I received this tree from my landlord who had no idea what it was and how to care for it. I really want to get this tree healthy again and am not quite sure how to begin. I live in an apartment in upstate ny, so it will be an indoor dwelling plant. I have it about 4 feet away from a southwest facing window. It's leaves and branches are shooting off everywhere and I'd really like to make it a little more space friendly. Any advice at all will be a huge help
It's already a little big for keeping it space friendly - the pot is definitely too small for the size. And I'm not sure if 4 feet from the window is enough light - remember, the human eye does adjust a lot - I've read once if you see something as half as bright, you've already lost 9/10 of light intensity
I agree with what pmmGarak said.
You need to move it to the window. The more light, the better. Pot it up, keep it fertilized and it should start blooming.
If you need to trim it, only trim part of it at a time. Once you trim a branch, it takes a long time to regrow enough to bloom.
Good luck!
Barb
Barb, do you not think it needs a major trim? I was all ready to cut a large portion of the greens off to stimulate growth on the other side and middle. What size pot would you recommend? also....as far as water goes, is my tap water a bad choice? I've been giving her filtered but I have also read that hibiscus need a certain ph. I've been reading so many articles and been getting so many conflicting info.
Prune, baby, prune. Most hibiscus respond well to a good trim. I had them for years up in MA and they lived outside all summer and flourished. When it came time to bring them indoors in the fall, they always had to be pruned back so they would fit back inside. This hibiscus will thank you for it by blooming like crazy. Don't forget to feed it either.
Martha
I agree with Martha. Pruning will only help it.
Have you repotted it yet?
