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Tree hibiscus is an ornamental garden plant that does not require complex care. Before planting a crop, you should familiarize yourself with the most basic growing rules.
What does garden hibiscus look like?
Hibiscus (Hibiscus) is a plant of the Malvaceae family, represented by many species and varieties. In tree form it looks like a deciduous shrub from 1.5 to 6 m above the ground, has a thick branched trunk. The plant's plates are green, palmate, the flowers are bell-shaped, with yellow, crimson, pink or lilac petals.
Tree hibiscus buds reach 12 cm in diameter
The structure of the buds of an ornamental shrub can be simple or double.There are varieties with two-color coloring and a contrasting core.
When does garden hibiscus bloom?
The specific timing of flowering depends on the variety. But usually the plant bears buds from late June to early October.
Varieties of tree hibiscus
Photos of tree hibiscus species show that the plant comes in a wide variety. We can list several of the most popular varieties among gardeners.
Ardens
The deciduous shrub grows on average up to 1.5 m above the ground. It is characterized by long and very abundant flowering, producing large buds up to 15 cm in diameter. The petals are double, lavender or whitish-pink.
The tree-like variety Ardens spreads up to 3 m wide
Blue Satin
A tree-like variety of garden plant with good care reaches 3 m above ground level. It is compact and blooms with large blue or purple flowers in early summer. The buds are large, up to 15 cm wide. It is recommended to plant the shrub in bright sun, since the shade of the flowers will be richer in this case.
The Blue Satin variety is highly frost-resistant and can withstand temperatures down to -25 °C in open ground.
Late
A low decorative variety rises only up to 1 m above the ground. It has oval-arrow-shaped leaves, the flowers of the plant are medium in size, bright pink.
The buds of the tree hibiscus Late reach 8 cm in width
Pale pink
The medium-sized tree-like variety is distinguished by branching and has jagged yellow-green leaves along the edges. The flowers of the plant are shaped like tulip buds. Their core is usually bright pink and the petals are white.
Variety Pale Pink reaches 1.7 m above the ground surface
How to plant tree hibiscus correctly
Planting tree hibiscus in open ground is carried out according to standard algorithms. First of all, you need to choose the optimal site for the plant. The shrub is best suited to a bright place protected from strong winds with light but fertile soil. The pH level of the soil should be neutral or slightly acidic.
Before planting the plant, the area should be dug up properly. If necessary, the soil is fertilized with humus and peat, and complex mineral fertilizing can also be applied. The further algorithm looks like this:
- For an ornamental shrub, prepare a hole twice the size of its root system.
- A drainage layer of broken bricks or pebbles is poured into the bottom of the recess.
- Fill the hole up to half with a substrate made from a mixture of garden soil, compost, peat and sand.
- Lower the seedling in the center of the hole and straighten the roots to the sides.
- Fill the voids in the hole with soil and compact the soil near the trunk.
- Hill up the seedling and water it abundantly.
To ensure that moisture from the soil evaporates more slowly, the bush can be immediately mulched with organic material.
Planting hibiscus in open ground is carried out no earlier than mid-May after the final warming
How do tree hibiscus reproduce?
Photos of a garden hibiscus tree show that the plant can be propagated both by seeds and vegetatively. Which method to choose depends on personal preference.
Tree hibiscus from seeds
The easiest way to grow an ornamental shrub for a site for the first time is from seeds. The reproduction scheme looks like this:
- The planting material is wrapped in damp gauze and placed in a plastic bag.
- Leave at room temperature for about a week.
- After the period has passed, fill the selected container with a nutrient substrate.
- Moisten the soil and spread the seeds over its surface.
- Lightly sprinkle with soil on top and spray with a spray bottle.
- Place the container under the film in a warm place.
In about three weeks, tree-like garden hibiscus will sprout from seeds at home. After this, you will need to remove the film and move the seedlings to a sunny window for further care.
If desired, tree hibiscus can be propagated by seeds using material collected with your own hands from adult plants. But it must be taken into account that hybrid varieties in this case will not retain their unique characteristics.
Cuttings from garden hibiscus
Propagation of tree-like garden hibiscus by cuttings is usually practiced for valuable rare varieties. The method allows you to obtain a seedling that fully preserves the characteristics of the parent plant. The following scheme is used:
- At the beginning of summer, green semi-lignified cuttings up to 17 cm long are cut from a strong mature shrub.
- The leaves located below are torn off, and the upper plates are shortened by half.
- Dip the cuttings into the rooting solution and plant them in nutritious soil with the addition of peat.
- Moisten the substrate and cover the shoots with cut bottles or a plastic bag.
When cuttings are taken, the tree-like shrub takes root on average within a month.After the shoot produces new leaves, the cover can be removed from it.
How to care for garden hibiscus
Outdoor tree hibiscus does not require complex care. When growing a crop on a plot, attention should be paid to several main points.
Watering
Ornamental garden crops react equally poorly to severe drought and waterlogging. You need to water the bush in hot weather without precipitation about once a week. You should pay attention to the condition of the soil - if it is still wet, you should not add water.
The tree-like shrub requires more intensive watering during the flowering period. In hot weather, the plant is then moistened once every two days so that the buds do not fall off from lack of moisture.
After the next watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil at the roots of the tree hibiscus and weed the weeds
How to feed garden hibiscus
Throughout the warm season, it is necessary to feed the tree hibiscus from time to time for abundant flowering with phosphorus-potassium compounds. Fertilizers will ensure good bud setting and increase the duration of the decorative period.
Fertilizer is applied every two weeks in dry or liquid form. At the end of August, they stop using fertilizers - during this period, the bush begins to prepare for winter.
When to prune garden hibiscus
Tree hibiscus is pruned for two purposes - to form a crown and to remove dry shoots. For the first time, the branches of the bush are shortened immediately after planting to the level of 2-3 buds.The main trunk is not touched. In subsequent years, when pruning garden hibiscus in the spring, the side shoots are shortened to two buds, and the trunk to five buds. If necessary, remove the root shoots completely so that the bush does not spread uncontrollably throughout the area.
In addition, garden hibiscus in the Moscow region is trimmed in the spring or mid-autumn for sanitary purposes. During the procedure, all twisted, diseased and broken shoots are eliminated.
When pruning, it is important to remove no more than a third of the green mass from the bush. Proper pruning stimulates the rapid development of garden plants. But if you prune the bush too much, it will begin to hurt and will not be able to recover.
Transplanting garden hibiscus to another place in the fall
Tree hibiscus does not really like transplanting and prefers to develop in one place. But if the site does not meet the plant’s requirements, the adult bush can be moved to another corner of the garden.
Transplantation is carried out in early spring after pruning and before flowering begins. The shrub is dug out of the ground, dried and rotten sections of the roots are removed, and then the tree-like hibiscus is treated with ash or a light solution of potassium permanganate along the cuts. After this, the plant is placed in a new hole, watered abundantly and provided with basic care throughout the season.
When transplanting an overgrown hibiscus, you can simultaneously divide the bush into 2-3 parts
Diseases and pests
Tree hibiscus in general rarely suffers from pests and fungi. However, the following may pose a danger to him:
- gray rot - the leaves of the plant wither and fall off, the shoots darken and soften;
Gray mold occurs in waterlogged conditions
- rust - yellow-orange spots appear on the plates of the bush;
Rust affects hibiscus in overly acidic soil.
- chlorosis - against the background of the disease, the hibiscus leaves in the lower part of the bush lighten and gradually fall off;
Lack of iron and nitrogen in the soil leads to the development of chlorosis
- aphids - small insects stick to the plates of the plant at the beginning of summer and suck the juice out of them.
Aphids can also harm hibiscus buds and impair flowering
If fungal symptoms appear, the tree hibiscus should be pruned and all affected parts removed. After this, the bush is treated with copper preparations, for example, vitriol or Bordeaux mixture. It is also allowed to use ready-made fungicides - Fitosporin and similar ones.
If a garden shrub has been damaged by pests, it is recommended to spray it with insecticides Iskra, Karbofos and others. If the number of parasites is small, you can use home remedies - soap solution, garlic infusion. Such drugs are not the most effective, but do not cause any harm to the plant even during the flowering period.
To prevent diseases, it is necessary to control, first of all, the intensity of watering. Fungi usually develop against the background of waterlogging or acidification of the soil.
Wintering tree hibiscus
Most varieties of tree hibiscus have average frost resistance. In open ground, the shrub can withstand cold temperatures down to -25 ° C if there is good shelter.
With the onset of autumn, it is necessary to install a strong frame made of a metal profile or wooden planks over the plant. Agrofibre or spunbond is stretched over the structure from above. It is not recommended to use film - it almost does not allow air to pass through, and the bush begins to rot. Before the onset of cold weather, the roots of tree hibiscus are densely mulched with dry leaves or humus for insulation.
After snow falls, a dense snowdrift can also be formed around the bush. It will protect the crop from cold winds and severe frosts. With the onset of spring, the shelter is removed at the first thaw so that the plant does not suffer from excess moisture.
If the winter is expected to be cold, the frame shelter over the hibiscus can be additionally covered with spruce branches
Conclusion
Tree hibiscus is a medium-sized ornamental shrub with long-lasting and abundant flowering. It is very easy to plant a plant on the site; the crop does not require complex care. The main attention should be paid to watering and timely pruning.
