How to Grow Little Hibiscus? A Complete Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions

The little hibiscus has beautiful flowers and a dainty, compact form, making it deeply loved by everyone. Many people follow others' example and plant a pot at home, but when problems arise they are at a loss, only then realizing they never actually knew how to grow it and had merely blindly followed others in planting it. So below we will introduce its cultivation methods and the points to watch out for.

How to Grow Little Hibiscus

The little hibiscus is very easy to grow. As long as you give it plenty of light and water it promptly, it stays healthy and rarely gets pests; an occasional application of fertilizer is enough. In winter, just pay attention to controlling the temperature, and during summer you must water it frequently to prevent it from drying out and dying.

Cultivation Methods for Little Hibiscus

1. Soil: The soil medium chosen for the little hibiscus should ideally be soil with good air permeability and strong drainage. Generally, the nutrient soil sold on the market for growing flowers can be used to grow the little hibiscus, or you can use a nutrient soil mixed from leaf mold plus river sand and organic fertilizer.

2. Light: The little hibiscus is a flower that loves sunlight and warmth, so it has high requirements for sunlight. Sufficient light promotes more robust plant growth, while too much shade easily leads to longer internodes and fewer flowers. If grown indoors, it should be placed in a bright spot such as a balcony or windowsill.

3. Watering: During summer care of the little hibiscus, you must pay attention to watering, because moisture is the key to getting the little hibiscus through the summer. When the weather is too hot and the temperature rises, you need to water once a day, and the watering should soak through. If it lacks water, it will easily wither and die. In winter, during the dormant period, water only a small amount.

4. Fertilizing: When fertilizer is sufficient, the little hibiscus grows quickly and blooms profusely. For young plants, use a balanced fertilizer, or one slightly higher in nitrogen. Generally, spring fertilizing with a nitrogen:phosphorus:potassium ratio of 20:20:20 is best. In early summer, switch to a fertilizer higher in phosphorus, such as a 10:30:10 flowering fertilizer.

Because the little hibiscus blooms heavily, it also consumes a lot of fertilizer, so about every 10 days apply a 1200-fold dilution of liquid fertilizer once. In winter, the little hibiscus gradually enters its dormant period, and during dormancy fertilizing should stop. Flower enthusiasts who are able to can apply some fully decomposed organic fertilizer for even better results.

5. Propagation: Potted little hibiscus is mainly propagated by cuttings, and spring is the cutting season. Therefore, the branches chosen for cuttings should be semi-lignified branches; branches that are too old or too tender are both unfavorable for rooting. Generally, about one month after cutting, they will root and sprout.

Precautions for Growing Little Hibiscus

1. When growing the little hibiscus, be sure never to use clayey soil or slightly acidic soil.

2. In summer, when the weather is too hot, it needs to be placed on a balcony with plenty of scattered light and kept well ventilated, so it can safely pass through summer. When direct sunlight makes the temperature too high, you must water once a day.

3. The little hibiscus can be pinched and topped while still a seedling, and then topped once more during its growth and development period.

4. The little hibiscus tolerates pruning, so flower enthusiasts can confidently and boldly prune it; generally, either light or heavy pruning is fine. With light pruning you can cut off one third of the overall branches and buds; with heavy pruning you can cut everything off above 10 cm from the soil surface. Pruning can make the plant more robust and sturdy.

5. The little hibiscus is relatively prone to red spider mites and aphids, so do a good job of prevention in time.

How the Little Hibiscus Gets Through Winter

1. Choose a suitable environment for care

The little hibiscus can be grown in pots or in the ground, and of course these two growing methods have somewhat different suitable treatments in winter. Generally speaking, pot-grown little hibiscus is more afraid of freezing than open-ground plants, so after winter begins it is best to move it indoors and place it in a sunny spot.

Those placed on an outdoor balcony can be moved to the inner side to prevent frost and snow from causing cold damage to the branches and leaves. For open-ground planting, it is best to cover it with plastic film when winter begins; plastic film has excellent heat-preserving and freeze-preventing effects, and doing so helps the little hibiscus get through winter safely.

2. Ensure reasonable light

The little hibiscus is a flower that loves sunlight and warmth, so it naturally has high requirements for sunlight. In winter, when the temperature is relatively low, light becomes an extremely important factor in helping the little hibiscus get through winter.

Therefore, during winter care, place the little hibiscus somewhere it can get sun, and move it promptly so that all sides of the little hibiscus can receive light, preventing long-term light from one direction causing uneven growth.

3. Prune the plant

To help the little hibiscus get through winter better, flower enthusiasts had best prune the little hibiscus promptly in late autumn, cutting short or directly removing long branches, dead branches, diseased branches and damaged branches, so as to prevent the little hibiscus from consuming too many nutrients in winter and affecting its growth and development the following year.

4. Supplement water reasonably

Water is an indispensable factor for the growth of the little hibiscus, but in winter the little hibiscus enters its dormant period. At this time, the last thing you should do is water heavily; instead, water a small amount sparingly or simply stop. If flower enthusiasts are really uneasy about not watering, then they can appropriately control the water, keeping it slightly moist.

5. Fertilizing

Fertilizer is handled basically the same as water, that is, when winter dormancy begins, stop applying fertilizer or apply only a small amount of fertilizer.

Although the cultivation methods for the little hibiscus are fairly simple, there are still many places that require our attention. Water and temperature both have different requirements depending on the season. On the other hand, be especially careful to prune it; do not refrain from pruning just because you cannot bear to cut those branches that are growing very well, because that is not helping it but harming it.