A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Hibiscus

I ordered some Hibiscus. When they came in, they are "dormant" bare roots with stems, looks dried out...almost like dead sticks. I want to get them started. Should I do this inside or would it be ok to start them outside now & will they make it through the winter? I don't want to harm them but I want to get my fall planting done & move on to other things. I'm really concerned, I've never done this before.

I, also, have some other bulbs that I I'm going to go ahead & plant in the ground. I think they'll be ok

They are:
Tulipa Clusiana Sheila (Red-Golden)
Glory of the snow (Pale Blue)
Anemone Blanda Blue Shade (Blue)
Brodiaea Laxa Queen Fabiola (lilac)
Crocus tommas Ruby Giant (Violet-Blue)
Anemone Coronaria De Caen (Mix)
Allium Moly (Golden)

and some Poppy Anemone

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions or any information that might be helpful? I've never done this before but I read that getting bulbs in the ground in the fall makes for quick spring flowering.

Never had luck with these. My sister and I call them "the sticks" and we're always saying now "No more sticks" and we go to plant shops or Walmart,Home Depot and only buy real plants now.
The sticks I've always followed the directions that come with them. It usually says to soak the stick (aka bare root) overnight and plant the next day.

I live in the Northeast so I put them in now for spring bloom. Mine are already in.

Hi Sami!!!
I dont' know about some, but had to put my 2 cents in about I have those, and they are beautiful.... I love 'em, and they spread really nice in about 3~5 years.. if you let the flowers go, and don't pick'em, they'll creep out into a nice mat of those for you.... *I think there's blue, pink, purple and white of that kind*
But, don't plant anything around them, they go dormant the first of summer time *they like the cold* and if you plant anything into that area, you loose the babies...
Would love to see some pictures of those when you get those established!!! They are very pretty flowers too.. *should have the same basic spreading habit as the above anemone's...
Save the seeds, they'll multiply for you too!!!
I have those too, soooooooooo pretty..

You picked some great bulbs!!!

Weezie

I don't have alot of luck with the twigs either. But usually the companies that send those expect you to put them in the ground and hope for the best.

I would keep all reciets on them and if the do not bloom in the spring (or green out) then I would contact them and ask for either new plants or my money back

Thanks everyone. I already have my bed dug that I was gonna put them in. I think I'll just use that bed for my bulbs & soak the Hibiscus and put them in some pots & keep them inside. Maybe I'll have better luck than chancing them weathering the winter outside. Then, I'll put them out in the spring.

Thanks for all the advice. I'll post pics as everything starts blooming, for me I may be hollaring at you, for more advice, in the future, Weezie...on some of these that you have

Anyone know about any of the others?

another item/question on hibiscus care.
here in virginia its fall now oct.
i have 2 hibiscus plants growing outside.
one planted in summer thats big & a new smaller one from walmart planted in oct.
will they make it thru winter or do all outside plants die during the winter & need re-planting ?
just checking since they look nice and grew big this year.

I grow the molys.I like them.some are shooting their grass up now,but didn't bloom till I think Febuary("I'll check my pics and see if are dated)Mine are the sparkler mix are yellow/pink/white...though was jipped by walmart on the pinks.I think one bulb was pink& mostly yellow and some white.they did set seed.some I caught some I didn't.mine get some sun but are not in full sun.They do multiply.I started with 30 bulbs 3 years ago.
oh...and I planted them in Feb when we moved here and they still bloomed.they grew 1st in container cause knew was moveing.were company to my white tulips.

I know that you can take a cutting off of a healthy hibiscus and put it water till it grows some roots and then plant. I have also taken some cuttings and put them in damp potting soil and keep them very damp and they will grow roots so you should be able to put it into the ground as long as you keep the soil moist. I have even had some cuttings "bloom" new flowers while just in damp potting soil. These things are very easy to progogate so either method you try should work.

I have attempted to root hibiscus cuttings in water and in soil both with and without rooting hormone without success. Is there a trick to starting hibiscus that I'm unaware of?

I have three Hibiscus that were given to me and are in pots. They have done great this summer but I need to know what to do to keep them this winter. I am in northeastern North Carolina and it is getting cold enough that they need to come inside somewhere. If I bring them into the house how do I keep them from dying and if I put them in the shed there is pretty much no sunlight and no heat there and since the temp gets down to below 30 degrees during winter will they live there? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I use a rooting hormone when I take cuttings of hibiscuses to root and so far, knock on wood, I have a success rate of about 70 %. As far as any trick to it I really don't know of any. I don't wait long to get my cuttings back into a wet medium though. The longest I have waited was about 45 minutes.

Hey folks,I'd like to help out, but I don't know which hibiscus you are talking about.
I have both kinds,the tropical and the hardy hibiscus.I'm in zone 5,so I have to bring in my tropicals when it gets to about 45 at night.
Here are some links that might help.
http://my.pclink.com/~harley/hibiscus.htm

http://www.trop-hibiscus.com/index.html

Do any of y'll like okra? Yummmy....It's got the same lovely flowers.
ooooo...and rose of sharon?? Very pretty bushes.

sry,I need to lay off the coffee