The hibiscus is one of the most popular flowering plants that is grown across the world. If you have a hibiscus plant in your house, you should know that it’s going to bloom almost all year round.
When the plant is growing vigorously vertically, the plant doesn’t necessarily bloom, but once the plant reaches its age of maturity or stops growing vertically, it will continue to give off flowers.
The hibiscus flowers are generally quite big and beautiful, and usually range from a host of different colors.
There are the traditional crimson flowers, but you can also expect pink to dark purple shades as well. It all depends on the kind of plant you have, and the type of species.
But, there are going to be situations where you might not be able to get the plant to bloom properly.
Hibiscus plants are able to light up your summer garden unlike anything you might have seen before, and it’s incredibly important that you provide the right conditions for your plant to grow.
As long as you treat these warm weather plants well, you can get a lot of beautiful blooms. Since these are evergreen plants and tend to bloom throughout the course of the year, your garden will look beautiful throughout the year!
However, you should know that the plant does not take well to frost, so it’s recommended that you bring it indoors during the winter months.
There have been plenty of cases where the plant has died when it was not taken care of during the winter months. You don’t want that to happen at all, so it’s best if you bring it into the warmth of your home.
If your hibiscus isn’t blooming properly, there are quite a few things that you need to do. It’s not difficult to make a hibiscus bloom, but you have to make sure that the environment is just right for the plant to grow properly and bloom.
Here are a few things that you need to do to take care of the plant and make it bloom properly.
The Sun
This is a tropical plant, and as a result, you should know that it loves the sun. But, you also need to understand that the plant does not thrive well in spots that are too bright.
This is a common mistake that most people make when it comes to providing a warm environment. If you live in an area that receives too much sun, you might want to move the plant into a partially shaded area.
But, if the area is generally less warm, you should consider keeping it in a place where it’s going to receive the full sunlight. This is quite important and it will also improve the quality of the flowers and increase the number of flowers that bloom throughout the year.
Water
You also need to make sure that the plant receives an adequate amount of water. Because of its tropical nature, the plant loves water, and you need to make sure that you provide it with a substantial amount.
The funny thing is that water is an incredibly important requirement for the plant, so if it doesn’t get enough of it, the plant isn’t going to bloom. As a result, you should know that water might be the deciding factor if you want your plant to bloom or not.
Depending on the levels of humidity and heat in your area, you might even have to provide water to the plant on a regular basis. If you live in an area where the conditions are incredibly dry, you might even have to provide water to the plant at least twice a day.
It primarily depends on the external conditions. What’s more important is that you need to make sure that the plant doesn’t receive “too much” water.
The plant also requires properly draining soil as well. Ideally, the best thing to do to ensure that the plant continues to bloom throughout the year is to ensure that the soil remains moist, but not sloppy wet.
The hibiscus plant is going to die very quickly if you leave it in deep water. If you notice the leaves on the plant are drooping or turning yellow over the passage of time, you might want to change your watering regime.
If the yellow leaves appear at the top of the plant, it’s a pretty clear sign that the plant is receiving little to no water.
To fix this problem, you will have to increase the amount of water being given to the plant.
On the other hand, if the leaves begin to turn yellow from the middle of the plant, it is an indication that the plant is receiving excessive amounts of water. You need to make sure that you adjust your watering intervals accordingly.
A common mistake that many people make when it comes to caring for the hibiscus plant is that they continue to water the plant without paying any attention to its needs.
If you are just watering the plant every few days, or even on a daily basis, you should know that you are causing more harm to the plant than good.
To figure out the adequate water requirements of the plant, the first thing you need to do is check the soil. When you water the plant after a few days, always poke your finger in the soil. Let it sink up to at least the first knuckle, and then see if the soil is moist or not.
If the soil is quite wet, you need to hold off watering the plant for a day or two. If the soil is moist, you need to give it a break for at least a day.
The next day, you should check to see if the soil has dried out a bit. When it does dry out a bit, you can then water the plant. This is the best practice to follow with tropical plants such as the hibiscus.
It’s also a pretty effective and reliable way of figuring out just how much water the plant requires. If you want to be completely accurate, you can consider using a hygrometer, but that won’t really be necessary. As long as you are careful, you will know that the plant is doing just fine.
Adding Fertilizer
Another effective way to improve the blooms is to add fertilizer. Feeding the plant is important to ensure that it has all the nutrients that it needs to grow properly.
Most people don’t provide a suitable environment for the plant, and the effects are going to show with the lack of blooms.
When you buy a hibiscus plant from the local store or gardening center, you should know that a slow release fertilizer will already be added to the plant. So, you might not have to worry about initial fertilization when you bring the plant home. You can leave the fertilization process out for at least the first few months.
However, with the passage of time, the needs of the plant are going to change, and this means that you will have to adjust your care schedule as well.
You need to apply fertilizer regularly to the plant if you want it to thrive. Ideally, you should consider making use of a fish emulsion that has been dried beforehand.
You should look for a liquid fertilizer, or one that contains a mixture of seaweeds. These types of fertilizers are known for working wonders with the hibiscus, and will greatly improve the quality of the blooms.
Also, you need to make sure that you feed the hibiscus at least once every alternate week.
The plant expends a great deal of energy during the blooming period, and since this period usually lasts throughout the year, you should know that it is going to need a steady supply of nutrients to bloom properly.
As long as you maintain the alternate weekly schedule, the plant is going to continue to grow with the passage of time.
Containers
Many people also like to keep their hibiscus in containers instead of planting it in the soil. You need to first determine the size of the container that you are going to use with the plant.
If you want the plant to give off consistent flowers and bloom on a regular basis, you need to make sure that the container you choose is not too deep.
A deeper container is going to improve the health of the plant, but it’s going to redivert all of the energy of the plant into expanding and growing the roots, instead of improving the blooms and the flowers.
Containers that are slightly shallow are a better choice, because the plant is able to focus most of its energy on blooming.
These are just a few things that you should know about making your hibiscus plant bloom as much as possible throughout the course of the year.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.