A Touch of the Tropics at HypnoticBlooms - tropical Hibiscus specialists

F A Touch of the Tropics at HypnoticBlooms - tropical Hibiscus specialists

Hibiscus Care and Information: Pruning

Updated December 4, 2006

When to Prune your Hibiscus
Hibiscus Cultivar: Bob Harkins

For some people, pruning is the most difficult thing to do to their plants. Since Hibiscus can bloom all year, you usually end up cutting off some buds. Nothing more painful than cutting off potential flowers.

In any case, pruning does a couple of very beneficial things for your plant. First, it stimulates new growth and will reinvigorate a tired plant. Second, the more you prune, the bushier a plant you will have which ultimately will you give you more flowers. Remember that Hibiscus bloom on new growth so the more branches your plant has the more opportunities for flowers. And pruning gives you more branches.

Hibiscus can be cut very radically. If you are used to Roses the same principles apply. Just be careful to leave at least three leaf nodes behind. Because of weather conditions, for most us who don’t live in the tropics it will be several months before the cut areas start to bloom again. However, for the reasons above it’s worth it.

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One Branch at a Time
Hibiscus Cultivar: Nanette Peach

By cutting part of your plant instead of the entire thing you can save some branches for blooming while the cut areas grow back and start to bud up. Once the cut areas have fully come back cut another area. Many folks like to take a third of their plant at one time. The ratio doesn’t matter. Cut it to suit your desires.

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A Radical Cut
Hibiscus Cultivar: Georgia's Pearl

Hibiscus can be cut down quite a bit. From any branch you want to keep you can count up three leaf nodes from the base of that branch. A leaf node is an area that has or used to have a leaf. You will see them by looking closely. Your plant will come back faster if you leave some leaves on your plant if possible.

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Cut at a Bias
Hibiscus Cultivar: Romeo

Remember it’s always better to cut at an angle and don’t cut through the leaf nodes. The nodes are where the new branches will come from and if you cut them you will have a stem sticking out that won’t have leaves.

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Tip Die Back: Prevention & Cure
Tip die back example

Tip die back is caused from the combination of wet and cold. High humidity in an area that you are storing your hibs for hibernation will cause it. Remember that when it’s raining the humidity is 100%. Keeping the humidity down will help but so will air circulation. The more the air is circulating the less apt fungus is able to get a foothold on your plant. A small fan can be used to keep the air flowing. If you allow tip die back to continue growing it will affect the entire branch and could possibly even go into the main stem and kill your plant.

You must cut the plant below the infected area. You will want to cut at least an inch below the infected area to make sure you get all of it. Look at the exposed wood and make sure it’s nice green wood. Wash your clippers to prevent spreading the fungus.

If you plants are kept in a cool high humidity area you will get tip die back sooner or later. The faster you cut off the affected areas the healthier your plant will stay. Always cut at an angle so moisture can’t accumulate on the cut area. Don’t be too discouraged by having to cut your plants. We just consider this an excuse to prune.

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