A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 HELP...I have 4 Hibuscus that will not bloom

I have 4 hearty hibscus plants that have not bloomed (except for mabye scattered ones)in about 3 years. The leaves are so nice and green but they don't bloom. I have feed them and my friend told me to sprinkel some salt on the ground around them and I even did that. How can I get them to start blooming. I live in the Houston Texas area. [B][/B]

HI Lisa_Katie.If they have been in the same location for 4 or 5 years i would dig them up and add some amended soil to the soil that is all ready there then replant and add a fertilizer such as 7-2-7 or a fertilizer like 10-10-10.wich is a good all around fertilizer.around them and water real well this should help your hibiscus produce a healthy and a better quality of blooms you can buy it at any farmers cooparitave.good luck with them.here is a photo of one of my hardy hibiscus. [img]http://www.msnusers.com/_Secure/0SgAAAG0V1QY1tFZfBdCMxnnNXRj03Uf4OcQKsAPhiAT2mc799dtHTgjSfMxpcubvaRKV*oIzI1uRtckmcuXjYnLMs5Z4bVPY60vTtj92gmpOoYe!HH5Ztg/Jul26%5E91.JPG?dc=4675532423614134309[/img] your friend in gardening.mike57

OH SO PRETTY MIKE!

How I wish the woodchucks didn't like that plant as much as I do!
I just can't grow them with the varmints around!!!

Mike - what are those round decorative things on your building?
They look very intriguing - got a close-up?

Thanks Lynne.There cutting harrow disk that go on plows that tractors pull.i had a few setting around so i painted flowers on them and hung them up as decorations.I also have plow points and a few hitches for horse drawn plows hanging up on the side of the barn to here is a photo of one of the cutting harrow disk.
[img]http://www.msnusers.com/_Secure/0SAAAAO0Uk!FJHh3tTwG*EME!Eby7ddfTXnJLzVOOQCdb4DPft0*aveXQ!hTgfVd6AIkRXXiCupfhRYPIgnSiJmQxRE8y56KFPyQiksUFmHQGKvh3AABjAQ/Sep10120.JPG?dc=4675568618541744958[/img]
You might try and put some hardware cloth also know as rabbit wire around the hibiscus to keep the varmints away.your friend in gardening.Mike57

I have a woodchuck too I got one of those twirley toys ya know the ones you blow on and they spin and he don't like it.. It is suppose to work for moles too they don't like the vibration..could give it a try if you want. They do have some pretty ones.

Cool idea Mike !

Pay close attention to your fertilizer. If it is high in nitrogen but low in potassium you will get lots of healthy foliage but few blooms. Try using potash instead. Where are they located in your garden? They prefer full sun to some shade, and like regular watering.

phosphorous & potassium are for flower & seed production. nitrogen is for foliage.

try a fertilizer with a small 1st # and larger 2nd & 3rd.

EX. 1-7-7

Lisa,
I'm in Dallas and I'll tell you that if they are not in full sun, they won't bloom (even if they get a bit fried in the summer). Also, check and make sure that when you fertilize your lawn, that the lawn fertilizer doesn't make its way into the hibiscus shrub. Grass fert has a high first number 50-0-0 (which means for green ..Nitrogen). If it gets that, it will spend all its time producing leaves and not flowers. (I had the same problem with my lilac)

You want a fert with a high middle number (ex: 10-30-10):
# (leaves) - # (flowers/roots) - # (drought)

Hey morninglori, I understand about the first two numbers but could you please explain what "drought" means in the third #? I have never heard anything about this.