Question of the Week: June 24, 2021

“Why are my hibiscus plants not blooming properly? I’m growing them in the same pots and places where I’ve grown hibiscus in previous years. Why the difference this year?

It could be due to the cool, wet weather many parts of Texas experienced in May and early June. It could be a difference in the vigor of the plants that you bought or the quality of the potting soil that you used. It could even be due to a change in fertilizers used.

But don’t fret too much here in late June. There is still a lot of the hibiscus flowering season to go!

Recipe for success with hibiscus…
• Full, or nearly full sun. A little shade in mid-afternoon would be fine.
• Hibiscus plants bloom on vigorous new growth, so you want healthy, active plants from the outset.
• Use the best potting soil you can find, and start fresh each spring. It should be lightweight and have a high percentage of the best quality organic matter (sphagnum peat, well-rotted compost, finely ground pine bark mulch, etc.).
• Use a high-nitrogen, water-soluble plant food applied each time that you water to keep the plants growing actively.
• Above all, don’t let the plants wilt between waterings. That will cause them to abort buds that do form. That often becomes a problem by late July or August, as temperatures soar and plants become rootbound.