? REGARDING TROPICAL HIBISCUS I RECEIVED

Hello All! A friend recently passed on a hibiscus she received last year. She told me it didn't much grow into anything of substance last summer but kept it and brought it into the house over the winter. It is a pretty sad looking plant. BUT I think with everyone's input it can be saved!!
The leaves are varigated with green/white and a bit of pink. The tag it came with just said "variagated hibiscus, tropical". I have cut the dead branches back to visable new growth but that's about it. Requesting suggestions on repotting into another container, sun exposure, etc, etc.
Thanks for all for your help!
carole in atlanta

Repot into a something at least 6" bigger than it's in now. (Bigger if you like. It will fill the space.)

Put it in full sun and water it when it gets fairly dry. (Not too dry, but you don't want it water logged either.)

Once new growth starts to appear give it a shot of fertilizer to get it's foliage going well.

Then sit back and enjoy the show.


Donna

Thanks Donna for the info! Will do as suggested and enjoy!
carole

I was told by a greenhouse dealer that when you transplant put a little osmocote in with the plant. Then when you are ready to fertilize this is just a guide to look for, the numbers for the fertilizer don't have to be exact, If you can find 18-10-28 for analysis and something with 'trace elements' included that's even better.
Just a guide to look for the low middle number(phosphorus) the high last number(potassium) and an in between first number(nitrogen). If not, every couple of months a small handful of Epsom Salts does the trick. She said using a high phosphorus can burn the roots.

Carole, my variegated tropical hibiscus are some of my most vigorous growers. Give it plenty of sun, water and fertilizer this summer and it should do nicely for you.

I am one of those odd ball organic growers, and I use 1 part earthworm castings to 4 parts potting soil and add in some coir to improve drainage. Then mine get a weekly dosing with a compost tea (I alternate manure, kelp and alfalfa). I had few problems with pests and no excess salt build up in my containers.

The blooms on the variegated are not the most spectacular, but I love their foliage.

Nathalyn I do agree with you on the foliage, I have 2 variegated ones that the leaves are red, white and green. Then I have 1 that the leaves are just white and green. And really the flowers are very lovely but they aren't as big as some hibiscus and they don't last to long.

You wrote:
Give it plenty of sun, water and fertilizer this summer and it should do nicely for you.

So they will be able to take the sun?

I put out a hibiscus yesterday that has the big dark green leaves, and when I brought it into the house last night, some of the leaves looked sunburned. Should I keep them in shade and gradually move them into sun?

Pugs, Even plants that do well in full sun will sunburn when first taken outside. Moving them out gradually is a wise thing to do. I usually am too impatient or scatterbrained, and end up with a few sunburned leaves. Once the plant gets acclimated, it start to green up again with new growth.

There are some tropical hibiscus that do better if protected from afternoon sun. But all of mine (included the variegated ones) are placed where they receive full sun. But I bet the growers down in Florida need to provide theirs with some afternoon shade.

Will today we have cloud cover, but I will put them in a shady area for a while, thanks for the info.