Disco Belle Hibiscus how to care for an ailing one?

i just bought 2 - 2 1/2 feet tall disco belle hibiscus for a buck each...; basically all the leaves have come off and new growth is now coming out....so i know they are alive.....my question is....what do i need to do to give these 2 a great start;
my first thought is that i should cut them down to about 5 or 6 inches....then i thought maybe just repotting them would be all that is necessary....what do yall think:)

Dig out a hole about 2' round, remove all the soil and refill with GOOD soil. Plant them in the ground and give them a good dose of fish emulsion. These are hardy, and will do much better in the ground than in a pot. If you plan to keep them in a pot, get one that will allow you to spread out the roots.

kay...what does the term hardy mean...? and i was going to plant into a container....but now i am wondering if that is wise....; will this be sorta like a hydrangea in the ground....the plant will die in the winter and come back in the spring?

Yes they die back in the winter and come back in the spring. What a great deal you got!!
I have 2 and they were 10.00 each.

marie...i got the deal cause they look ugly....do you have yours in pots? or the ground?; would you cut these back? or just leave the long twig thing with tiny leaves up and down it??

I put mine in the ground in very hot September last year. They died back almost immediatley. My Dh said they were dead and wanted me to get rid of them. I could not bring myself to do this so I dug them up and hid them somewhere he would not notice. Guess what? They came back !! he wanted to know where I got them new plants at.

I would put them in the ground and leave them alone. They are probably unhappy in those pots. My guess is you will get some new shoots once they are happy .