We've had our Hibiscus for a couple of years now, last summer the deer stripped it of almost all leaves then since it was so cold here this past winter we had it in the house except for warm days. It's now back out in front on the patio but I'm noticing leaves are turning yellow as in the photo. Any idea what may be causing this and what the fix could be.
Thank you
Chris
It looks like a nutrient deficiency. What fertilizer are you using?
Are there new leaves coming out and do they look good? The plant could grow out of it.
There may be others who have more in-depth advice.
Barb
Hey Chris and Barbie! Happy Spring! So I am guessing this is in a pot. Two thoughts, did it get acclimated when set outside? Also, I would suggest spraying the beauty down with some lemon scented dish soap diluted in one of these:
http://www.starnursery.com/catalog/product/gallery/id/1689/image/1381/
Hibiscus are tasty to everyone! The soap will deter a bit of nibbling and knock off the bugs that are making those tracks. I wouldn't fertilize just yet but give her a bit of time to jump back and establish fresh roots and then transplant and or amend.
Another thought, make sure the roots aren't setting in water or over watered. This will cause yellowing also.
Good advice Wheresthebeach...do you happen to have a ratio of dish soap to water?
I don't. I just put a few strong squirts into the container and then set the dial so that it is slightly foamy. Sorry I don't have a science for it. Every year though, this saves my petunias, hibiscus and strawberries from the bugs. Lemon scent is the only one that I have found that works. The cheap stuff from the store is fine. This also helps to break down honeydew from aphids and keeps lawn gnats away too, which are a real problem here. Hope that helps.
Thanks, it's worth a try! Thanks...very much!
I thought overwatering
Yes, improper drainage will do this too. That is a good thought.
I apologize for not coming back to my thread earlier, I bought some of the spray for spider mites and the yellow leaves have gone completely and it's leafing out quite nicely. I bought some Hibiscus specific fertilizer from Hidden Valley Hibiscus and that should be here in a few days. I'll also do the dish soap spray since even though we're in the city the deer are just terrible. Last night there were three doe in the yard of the house behind us acting as if they owned it. Problem here is that a lot of people in town think it's real cute to feed them that and with all the new houses going up around here their habitat is getting destroyed so they're always looking for food.
Would you please share which spray you bought. TK U
Sorry, forgot, Bayer Advanced 3-in-1 Insect Disease, & Mite Control. I sprayed it over two weeks ago and haven't had another yellow leaf yet. Here is where I bought the fertilizer from and there is also a lot of other good information on Hibiscus.
http://hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com/
Thank You.
Great Chris, thanks for the update on the remedy, it sure helps for quick action just in case!
You're very welcome
The two biggest problems I have with my Hibiscus Bushes is .... watering too frequently and Whiteflies. -- Once your Hibiscus are in your ground and are about 2 feet tall, only give them a tiny bit of watering once a week. -- If the leaves start turning yellow, then you watered them too much or too frequently. ---- If the leaves on the Hibiscus are not falling downwards and are not super soft, then they most likely do not need water yet. --- --- Whiteflies love Hibiscus. Spray strong water from a hose onto the leaves and buds and on the flowers at least once every two weeks.
A quick question on this topic (sorry, reviving an old thread):
The lemon dish soap in the MiracleGro sprayer.... Is that for bugs or critter repellent? And @christ1948, did you use the Bayer spray in addition to this soap mixture, or instead of?
I am suddenly having yellow leaves on mine too. I don't think I'm overwatering, the dirt is fairly dry when I water. It's in a large pot on my deck so I'm going to check the drainage, maybe the roots down below are too wet. But I may try one of these sprays as well to ensure it's not bugs.
The dish soap was to keep the deer away. It worked somewhat but there are so many around here it didn't last long before they'd chewed it up again. The Bayer Advanced 3-in-1 Insect Disease, & Mite Control worked perfectly. So, when I bought my greenhouse last October to overwinter my plants I decided to see what would happen if I left it in the back yard just for us to enjoy instead of putting it out front. So far it's worked perfectly. It's been blooming ever since early April. The only problem I had way back in March I believe was with aphids and I bought some of what I show in one of the attached photos. You only use it once a year as it feeds and protects. I haven't had any bug problems at all since using it.
Good. Very glad it all worked out for you!
