Gardeners’ Forum: “Winterizing Hibiscus”
Back to Gardeners’ ForumWinterizing Hibiscus
Posted by Alice on Wednesday, November 1, 2006 4:31 PM ASTWhat should I do with it? Can I put it in my basement? Does it need sun throughout the winter? How often should I water? I lost two last year because I left them outside, and I don't want to lose another. Any help would be appreciated.
Bring it indoors, yes you can!
Posted by Lorraine Harrietha on Friday, November 10, 2006 12:42 PM ASTHi Alice, If it is the indoor kind, take the pot and all and place it in a pail of warm water making sure that the pot is submerged. Leave for approximately 15 minutes. This is to bring up any unwanted pests into your home. I would definately place it in a sunny spot in front of a winter. If you don't have that you can let it go dormant. Just make sure you do not overwater it. Just enough to keep it alive. If you have grow lights that is even better. About 12- 14 hours of light per day will just be fine. When spring time comes you can gradually take it outside everyday, but after frost has left your area. You can also start to fertilize it at half strength for about 1 month and then resume your fertilizing schedule. I hope this helps! Cheers! Lorraine from zone 6A, Toronto, Ontario.
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Posted by carl schoeninger on Monday, November 13, 2006 9:08 PM ASTI have a good sized hibiscus in a pot which I want to save for next summer in Michigan. What do I need to do. Thanks
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Posted by lydia on Saturday, December 16, 2006 11:38 AM ASTI've brought mine in for the winter for a few years. It has a lovely bright sunny window. Be warned, mine usually loses all of its leaves in fall and spring. It looks dead, my husband laughs at me for keeping it, but it comes back every time. Gives a new meaning to faith.
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Posted by JC on Wednesday, January 3, 2007 9:16 PM ASTKnow what you meen. Been doing it for more than 10 years. If it is too big, I prune it down and bring it indoors.
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Posted by PATJONES on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 10:00 AM ADTDO I NEED TO DIG UP MY HIBISCUS FOR THE WINTER AND BRING IT INDOORS OR JUST COVERING IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT
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Posted by Brenda on Monday, October 15, 2007 11:38 AM ADTI have 2 hibiscus and they have been beautiful all summer and would like to try and keep them for next year. I have read what we can do to keep them but I don't know if they are the indoor kind or not. We bought them at a nursery and they have always been outside. Any suggestions?
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Posted by Barbara Berger on Saturday, November 3, 2007 9:59 AM ADTSame as Pat Jones above. Do you have to bring it inside or can I cover it and leave it outside? Too big and hard for me to move and it is beautiful. Faces East against the house.
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Posted by Carol Howard on Sunday, November 4, 2007 10:29 AM ASTCan you suggest the best kind of grow light to buy for winterizing a hibiscus?
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Posted by Deb on Saturday, November 10, 2007 1:40 PM ASTI have 4 hibiscus plants and could someone tell me how to winterize these? We have them in the ground. Should we bring them in?
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Posted by ANN on Monday, September 15, 2008 3:02 PM ADTi HAVE 2 HIBISCUS IN GLAZED POTS THAT i HAVE TO EMPTY DURING THE WINTER OR THEY WILL CRACK. HOW CAN I WINTERIZE MY HIBISCUS
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Posted by karen Iverson on Sunday, October 5, 2008 3:29 PM ADTI have 2 large Hibiscus planted inthe ground. I live in Kansas and we can have a pretty hard winter. There is pebble rock around them, not mulch. Do I prune them down or just cover them?
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Posted by Peter Harz on Friday, October 10, 2008 8:50 AM ADTmy wife bought a 2-foot high potted plant from a greenhouse close to Halifax, Nova Scotia.They specialize in renting these plants to malls and offices. We could either winter it in our well lit upper floor in the barn.Would insulataing the pot with styrofoam help to protect it after pruning?
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Posted by Beth Doane on Monday, October 20, 2008 6:27 PM ADTI need a suggestion on how to winterize my three hibiscus that are planted outside and we live in austin texas. Thanks Bill
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Posted by Sharon on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:43 PM ADTI have a hibiscus plant outside. Do I cut it down before I bring it inside? Do I have to bring it inside for the winter or can i just cover it for the winter?
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Posted by sharon stolzenbach on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 11:04 AM ADTI have 6 tall platns with very thick stalks. Do I cut them off and cover with mulch. I really do not want to dig them up. We have mild winters in East TN, but do not want the frost to kill them. Thanks
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Posted by Margaret Friesen on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 5:53 PM ASTI bought a 4-5 ft.hibiscus plant in late summer or early fall. It started off with one flower and continued blooming profusely until now. The last flower has dropped and most of the leaves are turning yellow. Do I stop watering and fertilizing?.. do I prune it for the winter... do I put in the basement room where it's dark? ..Help!
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Posted by Richard Ellis on Monday, June 8, 2009 8:49 AM ADTI have a beautiful twisted trunk hibiscus with huge pink flowers, from lowes. I water it and fertilize it as followed but its planted in the ground, what do I do with it for the winter? I do not want it to die on me! Thanks!
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Posted by Maggie Z on Saturday, August 15, 2009 12:53 PM ADTI need a suggestion on how to winterize several hibiscus trees that are planted outside in large pots, they are too heavy to bring inside, we live south of San Antonio, Tx Thanks, Maggie
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Posted by Carol on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 8:01 PM ADTI have a 5 ft hibiscus with a twisted trunk that has bloomed profusely all summer long. Now I don't know what to do with it to protect it from the MA cold of winter. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.
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Posted by Mary Parsons on Monday, September 28, 2009 11:41 AM ADTCould I put my Hibiscus in an outdoor storage shed in front of the window or do I have to have it in the house? Do I have to water it all winter?
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Posted by Shelly Couch on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 11:19 PM ADTI have 3 lady hibiscus.They are planted in the ground.What should I do with them this winter?I live in southern middle Tennessee.Please help..I don't want them to die!!!
first try.
Posted by den72113 on Saturday, October 10, 2009 6:06 PM ADTi bought a medium size hibiscus last spring and took good care of it this summer. it is now over 7 ft tall ,3 feet wide, in a new bigger pot... i just moved it inside, by a well lit window for the winter. i will keep everyone posted as to how well it winterizes.
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Posted by diane on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 12:41 PM ADTshould i bring it in no good windows to put it by help
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Posted by Billie on Friday, October 30, 2009 1:46 PM ADTI live in Cincinnati and bought 4 hibiscus last Spring off QVC. They didn't do very well but I planted them late. Do I cut them down and put mulch over them. I'm not very good with plants.
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Posted by Carol on Friday, November 20, 2009 11:15 AM ASTI live in Dover, DE and have a hibiscus planted in my back yard next to the house. It gets the morning to early afternoon sun. What do I need to do to keep it over the winter>?
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Posted by Marsha on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 11:51 AM ASTI have moved 2 large potted hibiscus plants to the barn for the winter. Do I need to prune back? If so, how much?
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Posted by Diana on Thursday, November 26, 2009 10:15 PM ASTI live in central Okla. My twisted hiciscus is planted outside, do I prune it and then put a bag over it or what? I don'twant it to die over the winter.
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Posted by Helen on Saturday, December 5, 2009 6:06 PM ASTI know that if you are located in zone 8 and depending upon if the plant is tropical or hardy… Hardy Hibiscus: these plants are able to withstand the cold winters even when planted in ground and are simply cut back to the base of the plant to allow new growth to return in the spring. Hardy hibiscus should be pruned to the base of the plant with a generous application of mulch for insulation and moisture retention. Tropical Hibiscus: A heated greenhouse would obviously be the best place to keep your plants in winter months but not everyone is afforded the space or budget for one. Inside your house is good, and provided there is enough room and plenty of sun, your hibiscus will bloom all winter. Most people end up dragging those heavy pots in and out of their garage until spring even though it is not necessary to do so with the right amount of light and humidity. A fully insulated garage door can help keep the garage much warmer during the winter months. Tropical hibiscus can grow as tall as 5 to 6 ft. and take up a huge amount of space, so plan ahead before growing more than you have room for during the winter months.
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Posted by Leeanna on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 9:55 AM ADTI left my hibiscus outside this last winter and cut it down to 3 inches, will it come back?
Hibiscus
Posted by Margaret on Monday, May 3, 2010 8:30 AM ADTWhere to plant in the state of Ga. to reduce the chance of it freezing during the winter months.
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Posted by Beth Dillman on Friday, May 14, 2010 9:19 AM ADTI recently bought a beautiful hibiscus,I want to plant it outside in my garden. My question is can I leave it outside over the winter months,I live in Nova Scotia,Canada. Can you help me.
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Posted by Janie Phillips on Sunday, June 13, 2010 9:45 PM ADTI live in central Oklahoma. I lost a hibiscus last winter. It was the hardy outdoor type. What can I do this winter to protect it's replacement? Please help
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Posted by jatinder on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 9:12 PM ADTI recently bought a beautiful hibiscus,I want to plant it outside in my garden. My question is can I leave it outside over the winter months, do i need to wrap it...I live in ontario,Canada. Can you please help me.
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Posted by Tina on Sunday, July 25, 2010 6:16 PM ADTwhere in the devil are the answers/replys to these questions posted???? I need some answers ASAP. Tina
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Posted by Sheri on Friday, September 3, 2010 1:57 PM ADTI have been winterizing hibiscus trees in WI for the past 10 years. I usually bring them in once the weather reaches about 50-55 degrees at night. I do not prune them at this time, but put them in front of a window where they will receive as much sun as possible. The leaves will eventually start to fall off. Pruning back a few inches (depending on the size of the tree) is a good idea once this happens. Keep watering to a minimum and care for it as you would if it was still outdoors. Hibiscus WILL bloom indoors if the conditions are right, and you will have new growth by the time you bring it back out in spring, rather than pruning it then and waiting half the summer for it to bloom. I would not personally prune it to down to nothing, use grow lights, or cover it. Perhaps that works in other climates, but I live in the Midwest, and this has worked for me year after year.
winterizing hibiscus in ohio
Posted by DEBBIE FOX on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 8:36 PM ADTI BOUGHT A HIBISCUS AT LOWES THIS YEAR AND PLANTED IT AND IT BLOOMED THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS ALL SUMMER LONG I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH IT THIS WINTER I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO BRING IT IN THE HOUSE WHAT SHOULD I DO
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Posted by Chip Lawrence on Friday, October 15, 2010 7:11 PM ADTWe have had our hibiscus for 2 years. Last season we pruned the plants from 5 feet down to 4 inches, they grew back but bloomed slowly. We live in upstate NY, is this the correct procedure or should we do something else ?
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Posted by Nicole D. on Saturday, October 23, 2010 12:13 AM ADTI have had 6 hibiscus trees for years now-usually i bring them in the house every winter--I now have a toddler & much less space. Im planning on leaving them outside, cutting them right back and covering with hay. Will this work? do I water them? When?
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Posted by vicki on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 3:30 PM ADTI too have a hibiscus plant that I plated outside in ground . I was told to leave it outside and it would be ok. It is early spring and it looks like it is dead the branches are brittle . Is this normal and will it still be alive or do I need to buy a new one and bring it in when fall temp. come , oh I live in central Nebraska.
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Posted by Renae on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 5:42 PM ADTVicki in Nebraska- I too live in Nebraska and left my hibiscus outside year before last so I thought it was dead last Spring because of the way the branches looked but it bloomed so pretty last year and tripled in size! Had more flowers than when in the pot! Took until late June to look good but it made it! I trimmed it down again and hope to see more beauty in early summer.
moving hybiscus out in the spring
Posted by derek kelso on Monday, May 9, 2011 8:40 AM ADTI am in zone 5 and have 4 plants that I bring in the house in the fall. I would like to know now, at what Temp at night I can start to bring them out.
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Posted by marianne rowe on Friday, July 8, 2011 2:51 PM ADTCan I plant my hibuscus in the ground. I live in northern illinois. Does it have to covered with mulch or a cone. Please help. I love this plant.
Winterizing Hibiscus
Posted by Jeanne on Sunday, September 18, 2011 5:14 PM ADTI bought a twisted trunk hibiscus this year from Lowes that did quite well on my deck. I live in Massachusetts. My problem is that I have cats and I am afraid that if I bring my plant in the cats will chew the leaves and get sick. I do have a window that I can put it in. Would it be okay if I put a clear plastic bag over the plant. That would solve the problem of the cats and also give the plant the needed moisture.
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Posted by Walter Klibansky on Sunday, October 2, 2011 10:43 AM ADTI have a beutiful red hibiscus which I want to winterize.The plant is about 4ft. tall and has produced magnificent flowers all summer I reside in the Boston area What do I need to do?
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Posted by g bearden on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 8:18 PM ADTI have two potted hybiscus, don't know what type they are, as they were a gift. Would rather not move them inside for the winter as they pots are LARGE. What can I do if I leave them on a half/protected porch for the winter?
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Posted by donna on Sunday, October 23, 2011 11:27 AM ADThow do i winterize hibiscus. do we cut them back? do we water them? can they stay on a enclosed screened porch? if i put them in the basement theirs not much lite or how about the garage which can get below freezing.
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Posted by Jane Bakerville on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 9:48 AM ADTPlease! I have a prize 5 finger Hibisus that my father gave me a few years ago. Problem is it is still blooming. I covered the root base with merical grow soil, straw then bark. I have always cut it back then covered the root to keep from freezing, Live in Jerome Idaho. Should I cut it back even though it is still has buds on the top. Thank you so very much, for any advice you can give me.
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Posted by Mary Phillips on Monday, October 31, 2011 3:09 PM ADTI have 6 Hibiscus planter in the ground. I started off with just one, and the second season i split them up. They did great, Put them in pots first, just to make sure they would live.To Winterized, i cut back to the ground, and cover with lots of mulch.
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Posted by Peter Wert on Thursday, November 3, 2011 2:35 PM ADTI recently moved my ten large hibiscus trees and bushes inside for the winter. Over the past four years I've had varying success with keeping them healthy looking over the winter but generally they've come back the following summer. This year however, all of them are loosing their leaves at an alarming rate. Several are nearly completely bare after only a week indoors! We had an enormous white fly infestation last winter so this year I sprayed them with insecticidal soap and malathion over the few weeks leading up to bringing them inside. I also applied a systemic treatment right before bringing them in. Lastly, I trimmed them back much more significantly than in years past. Otherwise, I didn't do anything differently and got them inside before the temperature dropped below about 45 and ahead of last week's snow (!) - I live in northern New Jersey. I truly hope they get new growth quickly. Any advice on how to spur that along? I'm hoping the combination of insecticides and pruning didn't do them in! Please advise. Thank you...
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Posted by Robin Mack on Friday, November 4, 2011 3:12 PM ADTI brought my hibiscus' in as described above. The leaves are turning yellow and beginning to drop. I am trying to have faith in what I have read here. But they do look awful. Can't wait to see them in Spring.
Twister tree hibiscus
Posted by Larry on Sunday, April 15, 2012 9:25 PM ADTWe had frost that got the 2 tree that were on the portch all the leaves are falling off. Is the plant done or will it come back?
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Posted by KISHORE on Thursday, May 3, 2012 11:03 AM ADTI WENT THROUGH ALL THE QUESTIONS, BUT NO ANSWERS. CAN SOME ONE GIVE THE ANSWER IN DETAIL? WE LIVE IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY IN NEW YORK STATE. THANKS IN ADVANCE.
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Posted by Veseys on Thursday, May 3, 2012 5:03 PM ADTThe Gardeners Forum is a place for gardeners to ask other gardeners questions. If you would like a reply from a Veseys representative please email your question to customerservice@veseys.com. Thanks!
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Posted by joanrl on Monday, May 28, 2012 4:05 PM ADTHi How do i know if the one i bought in Home Depot is hardy or tropical. Thank you Joan
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Posted by Sara on Thursday, August 23, 2012 12:24 PM ADTI live in MA, have two fab.ulous tree, can I store them in a darkened basement for winter. I have one tiny window which allows tiny light. Also should I treat the top soil at the roots with a systemic bug killer?
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Posted by Wendy Morgan on Saturday, October 13, 2012 5:27 PM ADTMy daughter in law gave me a wonderful double hibiscus for Mothers day...I have treated it grandly fertilizing etc. over the summer and early fall, but we go to away for the winter, and I would really like to have it for next year, it was quite spectaular with two colours of double blooms...I have read all the posts, and wonder if putting it in the cool basement after we leave with no water will keep it for 3 months if cut back and watered before we leave? It is too big to transport to a babysitters...Thank you in advance....
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Posted by raylockwood on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 3:01 PM ASTtake it in basement ,,in front of a window keep basement good and warm,,,,water often but do not soak,,i have 10 blooms in nov.....now,,,and 22 blooms coming out
when to put my hibiscus trees in pots outside after wintering in garage
Posted by PATTY ROBERTSON on Monday, April 22, 2013 7:25 PM ADTThis is the first time ive tried this with 2 hibiscus. I so badly want them to come back out when bringing the back outside.i need instructions for doing this
