Hibiscus is sick - oh no!

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wrenbird222 Mansfield, TX(Zone 8a) May 28, 2013

I bought this hibiscus at Lowe's. It is a Tropic Escape "Tiki Temptaton". The leaves are yellow and fungus looking. It hasn't bloomed yet. see photo. please help. what is it and what do I do?

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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) May 28, 2013

Is it just one or two leaves? The oldest, lowest down on each branch? Mine is doing that, too. It is just shedding a few old leaves, not a problem. The flower buds are swelling on mine, not open yet (I have the variety Brilliant). I planted it just about a year ago, so it is still young. It is growing more leaves than it is shedding.

Is it more than just a few leaves? Like 25% or more? That is a problem.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a tropical plant that appreciates rich soil, good drainage, and not to go too dry between waterings. Especially when it is new. This can be tricky if your soil is slow draining- it can stay too wet, not allowing enough oxygen near the roots. When the soil stays too wet it encourages a lot of microorganisms, and fungi to grow in the soil that can attack the plant. This often shows up in the leaves. Since the roots are not healthy, they cannot support the leaves.
If this is what is going on, then the best thing is to dig it up and properly prepare the soil. Add lots of organic matter, and build up a bit of a mound, whatever it takes to provide better drainage for the plant.
The next best (a very poor second) is to water by hand and add Oxygen Plus to the water. This is sold as a house plant fertilizer. The 'Oxygen' part of the ingredients is hydrogen peroxide. You could read the O+ label and figure out what dose of H2O2 to use. DO NOT OVERDOSE.

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