I am getting more thrills from

my hibiscus than any of my other plants. I wish I could keep them in continuous bloom.

I only bought this one because Lali wanted it so then of course so did I. The blooms are huge.

I just love those bi-colors.

It occurs to me that I am going to have to limit myself to 4 maybe 5 forums. My running gotta have list in my head is getting out of control. I had to take the daylilie (would someone please come to my rescue and tell me the correct way to spell day lily?) forum out of my favorites, it was driving me bananas. I just potted up 12 hibiscus seedlings this afternoon in 99 degree heat and 80% humidity (i love the feel of ProMix BX squishing through my fingers as I mix up a batch). last weekend it was morning glories, the week before more datura. I have 16 pots of brugmansia that need to go somewhere and another 12 languishing in the window box I rooted them in and 5 more in the bubbler I got in trade on Monday. And then there are 6 pots of daylilies that need to find their permanent home along with the 9 canna .. and to think I started some water canna seed this morning. I must be insane. Oh and lets not forget the plumeria that looks like it actually might give me some flowers this year .. and the 4 pots of peach ginger from another trade. This is really getting out of control.

X

just beautiful Kell

thanks Donna, do you remember the name of this one? I will need to ask Lali.

BTW, I still haven't heard back from David. I think I will re-email him.

LOL X, you sound as late as me in getting things planted. I am still doing combo pots. If this were April I would be in great shape. I too am afraid of the Daylily Forum. Too many to get me started on them. But when all other plant flirtations have run their course, and I am tired of babysitting, I think I will switch to DL because they are so easy and reliable.

The greenhouse makes all the difference .. I can start anything any time now. I learned last year to sow seeds in shifts .. the nice thing about hibiscus is that they are very easy and will take a lot of neglect once they catch hold, not hold a grudge and sit patiently and quietly in the greenhouse until Spring and even throw out a winter flower or two to cheer me up when Seasonal Affective Disorder tries to strike me down.

When I was growing up in Ft. Lauderdale, hibiscus were everywhere but i don't recall ever seeing the varieties that are available now. I remember my grandmother use to put her grapefruit salads on pink hibiscus petals rather than lettuce and she used to make unique tablecloths for card tables by putting a table cloth on many layers of newspaper, arranging different colored hibiscus petals into a flower shape, putting waxed paper on top of that and pounding the petals into the cloth with a wooden mallet. She'd then peel off the waxed paper and scrape off the petals, put it in the wash with a cup of vinegar and iron it dry when it came out of the wash .. they were actually very pretty because the color from the petals would permeate the cloth and she used other flowers as well, like pansies as well.

X

My gosh, were they pink grapefruit? How pretty is that? A real Martha Stewart!

I would love to see those tabelclothes. Sounds like a fun project!

I may have to add heat in my hoophouse this winter. I lost half my hibiscus this last winter.

This is beautiful. What is it called?

Deb, it is on the tip of my tongue and it just won't crystalize. Makes me nuts my brain is fried. I need some hormones!! LOL!!

X, I finally found ProMix here. Cost me $40 I think it was. I haven't used it yet. Maybe I should. I know Armando says to use it on my begonias. I am afraid it will dry out too fast.

This is the kind I found. What kind is yours? BX?

If you remember the name, please, let me know. It is very pretty. I've always loved hibiscus. Remind me of my trip to Hawaii with my gramma for HS graduation (way back in the stone age). I've only just started keeping plants alive (not for lack of trying). These are what I have for now. I need to work on a plan for keeping them alive over the winter. :-)

I need a better plan in the winter too, Deb. The ones you have are so pretty! That double looks so dreamy!

Thanks Kell! You won't believe this, but my hubby picked it up from Lowes late last month. It was wilted and damaged. They had it marked down to $3. I potted and cleaned up the leaves and shaped a tad. Its about 3 1/2 feet tall and very full. We didn't know what it would look like until earlier this week. No name, no pics. But the first blooms opened Monday. It's full of them now, and has many new buds!

So you sure know what you are doing!! What kind of soil did you use? You really lucked out.

Kell, your hibiscus is beautiful whatever it is called.

I have used ProMix BX for about 30 years now. Recently they added some secret ingredients (magic potions?) and mycorrizha which has really raised the price. I do notice it is much easier to "wet" when I get ready to plant and my containers do not dry out as fast as they used to in our beastly heat. alice

You beat me to it adesia .. it now has a wetting agent in it. I love that stuff. It is very root friendly .. all my plants that go into the ground get a hole dug 2 - 3 times the size of the root ball then emersed in a slurry of ProMix BX, that way they can build a good root system before they hit the clayey soil I have. The mycorrizha is a fungus which is beneficial to roots ..

Mycorrhizae fungi play an important organic role in 85% of plants by bringing nutrients to plants. Mycorrizhae are essential soil organisms that are more than 400 million years old and played a key role in allowing plants to colonize land. Mycorrhizae are elements of healthy soil but the use of fungicide and commercially produced sterile soil has remove it from many soils. Mycorrihzae also has been proven to combat soil infections that can weaken and kill healthy plant. Mycorrizha builds a mutually beneficial relationship between the roots of most plant and soil and helps bring more nutrients to plants. Mycorrizha is a necessary part of any natural eco-system. From this relationship the plant receives improved nutrient intake and an improved resistance to temperature changes, dry periods and resistance to disease.

I use the BX Kell, I buy the compressed bales .. they are around 40 dollars here. I make it a point to buy about 5 bales in winter and the price is lower then. I can't say enough about ProMix .. since I started using it a few years ago, my seed starting success has improved 100% and plants in containers are much healthier as well as ones in the ground.

X

X, I started using it when I worked for a large, wholesale growing operation. They generally mixed their own potting medium but occasionally the ingredients cost more than buying the mixes. When they did have to buy they always used ProMix.
I do think Fafard (made right here in SC) is a good mix also.

Not familiar with Fafard. I used to get mine at Cross Garden Center here in Summerville, they went out of business so now I have to drive to Folly Beach. I've got 1 1/4 bales left. If I keep planting seeds I may have to make another trip to Folly ;-(. I've begged the box stores to start carrying it as I really hate driving down to Folly.

X

I think Cross on 61 still carries it; they did not go out of business. That is where I used to get mine until I found it was cheaper in Walterboro. a

I think I will start using it on my begonias. I was afraid it would be too light for my brugs. I have a hard time keeping them watered. I try to use a heavy mix for them. I just think it is odd using soil less mixes for plants. LOL So you have to be very good about supplying all majors and miners in your watering. What fertilizers do you use?

Kell, all my brugs that go into the ground have ProMix in the hole. It lets them grow a good roots system without struggling. By the time they hit real dirt they are pretty well established.

Ardesia .. I think we had this conversation before about ProMix & Walterboro .. can you rememer the name of the store?

X

I am talking about brugs in pots, X. I hate watering them everyday. I need no help in the ground. I plant them in pots now in the ground trying to contain their roots. They get too big here.

All of my Brug cuttings are in ProMix that are in the green usually need watering maybe once or twice a week. Since ProMix put a wetting agent in their stuff, the watering requires definitly have gone down.

X

I wonder if mine has a wetting agent.

Kell is she is the one I sent you it is supposed to be Pele's Fountain but I don't think that is it, well not like the pics I have seen or the one that was blooming at the nursery. Still waiting on myine to bloom. Stolen Kiss had dropped every bloom with out opening all the way. I am ready to chunk her in the pond lol.

The neat thing is nothing stays too wet and if you do let it dry out - bad, bad - it absorbs the water easily when you do get to it. My hibiscus love Pro Mix.

It is so hot here today, the heat index is about 105 and the humidity is like soup. No working outdoors today! There is a light breeze as there are storms all around us again; if only it would rain here.

X, I'll have to search my credit card records and find out the name of the place in W'boro. It was feed & Seed type place. a

Well I must try my Pro Mix today! LOL.

No Donna, this is one I got from David.

Yours has no buds yet. It was limp for about a week and I thought it was dying but it is now upright and looking much better. I can't wait to see it bloom.

Hey Kell,
Is your Hibiscus the "Cajun Hibiscus Powder Puff?"
I love the colors of that one! It looks so fresh and happy!

Kell, could this be 10 37? See Tess' post from a week or so ago.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/622879/

or is it your Tartnella(spelling)???

I have emailed Lali since it was her eus and wows that made me buy this one. LOL. She will have the name immediately on her tongue.

YES Donna! the spelling is off but that is it.

Duh, I should have known that one but the colors on yours are so much more intense than mine right now. I bet you have much cooler evenings in CA than we have here.

Yup, that's the name. Tarantella. Here's the link to the field trip we took http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/592649/
Kell, would you say that we're over due for another field trip?

And Kell, here's the link to his farmers market appearances.

http://www.atouchofthetropics.net/market.html

Looks like he's at Grand Lake on Saturdays. Thursdays up here.

Lali is my mind. Even better than the one I once had. Thank God for her!

Yes Ardesia, we get in the 50s every night. It is so nice.

so are you saying I'm your back up hard drive? LOL

ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would say that Lali but my hard drive crashed a long time ago an is not fixable so I think your it.

50's!!!! Maybe forest fires and earthquakes are not so bad after all. We actually had a sprinkle late yesterday .01" and it really cooled things off; it was only 81 at 5 a.m. this morning. Sigh, the grass is always greener............

Kell, If you have to use someones elses brain, Lali's was a good choice; I would have picked hers too. LOL

LOL, if only you girls knew! (my brain is mush!!) Just ask Zuzu!!

Oh NO.....If yours is mush what is mine? LOL. DOn't answer.

Yes Ardesia, I am so lucky here. My husband has tried over the years to budge me to over the hill but I refuse to move. We have the best climate of anywhere I really think. Rarely even a light frost in winter and in summer rarely temps even to the 80s. Every night it cools to the 50s so I can snuggle unde rmy down comforter all year long.