tropical Hibiscus problems

[June Cunningham]

I have a beautiful, large, tropical Hibiscus tree that bloomed all summer in a pot outdoors. It required little care besides watering to bloom beautifully. I brought it
indoors and it survived well until this past week. It is blooming but has lost most of its leaves. My windows are drafty and cold as it is winter here.

Since I may loose it anyway, can I put it into a cold room that I have where I winter geraniums and spikes? These plants just go dormant and revive once planted in the spring. This room doesn't actually freeze, but it is very cold.

Can I put the Hibiscus there to hibernate or will it just die faster?

Please also confirm that; I should water it every day, mist weekly and fertilize once a week?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. June Cunningham

[Eric La Fountaine]

Hello June, I can't answer all your questions, but I know that when I used to grow hibiscus, it generally lost a lot of leaves when I first brought it in for the winter. Do not put it in a cold room. Put it in the warmest sunniest spot in your house. Check for bugs. Pests can be a problem when things come indoors where there are no natural predators or rain.

[June Cunningham]

Originally Posted by June Cunningham

I have a beautiful, large, tropical Hibiscus tree that bloomed all summer in a pot outdoors. It required little care besides watering to bloom beautifully. I brought it
indoors and it survived well until this past week. It is blooming but has lost most of its leaves. My windows are drafty and cold as it is winter here.

Since I may loose it anyway, can I put it into a cold room that I have where I winter geraniums and spikes? These plants just go dormant and revive once planted in the spring. This room doesn't actually freeze, but it is very cold.

Can I put the Hibiscus there to hibernate or will it just die faster?

Please also confirm that; I should water it every day, mist weekly and fertilize once a week?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. June Cunningham

Thank you Eric. I will keep it out of the cold, but I also think I might have discovered the problem. Two blooms have a dust-like powder on them. Is this mealy-bug? How do I eliminated it if so?
June

I have two 20 year old Tropical Hibiscus with big healthy trunks (medium sized bonsai-style)... i used to have problems every year (almost to the point of plant death!) and finally figured out it was SPIDER MITE. I spray mine for a week solid upon bringing them in, completely coating them with soap/water spray mix. (a few drops of liquid soap in a spray bottle full of water.)

I now spray EVERYTHING brought in from outdoors.... i have a much better survival rate thru the winter. After one winter of a complete infestation, I've learned.

also: spray the dirt and the trunk and both sides of leaves as well.... these little pests nest in dead leaves, under branches, even the dirt as long as it's relatively dry. soapy water coats their breathing aperatus and they die. keep the soil clean of any dead leaves or litter.

Hibiscus also don't like light change, so make sure you put them in tons of light. I keep a grow spot trained on mine for 12 hour days all winter. I also cut them back very harshly to get better root growth and trunk width... they bounce right back. A new soil change is good too at that point, since they are in shock anyway. I trim the roots back as well. I also don't feed them AT ALL during the winter.

[Newt]

Hi June,

Sounds like powdery mildew. Here's environmentally friendly recipes.

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=204

Newt

I Would Like Some Information On Hibiscus Trees

[Newt]

Hi Unregistered guest,

You don't say what info you would like and you aren't registered, so I don't know where you live and if you need info on tropical or hardy or both or if you'll be back for the info. You could do a search at google. If you register, let me know what you want to know and I'll try and help.

Newt