Bud Turns Yellow and Drops

I purchased this hibiscus during the summer and so far it has grown beautifully; however, every time it develops a bud, the bud turns yellow and drops--the yellowed bud stays small despite the hugh dinner-plate sized flowers expected for the hibiscus named Fantasy Charm. I have recently sprayed the plant with bug spray (I did notice some spider mites on the top leaves). Could an insect still be the problem? I know that there is a significant difference in the morning temperature vs the afternoon temp.--it is in a west facing window and gets full p.m. sun. It's in a 7" plastic pot with the roots beginning to emerge through the bottom holes.

Any ideas as to the problem? Many thanks, Snug

I have several thoughts on this. Insects like mites could certainly cause bud drop. If you only sprayed it once then you likely still have an insect problem as subsequent generations of eggs hatch. Another possibility is that certain insect sprays (like Organicide) can cause bud drop; it should say on the label if this is a possibility. The location of the plant sounds fine but how you water the plant may hold more clues as to why the buds drop. Too much and/or too little water will cause this problem. If the soil seems dry, try taking the plant to the sink or tub and watering until water runs out of the bottom of the pot then let it dry out before watering again. My final thought is that some hibiscus hate being moved. You say you bought it during the summer, I suspect it was outdoors until the cool weather at which point you moved it indoors - right? Maybe it is just pouting.
Good luck and I hope your problem goes away quickly.

I appreciate your comments. So far I have not observed any additional insect issues, however, your advice on the possibility of subsequent generations emerging to infest the plant again makes sense. I do plan to spray with Neem Oil tomorrow hoping to keep the bugs away. I did spray the leaves (top and bottom) with Schultz's Rose and Flower Insect Killer before I placed the photo above--this may have caused the bud drop.

Also, as soon as the heat goes on in the house, it tends to get dry, and I may not have watered them enough. The hibiscus in the photo above is actually a new plant I purchased this summer, (was never placed outside), and since it was a small size (c. 7 inches), I have been watering it from the bottom so that the roots would seek moisture from the bottom. (Hoping to train them to grow in a downward direction). I do this also to avoid root rot.

This is my first experience with hibiscus--all the beautiful pics I've seen on the Hibiscus Forum seduced me into buying them! I am very excited about growing them, and I am keeping close watch for any thripes or mites that might cause damage. I thank you again for your observations and comments.
Snug, :o)

Hi Snug, I would dissect each yellowed bud to look for thrips or midges. If none are found, I would cut back on the fertilizer as your plant looks very green.Excess fertilizers can cause bud loss due to excess vegetative growth.

Good luck,

Dave

Good point Dave, I forgot about those dreaded midges.

Snug, what do you mean by watering from the bottom?

Dave67: You know I've been fertilizing the hibiscus every time I water them. Your observation has me thinking--I'll definitely water them with unfertilized water (actually I have some pure rainwater for them). Overfertilizing is not mentioned that often since one's thoughts are focused on bugs or overwatering. Thank You so much!!

Ardesia: Re bottom watering plants, I place the young plants in a deep container (pot, etc.) and allow the water to soak upward from the holes at the bottom of the planter. The following site references this procedure especially when repotting. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and read the last paragraph:

http://www.dupontnursery.com/cajuncolormagazine.aspx

Snug, :o)

Ok, I see what you mean (I was thinking of how you water African Violets from the bottom.) I do bottom water newly planted hibiscus - but only the newly planted ones, all the others get regular and deep watering then they are allowed to dry out in between drinks.

My long-awaited first large bud hits the dust. :o( -- After this happened I doused all three of my hibiscus plants with Neem Oil. I did notice something that was unusual to me before the bud fell. There was a teardrop-shaped droplet of sticky liquid on the stem below the bud. You can see it in the photo below. Is this something negative or natural? I know that mites, etc. can leave sticky excrement on the leaves, but there is nothing sticky anywhere except for this isolate droplet. The bud is laying on a leaf next to the stem from where it fell in the photo below.

Thanks, Snug

Here's another photo. Snug

Oh how sad and just as it was about to pop for you. The sticky stuff usually indicates some type of insect and I may be wrong but it sure looks like you have something going on there. The stem looks like it has something on it. I couldn't really tell if it was aphids or mites but it did look suspect.

For all it is worth, the plant looks very healthy and will in time look fantastic.

Midges require a systemic insect control...it works from the inside out, through the plants veins, so what a bug eats out of your plant, also contains the toxin.