How to propagate hibiscus? A detailed guide to the high-position multi-branch cleft graft method
Hibiscus is a flowering plant that many flower lovers greatly appreciate. Because hibiscus comes in such rich colors, grafting can bring hibiscus varieties of different colors together on a single plant, making it a propagation method many flower lovers choose. What I want to introduce to you is the high-position multi-branch cleft graft method for hibiscus
Hibiscus is a flowering plant that many flower lovers greatly appreciate. Because hibiscus comes in such rich colors, grafting can bring hibiscus varieties of different colors together on a single plant, making it a propagation method many flower lovers choose. What I want to introduce to you is the high-position multi-branch cleft graft method for hibiscus. This grafting method is relatively easy to perform and also has a relatively high survival rate.
Hibiscus
First, select a robustly growing golden-yellow hibiscus as the rootstock, and on that plant choose several one-year-old branches as the rootstock branches for grafting, then cut them off at a suitable height. Next, on one side of the rootstock branch, at the cut end that has a small amount of xylem, make a straight downward cut. Then choose well-grown branches of scarlet hibiscus and pink hibiscus as scions. Make a slanted cut on one side of the lower end of the scion, and shave off a little bark on the other side. The prepared scion should generally retain one or two buds, then quickly insert the scion into the cut on the rootstock branch, align the cambium layers, and tie it tightly with plastic tape.
After it survives, appropriately prune away the excess branches of the golden-yellow hibiscus (the rootstock), so that the scarlet hibiscus and pink hibiscus can better obtain nutrients and water from the golden-yellow hibiscus plant for growth and development. Through pruning and shaping, a spectacular and wondrous flowering plant is formed, with flowers of diverse colors set off against green leaves. Especially this double-petaled, vividly colored large-flowered hibiscus is even more beautiful and endearing.
To carry out grafting, the grafting period must also be well controlled to increase the survival rate. Generally speaking, grafting can be done in spring, summer, autumn, and even late winter, but it is best to choose the time when the temperature most favorable for that variety to form callus tissue arrives, so that the time from grafting to survival can be shortened to the minimum. In this way, the specific grafting period for each variety often requires considering the temperature needed for it to form callus tissue, and must also be flexibly controlled because of differences in climate conditions from place to place.
For hibiscus, branch grafting is best done in late spring and early summer. If you are interested, you might give it a try.
How to grow hibiscus (large red flower)
Hello everyone. Below I will introduce the home cultivation method for hibiscus (large red flower). First, here is a brief introduction.Hibiscus aliases: Fosang, zhujin, large red flower . Because hibiscus is easy to cultivate and has a long ornamental period, people in many countries greatly love it. Malaysia in Asia, Sudan in Africa, Fiji in Oceania, and Hawaii in the United States in North America have respectively designated it as a national flower or state flower. This shows the status of hibiscus in Asia, Africa, and other continents.Hibiscus family and genus: Malvaceae, Hibiscus.
Hibiscus habits
It is native to our country and distributed in the provinces and regions of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Sichuan. It grows in sparse mountain forests, is easy to grow, has strong stress resistance, and has very few pests and diseases. It likes warm, humid climates, is not cold-tolerant, and requires sufficient sunlight. It grows well in areas with an average temperature above 10°C. It likes light and is not shade-tolerant, and is suitable for slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter with a pH of 6.5--7. In the south it is planted in the ground as a flowering hedge, while in areas north of the Yangtze River basin it is grown in pots in greenhouses.
Hibiscus propagation methods:
Commonly propagated by cuttings and grafting.
Cutting propagation: carried out from May to October, with the highest survival rate during the plum rain season. In winter, carry it out in a greenhouse. The best cuttings are one-year-old semi-lignified branches, 10 cm long. Remove the lower leaves, keep the top leaves, make the cut smooth, and insert into a sand bed, maintaining relatively high air humidity, with a room temperature of 18-21°C. Treating the base of the cuttings with 0.3%-0.4% indolebutyric acid for 1-2 seconds can shorten the rooting period. When the roots are 3-4 cm long, transplant into pots. Under conditions of 70%-80% relative humidity, roots can generally form throughout after 20 days, and they can be potted after about 1 month. Generally, they can bloom in the same year. Generally, it is advisable to choose robust two-year-old branches.
Hibiscus grafting propagation: carried out in spring and autumn. It is mostly used for hibiscus varieties that are difficult to root by cuttings or root slowly, especially double-petaled varieties with a low cutting survival rate. Use branch grafting or bud grafting, with single-petaled hibiscus as the rootstock. Grafted seedlings sprout branches and bloom in the same year.
Netizen opinion: My hibiscus are all water-propagated. Every spring when I prune, I put the cut branches in water, and after they grow roots I plant them in soil... they survive very easily.
Hibiscus cultivation and management:
Potted hibiscus commonly uses a 15-20 cm pot. When the seedling is 20 cm tall, pinch off the growing tip to promote branching. After that, use pinching to control the height of the hibiscus so the pot and seedling are well-proportioned and attractive. Hibiscus is especially tolerant of fertilizer. During the growing period, fertilize once every half month, or use "Huiyou" 15-15-30 special fertilizer for pot flowers. Stop fertilizing in winter. Repot every spring, and prune and reshape as needed. Seedlings can be lightly pruned, while old plants should be heavily pruned, to maintain a beautiful crown and promote lush branches and abundant flowers.
For potted hibiscus, repot every spring and carry out pruning and shaping. Hibiscus is relatively tolerant of fertilizer. During the growing period, fertilize once a month, and add 2-3 applications of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer during the flowering period. If light is insufficient, flower buds easily drop, flowers become smaller, and flower color becomes dull. In winter in the Nanjing area, it must be moved indoors to overwinter.
Hibiscus pest and disease control:
Leaf spot disease, anthracnose, and sooty mold commonly occur, and can be sprayed with 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 1000 times dilution. Pests include aphids, red spiders, and stinging caterpillars, which can be killed by spraying with 10% chuchongjing emulsifiable concentrate at 2000 times dilution.
Aphids, scale insects, and sooty mold, etc. Pests can be controlled by manual capture or spraying with dimethoate at 1000 times dilution; for sooty mold, the control method mainly focuses on improving environmental conditions, mainly ensuring sufficient light and good ventilation, which can solve the problem.
Aphids on young branches and leaves and scale insects on branches and stems. Both of these pests can be killed by spraying with 40% dimethoate at 1000 times dilution. When a small number of scale insects are found, they can be brushed off with a stiff-bristled brush.
In the south, hibiscus is mostly planted beside ponds, in front of pavilions, along roadsides, and by walls, where the large red flowers bloom continuously all year round, creating an exceptionally lively scene. In the Yangtze River basin and the north, it is often used in pots to decorate balconies or small courtyards, and under conditions of sufficient light, its ornamental period is especially long. It is also one of the main flowering potted plants displayed in public places in summer and autumn. During storage and transport of hibiscus, if there is low light, the soil is too dry, and ethylene is present, all of these can cause flower buds and flowers to drop. Potted hibiscus must be sprayed with 0.5-0.8 mmol silver thiosulfate solution 2 weeks before storage and transport. The storage and transport temperature is 20-21°C, relative humidity 80%, and it can tolerate a dark environment for no more than 3 days.
Key points to note: Hibiscus is a summer flower with brilliant colors, but sometimes home cultivation fails to grasp its habits, and in summer during the flowering period bud drop easily occurs. In northern China, because the climate is relatively cold, it blooms only once in the summer of that year. Based on the author's practice and experience in growing hibiscus, if you want hibiscus not to drop buds during the flowering period and to bloom continuously, you need to pay attention to the following issues:
1. Pot selection and watering. For potted hibiscus, it is best to use an unglazed clay pot or wooden bucket (pot). These two kinds of pots have good air permeability, making it easy for the hibiscus root system to breathe and absorb water and fertilizer. Although the flowering period of hibiscus is relatively long (meaning it can continuously produce buds, and the number of buds is very large, laying the foundation for a long flowering period), the flowering period of each branch's flower is very short. In summer, when the weather is hot and dry, it can bloom only for a little more than one day. On cloudy and rainy days and in late summer and early autumn when the temperature drops somewhat, each flower can also bloom only for 2 to 3 days. Because hibiscus produces many buds, it needs plenty of water, plenty of fertilizer, and sufficient sunlight. Especially during the peak flowering period in summer, water 1 to 2 times a day depending on temperature and the dryness or moisture of the potting soil, and water thoroughly when dry. Prevent half-watering and excessive watering that cause water shortage and root rot. At noon, you can spray water on the leaves and around the flower pot to lower the temperature and maintain air humidity, which is beneficial to growth. Never spray water on the flowers, because the scorching sun at midday can damage the flowers and affect their ornamental value.
2. How to fertilize. It is best to use homemade fertilizer-alum water for fertilization, which is well absorbed and quick-acting. Use a plastic bucket with a lid, put in kitchen waste such as intestines from killing chickens and fish that cannot be eaten, together with the wastewater from washing chickens, fish, and meat and rice-washing water, add an appropriate amount of black alum (ferrous sulfate), screw the lid on tightly, and ferment. In summer it takes 2 months, and in autumn 3 months, to ferment into fertilizer-alum water. When using it, be sure to add water to dilute it, and do not make it too concentrated, to prevent root damage. If you are afraid the fertilizer-alum water has an odor, you can put an appropriate amount of vinegar or orange peel into the bucket to reduce the odor. You can also directly buy prepared bagged acidic flower fertilizer from the flower market, break the soil and bury it shallowly in the flower pot, then water with clear water to eliminate the odor.
3. Ensure safe overwintering. The reason most northern households fail at growing hibiscus is that it freezes to death because it does not overwinter safely. Because hibiscus is a southern tropical summer flower, it likes sunlight and is not cold-tolerant. The northern climate is cold, and home flower growing has no conditions for building a greenhouse, so whether hibiscus can overwinter safely is the key. When the temperature drops to 6°C, the hibiscus must be moved indoors to prevent frost damage. You can cover the hibiscus with a plastic bag and poke several small holes in the plastic bag to let it breathe. Be careful to keep the potting soil only slightly moist, because hibiscus has a hibernation habit and must not be watered too much, to prevent artificially caused frost damage.
4. How to prune branches and remove buds. After spring begins, the temperature gradually rises and hibiscus begins to sprout. To keep hibiscus blooming continuously in summer, you must pay attention to pruning its branches and removing buds in time. For home potted hibiscus, you must prevent the plant shape from becoming too large and too tall, making it hard to move and affecting placement, while also making its branches lush and producing more flowers. This is a contradiction. The best way to solve this problem is to cut the main stem of the hibiscus back to about 10 cm above where it emerges from the soil, retain 3 to 5 main branches, and on each main branch retain 2 to 3 side branches, pruning it into a shrub-like form. This can make the hibiscus branches full and lush with many buds, laying the foundation for continuous flowering. Second, remove buds in time. Every bud that hibiscus sprouts in spring can develop into a flowering branch. At this time, you must remove buds in time; otherwise, if allowed to grow freely, it will cause disordered branch growth, thin and spindly leggy growth, dispersed nutrients, and fewer and smaller flowers. The specific requirements for bud removal are usually: remove diseased and weak buds and keep thick strong buds; remove overlapping buds and keep sparse buds; remove inner buds and keep outer buds.
Appendix: Grafting a single plant with multi-colored hibiscus flowers
Hibiscus is also known as zhujin and fosang. It is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae family, Hibiscus genus. The flowers are large and brightly colored, with rich flower colors. The author applied the high-position multi-branch cleft graft method to successfully gather hibiscus varieties of different colors on one plant, greatly improving its ornamental value.
High-position multi-branch cleft grafting process: First, select a robustly growing golden-yellow hibiscus as the rootstock, and on that plant choose several one-year-old branches as the rootstock branches for grafting, then cut them off at a suitable height. Next, on one side of the rootstock branch, at the cut end that has a small amount of xylem, make a straight downward cut. Then choose well-grown branches of scarlet hibiscus and pink hibiscus as scions. Make a slanted cut on one side of the lower end of the scion, and shave off a little bark on the other side. The prepared scion should generally retain one or two buds, then quickly insert the scion into the cut on the rootstock branch, align the cambium layers, and tie it tightly with plastic tape. After it survives, appropriately prune away the excess branches of the golden-yellow hibiscus (the rootstock), so that the scarlet hibiscus and pink hibiscus can better obtain nutrients and water from the golden-yellow hibiscus plant for growth and development. Through pruning and shaping, a spectacular and wondrous flowering plant is formed, with flowers of diverse colors set off against green leaves. Especially this double-petaled, vividly colored large-flowered hibiscus is even more beautiful and endearing.
To carry out grafting, the grafting period must also be well controlled to increase the survival rate. Generally speaking, grafting can be done in spring, summer, autumn, and even late winter, but it is best to choose the time when the temperature most favorable for that variety to form callus tissue arrives, so that the time from grafting to survival can be shortened to the minimum. In this way, the specific grafting period for each variety often requires considering the temperature needed for it to form callus tissue, and must also be flexibly controlled because of differences in climate conditions from place to place. For hibiscus, branch grafting is best done in late spring and early summer. If you are interested, you might give it a try. Using high-position grafting technology is a very applicable technical method for the propagation of flowers and the combination of flowers of different species and genera. In practice, the author has carried out grafting of some flowers of different species and genera, such as the grafting of cotton rose and Platanus, as well as the grafting of multi-colored bougainvillea, all of which were successful.