What to Do About Yellow Leaves on Hibiscus? Find the Right Cause to Encourage Blooming

Hibiscus is a tropical plant, and those of you gardening in the north will run into the situation of hibiscus leaves turning yellow. That said, there are many causes of yellow leaves, and besides an unsuitable environment there are other reasons too, such as: too much or too little water, damage from pests, excess or insufficient nutrients, the quality of the growing medium, and so on. If it is not dealt with in time, it will not only affect the plant's appearance but also affect the flowering rate. Today let's track down the causes of the yellow leaves. What should you do about yellow leaves on hibiscus? Find the right cause to encourage blooming!

1. Too much water

Although hibiscus likes to be kept in a year-round moist environment, that does not mean it can grow in a soggy environment. If there is no sunlight, or the spot where it is grown does not get enough light, and its soil is always wet, then hibiscus will easily get yellow leaves. Too much water not only fails to promote its growth but also easily leads to root rot. Be sure to wait until the potting soil has dried out completely before watering thoroughly, and avoid waterlogged soil.

2. Too little water

If you grow hibiscus in a pot, in a spot with plenty of sunlight, and let the potting soil stay dry for a long time, it will also easily get yellow leaves. Especially in the peak growing season in summer, when the sun is strong, its water needs are also very high. You can keep watering thoroughly once a day or every other day, keeping the soil appropriately moist without being overly wet.

3. Too low a temperature

Hibiscus is a tropical plant, and the minimum growing temperature should be kept above 5°C to avoid cold damage. The best growing temperature is above 15°C, as only then can it be guaranteed to bloom year-round. Too low a temperature easily causes the leaves to turn yellow.

4. Sunlight

When growing hibiscus you must give it as much light as possible. Without sunlight it has no way to bloom. Do not grow it in a shaded environment, otherwise it will easily get yellow leaves, and the branches and leaves will grow especially tender, so it will not be able to bloom.

Of course, if you grow hibiscus in a pot, do not grow it in an overly exposed, scorching spot either, especially for plants that are not sturdy enough in growth. For potted plants, once the summer temperature exceeds 36°C, you can provide some shade in the afternoon.

When the winter temperature is too low, hibiscus easily goes dormant, and at this time it will also get yellow leaves. At this point you must not water too much, and you must protect it from freezing, avoiding temperatures below 5°C. If the leaves fall off and the branches are relatively soft, then it is dormant.

5. Pesky pests

If the growing environment is too hot and stuffy or has insufficient ventilation, or the air is overly dry, spider mites are easily triggered. After hibiscus is infected with spider mites, spots will appear on the leaves, and then the leaves will slowly turn yellow or red, and small spider webs will easily appear on the leaves too. You need to improve ventilation, increase the humidity of the environment, and spray insecticides such as pyridaben.

6. Poor nutrition

Hibiscus is a tropical flower that likes slightly acidic soil. If the soil is on the alkaline side, that is, if the soil's pH is greater than 7, this easily causes the leaves to turn yellow and also affects flowering. The soil then needs to be supplemented with iron and sulfur. You can water with ferrous sulfate once every two to three weeks, or give some organic fertilizer, remove the soil on the surface, and replace it with compost soil or peat soil.

7. Soil

If you find that the soil the hibiscus is growing in has clumped up, be sure to repot it in time, or loosen the soil appropriately, to avoid the soil becoming compacted, otherwise it easily causes yellow leaves and root rot.

You can remove the top layer of soil and replace it with some loose, fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic humus soil or sandy soil. If the roots are too crowded, then repot it.

8. Pesticides

Old gardeners all dislike spraying hibiscus directly with insecticides, because this easily causes yellow leaves. Overuse of pesticides is very bad for hibiscus and easily leads to yellow leaves; especially after spraying insecticide, it puts a great deal of stress on the hibiscus.

Many people grow hibiscus in their yard or on their balcony. Double-petaled hibiscus is very beautiful, with extremely showy blooms and, without exception, alluring flower colors. If yellow leaves affect the blooming of the flowers, wouldn't that be a real loss? To have grown such a beautiful flowering plant yet have no chance to see it bloom, what can you do? Surely by now you know. Remember that when growing hibiscus you must be patient, and regularly doing a good job of keeping the environment clean is very important.