High winds

[Wikibobo]

Bought a rosa sinensis this summer and it grew like crazy -- had to move it from its 4" pot to a 6" pot to an 8" pot.  Got some lovely double blooms.

Problem:  After our insanely hot summer, when I was watering twice a day on work days and three times daily on weekends, the weather started to turn around Labor Day. Here in the mid-Atlantic, cold fronts bring crazy 40-mph gusts, and rosa sinensis didn't like it.  All the leaves drooped, but didn't drop.

I brought it inside, along with a 4" Voodoo Child, to see if it would perk up.  Voodoo Child is just fine.  Rosa is still looking droopy, and after a month, a few of the more mature leaves have dropped.  There are small fresh green leaves however, and of course, no blooms.  I'm only watering it once a week, since the soil isn't drying out quickly, and I have it in the living room, where it can get morning sun.  I'm also adjusting the thermostat upwards, especially during the day.

Will Rosa be okay?  It's now too cold to put it back outside, and I don't think it could handle the temps anyway.  I'm not ready for my first hibiscus death!

[davidwood]

Well the good thing here is you say you have new green leaves, this pretty much rules out Wilt disease which is a cause of droopy leaves. The other cause of droopy leaves is lack of water, now i don’t suppose i have winds like you but my garden is on a rooftop and i have found in strong winds my cv's need more water so it may be a case of just because it was very windy you eased up on the water and the leaves drooped, lets hope so.
May i ask where you are, you say Mid-Atlantic and i would assume you are not on a boat, or maybe you are.

[Charlie]

I agree with David - the H rosa-sinensis is not in danger right now. While inside it wants to be as warm as possible and close to a window if possible. Water before it totally dries out but indoors that may only be once or twice a week depending on how big the pot is relative to how big the plant is.

Let us know how it goes!

Charlie

[Wikibobo]

I'm in the DC area, which has had the worst summer this year in the US, according to the Weather Channel.

I totally saw the winds whipping my poor Rosa's leaves that day, and even though I'd watered again, it just wasn't perking up.  It was sitting on my back porch, which gets early afternoon to late afternoon sun.  Lucky for me -- I didn't have a bug problem this summer, and I looked at them every day to be sure. 

Will keep you guys posted!  Thanks!