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Trimming hibiscus bushes


How to prune hibiscus: to keep them flowering for longer

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Learning how to prune hibiscus is easy and will keep your plant in great condition. Hibiscus are beautiful and showy plants with large, bright flowers in a range of colors, from yellow to pink. Highly decorative, the flowers can bring a tropical feel and a pop of color to your garden. The flowers and buds are also edible and make a beautiful sweet tea. 

Hibiscus flowers are short-lived, usually only blooming for a single day. However, if you have included them in your flower bed ideas, and prune them correctly, you will have a profusion of flowers and a long-lasting colorful display with new flowers opening every day. 

The hibiscus family is a large one including species that are herbaceous perennials, annuals, woody shrubs and even trees. The varieties most commonly found in gardens are Hibiscus syriacus, a hardy deciduous flowering shrub and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, or Chinese Hibiscus, a tender evergreen shrub only grown in the tropics and subtropics.

Follow this easy guide and learn how to prune hibiscus. You will be pleased to know that pruning hibiscus is a whole lot simpler than you might think. 

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How to prune hibiscus

If you want to know how to prune hibiscus correctly, the first thing you need to establish is what kind of hibiscus you’re dealing with.  

There are numerous varieties with a range of characteristics and blooms of different colors. If you choose the right type for your garden and plant it in the right place, and learn how to prune hibiscus in the right way, they will produce a stunning floral show throughout the growing season.

Treat your hibiscus well and you will create a flowering machine – as one day’s flowers fade, so a vigorous array of new flowers will appear to succeed them. With so many colors to choose from, you can include hibiscus in a range of garden color schemes.

How to identify hibiscus

If you planted your hibiscus yourself, chances are you’ll already know which category it falls under. If, however, you’ve inherited a ready-planted hibiscus in your garden you’ll need to identify at least the category it belongs to in order to know how to prune hibiscus in the right way. Just as you prune rhododendrons in different ways and at different times depending on the variety, the same is true of hibiscus. The outline below will help with both scenarios. 

How to prune native hibiscus

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Native hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) – also known as common rose mallow, swamp mallow, or marsh hibiscus – are native to the southeastern US. Choose between pink, red and white flowering varieties. As its name suggests, the swamp mallow prefers marshy wetland habitats, but can tolerate drier spots if kept well watered. The scarlet rose mallow is a beautiful variety, common in Florida, which can grow to 4 to 8 feet tall (1 to 2.5 m.).

According to Gena Lorraine, gardening expert at Fantastic Services , ‘Native hibiscus is very easy to care for but sometimes they can grow a bit leggy and too tall. 

To keep a healthy height, you need to make sure you know how to prune hibiscus. 

'Make sure to cut its stems back towards the end as they are from the previous season and the plant will not bloom from these. You should do that in late winter or early spring before the new growth. Always use sharp blades and if the plant looks tender and leaning, you can tie it to a supporting stake,’ says Gena.

How to prune tropical hibiscus

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Tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), as the name suggests, can only survive permanently in zones 9-11 and suit tropical garden ideas. They have glossy dark green leaves and flowers of rich reds, yellow, orange through to peach, pink and gold. With their showy blooms, they are great as shrubs for the front of the house to increase its curb appeal.

'There are many forms of rosa-sinensis,’ says Byron Martin from Logees Plants in Connecticut. ‘The coloration of the flowers is really extraordinary; there's so much diversity in the color it could take years to become familiar with the amount of beauty that is in this genus,’ he continues. 

Tropical hibiscus share some characteristics with the native hibiscus. If you live in a cooler climate, it’s still possible to grow tropical hibiscus, but in this case you will treat it as an annual, or bring it indoors into a conservatory or heated greenhouse before the temperatures start to drop outside. 

Gena Lorraine offers the following advice on pruning tropical hibiscus: ‘this type of hibiscus should be pruned until it achieves a tree-like shape but the timing really depends on where you live. 

‘In the US the best time to prune is in spring or when the weather starts warming up. Never prune tropical hibiscus in fall as you risk freezing the new and still tender growth. Also, it’s recommended to bring your tropical hibiscus inside in winter if it’s planted in a pot. On the other hand, if you live in a tropical area, you can prune the plant all year round. Start pruning by removing the outer growth and any suckers growing around the base. Of course, keep an eye on diseased branches to avoid spreading.’ 

How to prune hardy hibiscus

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Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus spp) have heart-shaped, dull green leaves and white, pink or red flowers. They are similar in nature to tropical hibiscus, but the main difference lies in where they can grow. Hardy hibiscus are cold tolerant in cooler US zones 5 to 8, hardy hibiscus produce showy flowers in a range of colors. 

Known for her step-by-step gardening tutorials, and, describing herself as ‘a native of chilly zone 5, where we love hardy hibiscus’, gardening expert Mary Jane Duford says: ‘Hardy hibiscus is a low-maintenance perennial that needs only basic pruning. ’ 

She adds, ‘This type of hibiscus dies back to the soil surface each winter in the cooler zones in which it thrives. New sprouts appear in the springtime, after most other hardy herbaceous perennials have sprouted. At this point, any remnants of overwintered stems can be trimmed off with sharp, clean pruning shears.’

Pruning is not required during this summer foliage growth period, although stems can be pinched back when under a foot tall if a shrubby form is desired. Once the plant starts to flower, remove spent blooms as they finish flowering. This plant is known for its incredible flowers, and looks much more attractive when the wilted blooms are removed.

In the late fall, long after flowering is finished, you will need to prune hardy hibiscus stems following a hard frost. If you wish, you can leave 3-6 inches of stem visible to remind you where the plant is. Although Mary Jane Duford adds that stems ‘can also be left standing until early spring to support the local bird population during the winter months. ’

(Image credit: John Swithinbank)

How should hibiscus be pruned?

How hibiscus should be pruned depends on the variety you have. Once you have identified the variety of hibiscus that you have, you will be able to choose what is the best way to prune by following this guide. 

All pruning should be carried out with a pair of sharp, clean secateurs. A clean cut made by a sharp tool will heal easier than a messy cut. Using a clean tool will also help to reduce the chances of infection. It is also good practice to prune on a dry day. 

How hard can you cut back hibiscus?

You can cut hibiscus right back, but pruning is a matter of choice. Good pruning will promote flowering. 

Native hibiscus can get quite tall and start to look a little untidy, so if you want a neater plant with more blooms make sure to prune as directed above. Tropical and hardy hibiscus can be pruned into an attractive tree shape, or kept as a bushy shrub. 

Karen is the houses editor for homesandgardens. com and homes editor for the brand’s sister titles, Period Living and Country Homes & Interiors, and an experienced writer on interiors and gardens. She loves visiting historic houses for Period Living and writing about rural properties for Country Homes & Interiors, and working with photographers to capture all shapes and sizes of properties. Karen began her career as a sub editor at Hi-Fi News and Record Review magazine. Her move to women’s magazines came soon after, in the shape of Living magazine, which covered cookery, fashion, beauty, homes and gardening. From Living Karen moved to Ideal Home magazine, where as deputy chief sub, then chief sub, she started to really take an interest in properties, architecture, interior design and gardening. 

Hidden Valley Hibiscus - Pruning Hibiscus

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Hibiscus Plant Care


Hibiscus 'Saffron' a few months after a full pruning

If you grow any kind of plant, shrub, or tree, sooner or later you will have to decide whether or not to prune. But what is pruning really? Do all plants need it? Are there any benefits of pruning? This article should tell you everything you need to know about pruning.

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What is Pruning?

Pruning is defined as "trimming or cutting branches to improve growth and appearance." There are many different pruning techniques, depending on what you want to achieve. Some people equate pruning with chopping a plant down to the ground. For others it's nipping off the green tip of a branch. Any time you physically interfere with the natural growth of your plant, you're pruning. To make it easier, let us break down pruning into the following categories:

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Why Prune?

So why prune? We all grow hibiscus primarily for the flowers. We tend to forget how important the bush is. Pruning stimulates branching and makes a fuller bush. Why is that so great? Hibiscus form buds at the end of each branch. The more branches, the more flowers. It's that simple. If that's not a compelling argument to prune, we don't know what is!

We all hate to prune our plants while they are blooming because we don't want to lose any flowers! But the long-term payoff is that pruning stimulates more side branches on your plants, and every one of these new branches will produce even more blooms eventually. That is the basic equation for pruning - some blooms now if you don't prune or more blooms later if you do. You also get the added benefit of having a better looking bush if you prune.

There are compromises luckily! You don't have to prune all the branches at once. You can selectively prune a few branches at a time, and keep some flowering branches on your plant through the blooming season. Or you can just selectively prune stray, unattractive, or sick branches. Any pruning helps the plant and produces more blooms in the long run.

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When to Prune

When to prune depends on the specifics of your area and growing conditions. The main idea is to prune just before a warming trend is coming, so that your hibiscus will grow very actively, and the increasing warmth will pull them forward into lush new growth. Pruning just before very cold weather can be so stressful that it can cause severe dieback, and you can lose more of your plant than you want to. But pruning in extreme heat can be equally stressful. The very best time to prune is times of sunny, mild weather. For some of you, this will mean you can prune any time all summer long. For some of us, it means spring or fall are our optimum times for pruning. Here are some basic guidelines:


A tall skinny hibiscus can be pruned
to create a rounder, fuller bush.

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First, Take a Good Look at Your Plant

Okay, you're now ready to put the pruners to the plant, but wait a minute. There is one more thing to take into consideration. As you look at the branches, you will see that the leaf nodes (eyes) point in different directions, some in toward the center of the plant, others sideways, outward, and some even downward. You may also have some branches with an almost horizontal or downward pointing growth habit. Perhaps there is a "hole" in the leaf canopy. Where you place your cut will either correct the problem or make it worse.

The general rule of thumb is to make the cut 1/4" (1/2 cm) above an outward pointing node. This works well with staunchly upright plants, as they do need to spread a little. You do want a little spreading of the branches to encourage lateral growth and increase flowering. This is how the majority of us have learned to prune and in most instances it works very well.

However, if a plant has a spreading growth habit, you don't want it to fall apart but make it more upright. "Spreading" means plants where the majority of the branches point outward at an angle that exceeds 45&deg. For these plants we recommend cutting 1/4" (1/2 cm) above an inward-pointing node instead. This will force new growth to become more upright.

Tools

Pruning forces branching,
which means more buds & flowers

For pruning only one tool is generally needed - a pair of good pruning shears, often referred to as pruners. Your pruners need to be sharp and clean. Dull or dirty pruners can spread disease all through your garden. So along with your pruners, get a bottle of alcohol gel hand cleaner, and use it on your pruners every time you move to a new bush, or after every cut of diseased wood.

Learning to Find a Suitable Node


Hibiscus Nodes
One with a Leaf

So what is a node? A node is a definite bump on the surface of the stem where a leaf has grown or is growing. You can both feel and see it. The best node to choose when cutting is one with a leaf growing from it. If that is not possible due to all the leaves having fallen, don't worry about it. Just choose a node that is pointing in the direction you would like to see a new stem grow in. Usually one pointing outward and upward helps make for an attractive bush. Sometimes, if the plant is too open in appearance, an inward pointing node is best, since it encourages stem growth to fill in the space in the middle of the bush.

Let's Start Pruning!

  1. Thoroughly clean a pair of sharp pruning shears. Wipe the cutting surfaces with a disinfectant such as alcohol gel hand cleaner. Rubbing alcohol, bleach and water, or nursery products such as Physan can all be used to sterilize pruners. Take your time and leave the sterilizer on the blades. Most sterilizing materials need time to kill disease-causing organisms, so go slowly and let your sterilizer do its job.

  2. Take a good look at the plant to be pruned. Because the new growth will start below any cut you make, you want to plan accordingly. Cutting a few inches off the top is usually not a good idea, as the new growth sprouting off the end of the existing branch will not look quite right.

  3. Instead, plan to cut most branches back by about 1/3 or even more. The new growth that emerges will be strong and will blend in with the rest of the plant.

  4. Choose a long or out-of-proportion branch to start with. Look about 1/3 of the way down the branch until you find a leaf node (eye) that is facing the direction you want the new branch to grow. Leaf nodes are dormant growth points that sit at the base of every leaf stem (petiole) where it connects to the branch. If the leaf has fallen off, the node will still be there, visible as a small indention or bump along the trunk. Up or out is usually better than down or inward facing but let the plant shape guide you.


  5. To make a new branch grow to the left,
    cut above the node on the left side.
    To make a new branch grow to the right,
    cut above the node on the right side.
    Make the cut just above the eye that you located, leaving about 1/4" (1/2 cm) of wood between the eye and the cut.

  6. If your pruners are sharp, the cut will be smooth and not strip the wood or bark from the stem. Try to avoid doing so if possible.

  7. Move on to the next branch and repeat. Hibiscus are very resilient and will actually grow better after this treatment, so do not hesitate to make those cuts.

  8. Take a final look, as it is still possible to cut the pruned branches even further back if that appears desirable for shaping purposes.


Nodes without leaves ~
any node works for pruning
Choose the node on the side you
want the branch to grow from.

What about branches that grow almost horizontally or, even worse, flop downward? All isn't lost. For such branches you cut 1/4" (1/2 cm) above an upward pointing node close to the main stem as we want to eliminate as much of this undesirable growth as possible. This will cause the plant to grow in the preferred direction./>

Sometimes there might be sparsely leafed out areas where we want to see more growth. So we look for a sideways pointing node on one of the surrounding branches that faces toward the direction of the empty spot. This node will grow into a new branch, filling the "hole" in the foliage.

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How to Hard Prune Old Hibiscus

Sometimes you may have a lack of stem growth on the bottom of a plant. This "caney" look is often a sign of an aging plant. It will not grow new branches without encouragement. This is when you may want to do a hard pruning. It might seem strange that cutting off the upper part of the stems will make the plant branch out lower down but when you do so you change the hormone flow in the plant and it will start branching.

Don't be afraid to cut far down the stem, leaving 3-4 nodes on each main branch, but don't cut closer to the ground than one foot. Be sure to leave some leaves on the plant. After a heavy pruning there should still be a dozen or so healthy green leaves to carry on the photosynthesis the plant needs. This rejuvenating process should not be carried out very often - no more than every 3-5 years. In the intervening years follow the general pruning advice above.

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How to Prune a Hibiscus Tree Standard

Hibiscus Tree Standards

Many people enjoy the look and convenience of the "tree standard" form of popular ornamental plants such as roses, miniature citrus trees, and even garden variety hibiscus. The look of plants grown this way is neater, perhaps more sophisticated than the look of a typical potted plant. What characterizes such plants is a straight, bare main stem that supports a "head" of branches, leaves, and flowers. Such plants are considered easier to grow than regular bushes since there is less foliage to attract insects, they use less water due to less foliage, and have an all around neater appearance. Prune them a little from time to time to keep the shape of the round "head" and that is about it for routine maintenance. Over time a standard will continue to grow taller, until the 2-foot (60 cm) plant purchased in a 6" (15 cm) pot will stand 4-6 feet (1. 2-1.8m) tall in a 5-10 gallon (20-40 L) pot. Standards have been grown since Roman times, and are still as popular as ever.

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How to Create Your Own Hibiscus Standard

  1. Select a plant that has one straight main stem with a minimum height of two feet.

  2. Cut the top off the main trunk about 2-4" (5-10 cm) above where you want the "head" of your tree to be.

  3. Cut away all lower side branches close to the main trunk, leaving only branches within 6" (15 cm) from the top of the main stem.

  4. Prune back the remaining branches that will form the "ball" on top of the standard, leaving 2-3 nodes that will grow out.

  5. Continue trimming off new growth as it appears on the main stem. Make the cut flush with the main stem so it will not regrow from that point.

  6. As the top branches grows out, which will take 2-4 months depending on variety, pinch back the tips on the new growth, leaving 2 to 3 nodes on each branch.

  7. Trim off overlong or lopsided growth wherever it occurs to create a round, well shaped crown. By continuing to trim away any new growth on the main stem and pruning the crown, your standard will keep its shape and appeal for a long time to come.

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Stimulate New Growth

Now that you're finished pruning, give your hibiscus a healthy dose of nutrition, including fertilizer and ideally a good growth enhancer. This will help prevent any shock or distress to the plant due to the pruning, and it will also jump-start new growth at each of the remaining nodes. Keep fertilizing and treating with growth enhancer until your plant is fully leafed out, looking beautiful, and starting to bloom.

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Pruning a Damaged Hibiscus

If your hibiscus has been damaged by a hard freeze or some other damaging event, you will need to do a special kind of pruning.

Be sure to have plenty of water-free hand cleaner with you because you will need to sterilize your pruners after every cut into damaged wood. Once you start pruning, you'll also need to collect all dead, possibly diseased wood and put it in a plastic trash bag. You want to send all bad wood off to the dump in plastic bags rather than leave it lying around where it can spread disease back to your healthy hibiscus plants.

Checking for Live Wood

First check your plants for dead stems and branches. The test is simple enough. Working from the tip of each plant stem down toward the base, use a strong fingernail or a small knife to make a small scratch test (1/4-1/2 inch [1/2-1cm] long). Scrape away a tiny bit of the brown outer bark of the stem that you are not sure about and look at the color underneath. A live branch will be bright green underneath the bark. If the branch is brown or light tan, it is dead. Some dead stems may be rotten, soft and squishy to the touch. There's no need to do a scratch test on stems that are soft and squishy - they are clearly rotting and dead. Just keep working your way down the stem, doing scratch tests, until you find the point where scratching away the bark reveals bright, healthy, green plant tissue underneath. Plant tissue that is dull green with brown mixed in is not likely to live, so keep moving your way down the branch until you find a bright green patch. Now that we know where the live wood begins, it's time to remove the dead wood.

Removing the Dead Wood - Two Strategies


Deeply Pruned Hibiscus Branch
Cut has clean, white wood inside bark.
New growth is sprouting below.

When cutting dead or dying wood from the plant, there are two strategies to choose between. The first is to find the highest spot of clean, live wood on a stem and then cut the stem 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) above the next visible node down from that spot. This will eliminate the ugly, dead wood and keep any disease from spreading downward. When you make the cut, the inner core of the stem should be clean and white, not streaked with dark stains. If it isn't, then move further down the stem and keep cutting until you find good, clean, white wood. Keep in mind that the stem is likely to branch out from the node nearest the cut or from the 2-3 nodes just below the cut. Sometimes this is just fine, but other times that might make for a funny-looking plant with stems branching out near the top but not the bottom.

The second pruning strategy is to shape the plant while removing the dead wood. You start the same way, by finding the point where the wood is clean, green, and white. Instead of cutting just above the first clean, healthy node, the cut is made further down, just above a node that is pointing in the direction you would like a stem to grow. Be sure and cut 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) above the node, so that there is room for the new stem to sprout. If the cut is too high, the remaining wood above the node may rot. If the cut is too close to the node, you may remove the special plant cells that would have sprouted into the new branch. In this second pruning strategy, you remove more wood than is necessary to eliminate the dead wood. Some of what is removed will be white and clean but the idea is to force more stems to sprout lower down on the bush, to help it achieve a full and attractive appearance. You may cut away as much as 2/3 or even more of a branch in order to do this. Don't be afraid to prune back many of the stems severely. The plant will re-grow with more branches than ever before and look fuller than ever before. More branches mean more flowers, too!

Some of the dead wood on a hibiscus bush will just be twigs. Remove the dead twigs as close to the branch they were growing from as possible without damaging that branch. Throw them in a trash bag in order to dispose of them.

You've Pruned, So Now What?

After cleaning up your hibiscus by removing all dead wood and pruning some branches for shape, what do you do? It will take several weeks, depending on weather, before the new growth will come back. During that time keep the hibiscus evenly moist if possible, and fertilize it at half strength once per week. If you notice any insects on the bushes, it is important to get rid of them so that the tender new shoots that are coming will not be damaged by such insects. I was surprised to find spider mites on one of my outdoor hibiscus only a few weeks after we had freezing nights! You can use forceful water sprays, such as with the Bug Blaster, to wash off any bugs at this time. To help your hibiscus get started growing again, spray it regularly with Wake-Up Spray, and either add Growth Enhancer to your fertilizer or replace your fertilizer with Houseplant Formula until you see strong, lush growth. Once your hibiscus is growing strong again, with multiple leaves sprouting out everywhere, discontinue the Wake-Up Spray and go back to your regular fertilizer routine.

Hibiscus thrive on attention, and many of the cold-damaged plants from a cold winter will come roaring back to bloom again in the summer if they are given a little tender loving care as they recover from winter. As the temperature warms and summer approaches, increase the fertilizer being used, as well as the amount of water the hibiscus receive. Stay vigilant for insect attack or use routine treatments on the plants as a preventive.

That's it! Pruning hibiscus is not a difficult job, and will produce fantastic results in terms of plant shape, health, and increased blooming. Just follow the simple steps above, and choose the best time of year to do it according to your local weather conditions.


Hibiscus pruning - time, tools and pruning techniques

Hibiscus pruning is done in autumn or spring. Regular pruning not only stimulates flowering, but also makes the plant strong and beautiful. Pruning rewards growers with significantly more flowers the following year. What needs to be done and what to look for when trimming is described below in our article.

Trimmed hibiscus bush

Contents

  • 6 Hibiscus Hedge
    • 6.1 Radical Hibiscus Pruning
  • 7 Video: Hibiscus Pruning and Crown Shaping

    • Hibiscus Pruning Time

    Fall is the best time to prune hibiscus. When pruned, there will be new shoots, dense foliage, and magnificent flower growth. Pruning in the fall is better than pruning in the spring just before the start of the new season. The temperature should be at least 10 degrees Celsius and there should be no frost. In autumn, it is best to prune garden hibiscus in late September - early October; a dry day should be chosen for hibiscus pruning. nine0003

    In autumn, watering the plants is gradually reduced to a minimum and the leaves are allowed to fall, and then the stems are cut off, leaving stumps of 7-8 centimeters. After 3-4 months, the plant will give a new growth.

    Hibiscus Pruning Tool

    Hibiscus Pruning Tool

    A very important point in hibiscus pruning is the cutting tool. In order not to damage the plant when pruning, use only sharp tools such as a knife or secateurs. You can also use electric hibiscus trimmers, they are usually used only for trimming young shoots and thinner branches. An electric trimmer is used in most cases to correct the shape and give the plant straight lines. If deep cutting is required, power cutting tools should be used. nine0003

    Disinfection of cutting tools

    Using a dirty cutting tool can quickly lead to infection of the plant with various infections, especially on wet autumn days. Transmission of pathogens such as fungi during the autumn months and with dirty cutting tools is more likely to cause harm to garden hibiscus when pruning. Instruments must be disinfected before each use. Various disinfection options are available:

    Fire disinfection

    The cutting blades of the tool are held for a few seconds over the fire. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that intense contact is created between the blades and the flame for several seconds. This will be enough to kill bacteria, viruses and fungal spores. The source of the flame can be a gas burner, a lighter or burning alcohol.

    Alcohol disinfection

    For effective disinfection of cutting tools, use regular alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. If you use alcohol, then it must be mixed with distilled water in a ratio of 7:1. Isopropyl alcohol must be 70%, it can be bought at a pharmacy. When using alcohol, cutting tools should be placed in the solution and remain completely immersed in it for a minimum of two minutes. After that, the tools are wiped with a clean cloth, or even better, wait a while for the tool to dry completely. nine0003

    Chemical disinfection

    You don't have to worry about fungal or bacterial contamination in your hibiscus if you treat your cutting tool blades with chemicals before trimming.

    An example of such a product is "Dimanin", it is used as a disinfectant against various pathogenic and other microorganisms. You can take a five percent solution and immerse the cutting tool in it for just one minute, all harmful microorganisms will be reliably killed.

    Hibiscus Pruning Technique

    To minimize damage to hibiscus from pruning and prevent various diseases, it's a good idea to use a pruning technique where you make even cuts directly on the trunk or branch. In addition, an oblique cut must be made.

    Angle cut

    Autumn is usually a rainy, wet season. During this period, hibiscus slices dry much more slowly than at dry, warm temperatures. With unprotected sections, the risk of disease increases. Even without a dirty cutting tool, fungal spores can enter the plant through the wind and usually spread unnoticed throughout the winter. Viral infections are also serious hazards that can enter through the cut on the plant. Therefore, in the autumn, when pruning hibiscus, cuts should always be processed. The following means are suitable for this purpose:

    In autumn, when it is very damp, we recommend that you pre-treat the sections with cinnamon or charcoal to disinfect them.

    Hibiscus Pruning Types

    Pruning can have several causes. Pruning hibiscus stimulates the production of new flowers, as they only appear on new shoots, and new branches also appear. Hibiscus are cultivated as small or large plants, the shape of the crown of the plant can be formed by timely correct pruning. nine0003

    Early pruning hibiscus

    The name "early pruning" suggests that this is a pruning of young garden plants. From the first year of life, young plants should be pruned regularly during the autumn months. In the early years, pruning hibiscus is quite easy, with a young plant only a few shoots need to be pruned. With each new year, the hibiscus grows and it takes more effort to trim it accordingly.

    Autumn pruning should always be done very generously, cutting all the shoots and the stem of the plant by three quarters. nine0003

    Hibiscus Standard Pruning

    Full-grown pruning is pruning in which a young garden hibiscus is pruned in such a way that bushy foliage with magnificent flowers forms on the “bare” stem.

    Hamabo Syrian Hibiscus

    Hamabo Syrian Hibiscus is suitable for growing a tall shrub and requires a lot of patience from gardeners as it takes four to six years to form.

    Trim your plants as follows:

    Preservative pruning of hibiscus

    Preservative pruning of your hibiscus in the garden is a measure that affects the growth of the plant and the formation of its crown. Cropping is done as follows:

    Rejuvenating hibiscus pruning

    Over the years, hibiscus in the garden becomes more often lighter. This is usually due to the inner branches, which absorb nutrients and take up space for new shoots to grow. Therefore, every garden hibiscus sooner or later needs rejuvenation. You can prevent the discoloration of the plant in advance. nine0003

    To prune the plant, do the following:

    Hibiscus hedge

    Hibiscus in the garden is becoming more and more popular as a hedge. It requires special pruning in the autumn months, resulting in a compact hedge shape, and in summer numerous flowers grow on fresh shoots. Pruning should be done in September or October as follows:

    Trim the hibiscus hedge so that it is slightly pointed towards the top, this improves lighting. And in turn reduces the likelihood of premature aging of the inner region of the plant.

    Radical pruning of hibiscus

    This pruning is especially recommended if the hibiscus has previously suffered from severe disease or has uneven growth. In most cases, hibiscus tolerates such pruning normally. Such pruning will be the solution for healthy and vigorous growth, but the plant does not always recover after such a procedure. nine0003

    It is therefore recommended to carry out a radical pruning over several years. This means that each year the hibiscus is pruned a little more in the autumn than in the year before. Pruning can be continued until the first branch on the main stem is about five to ten centimeters above the ground.

    Video: pruning and shaping the crown of hibiscus

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    Garden hibiscus or "Chinese rose" is one of gardeners' favorite plants. With its bright showy colors, it is able to decorate any shady corner of your garden.

    However, even the most luxurious shrub loses its former splendor of flowering after a few seasons.

    Find out what is needed to maintain the life of this beautiful garden flower.

    Show Contents

    • Why crop?
    • Frequency and timing of treatment
    • How to trim correctly?