Hibiscus: A Confederate Rose In A Yankee Garden, 1 by Michael_Ronayne

Michael_Ronayne wrote:
After the disastrous early snow storm of October 29, 2011, I didn’t know what to expect of my Hibiscus mutabilis Alma’s Star in 2012. As expected for Zone 6b, Alma’s Star died back to the ground for the winter but started sending up new shots in the spring of 2012.

In my location, whiteflies are a vey big problem for Hibiscus mutabilis and I had been successfully treating whiteflies with frequent applications of Bayer’s Tree and Shrub with the active ingredient Imidacloprid because each new growth of leaves had to be protected. Back in 2009 DG member Ardesia suggested that I try worm casting but I was happily formulating new chemical concoctions and was skeptical that worm poop would be a deterrent to whiteflies but I didn’t forget the suggestion either and when I look for worm castings locally, couldn’t find a source and shipping costs were ridiculous.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/546774/#post_73959...

Through 2009, 2010 & 2011 I became very skilled at killing whiteflies using Bayer’s Tree and Shrub but was tired of the constant applications to protect new leaves. Remembering the suggestions about worm castings, I did some research on the subject and found that prominent tropical Hibiscus breeders were recommending worm castings. The chemistry behind the use of worm castings appeared to be creditable. I purchased a 10 pound bag and applied about 5 pounds to Alma’s Star and the rest on other Hibiscus and the holes stopped.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/546774/#post_92007...

All went well for about 8 weeks and then I began to notice holes in some of the new leaves of Hibiscus mutabilis, so I purchased another 10 bag of worm castings which stopped any additional holes. For now I would say that the use of worm castings as a treatment for whiteflies is plausible but more testing is required. If chitinase is the active ingredient in worm castings and you grown your own worms, you may want to try feeding the pulverized exoskeletons of crustaceans to your worms to encourage chitinase production.

George Hahn, the man who promoted the use of worm castings to control whiteflies, is now in trouble with the California EPA for promoting the idea. Will the last company to leave California, please remember to turn the lights off!

Cal EPA: Kills Businesses Dead
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmpkMBSzBPM

Businessman fined for selling worm poop fertilizer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGUznlaZpds

Say good bye to worm poop in California
http://www.examiner.com/article/say-good-bye-to-worm-poop-ca...

The product is still available at http://www.wormgold.com/ and http://max.wormgold.com/ , but I don’t know what the resolution to the California legal case is. Note that I didn’t use Worm Gold this year but may give it a try it next year if I can find a reasonable priced source such as http://www.amazon.com/Worm-Gold-10010-Castings-20-Quart/dp/B... this one.

Irrespective of the effectiveness of worm castings to control whiteflies, the growth of Hibiscus mutabilis Alma’s Star has been spectacular this year. My Hibiscus “tree” now stands 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide and is 4 to 5 times larger compared to last year; this is from a Hibiscus which died back to ground level last winter. In the American South, where the stems can survive the winter, Hibiscus mutabilis will grow into a tree but that should not happen in Zone 6b. Next to Alma’s Star is a Hibiscus mutabilis double which is just hanging on, with one thin stalk standing about 6 feet tall and a second one 4 feet tall. While the stalks on the Hibiscus mutabilis double are a half inch in diameter, some of the stalks on the Hibiscus mutabilis Alma’s Star are almost two inch in diameter. Both Hibiscus have flower buds and the Hibiscus mutabilis Alma’s Star should be blooming in about thee weeks but the flowers will be sterile. It is going to be a horserace between my Hibiscus mutabilis double and old man winter and the old man usually wins but not always.

Attached are photos on Hibiscus mutabilis Alma’s Star and its developing buds. You can find a picture of last year’s plant here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=8864183

At the request of management, I am going to have to find Hibiscus mutabilis Alma’s Star a new home next spring. There is a nearby nature park where a sterile cultivar would be a nice addition; normally I only put native Hibiscus species specimens in the park. Even I will admit that a 10 foot plus Hibiscus tree is a little over the top. If the flowers were capable of producing seeds or even viable pollen I might have fought harder but Hibiscus mutabilis Alma’s Star appears to be genetic dead end and on a 50x100 foot lot I just don’t have the room. In three weeks I should be posting pictures of the flowers.

Mike