The Chinese rose, or hibiscus, is an evergreen plant that belongs to the Malvaceae family. Hibiscus has dark green leaves and large flowers that vary in color from plant to plant. This flower looks very impressive and is used for breeding at home, institutions and offices.
Most often, a home plant is propagated by cuttings. The planting material is cut in August from young twigs so that there are two or three internodes on the sprout. Plant the cutting in a loose peat substrate mixed with sand and cover with a glass jar or plastic bag. The roots of a young plant will appear in about a month. After that, plant the flower in a pot with a diameter of no more than 10 cm. Use the same soil that you interfere with when transplanting the plant.
Pinch the top of the head to make the young plant look like a lush bush. Then good conditions will be created for the growth of side shoots. Transplant the hibiscus in the spring.
The plant must be replanted every year until it is five years old. Transplant an adult flower as needed into a larger pot. Transplant until mid-February, until the plant has gained strength for growth.
For transplanting you will need: – deciduous land; – sod land; – sand; – humus.
In a bucket, mix one part sand with humus, add three parts crushed foliage and four parts turf. Place expanded clay or clay shards at the bottom of the pot to ensure sufficient drainage. The Chinese rose does not like stagnant water in the roots. They can rot.
Fill the resulting pot with soil and plant the hibiscus. After transplanting, cut back the old branches by a third. This will push the flower to develop new shoots, at the ends of which buds will form. A large plant in a large pot can not be transplanted, but only remove the top layer of earth to a depth of about five centimeters, replacing it with a fresh nutrient layer.
Do not prune the shoots in May if you cannot provide the flower with bright light during the fall and winter. Hibiscus blooms on sprouts older than three months, in summer you may not wait for the buds
After replanting the hibiscus for a couple of weeks, water it only in the pan so that the young roots actively seek water and germinate into new soil.
The plant likes brightly lit areas, but not direct hot sunlight. Diffused light can be created using tulle or other translucent fabric or paper such as tracing paper. Hibiscus is ready to bloom most of the year if there is enough light. Comfortable growing temperature + 25 ° С. At temperatures above + 30 ° C, flower buds may begin to fall off. Shade the hibiscus on particularly hot sunny days. Do not let the soil in the flowerpot get too hot. At temperatures below + 15 ° C, the plant stops blooming.
In summer, hibiscus can be taken out onto the balcony, taking care that its leaves are not sunburned. If this is not possible, arrange for airing at home, but avoid drafts.
The Chinese rose requires abundant watering on hot sunny days or when the steam heating is on. Use well-settled soft water for watering. With a lack of moisture, the turgor of the leaves decreases, they can fall off, and the plant die. It is best to water the hibiscus early in the morning so that it can dry out during the day. If there is a lot of water in the pan, drain it to prevent the roots from rotting. When the air temperature drops, the sun’s rays become less, reduce the moisture in the earthy coma.
Hibiscus leaves should be sprayed with well-settled warm water from a spray bottle for almost the entire year. Excluding the time when the air is already cold and humid at home, and steam heating has not yet been provided.
With intensive growth and bud formation, hibiscus needs feeding. Be careful with standard flowering plant foods. The Chinese rose does not like large amounts of phosphorus. Use fertilizers specially designed for the flower. In the spring-summer period, nitrogen-containing compounds are well suited, they prolong flowering. Use fertilizers with phosphorus in autumn and winter.
If the plant has lush green foliage, but there are no bud ovaries, then you have overfed it with nitrogen fertilizers. Stop weekly feeding.
You can feed with a sugar solution. Dissolve 0,5 tsp. sugar in a glass of water and pour over the soil in the pot. The same solution will save hibiscus leaves if they are burnt in the sun. Wipe them with sweet water for several days in a row.
Feed your indoor flower either early in the morning or after sunset on cool days. Fertilizer is applied to a previously spilled earthen lump once a week. During an active growing season, hibiscus can be fed foliarly. Dilute the fertilizer you use once a week 10 times. Sprinkle it on the leaves of the plant early in the morning.
You cannot feed a recently transplanted plant.
Hibiscus can be affected by spider mites, aphids, whiteflies. Do not use oil-based preparations when dealing with these insects. They are poorly tolerated by the leaves of the plant. Pay attention to water-soluble drugs.