That may be it, Anne. I wish the bloom was more open to see it better. I've cut them back, watered and fertilized them as suggested, so we'll see how they do. I hope they recover.
Score!
Hibs are really very resilient.
Deb, I use a small electric heater with thermostat & fan that circulates the heat. For the floor I have roll roofing, which reflects heat, keeps weeds out & has worked fine for 3 years now. May have to replace it in a few years but it is very cheap. On hot, sunny winter days I open the roof vents & use an oscillating fan. Have a deal by my computer that tells me the temp inside the GH & I can glace at it & tell what I have to do. Since the GH is crammed full I put things that are easier to take out on the floor in the center. That way I can move a few plants out on warm days & get around to do what needs to be done. There is never enough room so go as big as you can to begin with. Here in Texas mine is used for things I'm too lazy to put in the storage bldg during the summer. Been nice to go in there on these cool rainy days & pot stuff. Whatever you do just enjoy yourself. There is nothing as satisfying as "playing in the dirt."
Judy
I have my garage FULL of all the hibiscus I am trying to save. First year, it was 8 plants, the next year it was 12, last year it was about 20 and this year, I swear it is 35. :(( There are a lot of small ones because I took a bunch of cuttings last year and I think they all took.
Originally, I brought them into the house but when i got so many I started using the garage. I have pole lights all over and small space heaters and try to keep it at least 65. Higher would be better, but it is killing my electric bill as it is.
When they were in the house, usually all the leaves would fall off. I have found that in the garage, they even bloom some.
I am not an expert by any means, I just obsess on plants and want ALL the colors and don't want anything to die. LOL
Right now we are having unusually cold weather and I have all these things already in the garage. I didn't have a chance to get the bugs off or anything else. I may have a big problem, since they can't go back out until april.
I will have to take a picture and you all will just cringe.
=^..^=
I can't wait to see that picture susan!
Thanks Judy and Tina, this is making a little more sense to me now. Basically I think it's gonna be trial and error for the first year but don't want to lose my hibs so they may come inside this winter. ;-)
Susan, mine are still outside & its been down to 45 at night & only up to 55 a lot of days this last week. They look really happy so I'm not worrying about them. YET!!! They are getting a lot of rain but I have them where it will drain right through. Deb, I wouldn't want to lose my Hibs either. Do you have a good spot in your house? Patrick & Donna use their dining room for Hibs in the winter & they have a beautiful collection. I did not have good luck taking my Hibs in the house but I think a lot of that was not knowing how to care for them. Think I over watered them when they lost their leaves. That is the reason I have a GH. Have a lot of different things I put in there but the Hibs get top billing. Last year I was dragging BIG Angel Trumpets in & out from the center of the floor. Learned a lot since then.....thanks to Dave's Garden & the helpful people. Never too old to learn.
Judy
Tricki -- is your GH heated in the winter for your hibs? Just curious what I should expect with mine this winter. Mine is currently not heated, but I'm not against the idea of putting a small space heater in there. I eyed a few at HD and Lowes today, but wasn't sure if they would be safe, as they look like they're more for indoor use (e.g., small ceramic heater for an office). My GH is only 6x8 so I don't need too much. But I want my hibs to survive for next summer, so I'll do whatever I need to, including bringing them indoors. I could put them in the downstairs bathroom on shelves in the tub/shower if they don't need any light to overwinter inside. Do they need sunlight at all to overwinter in the house?
Well, I took pictures, but I am too embarrassed to share them. That garage is a disaster. LOL
We got down to 36 and I didn't want to chance it. I have too much invested in these beauties.
=^..^=
I put mine in my garage with lamps and a small space heater. Mine is separate from the house. The last house that I lived in the ex vented the dryer to the garage and put grow lights in. They lived happily.
I wish I had a garage. I used to have a nice, two car garage in my last house that would have been great for overwintering. Greenhousing is like water gardening ... you should go as big & functional as your budget will allow. I wish I'd have gone with a bigger GH that would be easier to insulate and more efficient to heat.
Jennifer I just use a small, electric, space heater. Set it on an old metal kitchen stool. It will cut off if it is overturned. Put it right inside the door. Think the important thing is this temperature gizmo. I hang it towards the back of the GH where I can see if it is warm enough back there. The read out is up on my computer tower where I can easily see it. Think my son got it at Target & I don't think they are expensive. Has the outside & inside temp., time & date. If something should happen to the heater I would know it by the temp drop. Have a back up heater....just in case. Works fine & my GH is 10 X 12. Wish it was twice that size. Or 3 times as big! Just thankful I have that one, but if you're getting one go as big as you can afford. One good thing is that Jon advised me to trim my very, very tall, spindly Hibs back last summer. Besides looking soooo much better they will fit in the GH. Not sure I would cut them back this late though. It produces so much new growth that I think might be more prone to damage from winter weather. I don't know that for sure but Jon can let us know. Mine were several years old & had never been trimmed. Once I got started I acted like Edward Sissorhands. Was surprised at how fast they became lush & bloomed so much better.
Thanks, Jon.
Judy
Judy, are talking about a severe cut, down to 4 or 5 inches?
I don't now much about overwintering since I live in a warmer climate, but if I had to find a way to heat up a green house I wound use some sort of black plastic weed cover on the floor to absorb as mush heat from the sun as I could during the day.
I would also try and use some mirror two reflect the suns rays down to the floor and plants without obstructing from were the sun rays are comming from, would also use an extra transparent plastic over the entire green house to aid to keep the cold out. wish I could help more but my knowledge with green houses is limited.
Wilfred
BTW, raining a lot today over here.
The problem with mirrors in Texas would be that it might be 80 one day and 25 by midnight. So here anyway, one has to have a way to ventilate. I have windows in my garage that I can open on warmer days and can close before dark. Because you can bake 'em one day and freeze 'em the next. lol
Yes & no, Deb. Cut about 2/3rds of them off. We are talking about Hibs that were at least 4-5 years old & never been cut so they were over 5' tall. When I cut the first 2 Hibs I cut them to about 3' & later came back & took another ft off. (When I saw how much better they looked, filled out so pretty & started blooming within a month.) The next ones I tackled I just cut them down to 2' to begin with. Don't know about doing it this late in the year. Mine had time to leaf out, bloom & adjust. I'll hunt some pictures & send you. They were scraggly, tall sparse looking things especially after coming out of the GH last spring.
I would wait for spring to do any real trimming. I'll hunt pix & post them so you will see why I needed to do mine.
Judy
This was made a couple of years ago & the Hibs had gotten a couple of feet taller by this year & before I got the nerve to cut them back. Will post a picture of the first ones I cut back this summer. Stay tuned....
Judy
I had cut 3' off this Hib. Think this was made about a month later. Looked so good I started whacking them all. And, cut these 2 back another ft. The wind was always blowing them over & I had bricks & whatever I could find to keep them upright. The hardest to cut were the doubles as they always had so many buds & blooms. These were all GV but I was attached to them & that was all I had up till a few months back. Now, we are both happier. The only cutting I'm doing now is on my newer plants for rooting purposes. These shorter Hibs will be a lot easier to get in the GH for the winter. And, my GH is just to keep things alive till I can put them out in the spring where they can flourish...hope so anyway.
Judy
Right Anne, most people don't realize that we can have it up in the 90s on Xmas day. Need a fan on those hot days. It can be 30-40 outside & warm as toast inside with the Tx sun warming things up. Bought some kind of gas powered vent openers that would open the roof vents on really hot days. Only trouble was they only worked the first winter & then quit. Think they were about $25.00 each so I didn't replace them & would not recommend them to anyone.
Judy
I think I'll be trying the bubble wrap inside the GH to help retain heat for the winter, as well as help with insulating it. I just need to see where I can find large enough sheets so I'm not running strips of it all over. I also thought about wrapping it around the pots (but not on the bottoms so they'll still drain) to see if that helps them retain their own heat as well.
I hate to be pesky with this question, but can someone explain exactly what overwintering options I have for tropical hibs? I keep getting confused, and this is my first winter with them. Must they be kept green/alive all winter to come back next spring, or can they be allowed to lose their leaves, and dry a bit in a cool place (e.g., 40 degrees), or even indoors in a 65-degree room w/minimal sun exposure (e.g., a closet)?
Update -- The tropical hibs have been moved into the GH, as it's gotten chilly at night (40s). Hubby said today I can bring them indoors, so that makes me happy. I was hesitant because I was afraid he'd gripe or insist on bringing his harley into the dining room, too, LOL.
What recommendations would you all have for conditions indoors? Am I okay just keeping them by a sunny window and slightly moist? Anything else?
Hey jlj, I just read where warmth is more important than light for these babies. Of course if you can do both then great & you might get some blooms too! I guess if you've moved your's in, I'd better get to moving mine in too. Good luck & keep us updated on their progress.
Keep an eye out for thrips and/or spider mites. Mine develop them when I bring them into the house.
Anne
I didn't move them in the house yet; just into the GH, but it's not heated. I just wanted to protect them from the cool temp breezes we've had at night. And the temps the next couple nights are calling for high 30s/low 40s, so I imagine I'll bring them inside tomorrow probably.
I'll be spraying everything down before I bring them into the house. I read about the mites, so I don't want any bugs.
Update -- went out this morning looking around the greenhouse, and at first glance, I thought, "Darn, these hibs are not going to make it after all." A little green in the stems, but no signs of putting out any new growth.
But when I got down on my knees to inspect more closely, I saw what appeared to be some little threads popping out of some of the nodes.
And on another, a full blown new leaf! :-)
They may just be okay after all!
jljo - Yeppers looks like they are going to be ok, I am so happy for you!!!!!!!!
Tina
Thanks Tina! I was pretty happy to see that, as well. I've had them in the GH for the last week and a half as our temps dropped to the mid-high 30s a few nights. They seem to be weathering it okay in there, so I'm quite pleased! Would you recommend I add any more of the MG fertilizer to them at this point? I don't want to overfertilize them, but if it will help them to get stronger before winter, I can certainly do so. Your thoughts?
~~ Jennifer
On another topic, still hib related, I have several hibs I'm starting from seeds in a gh tray. This is my first time doing this with hibs, so any advice is welcome advice. I was just curious if I should pinch some of the leaves growing on these to keep them from getting to "leggy" (I think that's the expression)?
Hi Jennifer, so glad to see your orphan plants are going to make it. Keep us posted on your seedlings. Haven't done that yet but plan on doing some this winter.
Judy
I have several different baby hibs in that tray .... red, white, pink, and hib coccineus. It was more of an experiment to try out starting them from seed since I've never done it before, but if they take okay and make it, that will be a great start for next summer!
Hi Jennifer
When I put my Hibs in the GH for the winter, my situation was about the same as your because I had to dig them up to put them in pots. I used a slow time released general fertilizer but I only used half the amount called for. The slow release usually lasted up to 3 months. I would not fertilize them again For the rest of the winter. I also kept them cut down. About 2 to 3 weeks before I was going to take them out and plant them I would fertilize them full strength and I stopped cutting them back about a month before putting them out. I would not use a spray fertilizer at all in the GH. I did the first year and had so much trouble with bugs and fungus. I never sprayed water on the plants either, just the soil. Never had any problems after that. I am not an expert, I just what worked for me. They always did very well and would start blooming pretty quickly.
Your baby Hibs look really good. I did not start planting from seed until I got to Montserrat (easier to find what I wanted already grown LOL). I would not pinch any leaves off at this point, wait until they are bigger, when they start to get the woody part and they seem to be getting "leggy" then pinch the leaves.
Hope that helps
Take Care
Tina
Jennifer, here is a link to the thread from when I asked similar questions about my hardy hibs...
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/977903/
Thanks much for the advice and info, Tina & Guam!
Was just out to inspect the hib-hospital. Two of the four hib pots (2 in a pot) are not showing any signs of new leaves, whereas the other two do show new leaves/leaf buds protruding. At this point, I would think the other two would also be showing signs of life; if not, they are probably not viable. Should I count my blessings with and focus my energies on the two I have showing signs of life and discard the other two, or hang on to them a little longer? It's been four weeks now since I got them.
Forgot to mention that when I scrape away a bit with my fingernail on the stems, there is green underneath still, which has me wondering if it's just too soon for it to have bounced back.
Jennifer, if it is green there is hope. I wouldn't give up on them yet.
Judy
As long as they are green they should come back. Plants like children do not grow at the same rate, nor do they heal at the same rate. So do not worry.
Tina
Update: two of the four pots are producing healthy looking new growth (leaves). The other two pots are still showing no signs of even a bud of new growth.
The larger leaves at the bottom of that picture are of another tropical hib; not the ones I "adopted" in Sept.
This message was edited Nov 17, 2009 5:52 AM
very nice, good job!