Q&A for How to Grow Hibiscus Outdoors

You should plant your hibiscus root ball level with or 0.5 inches below the existing soil level.

Regularly fertilize with a 20-5-5 fertilizer and make sure your plant is getting at least 5 hours of direct sunlight per day.

I live in WI and my plant does beautifully. It's in full sun and close to the house.

I live in central Wisconsin and my hybiscus does wonderfully well left in the ground. It is in full sun close to the house and has many beautiful flowers.

This is normal behavior, as the flower has done it's job. The bloom is a lure for pollinators (bees, hummingbirds, etc.). Once pollination is complete, then it becomes wasteful for the plant, as it takes a lot of energy to produce and maintain the bloom. It would rather put the energy into developing the seed if pollination was successful, or into new growth if it was not.

Yes, we have 3 new plants grown from seed. I placed the seeds approximately 1/4 inch deep and it took them about 2 weeks to germinate. Plants are now about 3 inches tall and I will be moving them to 4 inch pots in the next few weeks, then into the garden next spring.

Clip them off if you do not want seedlings showing up in the area. In tropical climes, it means weeding hibiscus seedlings out of the lawn.

Hibiscus grow best in the ground, however, they cannot take cold weather, so if you have freezes during the winter, you may want to keep your hibiscus potted.

There are several possibilities: lack of water or over-watering or over-fertilizing. You didn't say whether your plant is in a pot or the ground. In the ground, unless you suffer very dry conditions, it may not need watering, but pots dry out very quickly in hot weather. If the soil dries out, this causes the buds to close off and drop. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding fertilizing.

You do not, but like a hedge, they should be pruned periodically to encourage thick regrowth. You may also want to cut the seed pod off if one forms.

Are you fertilizing? All blooming plants must be regularly fertilized. 7-2-7 is best.

Cut a branch about 4 inches long. Take off the leaves and leave about four on top. Dip it in root grow powder and plant in soil in a pot. Water. Cover the pot with clear plastic bag and put in a shaded area.

If you mean the leaves are looking yellow, you have a problem. You may have overwatered or you may have used the wrong, or too strong, plant food. Only water when the plant is almost dry. Follow fertiliser/feed directions carefully and use the right one for your plant. As the leaves are already yellow, you may now have to wait for those leaves to go over and for new ones to form. Once yellowed, they will not come green again.

Hibiscus will thrive in the ground so long as there are no frosts. Make sure the earth you plant it in is well draining. Add compost or potting soil to the earth before planting, and mulch well to keep the earth moist, but not wet. Hibiscus loves warmth and sunshine, but if it is very warm, it will benefit from afternoon shade.

I have been using it on mine this year and have had no problems at all. My plants seem to love it and have grown a lot of new buds.

You should be able to find them at most garden supply stores. You can also buy them on Amazon; I got a pack of 100 seeds for $3.

They say here it dies at 55 degrees. The people on here from a couple far northern states who have it living outside through winter must have one of those different varieties of Hibiscus, the perennial type. A relative gave us a cutting to just stick in ground and it grew tall & skinny then died all the way during winter, then came up again next 2 yrs. but were never as pretty as the ones you buy ever year.

I lived in Michigan for 45 years, temperatures in Michigan and Wisconsin frequently drop into single digits in the winter. I don't know anyone that had any success with hibiscus outdoors in the midwest. Now that I live in Texas they thrive, but even here if it drops below 50 F they will die all the way to the soil and come back from there.

It depends on how much water you give it and the sunlight it receives. If you water it often, place it in a spot that has lots of sunlight, so it balances the chances for the hibiscus to bloom. If you don't water it often and you place it in a spot that holds water, then it's more likely to bloom and live for a long time if you water it every two or three days.

Cover it with a tarp or sheet. Also, water with warm water. The warm water keeps the roots happy and the tarp will keep the frost off the leaves.

Place the pot in a tray of water, but on top of a piece of flat slab so the plant itself is not sitting in the water (as this can kill most plants). The ants will not be able to reach your pot.

It could be some bugs. You could spray it with insecticides. It could be very small white bugs that usually like flower buds.