Hibiscus with its large, brightly colored flowers adds tropical beauty to your garden. If you are interested in and love this tropical flower, read on to learn more about techniques and tips for growing hibiscus successfully.
Introduction to hibiscus flowers
Hibiscus, also known as hibiscus, has the scientific name Hibiscus rosa sinensis an evergreen shrub belonging to the genus Hibiscus of the Cotton or Mallow family, originating in East Asia. It is often grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical regions.
This flower has many different colors such as: red, yellow, pink, white. Hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia, known as Bunga Raya in Malay.
Types of hibiscus flowers
In addition to the traditional hibiscus varieties commonly found, there are also many species of hibiscus with different designs, origins and sizes. Below is a list of different hibiscus flower varieties suitable for growing and decorating that many people choose:
Hibiscus lantern
The reason it is called lantern hibiscus is because the plant has quite large flowers and when it blooms, the hibiscus flowers droop down and are red like a brilliant lantern. Each petal is softly curled. Red flowers bring luck and joy to the garden landscape.
Thai hibiscus flower
In addition to its luxurious beauty, Thai hibiscus flowers also have the effect of purifying fresh air, absorbing toxic gases. Thai hibiscus is often chosen to grow in gardens, parks, restaurants, and hotels. ,…
Dwarf hibiscus
Dwarf hibiscus flowers are only 30-40 cm tall. Dark green, large leaves. Flowers come in many colors such as pink, orange, yellow, and white. Flowers are durable, abundant and diligent. The plant is very easy to care for and blooms diligently, so dwarf hibiscus flowers are very popular for indoor decoration.
Single red hibiscus flower
This is a flower that has been grown for a long time, so it has always been popular because of its lucky red color, as well as not too fussy care.
Japanese hibiscus flower
Japanese hibiscus is a variety of hibiscus grown widely in Japan. Beautiful flowers highlighted by flowers over 10cm. The leaves are heart-shaped, large and dark green, with a moderate tree height of only 30-70 cm. The colors of Japanese hibiscus flowers are very rich from red, pink, red, purple, white so it is easy to choose your favorite color.
Hibiscus growing techniques
Time to plant hibiscus
In Vietnam, hibiscus flowers can be planted at any time of the year as long as there is enough water provided for them. Note that in some areas with cold winters, you should sow seeds or plant seedlings before the cold season arrives. It is best to plant in spring or fall.
Prepare soil for planting
Hibiscus is suitable for growing in fertile, well-drained soil. Hibiscus tolerates alkaline soil, but will grow best in neutral to slightly acidic soil.
This plant will not grow well in sandy dry or poorly drained soil. Therefore, if your garden soil is sandy or poorly drained, mix in a few handfuls of organic fertilizer before planting your flowers.
Temperature and light
Hibiscus plants can grow well in many different climates from hot and humid tropical areas, cool climates or cold places.
In cooler climates, hibiscus will grow best when planted facing south, where they will receive plenty of sunlight and be protected from wind.
If you live in a warm climate, a location that receives about 6 hours of sunlight per day will be ideal for growing hibiscus. However, please note that you should not plant the tree in a shady location. At that time, their stems may grow long, produce few flowers or no flowers at all.
How to grow hibiscus
In general, people often grow hibiscus by sowing seeds or cuttings. Currently, both methods are commonly applied.
Cuttings are a suitable method for trees that have grown and are in the stage of strong growth. If you like dwarf hibiscus flowers, sowing seeds is the best way.
♦ Seeding method
You can sow hibiscus seeds directly into the soil or in pots. The soil should be mixed with fertilizer beforehand.
After sowing the seeds, use a mist sprayer to spray the area where the seeds were sown to keep the soil moist. This way the seeds will germinate quickly. The ideal temperature for seeds to germinate is from 15 to 20 degrees. By the time the plants are 2-3 months old, they begin to grow rapidly and prepare to flower.
♦ Cutting method
For cuttings, choose healthy, pest-free branches. Leave the leaves at the top and pluck the leaves below. Then plant the branch in the prepared ground. Note that soil moisture needs to be sufficient. The surrounding air must also be cool and humid so that the branches do not wilt. The temperature should be maintained at 18 to 20 degrees, which is ideal, and watered regularly.
About 20 days to 1 month later the tree will begin to take root and can be planted. The best time to take cuttings is summer or fall.
How to care for hibiscus flowers
Apply mulch around the plant to retain moisture and protect the roots in cold winters.
Water the plant regularly, avoid over-watering, which can cause the soil to become waterlogged, leading to root rot.
Hibiscus flowers are perennial woody plants, so you need to prune them periodically every year. At the end of the first flowering season, you cut the old branches and only keep the growing branches.
Hibiscus plants do not need too many nutrients during their growing period. However, if your soil is poor in nutrients, you need to fertilize it to ensure the plant grows well. A little fertilizer should be applied after pruning flowers and removing old flowers.
To encourage blooms the following season, remove old flowers.
Prevent pests and diseases that damage hibiscus plants
Hibiscus flowers are very susceptible to pests and insect attacks. Therefore, you need to regularly check and take preventive measures for the tree. Below are some common pests:
Leaf spot disease, leaf blight, rust disease, anthrax infection: Limit wetting the leaves when watering plants. When the disease is detected, Thiophanate – methenil solution can be used. Dilute the solution in parts per thousand to a concentration of 70% and then spray the plants.
Red spider disease, leaf-eating worms, leaf-eating moth: you can use EC solution with a concentration of 10% to treat. You can dilute it at a ratio of 1:2000.
The meaning of the hibiscus flower
» Yellow hibiscus means bringing joy, luck and bright sunshine.
» White hibiscus is like a pure, gentle and beautiful image of a girl.
» Pink hibiscus symbolizes friendship, between love relationships in life such as between mother and child, man and woman.
» Red hibiscus is a symbol of desire, passionate passion and intense love.
» Purple hibiscus reminds people of the aristocracy with a high level of education.
Above are shares about hibiscus growing techniques.