Hibiscus: New tree in training, 1 by heathrjoy

heathrjoy wrote:
I hope someone here can help me with this. The cuttings I had coming didn't make it, but that's ok because I picked up a little standard at Wal-Mart last week. It's about 22-24" high and has a braided stem/trunk. It came potted in a 7" pot, I got a 9" pot to put it in. The 9" seems so much bigger than what it's in now.

I was hoping it would grow taller and that I could continue to braid the stems and continue to increase the pot size. A friend just told me that's not likely to happen...I don't understand why? She said the top would grow but the stems wouldn't. I don't know why I can't understand what she means. Could someone here please explain it to me? ( I AM blonde, by the way, LOL!!)

Should I have gotten a bigger pot? I know Hibis like to be rootbound, so I didn't want to go too big, even if he's going to be growing. My plan was to repot as he was growing, as many times as necessary. I just learned Hibis don't like their roots disturbed. How should I change my plan?

TIA for any help or links you can offer me. I'm most interested to know if this will get any taller and if I can continue to braid the stems.

Have a great weekend,
Heather

Here he is w/ his 7" pot sitting inside the 9" pot...he's not blooming yet, but from squeezing open his blooms he appears to be a soft orange/peach double...thought that the blue pot would go nicely with that. Remember he's from WM, so he needs some extra TLC!!