She made it. Now what?

My hibiscus made it through the winter. Her new growth is about 18" now. I don't see any buds yet, but she looks healthy.Now that shes awake, do I need to do anything to get her going, like fertilizer, etc?How often will she need it? What kind is best? Thank you in advance.

Hi Lynda

I'm definitely not an expert when it comes to overwintering Hibiscus inside and then what to do in the spring when you're going to move it outside since I live in a tropical climate. My parents overwinter a few inside just to keep them going. They don't bloom at all for them in the winter and its usually a month or two outside in the spring before they see any flower buds forming.
Everyone has their own opinion of which fertilizers are best. Some people prefer time release fertilizers and some prefer granular. If you're using a granular that you mix with water they say to apply it every couple of weeks and to make sure the soil is at least slightly damp when you do so to avoid burning the roots of the plant. I just rotate back and forth between a couple of granular fertilizers so as not to feed the plants the exact same thing every time. Afterall we, as humans, wouldn't want to eat the same thing every day. I basically just use Miracle Gro (24-8-16) and one other tropical fertilizer (20-10-20). I belive you want to look for a fertilizer that has a lower middle number.
I'm definitely not an expert but hope some of this information is accurate.

Jon

Jon,
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer. You told me just what I needed to know.
Happy gardening-Lynda

You're welcome Lynda. I would also suggest that since the plant was inside and out of outdoor direct sunshine for several months that you take a week or two to acclimate the plant to full sun. I usually take about two weeks here in South Florida getting the plant adjusted to our fairly intense sun. Just start with a couple of hours the first 3-5 days and then you can gradually increase the ammount. The plant will send you visual messages (wilting) if it isn't ready for the amount of sun it's being exposed to.

Jon

Good advice Jon!