Pruning HibiscusHelp!!!

I have two tropical Hibiscus plants that I need to start training, should probably already have trained. The verigated one has red blooms, and is the leaning tower... the other was started from seed. I need to know what to do from here on training them, and also, what I should have done (so future plants can benefit). I will take the prunings and start cuttings. These are my first hibiscus, so really not sure what I am doing. Please help. The plants live in pots as I am in the Northern US. I just brought the plants in to the house for Winter.

I would also love a chance to try some more seeds... any ideas?

Thanks!
-MythMouse

Myth - they look as though they're wicked potbound. I would transfer them to a 1 gallon pot, to start with.

You need to cut them back some, to thicken them up. Keeping them shorter will build up a fuller plant. You can use the cuttings to propagate more of them, if you want to.

Good luck.

Steve

Hi MythMouse:
As you have the plants now indoors I wouldn't prune them.
As I told in another thread, in cold zones as yours and mine it's better to wait until late winter to prune. If you prune now the new shoots will grow very few or nothing at all.
These new shoots are the first thing that will die if the plants receive some cold or hasn't the neccesary amount of light.
You need to stick the variegated hibiscus - maybe Snow Flake - with a tutor.
It's better not to prune the seedling. I don't know how old it is but maybe it's near to form the first buds. If you prune it - in late winter - that will delay the appearance of those first blooms in some months.
I see in the picture that the variegated plant has lost this characteristic in the newer leaves. That would mean it need more light. Maybe artificial light would help.
Also the leaves in the seedling seems to be a bit deformed. That would be caused by a deficiency of minor elements. If you never fertilized them, it's better to do it now to correct the problem. If you did it, the deficiency could be corrected with Epsom Salt, fish emulsion or something like that.

Some Hibiscus Societies have a Seed Bank. Here are the links

http://americanhibiscus.org/seedbank.htm
http://www.australianhibiscus.com/Office%20Bearers/office_bearers.htm
http://www.internationalhibiscussociety.org/seed_bank_index_page.htm

Regards

Carlos

Thank you both so much for your input. The hibiscus were both in gallon size pots, believe it or not. I have potted both up, as they looked to me like they could do with an upgrade. I was kind of wondering if I should do a top-ball (standard?) on the verigated as it got away. I have staked it. I am not sure about the light/fertilizer situation. They were getting some Alaska fish fertilizer, but it might have been to diluted. I also found white flies on the other plant, and have treated it with Concern. I guess I will give both some fertilizer, and am planning to put them on a Gorrilla rack, along with other plants, under flourecent lights. (I hang shop lights on the racks themselves.)

If you were prunning back, in late winter (unless I have the room warm enough--what temp would you say was ideal prunning), how much would you prune off? Half? One third? I don't want to hurt the plant, and I am willing to give up flowers now if I get a better plant in the long term.

Thanks for the links... I have already emailed all three groups, and have one reply to the affirmative. (Let me pat their little beds down, and get them ready. Oh boy, oh boy.... LOL)

Also, I noticed that the one site recommended not pruning till after the first flowers to not delay blooming and evaluation. Is that good? Or is it better to start cutting out, and if so, after how many leaves do you make the first cut, etc. ?

Hi MythMouse:
I imagine was Bob Carran, the AmHS Seed Bank manager, who answered you. When you receive the seeds I can show you how to nick them. It's easy.
A seedling mustn't be pruned until first blooms. What it's recommend to do it's pinching it out when it has a few (3-4) pair of true leaves. That way you'll have a branched plant without delay on blooming since it's still very young. You can pinch it out again two or three months later again for the same reasons.
Evaluation process in a seedling is just for professionals. Since tropical hibiscus - hybrids - don't come true from seeds, we, amateurs, just see the first bloom and, if we don't like it, the plant goes to the compost bin.
In zones like Florida a seedling can bloom in just 8 months but in yours could delay to 2 or 3 years. I have 80 seedlings, none has bloomed yet and some are more than 2 years old and 1 meter high.
A mature plant can be hardly pruned to 1/3 of the original size if necessary. Follow this link that show how a friend prepares rootstock cuttings.
http://ljohnson975.photosite.com/Growingfromcuttings/

Regards

Carlos

Thank you Carlos! Actually, I have now heard back from the Australian Society, and they just needed me to send them an International Reply Coupon, and from Bob Carran. He is a nice guy! So, shortly I should have some seeds to try again.

What is the difference between pruning and pinching? And on my two run-aways, should I pinch out their tops to keep them from growing taller?

If I was following you correctly, what I should start doing is after the seedling develops 3-4 true leaves, pinch out the growing tip, and when each of the new stem has 3-4 leaves, do the same. (I figure this way if I am on the wrong track you can correct it early.)

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I spent my teens in the tropics with hibiscus, but never had grown any before. (There was one that turned from a hot pink to a white over a period of a day, or couple of days, so you had one plant with flowers from white to deep pink and all shades inbetween.)

Carlo and Myth,

Most of what I read says to prune when potting. Check out this link:

http://exotichibiscus.com/tips.cfm

Steve

Hi Steve & all:
I've extracted the point number 9 from that link. It says literally:

9-PRUNING Hibiscus can be pruned any time of the year except late fall and winter. New growth is more susceptible to freeze damage. Expect blooms on the new growth in about 3 months. Use sharp, clean and good quality pruning shears and cut just above (1/4 inch) an eye that is pointing in the direction you want the new growth to go.

It says "except late fall and winter". MythMouse is in zone 6a and now it's late Fall.
Obviuously in the Caribbean area one can prune hibiscus all year around as it's always above 20 ºC (68 ºF) but when temperatures drop to the 30-50 ºF it's not recommended to prune. Although one can have them indoors at 60-70 ºF the lack of light wouldn't let them to shoot new and vigorous growth.

But this is just my opinion.

Regards

Carlos

Carlos is right.
I just found a Classic thread about fertilizing and here is one on pruning.
Let me add that you must be careful when re-potting. Don't jump into a very much larger pot too quickly.
I keep mine in smallish pots because they live so long. I had a 17 year old one in a heavy, clay, 16 inch pot. I could hardly get it in the house for winter.
Here is a pic of my 9 year old that I brought in 2 weeks ago. Loaded with buds.
Andy P