Watch Reply
More
- Mark unread
- Skip to new
Mark unread Print Skip to new
mizar5 Merritt Island, FL(Zone 9b) Oct 05, 2007
I'm in zone 9b and I've read all over this forum about pruning "hardy" hibiscus (which supposedly has the larger flowers?), and which I have *in-ground* in my landscape (as opposed to "in containers"). Unfortunately all my reading has just confused me more.
Some seem to say "prune hard in fall," while others say, "no, prune ONLY in March/spring." There are also greatly differing opinions as to how much to prune off, or even CUT OFF (not so much "pruning" as whacking?).
My plants are bushy enough, and used mostly for screening purposes. I like them to stay as tall and thick as possible. I don't even really care about the blooming; they seem to do VERY well with a little "azalea-camellia-hibiscus" fertilizer, though.
MY QUESTION:
Any Master Gardeners out there want to clear all this hibiscus pruning/whacking/TIME OF YEAR stuff up for me, once and for all? I see some people in our area who just whacked the heck out of their hibiscus (in-ground), down at least half, in late September. Doesn't mean they know what they're doing, of course. Also, we are still having very hot temps and my own hibiscus screen is putting on a major bloom show *right now* (Oct 5).
I'd sure appreciate some info, given all these specifics (above). Sorry for being long-winded but I'd like pretty specific answers to my situation, if possible.
Thanks in advance!!
This message was edited Oct 5, 2007 9:17 AM
Post #4051189
Quote
LAKelley2 Titusville, FL(Zone 9b) Oct 05, 2007
mizar -
I hope you get the answer to your question!
One of the hibiscus I have I only prune a little (it is the one with the big, single flowers... slow growers). The other one (carnation type and my double red), I prune/whack off to the ground them heavily (they are very fast growers). I always prune in March after any chances of a light frost pass.
CoreHHI Bluffton, SC(Zone 9a) Oct 06, 2007
Your warmer than me but I cut my hardy hibiscus to the ground and they come back bigger every year. Look in my journal, those get cut down every year. As far as time of year I do it around the begin of December or when they just look worn out.
Post #4053602
Quote
CoreHHI Bluffton, SC(Zone 9a) Oct 06, 2007
Oops, journal doesn't show the whole hibiscus. Mine were about 5 ft tall and wide.
Post #4053612
Quote
mizar5 Merritt Island, FL(Zone 9b) Oct 06, 2007
Thanks for the replies so far. LAKelley, your answer is the same as what the expert told me; he said only prune in MARCH and he acted like any other time of year was crazy.
Like I said, I have left mine alone and they are all blooming PROFUSELY as of about a week or so ago. I've never seen so many blooms! Must be the rains we got recently. And I use that azalea-gardenia-hibiscus combo fertilizer once in a while.
Anyway, until I hear otherwise from a lot of people who know, I'm not touching mine until March.
Thanks again!
Post #4055740
Quote
");document.write("
");}
BlueGlancer South/Central, FL(Zone 9a) Oct 07, 2007
I always do mine in late Feb. or early March. If you do it earlier, you have a chance of killing it, if a freeze hits.
And also, I do not cut mine back right after a freeze, till I see how far down it is killed back. Probably a good 2 weeks or so.
Works for me. : )
~Lucy
Post #4055832
Quote
LAKelley2 Titusville, FL(Zone 9b) Oct 08, 2007
Mizar - My hibiscus bloom more in the winter than they do in the summer! That's another reason why I don't cut them back until March. We are close, so our weather is similar.
Post #4060348
Quote
CoreHHI Bluffton, SC(Zone 9a) Oct 08, 2007
You get blooms during the winter? That may be the pruning question problem. I'm in zone 9a and have never had blooms during the winter and as soon as it gets cold at night the hardies start looking really ratty, they're not green at all. It might be a matter of pruning to the zone your in. I know places that are colder than me kill back the hardies earily so there is no point to not pruning them back. By Dec. I usually have a few nights down around 32 so mine always get killed back by X-mas.
Short answer, listen to the people in your zone and let them go till Feb.- March and see what they look like.
Post #4060809
Quote
hawkarica Odessa, FL(Zone 9b) Oct 08, 2007
I'm a Master Gardener from Hillsborough County. Prunning generally promotes new growth and new growth is tender. That is why you should prune your perennials in the early spring. I am in zone 9B and I do all of my heavy pruning in late February or early March. This includes tropicals like hibiscus and even hardier plants like roses.
Jim
Post #4062058
Quote
mizar5 Merritt Island, FL(Zone 9b) Oct 09, 2007
Thanks everyone for the confirmation as to Feb-March for pruning in my zone. It's nice to know I'm doing the right thing with my hibiscus.
LAKelley, same here! My hibiscus are blooming like crazy right NOW. And hardly a bloom all summer. I've never seen them so full. Must be that fertilizer. I'm *so* glad I didn't do like the people I saw whacking the living heck out of theirs just 2 or so weeks ago. Poor plant looks like a tumbleweed now.
Post #4065874
Quote
");document.write("
");}if(SizeManager.check_is_tablet()) {document.write("
");document.write("
");document.write("
");document.write("
");document.write("
");}if(SizeManager.check_is_mobile()) {document.write("
");document.write("
");document.write("
");document.write("
");document.write("
");}
LAKelley2 Titusville, FL(Zone 9b) Oct 10, 2007
LOL mizar! You'll be the envy of the neighborhood. I think it gets too hot here sometimes and that's why mine bloom in the winter. I never fertilize them. Too lazy!
Post #4069015
Quote
