How to Care and Propagate: Hibiscus Plant

-

Introduction:

  • Hibiscus plant is known for its large and colourful flowers.
  • Hibiscus flowers come in many colours such as red, yellow, white, peach and are about 6 inches wide.
  • The red flowers of this variety are most commonly cultivated for medical purposes, and are available as dietary supplements.
  • The flowers and leaves can be made into teas and liquid extracts that can help treat a variety of conditions.
  • Hibiscus plant is an easy maintenance plant and has high impact flower that will make a garden in any part of the world looks like a tropical paradise.

Soil & Climate:

  • Ideal soil mixture: 50% Gardening Soil and 50% Compost.
  • Plant can grow from one feet to 15 feet.
  • Hibiscus loves warm temperature.


Fertilizer:

  • In tropical area, February is the month of composting after the winter season.
  • A growing hibiscus plant needs lots of nutrients in order to bloom well. In the summer, use a high potassium fertilizer.
  • You can either use a diluted liquid fertilizer once a week, a slow-release fertilizer once a month, or you can add a high potassium compost to the soil.
  • In the winter, you don’t need to fertilize at all.
  • Normally you will see the attack of Mealybugs insect on hibiscus plant. Use Neem oil for pest control. You can also use 10ml of soap solution by diluting in one litre of water.
  • Fertilize the plant once in fifteen days to see the regular blooming of flowers.

Light Requirement:

  • Provide the plants with at least six hours of sunlight, especially if you want to see those lovely blooms.
  • Although warm, humid conditions are ideal for tropical hibiscus, one can provide a little afternoon shade when it’s overly hot.

Water Technique:

  • Hibiscus will need daily watering in warm weather. But once the weather cools, it needs far less water.
  • In the winter season, water your hibiscus only when the soil is dried out.

Propagation:

  • The preferred way to propagate Hibiscus is by cuttings of stem because its cuttings will grow to be an exact copy of the parent plant.
  • The cutting should be taken from new growth or softwood. You will mostly find softwood on a hibiscus in spring or early summer.
  • The hibiscus cutting should be 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm.) long. Remove every leaf from the stem cutting except the top set of 2 to 4 leaves.
  • Trim the bottom of the hibiscus stem cutting using knife.
  • Place the hibiscus cutting in above mentioned soil mix.
  • Make sure the rooting soil is thoroughly wet, then stick a finger into the rooting soil and make a hole, place the hibiscus cutting into the hole and backfill it around the hibiscus cutting.

Vital Tips:

  • If the leaves are turning yellow, cut back on watering. So reduce the frequency of watering if you spot those early signs.
  • Use organic soap solutions like organic shampoo or Neem oil for pest control.
  • Do pruning at the early summer season.

Benefits:

  • Egyptians used hibiscus tea to lower body temperature, treat heart and nerve diseases, and as a diuretic to increase urine production.
  • In Africa, this tea is used to treat constipation, cancer, liver disease and cold symptoms. Pulp made from the leaves is applied to the skin to heal wounds.
  • Hibiscus is popular for its potential to reduce high blood pressure. However, Modern studies show promise for both the tea and hibiscus plant extract to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Although more research is still needed, this could be good news for the future of heart disease treatment.
  • Hibiscus can help with weight loss, cancer and it can also help to relieve conditions that include bacterial infection, upset stomach, high blood pressure and fever.

Thanks and best of luck!

Happy Planting!

I would like to hear your thoughts, suggestions and any questions in the comments below.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Care and Propagate: Syngonium

-
Image
Introduction : Syngonium is commonly called 'Arrowhead' plant because its leaves are sagittate (like an arrowhead) or three cut and mostly variegated. This plant belongs to the Araceae family, native to tropical rainforests in southern Mexico, the West Indies, Central and South America. There are several regular sized and miniature (dwarf) varieties. Syngonium plants are not just decorative, they have the ability to cleanse the air you breathe and act as anti-pollutants. These plants can reduce components of indoor air pollution, even volatile organic compounds such as benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene. They also reduce airborne microbes and increase humidity. Researchers from NASA and other organizations have approved this plant as an air purifier, and it tops the list. Syngoniums absorb pollutants into their leaves, and the toxins go to the root zone where they are transformed into nutrients for the plant. This plant can be grown on windowsills, in living rooms, be...
Read more

How to Care and Propagate: Tulsi Plant

-
Image
Introduction: Tulsi or Holy Basil is also known as the ‘Queen of Herbs” and the ‘Elixir of Life”. Tulsi is a sacred plant in Hindu belief. Hindus regard it as an earthly manifestation of the goddess Tulsi; she is regarded as the avatar of Lakshmi, thus the god Vishnu consort. Many Hindus have Tulsi plants growing in front of or near their home, often in special pots or a special masonry structure Tulsi is a perennial in tropical and subtropical regions. Tulsi is mostly used as a medicinal herb for the treatment of numbers of diseases from headaches to cancer. Tulsi is known to purify the surrounding air. Types of Tulsi: Mostly there are 4 types of Tulsi Found in the Tropical region. Ram Tulsi : The leaves of this variety are light green in color and a little asymmetric. Krishna Tulsi : Also known as Shyam Tulsi, where Leaves and Stems are purple. This variety has more medicinal uses than Ram Tulsi. Van Tulsi : This variety of Tulsi usually grown in gardens, as it can get tall, bushy, a...
Read more

How to Care and Propagate: Sadafuli / Sadabahar (Madagascar Periwinkle)

-
Image
Introduction: Madagascar Periwinkle also known as bright eyes, Cape Periwinkle, Graveyard plant, Old Maid, Pink Periwinkle, Rose Periwinkle, and Catharanthus Roseus. It is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native and endemic to Madagascar but grown elsewhere as an ornamental and medicinal plant.  It is a source of the drugs vincristine and vinblastine, used to treat cancer.  Mostly, the Periwinkle plant can be spotted on roadsides, in gardens, and on hillsides. Periwinkle is most often grown as groundcover and its different shades of colour and foliage make it attractive. More than 30 varieties of Periwinkles exist in different shades and colours across the world. Soil & Climate: Periwinkle can grow in any type of soil but it should be well-drained. It grows well in acidic soil and can survive in the partially shaded area. Ideal soil mixture: 70% Gardening Soil and 30% Compost. However, it can also grow in direct sunlight areas. This plant can g...
Read more