Got my first order of hibiscus....what do I do first?

Hi, just got my first tropical hibiscus order, from....humm, can't think of the company name, they are in Gainesville, FL and supply grafted hibiscus...it will come to me.

Anyway, I unpacked this huge box of 6 plants and several of them have blooms already. They are very healthy looking. Here's what I got:

Zoey
June's dragon
Midnight Serenade
Witches Dance
Nitty Gritty
Voodoo queen

They were packed beautifully. I removed them and have them on my kitchen table, it's chilly tonight (around 45 ) and don't want to put them out tonight. How do I acclimate them and what should I do? The soil looks moist so I don't think any of them need to be watered right now.

Once I'm ready to plant, what size container should they go in?
Thanks
Maureen

Ok, i guess i'll just have to figure this out on my own.............I can't believe 18 people looked at this and not one person could respond????

Hey Maureen,

Heres what I do:

Let them come out of shock for about 3 to 5 days.

Harden them off to full sun slowly so you do not get leaf burn. If you have a porch or patio start out slowly over 8 to 10 days. You can repot during this period. Just slowly introduce them.

When repotting use a well drained soil. I use a mixture of Black Velvet Mulch with perlite and vermiculite (I mix these myself because I do not like the pre-mixed fertilizer soil)

Be sure there is good drainage on the pots you use.

Fertilize 1 time every 7 to 10 days in warmer weather with a 20-10-20 or similar NPK number. Be sure pot is watered in before you fertilize so you do not burn the roots.

Be sure they get at least 4 hours of good sun a day for maximum blooming.

If you have any questions feel free. I'll try my best to help.

Good luck and take care,
Robert

This message was edited Apr 24, 2009 7:01 PM

On containers,

What size are they now? If they are 4" pots bump them to 1 gallon pots. Thats what I do.

Robert

You shouldn't have too much trouble getting them used to your climate although I believe your going to have a couple of very warm days over the next several. You still may get some cool nights also in the next month or so. For any of those nights when it dips below 40 degrees or so you may want to consider bringing the plants inside just to be on the safe side. Another option for those evenings that are cold without a frost would be to make sure they are watered well before those evenings if you choose to leave them outside.
You've made some good selections as several of those are already award winning varieties.

Jon

Robert, thank you so much for this helpful information. I was hoping that someone would chime in and offer some tips. Thank you so much!!

Jon, thank you too. And yes we are to get a few nice warm days, finally. i will introduce them slowly to the sun over the next 2 weeks (i'll keep out of direct sun for a few days) and take them in if it gets too cold at night.

You're welcome maureen. It's nice that you were able to get some Hibiscus early in the season so that they will have some extra time to grow/bloom for you while you're able to keep them outside. A Robert said the potting mix is very important also. You don't want anything that is too heavy that will hold in lots of water. It's also a good idea to NOT use the saucer part that holds that collect and collects excess water. You want that excess water to drain out of the bottom of the pot.

Jon

Hello Maureen,

It appears you got some good advice, I also live in the northen part of the country so our weather is about the same. By the looks of the variety you purchased, I think they came from Tried and True because as far as I know Randy and Annelle are the only ones that sell Nitty Gritty but I could be wrong. I am sure you will be happy with them because they do a great job at grafting plants, I don't know what the difference is in the technique that different people graft is, but I haven't lost any from them but I have from some of the other's out there that also do grafting. I hope you enjoy the blooms this summer which I am sure there will be plenty. If you need any further guidence in growing hibiscus from someone in the northern growing climate please ask, I grew them when I lived in Florida and I can tell you there is a difference in growing them up north than there is from down south. Hope you enjoy your new plants, you have a great selection. Happy Gardening.


Patrick

Thanks Patrick and Jon.

yes, they are from Tried and True hibiscus, and upon further viewing I see that 5 out of 6 have buds!!! They look great.
thanks