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Hi,

Our Hisbiscus is losing A LOT of leaves. Is this normal?

There is new leaves coming and when I scrape the trunk with my nail, the trunk is green. That is a good sign thought.

Is this a tropical hibiscus that you are growing indoors? Was it outside during the summer? Could you describe its current growing conditions?

Each summer we leave it outside(from May to September-October). We bring it in before the freezing point.

I repoted it in May I think. It is now indoors at the moment and it losing a good amount of leaves. They turn yellow and die.

Hi I like plants,

When moving hibiscus inside, they usually go through some shock period.
I would be careful with watering. Water only when surface is dry.

In addition, misting the plant once or twice a day or using a cool mist humidifier is very benefial to your hibiscus. They like the humidity on the high side.

Epsom Salt, Magnesium Sulfate, prevents yellowing of leaves. Dissolve about 2 tablespoon of Epsom Salt in luke warm water and water your hibiscus withn this mix once per month.

Bob

All right, thanks. I will try to get some epson salt.

Hang on, hang on! How much lukewarm water for 2 Tbs epsom salt? That's a very vague recipe... that could very well result in disaster for the OP's plant. The amount should depend on the size of the container and plant as well, don't you think?

Be careful of any salt-based (crystalline) fertilizer. In a container, the salts can accumulate, become concentrated, and, in a worst case scenario, kill the plant.

I agree that this hibiscus plant can be simply suffering from the change in environment. Once moved indoors, there is less light exposure and drier atmosphere. Especially initially, I like to mist frequently to simulate morning dew and occasional rain until the plants are acclimated to the indoor conditions. Humidity trays and, with larger plants, just open containers (buckets) of water among the plants can help too (I used to do that when I had tropical hibiscus plants in 15" pots. My cat, of course, thought those buckets of water was for him! ) Overwatering and root damage can also cause yellowing leaves.

Close inspection of the leaves in case some pest insects had hitched a ride in and proliferated is a good idea too. Right now, I'm battling aphids on my pepper plants. I have ants coming inside and pasturing out their aphid herd by carrying them up the plants. The leaves that have been sucked dry yellow and fall or dry up.

Allright, I didn't try the epson salts yet. I'm not sure what quantity to use. The pot is rather huge.

I did check numerous times for mealy bugs, aphids, spiders or any little things. There is nothing. I even checked with a LED flashlight and I saw nothing on the leaves and truncks. It is growing. So, that is a good sign.

It did get attack by Japanese beetles this summer. Because of the rather milled winter we had, Japenese beetles were attcking everything. I was just horrible. The Hisbiscus was one of them. It doesn't have any now tho.

I water it by determanating the weight of the pot. Once it is light, I water it really well.

OK, I might be wrong, but when I think tropical hibiscus, I picture lush and moisture laden forest like Hawaii. Even though the watering method you described is correct for many houseplants, could you be letting the hibiscus dry a little too much? Would it like a more evenly moist soil condition?

I bring my hibiscus in every fall and have always found it needed a lot more water than one would think. I water it at least every three days or the leaves fall off. When the heat comes on, or we start lighting the fireplace, I may water every other day. Mine is near a heating duct and it's the only way I can keep it looking good.