davidwood
David In Nha Trang Vietnam
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« on: April 13, 2010, 08:00:12 PM » |
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Would it be ok to grow young plants in the shade and then introduce them to the sun later when the buds start to form.Or wont they get buds if in the shade.
The reason i ask is I have 3 new cv's that will be in the shade all day for 4 months,if i have to i will bring them out in the sun for 2 to 3 hours a day but if it has no affect while they are young and still growing i will leave them where they are. David.
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David.
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Charlie
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« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2010, 07:25:36 PM » |
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Interesting question, David. If there is enough light, as in bright but not direct sunlight, the hibiscus should grow into lush bushes with large leaves. They probably won't form buds unless it is very bright indirect light. The danger is that when you do move them out into the sun the leaves will not be adapted to it and will sunburn badly. This shows as big white spots on the leaves as the chlorophyll is destroyed. OTOH, if you were to bring them out into early morning sun for 2-3 hours and then take them back into the shade the plants would both start forming buds and begin to acclimate to higher light levels. Alternatively, you could take them out into direct sun for a short time that is gradually increased - start with half an hour and add 10 minutes a day for instance until you build up to 2-3 hours. You could continue this process and might be able to get them to the point where they can stay in the sun all the time without burning, maybe. Give some version of this a try and please let us know the results!
Charlie
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helixturnhelix
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« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2010, 08:20:54 PM » |
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I recently put my plants that I have been overwintering inside, outside since the weather has been so nice. They are burned to a crisp! Even though it was overcast all my plants have white leaves (sunburned), so be very careful when acclimating them. I dont think you will have as big of a problem as I have (higher elevation means more UV radiation) but definitely do it slowly, even if it is overcast!
I just hope that they grow back...
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Charlie
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« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2010, 04:52:37 AM » |
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That's too bad, Chris. It's very interesting that even an overcast day could burn them. I don't think that would happen at sea level but your warning to take it slow when bringing hibiscus that have been indoors into outdoor light is a good idea.
I've not seen sunburn kill any hibiscus, usually the burned leaves will fall off and new ones grow in to replace them. What's also interesting is that the new tender growth can take almost any amount of direct sun as long as they start with that amount of sun. Same with seedlings, I'm always amazed at how much direct sun they can take even with the first true leaves that emerge.
Charlie
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davidwood
David In Nha Trang Vietnam
Posts: 844
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« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2010, 07:45:11 AM » |
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Cris,i am not sure if this is the case with you but it is something that happened to me.My plants sit in very hot sun all day and i never have a problem,one day it was overcast and then rained,the problem was it then became very sunny again very quickly and burnt the leaves where they where still wet.
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David.
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Charlie
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« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2010, 07:15:01 AM » |
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David, it's well known to commercial growers that wetting the leaves during mid-day is likely to result in burning. The water acts as a lens to focus the sun's rays onto the leaves. It doesn't always cause a problem with hibiscus but if everything is just right it can, as you saw. This is another reason drippers in the pots are recommended rather than sprinklers.
On the other hand, another useful technique in hot places (like greenhouses) is to spray water around on the ground and on the plants in mid afternoon. This refreshes them and in places that need it also increases the humidity. Once the sun is at an angle as in mid-afternoon I've not seen any burning. Still, always try new techniques on just one or a few plants before doing it to all plants just to make sure no problems occur.
Charlie
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davidwood
David In Nha Trang Vietnam
Posts: 844
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« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2010, 02:17:28 PM » |
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Very interesting you should write this Charlie.I am at the moment lightly spraying 3 cv's every hour with water to see what affect it has.I am doing this with a view to installing a overhead misting system.
Here in Vietnam there are not to many bars but there are hundreds of beautiful coffee shops and restaurants,many set in lush tropical gardens,most of these places have a misting system,not as you might think for the plants but for the customers[and it really does work and is certainly not uncomfortable],it makes quite a big difference in the temperature and as of yet i have seen no adverse affect on the foliage of the plants in these places.
So i will see what affect my spraying the Hibiscus has and if all goes well i will install one soon. David.
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David.
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Charlie
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« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2010, 06:13:42 PM » |
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David, those systems are used in restaurants in Palm Springs, here in California. It is very dry there and last time Cindy and I went it was 112F (44C) - the fog drifting down from roof overhangs felt great!
The biggest drawback to using them over hibiscus is if the water has a lot of minerals in it. They will fall out of the mist and coat the plants with white mineral dust. Hopefully your water supply is mostly from rain and is not full of minerals. It's an excellent idea if it works in your situation.
Charlie
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