Reproduction, cultivation and care of garden hibiscus

New varieties of hibiscus appear on sale every year. Breeders love this beautifully flowering plant. In the gardens of the middle zone, a frost-resistant variety is grown - garden hibiscus; caring for the flower and its propagation have their own characteristics.

Description and characteristics of tree hibiscus

More than 200 varieties of hibiscus are known. In nature, they grow in countries with subtropical and tropical climates; many species are cultivated. The Syrian hibiscus (garden) variety is popular among flower growers. It is represented by tall deciduous shrubs.

Straight, even branches 3-6 m long are covered with oval, bright green leaves. They are hard, glossy, and shaped like oak leaves. The flowers are single, double or simple type with a diameter of up to 12 cm. The color of the petals is one-color or two-color. Different color shades:

• white;
• dark red;
• soft lilac;
• dark purple;
• pale and bright pink.

This type of shrub plant develops slowly. The rate of growth depends on the quality of care. Proper watering plays an important role. Blooms in the 3-4th year of life. The flowering period is long. It starts in July and ends closer to November.

The flower lives and pleases the eyes with its appearance for only 1 day. The buds open in the morning and close by the end of the day. This does not affect the degree of decorativeness of the tree-like shrub. There are many buds, they bloom every day, so the bush is strewn with large flowers every day.

Frost resistance of varieties with simple flowers is higher than that of double varieties of hibiscus Syrian. The latter need to be covered for the winter, and varieties with simple flowers easily tolerate light winters with short-term frosts of up to 5-10 ° C. Syrian hibiscus needs to be covered if winter temperatures stay around -15 °C for weeks.

The most popular varieties

Gardeners grow different varieties of garden hibiscus. They differ in shape, size, color of flowers:

• bush variety with pink-violet flowers - Ardens;
• lovers of white color choose Monstrosus, Totus Albus, William R.Smit and the variety Speciosus, which blooms with double flowers;
• Roseus Plenus has dark pink petals;
• The flowers of the Due de Brabant variety are dark red with white stripes.

Hibiscus propagation

There are no problems with reproduction. In practice, flower growers successfully use seed and vegetative propagation methods. In one place the bushes grow for 20 years.

Seeds

The perennial seeds are in boxes. They are collected in late November or early spring. In the southern regions, the crop propagates by self-sowing and blooms in the 3rd year. The method allows you to grow zoned, frost-resistant seedlings. They inherit all the varietal characteristics of the parent plant.

Seeds can be bought at the store. They are large and easy to plant. Any light, fertile soil is suitable. You will need a small container and a zip bag. The seeds are buried 1 cm. The soil is moistened with a spray bottle. The container is placed in the bag and the lock is latched. Germinate seeds at a temperature of 25 °C.

On the 7-10th day, shoots appear. The package is opened, but is not removed for 3 days. In the phase of 4-5 leaves, seedlings are planted in separate cups and provided with care and conditions:

• diffused intense light;
• regular watering;
• fertilizing (Agricola for flowering plants).

Cuttings

The perennial can be propagated by cuttings. You can cut them in the spring (late February, March). Mature branches with a length of at least 25-35 cm are suitable for this purpose. They can be rooted in water. It is correct to keep the jar with cuttings on the south window. The roots appear within a month.

Transplant into separate containers when their length reaches 3-4 cm. For planting, use the following mixture:

• turf land;
• humus;
• sand.

In June, seedlings grown from cuttings are ready to be transplanted into open ground.

Dividing the bush

This method is not used for tree varieties. By dividing the bush, herbaceous forms are propagated.

Features of planting garden hibiscus

Choose a sunny, open place in the garden. The tree species does not like shade. It grows in partial shade, but produces fewer buds during flowering. Prefers loose soil with a high humus content. It should allow water to pass through well, as the shrub does not tolerate waterlogging well.

Where and when to plant

In open ground, garden hibiscus bushes are used as tapeworms. Standard and bush forms look decorative. The graceful flowers are favorably emphasized by the emerald green lawn grass. An ornamental plant is planted in flower beds with perennial flowers. Compact, low bushes go well with tall varieties of roses.

Lavender is considered an excellent companion. During flowering, its soft purple flowers highlight the hibiscus. At the same time, lavender drives away aphids from its neighbor. Conifers (arborvitae, Cossack juniper) provide a good background for shrubs covered with pale green foliage.

The lifespan of a bush depends on the location. The shrub does not tolerate drafts and north, northwest winds, so hibiscus seedlings are planted on the south, southwest side of the house or fence. Planting dates depend on the weather conditions of the region.

How to plant hibiscus

Dig a hole larger than the root ball by 30-35 cm. Humus (1 shovel), urea (1 matchbox) and garden soil are poured down. Mix everything well. The depth of the finished hole should correspond to the height of the root ball.

Transshipment is carried out:

• the hibiscus seedling is removed from the container;
• put in a hole;
• sprinkle with garden soil;
• watered.

The pits are located at a distance of 1.5 m from each other. Future crown sizes are taken into account.In adult hibiscus bushes, the crown diameter reaches 0.7 m.

Plant care rules

Caring for Syrian hibiscus is easy. Standard care (watering, fertilizing). In summer it is necessary to pick off dried flowers, this extends the flowering period.

Watering and fertilizing

For abundant flowering in May, the hibiscus bush needs to be fed with potassium fertilizer. For regions with cold winters, summer feeding is important. During this period, they focus on fertilizers containing phosphorus. They increase the frost resistance of hibiscus and prepare the plant for winter.

Fertilizing is carried out 2 times a month throughout the entire growing season. Water the hibiscus bushes at the root. The frequency of watering depends on the weather and amount of precipitation. In case of prolonged heat and drought - weekly. An adult plant needs at least 10 liters of water. Due to drying out of the soil, hibiscus may drop its buds.

Loosening and mulching hibiscus

The soil becomes compact after watering and rain. By loosening the entire area of ​​the tree trunk circle, the air permeability of the soil is restored. Weeds are removed every week. To reduce moisture evaporation, the ground around the bush is mulched.

Wintering hibiscus

For winter, shoots of an adult bush are cut to ⅔ length. In regions where the temperature drops to -15 °C and below, all varieties of hibiscus are covered. Covering material is used (lutrasil, spunbond). The more layers, the more reliable the shelter.

Standard forms are wrapped, and arches are placed over low bushes. The soil around the trunk is mulched with a layer of sawdust, humus, straw, and peat.

Do I need to trim?

Since tree hibiscus blooms on the shoots of the current year, gardeners carry out mandatory pruning in the fall (spring):

• shorten the upper part of faded shoots of adult bushes;
• shoots of young hibiscus are pruned as much as possible.

Short pruning of young plants helps to form a powerful bush with a good crown. By pruning hibiscus branches, they stimulate the growth of new shoots and achieve abundant flowering.

Diseases and pests

Seedlings and young bushes of garden varieties suffer from the invasion of aphids and spider mites. Pests can be seen on the inside of the leaves. Plants are stunted due to pests. If insects are detected, the bushes are treated with Fitoverm Forte.

Garden species rarely suffer from fungal diseases. When symptoms (spots) appear, the above-ground part of the plant is sprayed with a fungicide solution:

• "Agate";
• "Abiga Peak";
• "Alirin."

The nuances of growing in different regions of Russia

In the southern regions, pruning (sanitary, formative) is carried out in the spring, until the plant begins to vegetate - late March, early April or late autumn (late November). Experienced gardeners prefer to form bushes in the spring.

In the middle zone, winters are frosty, so formative pruning is recommended before the onset of frost. It is much easier to cover pruned bushes for the winter. In the southern regions, 2 types of formative pruning are practiced:

• standard;
• bush.

In temperate climates, it is recommended to form hibiscus in the form of a bush.

Possible problems during cultivation

Lack of nutrients affects the appearance of the ornamental shrub. In the Syrian variety, due to a lack of iron and nitrogen, chlorosis develops. The leaves turn pale and yellow. The veins on them are clearly visible. They solve the problem with root and foliar feeding.

Excessive watering causes root rot. This leads to poor nutrition. The plant begins to shed its leaves.Early leaf fall can be caused by pests living in the soil:

• wireworm;
• May beetle larvae.

With the help of a spectacular plant, the garden gains individuality. A tree-like shrub can be given any shape using garden shears. When planted correctly, caring for a flowering plant does not take much time. It gets sick extremely rarely, unlike roses.