Hibiscus Coop/Show and Tell

Seeing all the beautiful new liners really perks up the day. I am looking out my window now and it looks like the sun may shine today. Getting to view everyones blooms is so inspiring. I love it. It lets us know spring is right around the corner.

My 10 liners just arrived in perfect condition. Two already have blooms and another one has a bud. Woof! Thanks to everyone involved. This was my first co-op experience and it was perfect.

Received mine yesterday also, and the order was perfect. No shortages, no substitutes, and definitely no disappointments. One liner has 2 huge flower buds, and another one has 1.
Thanks to Carol and Donna for a fabulous coop. I certainly hope we have another one with vines, bougainvilleas, or whatever Carol decides to grow next!

Mine came too, and were just wonderful. Great co op! Thanks Donna and Carol

I was hoping mine would come yesterday so I could get them planted today. Maybe this afternoon.

I received mine on the 17th around 3 in the afternoon. I got them all planted and they are sitting under the lights. They look wonderful. I am so happy, now I have got to start getting some pots for them for when they go outside.

The tall linky one to the right is a hardy that I started from seed.

Here is a closer picture of Confederate Heart with its two big buds. There are two or three others that have smaller buds.

Donna and Carol thank you both for such beautiful liners, my garden this summer is going to be so colorful and with so much fragrance.

Linda

Thank you Donna and Carol. I received my hibiscus order day before yesterday. Yesterday morning, I went to the local nursery and bought potting soil. I had planned to buy pots, too, but couldn't see any. When I asked, I was offered 1 gallon containers free. I took them! I was up til 10:00 potting. Some of the hibiscus had large buds. I was so tempted to leave them on, but in the end decided it would be better to cut them off so the plants wouldn't have to struggle to bloom and set out more roots at the same time. Sigh! The plants were in excellent condition with good sturdy roots.
BettyDee

I received my plants today . I highly recommend Carol hibiscus plants. The plants have very healthy root system , with beautiful foliage. Some of the plants have large blooms . I am truly imppressed in the quality of these plants.

Donna, I really enjoyed this co-op. Thank you so very much for all the hard work you and Carol have put into this co-op. This is a wonderful way to start spring.
Thanks again.
Patti

All of them are so healthy looking. I just couldn't believe the quality of these plants as I was taking them out of the box. Some of mine also had buds. None that is ready to open as yet but in a few days it will. I think it is Yellow Fringe. I'll post when it blooms.

Thanks Donna and Carol and to all of you for posting the pictures for all of us to enjoy.

HERE IS MY FIRST LINER BLOOMING. AIN'T IT DARLIN'? CORKY

Beautiful!

Hello,

I'm fairly new to DG. I posted this question somewhere else and can't remember. I transplanted a yellow hibiscus from a container into the ground. It was doing great until I transplanted it. Now the leaves are yellowing and falling. I transplanted it about two months ago. Can anyone advise what I should do.

Thanks.

Grace

Corky, I love that! Is it Prince Henry or what?

Grace, I am no expert with hibiscus but your problem could be drought, transplanting root shock, lack of nitrogen, or cold nights. Is it making some healthy new growth at the top?

Toxicodendron,

I haven't noticed any new growth at top as of yet. I don't think the problem is drought as we had a considerable amount of rain. Maybe it is transplanting root shock. Do you know how long it might take to see a turnaround?

Thanks.

Grace

try a shoot of root stimulator

Grace, if you transplanted it 2 months ago, that would have been mid-winter. I don't know how cold it gets there where you are, but temps below 50 degrees can trigger a dormancy/leaf shedding episode. In that case, just be patient.
However, if the rootball was really compacted and you did not spread the roots out into the surrounding soil a bit, then it may be a lack of water or nutrients. Sometimes the soil can be moist around them, but still dry in the middle of the rootball. You might check on one side to see if a few roots are emerging into the soil.
Also, there are insect pests that could cause a problem I'm sure. Aphids, spider mites, mealy bugs, scale and others like hibiscus. There could be a soilborne pathogen or insect as well. Sorry I am not more help.
I only grow hibiscus as houseplants...anyone out there who can help Grace?

Grace, I am sorta like Toxic - I don't know a lot about hibiscus, but I bet it has a lot to do with the new environment. Also , I would try some root stimulator. Are you using fertilizer?

Here are my liners in their new pots...the one with 2 buds now has none..they fell off...boo hoo.

The ones I recieved had a "sock-like" thing around the roots holding them together. I wish I would have cut that thing off and spread the roots as you suggest. I may just dig the ones here in CA back up and take that thing off.

My guideline is that any temp below 55 can make them go dormant. In winter temps where they are inside, a blast of cold air can cause it. The best medicine is warm sunny days, . . . true summer. Doesn't that seem to be the antidote for all our ailing plants? Yellow leaves, dropped buds seem to happen a lot year round. But on such little plants it is most distressing.

Also mine all are mainly one stem. Plants I have recieved from other sources usually have at least 3 main branches . . . ie the so-call liners from Dupont's. Purhaps I should forgo the blooms to crop them to encourage branching.

?

TwinLakesChef:
I e-mailed Carol to ask about the sock like thing that was around the roots, I think I had about 3 of them on mind. Just planted with it on, roots was growing out of it, so I didn't want to tear up the roots any. After Carol e-mails me back I will let you know what she says.

I had e-mailed her a couple of days after I received mine, to let her know how I appreciated the great liners that I had received, and to tell her that her and her staff had did a wonderful job. She send me back a e-mail thanking me for it, and said if I had any problems at all to e-mail her.

Linda

Arlene,

Last night I did my first "top" pinch off. I went ahead and let the flowers bloom and then pinched it after it was finished. After they grew 2 new leaves, then I pinched that little sprout at the top. I have had mine since mid-late February.

Duh, I read the directions over and over and didn't see anything about taking the "sock" off. I assumed it would degrade on its own. Was I wrong about that? Please let me know if I need to take them up and take that thing off.

Thanks,
Molly

Took my "sock" thingy off too! They are all planted now.

I left the sock on also. I did see anything saying not too.

LOL! now I've start a "sock thingy" Still seems to me that no matter what we choose to do we are still slaves to our weather and zones. Two things we cannot control too easily so we just do the best we can.

Here is the answer from Carol about the socky thing that was on some of the plants.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HERE IS MY QUESTION TO HER:
There were a few of my liners that had a mess like around the roots, when I planted I left it on. Should I have removed it first?
Linda
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HER ANSWER:
No, it will let the roots continue to grow through it as it gets bigger. If you have any other questions, let me know.

Thanks,
Carol

2Pugdogs,
Thanks for the info.
Patti

2 PD,

Thanks much!
Molly

Twin Lakes Chef,
When I mentioned to Grace about spreading the roots, I was referring to her store-bought plant, not a tiny liner. I did not spread any liner roots...they are too fragile. I did remove a bit of the "sock-like" mesh from the upper root balls on a couple, but after I tore off a small piece of root I stopped doing it.
As for pinching, my box had a letter from Carol with instructions to pinch the liners back 3 times, at approximately 2 week intervals. I doubt if mine grow that fast here in Missouri, so I will just pinch whenever they make enough growth to do it. AFTER they bloom, lol. (Only one bud stayed on, anyway). Some of mine were already quite branched when shipped.

By the way, I received no notification that mine were coming...received them on a Friday in mid-March (18th) instead of late March. I was elated to get them earlier than expected, but I had to make a special trip to town to get potting supplies and pot them up. However, if I had been out of town, they would have alternately cooked/froze out in the mailbox. So I hope they are not in transit to some of you now, with this big holiday weekend and spring break going on.

Part of the March orders have been sent out. I'm sure the remaining balance will be sent out after Easter.

My apologies for the wrong information posted earlier.

This message was edited Mar 25, 2005 7:54 PM

Donna - I pretty sure I was a March order and I've not received my order nor an email confirmation. I was also the one that has moved recently, but you've confirmed that change already. Can you check with Carol and see if she has shipped all of March or maybe I'm wrong and said April. Will you check for me, please? Thanks!

Donna - just check the original coop thread and I did say late March shipment on my Dec 8, 2004 post. Let me know what you find out from Carol. Thanks!

On the other website, I am on the March list. I went back and checked. If you remember, I paid in February and you were going to squeeze me onto February's ship date and I told you March would be fine. If March shipping is finished, I must have gotten skipped.

Thanks for your email, Donna. I sent you a reply.

Yellow Fringe

Pretty!!!

Hi Donna,

I was march shipping also but haven't recieved mine as of yet. I know there was a problem with exactly what I had ordered so I am sure that is what is holding mine up.
I am ready for them to arrive (containers, potting mix and special hibiscus fertilizer) when they are ready to come to their new home.
Dott

How did I miss this co op????? WWWAAAHHH!! :-(

This is "Jamie LaBelle" It's beautiful! Thanks again to all who worked hard on this co-op! All my liners are very healthy. Melba

Hmmm..this is labeled 'Cloud Nine' but is pretty washed out in comparison to the pictures we ordered from. Hopefully that is due to the bud forming while in transit from Florida?