I'm fairly new to DG and have a problem I need help with. Hope you all can help. I think the squirrels ruined our hibuscus bushes. Last year we planted three beautiful hibuscus bushes. They had lots of nice buds on them besides some beautiful blooms. I kept noticing that buds would be missing, then leaves. We thought maybe the plants were diseased, but there wasn't any fallen leaves on the ground. Pretty soon our hibuscus were just stalks with a few buds. Then one day I saw a squirrel with a branch bent all the way to the ground and it looked like he was eating the end of the stalk. It can't be a deer problem because we live in town. Has anyone had this problem? Or knows what possibly could be the cause if not squirrels? Please don't tell me the plants would have come back out of it, because after sitting there "naked" for several weeks, my husband, pulled them all up and threw them away (unbeknownst to me!). I would love to have some hibuscus, but they are a little too expensive to feed to the squirrels.
Southwest GA gardening-Hibuscus problem
Hmm, Gloria, I was going to say it must be deer and not squirrels until you mentioned the town residence. We have tons of squirrels, but deer are the ones that have damaged mine. Could it be slugs or snails? They can really do a number on hibiscus. I have a deciduous type and have to repeatedly bait in Spring, when new shoots start emerging. I know squirrels defoliate roses and their buds, so they probably enjoy hibiscus too. Hibiscus are pretty sturdy and they probably would have come back.
Laurel
I have several hibiscus, 10 or so, and I have ton of squirrels. I have never had that problem. To late in the season for japaneese beetles but that is what it sounds like.
Overnight, the deer ate all the leaves on my hibiscus! Buds too if there are any!
And you are living in metro Atlanta, Lilimerci. Maybe Gloria has deer and doesn't know it? We are inside the perimeter and it has not been that many years since there was an occasional deer here. We have a good size population of coyotes and fox though.
Laurel
We have fox and coyote too. I think there are some laws about killing fox but coyote you can shoot. And rabbits too.
This message was edited Nov 10, 2008 10:50 PM
Thanks everyone. I live in southwest Georgia, in a small town. I have
seen oppossums and raccoons but never a deer in town. We didn't see any types of bugs or slugs/snails. The leaves weren't partly eaten, a whole leaf would completely vanish and within a very short time the bush was bare. I wish my husband wouldn't have been so hasty in uprooting them, maybe they would have come back. :(
Gloria. I doubt very much it was the squirrels. I have hibiscus and they all right under where the squirrels go up and down the main trees and play all day.
Now the squirrls love to bury there nuts aroudn the hibiscus. They make me mad when they do that cuz they wil expose the roots with all their digging.
Soudn to me if your leaves and buds are disappearign that you may have some teeny tiny hibiscus sawflies eatign away on them. They will defoliate your plants to sticks in a heart beat. They darn near impossible to see too and catch in time.
teeny tinny green inch worms will do a number on the leaves and buds and lot so ftime sya dont see them onyl the damage cuz a bird or lizard or somethign will discover the worms for dinner.
tell hubby if ya get some more to leave them alone, cuz they will come back up from the base with more shoots. You may just have to watch and keep them sprayed to keep them from being eaten.
What do you use to spray these bugs and insect?
I use Garden Safe from Walmart the three in one product. It a bug killer and fungicide all in one.
Thanks for that info.
I think it's a mite that will do that. Can't remember exactly but someone had the same problem as you and I think it was some type of mite. I will assume they get enough sun and water???
I'll see if I can find a link.
http://www.hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com/care/thrips.htm
Give that a look over. I know I had trouble with thrips this year on my fruit trees, not a huge problem but they were making my leaves curl up.
Thanks you all. Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted. We have had a lot going on.
I appreciate your ideas on my problem. gloria
What about Rabbits we have rabbits and they ate my Cone Flowers in my herb garden to the ground?
Dear Harmonyplace, I've not seen any rabbits, but there certainly could be some. If we have oppossums and racoons, rabbits may be around at night.