NeedExperience
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Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:12 am
Location: Rutland, Vt

Hibiscus problems

I am a first year gardener. I have planted a hibiscus moscheutos. I live in VT, not sure of the zone #. I have done everything correctly according to my knowledge. But javascript:emoticon(':cry:') My hibiscus is constantly shedding its leaves after they turn yellow. The plant bloomed when I first put it in the ground, and at the same time it bloomed all of its young buds had yellowed then fallen offjavascript:emoticon(':?:'). The new buds seem to be growing now, but the leaves are still turning yellow, and dropping more every day javajavascript:emoticon(':?'). There seems to be ants in my garden too, not sure if they could cause this much damage. I really could use some advice or tips. Please

shadowsmom
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Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 3:40 pm
Location: NJ

They really like a lot of water, especially since it's newly planted. Sounds like it is a little stressed. I know with mine the slightest lack of water stress causes it to turn yellow and drop leaves. It does recover quickly.

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

What shadowsmom said makes sense. I doubt that it has anything to do with the ants which do not generally eat or bother living plants, though they may eat some dead plant material.

Love my garden
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Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 12:22 pm
Location: So Cal - USDA Zone 10B, Sunset Zone 22

I had the very same issue with my hibiscus, it's the one in my avatar. Mine even stopped growing. I initially thought it was getting too much sun. I put it in the shade for a week and it did recover or no additional leaves turned yellow. Then I planted it in full sun and watered every other day. Added mulch and fertilizer and the yellowing stopped finally. By then the poor thing was almost bald. In the past month it has recovered fully with dark green leaves.

Keep an eye on the ants. My hibiscus also had aphids and the ants are attracted to the honeydew. A few sprays of water directly on the buds took care of them so far.

NeedExperience
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Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:12 am
Location: Rutland, Vt

I haven't added mulch to my garden yet, Would this help my hibiscus? I also started spraying a neem oil spray, and the ants seem to be at bay 4 nowjavascript:emoticon(':D'). I also have noticed some places (Gardening websites) say the hibiscus is perrenial others say annual javascript:emoticon(':?'). can anyone help me learn what it is to mejavascript:emoticon(':?:') That would be great help n make me so javascript:emoticon(':D')

Love my garden
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Location: So Cal - USDA Zone 10B, Sunset Zone 22

For me it is a evergreen perennial but where you are it may be an annual, unless you have it in a container and bring it in when it get to freezing temps.

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rainbowgardener
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Hibiscus is a woody shrub. As far as I know, there's no such thing as an annual shrub...


You may be thinking about this:

Hibiscus ( /hɨˈbɪskəs/[2] or /haɪˈbɪskəs/)[3] is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. IThe genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees. (from Wiki Hibiscus).

So Hibiscus has two meanings.. it is the name of a whole genus that includes several hundred different specieds, including some annual herbaceous (non-woody) plants. It is also the common name of a number of species of woody shrubs. That is how you are using the word when your Rose-mallow or perennial hibiscus.

It's made a bit more complicated by the fact that nurseries sometimes use "perennial hibiscus" to describe the rose mallow or rose of sharon, meaning cold hardy as opposed to tropical hibiscus. The tropical hibiscus is also perennial, woody shrub, but a tender perennial not cold hardy.

Hope this helps and doesn't just confuse you more! :?

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rainbowgardener
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[quote="Love my garden"]For me it is a evergreen perennial but where you are it may be an annual, unless you have it in a container and bring it in when it get to freezing temps. Here is a quick care guide on the hibiscus. It not extensive but it has a few tips.

by "annual" they mean of course tender perennial not cold hardy.

but they probably weren't paying attention to the fact that you specified the rose mallow, hibiscus moscheutos which is cold hardy at least down to zone 5.

However, it looks like in Vermont, you may be in zone 4. That means while your Rose Mallow is still a perennial, regardless, it may not be hardy where you are and may need to be brought in for the winter.



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