I planted it this spring and it was looking good....healtly, and with lots of buds. Then, suddenly stems started turning brown and dying, one by one over a period of a few days. I checked each leaf and buds...no bugs sighted. Any clues? It is H. Disco Belle
Jean
Jean, I had the same thing happen to a clump of hardy hibiscus a couple of years ago. Last year none of it came back, but this year a couple of stalks are up to about 2 ft. Now they are starting to wilt down too. I have no idea what happened to them, but wanted you to know that you aren't the only one. I don't know anything about viruses in hibiscus, but maybe that is our problem.
S.
Any possibility of termites underground? Here in our part of the country, we have this problem.
Thanks Brugie..good to know I am not killing it! Yours is trying mighty hard to live, mine is completely browned out now. I cut it back and will keep watering it and see what happens for a few weeks, then dig it up and plant something else. I have 2 other Disco Belles planted in other areas of the yard and they are fine. Don't know about a virus, but will see if I can find any info.
Dinu, I have no idea about termites. There were no visable sign of bugs,etc. on or around this plant and it is within a few feet of a corkscrew willow and other plants and they are unaffected. Wondering if termites would just target one plant?
Jean
Jean, it was just a passing thought about termites. Because, here, the termites play havoc. If they find anything a bit dry with some cellulose in it, they attack and devour it! And the hibiscus is one of their favourites from under the soil.
I was also having a problem with my hibiscus trees. I have 2 blue,a lipstick and a double yellow. What I found out with mine was that I was overwatering and all of a sudden the leaves were turning yellow and also the new leaves and buds were falling. I went ahead and cut off the buds and pruned them down about 1/3 to give them a new start. I removed any ground cover around them and let them dry out a little and by golly they pulled out of the stress. I am now watering a little once a week and deep once a week. Seems to be working.They are all planted in full sun.
use a liquid fertilizer that has a higher phosphorus ratio. Too much nitrogen will cause them to produce lots of foliage and not much bloom. And after all, it is the big flowers we're after.
The following link may help to answer some of your questions that you may have.
http://www.exotic-hibiscus.com/pages/dearyfaq.htm#7
Phytophthora is a common cause of root rot and will cause hibiscus to die suddenly. Here is a link to several diseases of hibiscus. http://www.geocities.com/hibiscusred/bug/fungi.htm
Coco: Thank You so so much for giving us all this great information about the beautiful Hibiscus. I'm saving all this information to my personal files.
this year I've been feeding my hibiscus acid. I've had more success than last year.
