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Hibiscus Plant Care

Hibiscus Diseases

Symptoms Disease
Wilted leaves on one branch   DIEBACK DISEASE
All leaves on plant wilted   WILT DISEASE
Black spots on leaves   LEAF FUNGUS

Fortunately for the hibiscus grower, there are very few diseases that attack healthy, growing hibiscus. As with disease of all living things, it's far better to prevent disease before it strikes than to have to deal with it after it strikes.

Disease Prevention

Vigorous Growth

Growth is one of the best protections against disease that you can give your hibiscus. When a plant is growing vigorously, the immune system is also working vigorously, and the hibiscus is much more capable of protecting itself from any kind of bacterial, fungal, or viral attack. If your plant is languishing and not growing, the immune system is also languishing, and the plant will be most at risk for a disease. So the first line of defense against disease is to keep your hibiscus growing and thriving. If your hibiscus is not thriving and growing vigorously...
Wilting Leaves - Sign of Disease
Wilting Leaves on a Well-Watered Hibiscus ~
Symptom of Disease

Good Hygiene

Most bacterial and fungal infections begin with some kind of poor hygiene. Rotting flowers sticking to stems, soggy soil and roots with stagnating water, dirty pruning shears, untreated broken branches - all of these can allow disease microbes into the cells of our hibiscus. To keep your hibiscus clean:

 

Disease Treatment

The main symptom of hibiscus disease is wilting. Underwatering can also cause wilting, so first, make sure your plant's soil is not dried out. But if the soil is moist and your plant is still wilted, this is a clear sign of disease. There are two main diseases that cause wilt in hibiscus. Click on the disease name to read about each disease and its treatment.

  1. Dieback Disease: Wilting on one branch or in one part of the hibiscus only. The rest of the hibiscus is healthy. This disease is easy to treat and rarely fatal.

  2. Wilt Disease: Wilted leaves over the entire plant. This disease is frequently fatal and needs to be dealt with immediately.

As with human diseases, the sooner you spot and treat the disease, the better the prognosis. So be prepared by learning about possible hibiscus diseases, their prevention, and their symptoms!