How to grow hibiscus as a potted plant at home, and can it be kept indoors

When you visit a friend's home, you will notice that they all have potted hibiscus plants, so it seems it has become one of the common varieties grown in households. Its flowers are brilliantly colored and make people feel very happy, so anyone who sees it will want to grow one at home too. Now, the editor below will introduce its cultivation methods.

How to grow hibiscus as a potted plant at home

1. Soil: Hibiscus has strong adaptability and can survive in any kind of soil, but loose, fertile soil is more suitable for hibiscus growth, which is true for most flowers.

2. Light: Hibiscus likes sunlight, but too-strong sunlight in summer can also harm it. In summer, provide shade for hibiscus, or move it indoors to a ventilated place to avoid dry, withered leaves.

3. Temperature: Hibiscus likes a warm environment, and around 20 degrees is most suitable for hibiscus growth, so in winter keep it warm, and in summer avoid extremely hot temperatures and do a good job of sun protection.

4. Water: Hibiscus likes a warm, humid environment. When the temperature is high and the air is dry, water it frequently, but be careful not to let too much water accumulate in the flowerpot, so as to avoid root rot, and drain excess water in time.

5. Fertilizing: Fertilize hibiscus during vigorous growth and before flowering and bud formation, mainly with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, to ensure hibiscus has sufficient nutrients and grows vigorously.

Can hibiscus be kept indoors

Hibiscus, a shrub or small tree in the mallow family, is native to eastern Asia. Its flowers are gorgeous, and it is widely planted as an ornamental plant. It is non-toxic and can be kept indoors, but it needs to be placed in a sunny spot indoors.

Propagation methods for hibiscus

1. Sowing hibiscus

For sowing, it is best to choose peat soil. If you really do not have it, ordinary sowing medium is also fine, because hibiscus has a fairly high germination rate, so you can rest assured. After sowing, cover with an appropriate amount of soil, about 1 cm thick, then water thoroughly, but be careful not to wash the soil away. When sowing in early spring when the temperature is relatively low, it is best to cover with film, which helps retain moisture and warmth well and promotes hibiscus germination.

2. Hibiscus layering

Generally, layering is done during the plant's active growth period. Select a suitable branch you like, you can prune it, then use a relatively sharp knife to make a ring cut in the bark at the lower part of the branch, and peel off the bark, about 1-2 cm wide. Next, take a drink bottle, shape it into a funnel, then cut it open from the middle, put it around the place where the bark was just peeled, and tie it with metal wire. Put culture soil and other moisture-retaining planting material inside the bottle, and wrap the outside of the bottle with plastic film to prevent water and soil leakage. Generally, roots will form in 2-3 months.

3. Cutting propagation

Cuttings are relatively easy to root; some even use long branches, but the depth inserted into the soil must be at least 20 cm, otherwise they are prone to lodging, or after sprouting they are prone to drought damage due to shallow roots. Generally, cuttings are taken in spring, and they can bloom in summer and autumn of the same year.

4. Division propagation

Before sprouting in early spring, dig up vigorous adult clumps, use 3 main branches as 1 clump, and plant them at a spacing of 50×60 cm between plants and rows.

How to prune potted hibiscus

1. Reasonably select and keep main branches and side branches, and remove excess main branches and side branches in batches, so that the main and side branches are distributed reasonably and the density is moderate.

2. Heavily cut back the main branches and side branches. The branching angle of new branch tips should be appropriate and the direction should be straight. Reasonably thin out overly dense peripheral branches to allow ventilation and light penetration.

3. For 1-year-old vigorous flowering branches, leave them unpruned after flowering. The following year, remove all the vigorous shoots and strong flowering branches that sprout on them, leaving medium and short branches to bloom. Continuously cut back and renew the thinner perennial branches in the inner canopy. Shorten medium flowering branches at the branching point, which can effectively regulate branch vigor and promote improved flower bud quality.

4. Shorten the peripheral branch tips, cutting to leave outward-facing buds. Generally, 3 vigorous branches can grow. Remove competing branches at the branch tips, leave the others unpruned, then cut back to train them into branch groups.

To grow a potted hibiscus well, water, fertilizer, and temperature are key, and we must pay close attention to them. In addition, regular pruning is also very important. If you ignore it and let it grow leggy, the branches that grow will absorb the hibiscus's own nutrients, causing it to wither. So to avoid this situation, prune it.