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Author Topic: Severe Summer Weather  (Read 27316 times)
Kathleen

Posts: 64


« on: June 27, 2015, 12:14:25 PM »

With all the extreme weather out there already this summer, I was wondering how everyone was coping.  From extreme drought and record heat, to torrential rain and flooding.....how are you able to keep you hibiscus alive?
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Kyle

Posts: 334



« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2015, 09:33:48 PM »

Today I heard that for the month of June in NE OH, we have had the 3rd highest rainfall recorded in history. Just because it rains doesn't mean I stop watering.    It takes lots of hard rain or a steady rain all day for water to penetrate down to the roots.   Rain can be deceiving because the top most part of the soil in the pot will look and feel wet but as you get further into the soil towards the roots it will be dry.  Last weekend it was so cold and rainy I had to bring all of my potted hibiscus inside.  This isn't something I usually do until Sept  or Oct.    When the sun doesn't shine for a couple days and then we get a bright sunny day, the tops of the hibiscus will wilt and not benefit from a nice day.   It will take a few days to acclimate my hibiscus again when they return outside if the weather cooperates.
With the Jet Stream still in winter pattern, somewhere someone is benefiting from all of this.   All I know is the summer solstice has come and gone and the days will be getting shorter and the sun will not be as high in the sky.   
Kyle
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Brenden

Posts: 96



« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2015, 07:11:03 AM »

Yea, Kyle I am up here in Mid Michigan, and good GOD have we seen water!!!!  First year actually doing a really intense garden, just to have 70% die from flooding....
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Brenden
Charlie
Administrator
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Posts: 3646



« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2015, 04:14:35 PM »

Good points, Kyle.

Charlie
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Kathleen

Posts: 64


« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2015, 11:35:27 AM »

It's about 95 deg. here in Florida's Tampa Bay area.  July, August and Sept are the hottest months of the year and I think it is taking its toll on my Hibiscus.  They aren't getting may buds now and the buds that do come are dropping off while still tiny.  I keep looking at the pictures others are posting of their beautiful blooms and wondering what I am doing wrong.  Perhaps, at least during this time of the year, I should move them to where they get less direct sun???  Do any of you southern growers, who must be dealing with the same thing, have any suggestions?

Kathleen
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Kyle

Posts: 334



« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2015, 09:56:36 PM »

Kathleen,
95f is definitely very hot and with the humidity being so high in FL it's like a steam bath down there with a heat factor up to 115f.    When I lived in FL it was 90f by 8am in the summer and still 90f at 9pm.
What I'm getting at is water, water, water, water,water water, water, and then water more.
When it's this hot I stick with the minimum dose of fertilizer like 1/2tsp per gallon.    
Its hard to say what the cause of the bud drop is because there are so many factors that can contribute to bud drop.    With so many unknowns given in your situation, I can only speculate the cause of bud drop.       My experience with bud drop is it happens to me when a hibiscus has pest or when it's watered to often.   Bud drop can also happen from the roots drying out or a sudden change in weather or conditions.   Bud drop can happen from excessive heat.
We may be able to determine if the heat has something to do with  your bud drop.     How were your hibiscus doing over the winter and spring?   If your hibiscus were thriving in the spring with many flowers opening, then I would say yes the heat has something to do with bud drop now.  However if you were not getting tons of flowers in the spring when it was cooler,then the heat is likely not the culprit for your bud drop now.  Pest are a major issue in Fl and need to be tended to every day until the pest are under control.     Spider mites can be difficult to spot on a hibiscus when they are microscopic.
Look at your hibiscus very closely.     Check under the leaves for little tiny dots.   Look for webbing around the stems or under the leaves.   Spider mites can also cause yellow leaves and shut down a hibiscus.
Like I was saying 95f is hot!  You may need to water 3 times a day early morning, afternoon, and at dusk if you keep them in the sun.  If you move your plants into the shade you may only need to water twice a day.     If you ever get a chance to look at a hibiscus flower under a low power microscope, you will see that the flower is mainly made up of water.  I live up north,  it's 80f and I water twice a day unless it pouring rain.  
Kyle




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Doll

Posts: 1036


Houston, Texas


« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2015, 07:57:58 AM »

Not sure what varieties you are trying to grow. Some varieties tolerate heat better than others. The ones I have had best luck with are:
Cindy's Heart
High Voltage
Rainbow Sherbert
Hot Pepper
Wild Grape
Purple Moon
Canary Song
Tahitian Magenta Double Star - one of Darren's cultivars

Also, are you growing them in pots or in the ground? I have found it much easier to plant them in the ground and protect them in our mild winters from freezing temps.
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I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could.
farmer d
Farmer D

Posts: 5573


Hollywood, CA


« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2015, 02:47:11 PM »

Hi Kathleen,

Don't think you are doing something wrong.  The summer months in Florida are very challenging and it is common to see mass bud drop and your lowest production of blooms is this time of year.  

Gil Friedman who lives in north Miami has been growing over 200 hibiscus for several years now and every year this time same thing.  He gets a lot of rain everyday so he uses a soil mix that is mostly peat and perlite to give maximum drainage.  That has mostly stopped root rot on his plants due to these heavy daily rains.

Also he has horrible pest problems which leads to mass bud drop.  Thrips, spider mites, cotton weavils - you name it Florida has it.  He sprays the most potent miticides and insecticides and they still come back in great numbers during this stretch.

Just be patient and do your best to keep learning how to keep your plants healthy and strong so once the weather cools down your plants will take off and start blooming a lot again.  

I would say based on what I have seen from Gil that Nov - May are the good months in Florida.

Farmer D
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Kathleen

Posts: 64


« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2015, 04:53:50 PM »

Thank you Doll, Kyle and Farmer D.  I appreciate all the great input.  I think I have the water thing under control...at least until the heavy rains start, usually in August and September.....then I'll be trying to keep my plants from root rot.  I switched my potting soil, based upon recommendation from the Forum and I am now using pots with drainage holes on the side instead of the bottom of the pot.  They seem to drain better.  I have been very careful to keep a close watch for spider mites and such.  I've lost some leaves but, for the most part, have been able to keep the pests at bay.  (Neam Oil)  I went ahead and added some Iron to the pots about 2 weeks ago and that seems to have helped a lot with my "light green/yellow" leaf problem.

I have most of the plants in an area where they get about 3 - 31/2 hours of direct sun.  Unfortunately, it's during the hottest part of the day.  I think some of they are  getting burnt leaves as a result.  Either that or it is fertilizer burn.  I am going to stop using Boost until the fall and see if that helps. Do you think I should move some of them under a tree?  Are there some varieties that like more sun than others?  How do I know this without trial and error and risking killing my plants?

I've got a long way to go..... 

Kathleen
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