How to Grow and Care for the Chinese Lantern Hibiscus

People grow flowers and trees indoors simply to improve their home environment with these natural plants and to purify indoor air. But for many, the first priority is certainly the hope that the plant has high ornamental value. The Chinese lantern hibiscus is a plant with excellent ornamental value, deeply cherished by people and one of their top choices.

How to grow the Chinese lantern hibiscus

1. Light: Hibiscus is a sun-loving tree species. At the beginning of May it should be moved outdoors to a spot with plenty of sunlight; this is also the growing season for hibiscus, so management such as fertilizing and watering, loosening the soil and pulling weeds should be strengthened. Apply a dilute liquid fertilizer once every 7-10 days. Watering should depend on whether the potting soil is dry or moist; too dry or too wet will both affect flowering. With insufficient light, flower buds tend to drop and the flowers shrink, so daily sunlight must not be less than 8 hours.

2. Water and fertilizer: Hibiscus has a relatively high demand for fertilizer, and during cultivation light should be supplemented in time. For potted hibiscus, it is generally moved out of the house in April, and repotted before being moved out, with appropriate shaping and pruning to maintain a graceful crown. During the growing season, watering must be sufficient; it must not lack water, nor be waterlogged. Usually water once a day, and during the dog days of summer, once each in the morning and evening. Sprinkle water on the ground frequently to increase humidity and lower temperature, preventing young leaves from scorching and flowers from dropping early.

3. Temperature: Hibiscus is not tolerant of frost. After the First Frost and before the Start of Winter, it must be moved indoors for warmth. The overwintering temperature should be no lower than 5°C to avoid frost damage, and no higher than 15°C to avoid affecting dormancy. Poor dormancy means weak growth and flowering the following year. Any south-facing room with good insulation can be used for overwintering, and when the weather is colder, paper or plastic film can be used to cover it for warmth.

4. Pruning: To keep the tree shape graceful and the number of flowers abundant, taking advantage of the hibiscus's strong ability to send out branches and sprouts, pruning and shaping can be done in early spring before and after it is moved out. Leave 2-3 buds at the base of each branch and cut off everything above; pruning can promote new branches, making growth more vigorous and the plant shape more attractive. After pruning, because the above-ground part consumes less, water and fertilizer should be appropriately moderated.

Growing methods and precautions for the Chinese lantern hibiscus

I. Growing methods

1. Temperature

The Chinese lantern hibiscus likes warmth and is not cold-tolerant. In the Yangtze River basin and areas further north, it can only be grown in pots and placed in a greenhouse or another place with an ambient temperature of 12°C-15°C for overwintering.

2. Light

The Chinese lantern hibiscus is a strongly sun-loving plant and requires abundant sunlight when grown; it is not shade-tolerant, so during cultivation it needs full sun without shading, and it is best moved outdoors to a sunny spot at the beginning of May.

3. Soil

The Chinese lantern hibiscus has relatively strong adaptability to soil and a fairly wide range of tolerance, but growth differs in different soil media. It grows best in slightly acidic loam rich in organic matter with a pH of 6.5-pH 7.

4. Fertilizing

During the growing season of the Chinese lantern hibiscus, strengthen fertilizing and watering, applying fertilizer once every 7-10 days, and the fertilizer solution should be fairly dilute. Management after autumn should be careful; apply less fertilizer in the later period to avoid sending out autumn shoots.

5. Watering

During the growing season, watering must be sufficient; it must not lack water, nor be waterlogged. Usually water once a day, and during the dog days of summer, once each in the morning and evening. Sprinkle water on the ground frequently to increase humidity and lower temperature, preventing young leaves from scorching and flowers from dropping early.

II. Precautions

1. Strengthen light during the growing season

The beginning of May is the growing season for the Chinese lantern hibiscus. If light is insufficient at this time, the flower buds will easily drop and the flowers will shrink.

So during the growing season, the Chinese lantern hibiscus must have no less than 8 hours of sunlight per day.

2. Control the ambient temperature in winter

The Chinese lantern hibiscus is not tolerant of frost, so at the end of October, when the weather turns cold, it should be moved into a greenhouse for growing, keeping the surrounding ambient temperature above 12°C.

3. Fertilize more during the growing season

The Chinese lantern hibiscus normally has a relatively high demand for fertilizer, and during the growing season nutrient consumption is relatively high, so the demand for fertilizer is even greater. Therefore, during cultivation, pay attention to supplementing light in time and increase the number of fertilizer applications as appropriate.

How to repot the Chinese lantern hibiscus

1. Season

The Chinese lantern hibiscus is generally repotted in early spring each year, in April, before it is moved from the greenhouse to the outdoors.

2. Preparation

Prepare new potting soil. The soil medium is best a loose, fertile sandy soil, ideally a slightly acidic loam rich in organic matter with a pH of 6.5-pH 7, which gives the best growth. Apply sufficient base fertilizer, and add a little phosphate fertilizer at the bottom of the pot.

3. Steps

Before repotting, stop watering the Chinese lantern hibiscus for a few days to make it easier for the potting soil to separate from the pot wall. After taking out the plant, cut away some of the overly fine, dense, curled fibrous roots, and also cut off overly long roots and injured roots.

After placing the plant into the new pot, water thoroughly once so the potting soil absorbs enough water. Do not water too many times; be sure to wait until the potting soil is dry before watering again.

How to propagate the Chinese lantern hibiscus

1. Cutting propagation

Cuttings need to be taken between May and October. In winter, cuttings are taken in a greenhouse, but the survival rate is relatively high during the plum rain season. Choose one-year-old semi-lignified cuttings, about 10 cm long, keep the top leaves, cut off the lower leaves, and make sure the cut is flat. Insert into a sand bed; the air humidity should be relatively high, and the room temperature should be between 18-21°C. After cutting, roots form in 20-25 days.

2. Grafting propagation