yellow, and old fall | Again, there are several probable reasons: low temperatures in the house, increased content of chlorine or calcium in the soil, too dry air in the room, abundant cold watering, lack of nitrogen and iron. |
| The buds are tied, but soon droop and fall | This may be due to insufficient watering and drying out of the soil, low air temperature of the surrounding space, lack of nutrients for the plant in the substrate. |
Having dealt with the causes of certain problems of hibiscus, we will move on to another topic that is important for caring for it.
Characteristic diseases and pests
We disassembled home and garden care. Hibiscus is a rather unpretentious plant; this, unfortunately, does not make it resistant to pests. The greatest danger to the flower is the scabbard and spider mite. A young immature bud and shoots are also threatened by aphids. Fight pests with the help of special drugs, universal or directed against one parasite.
How to get rid of them? First of all, carefully treat the stems and leaves of the hibiscus with a composition - water with the dissolved soap shavings in it. After this, you need to prepare an actellic solution. Irrigate also thoroughly, but already from the spray gun.
Interesting facts about the plant
In conclusion, we want to introduce you to interesting information about wonderful hibiscus:
- The ancient Greeks knew about the plant. Curiously, they also called hibiscus mallow.
- The most common "Chinese rose" on the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Its inflorescences serve as an exquisite decoration for the hair of local residents. This, by the way, explains the name of the plant. Hibiscus in translation - "a flower for beautiful ladies."
- The Malaysians have hibiscus - a national flower. Each of its petals symbolizes one Muslim commandment.
- The plant is also revered by the Chinese and Indians. Local residents believe that the flower will protect the home from evil forces, help to achieve success in the work of a lifetime, and also give strength to cope with any sadness.
- The scientific name is Syrian hibiscus. In botany, it belongs to the family of malvaceae.
- The birthplace of the plant is Asia Minor. Also in the wild, it grows in India, China and Korea.
- Among indoor plants, only one species is popular, characterized by large red scarlet five-petalled inflorescences.
- The scope of industrial use of the plant is very wide - these are dyes, and medicines, and ropes.
So we met with hibiscus. Now you are aware of the basic rules for caring for it, which will allow you to grow a beautiful and healthy plant.