|
Cindy
|
 |
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2009, 06:00:47 AM » |
|
OK, speaking for San Diego, California and my own experience..... I think they would all prefer to be outside in the optimum climate: 80-85 degree days, 65-75 degree nights. Until nights drop below 50, most of them would still prefer to be outside as much as they can. They will bud up more rapidly outside with more sun, and you'll get more flowers.
Once nights get below 50, I think they would all like to come inside, even if they don't get as much sun as they like. As long as they have the proper indoor nutritional support, with less sun, the leaves will grow bigger and darker green as the plant increases its chlorophyll so it can photosynthesize more with less sun. So the bushes look really lush inside. They will tend to bloom out all the buds they developed while they were still outside. If you have a sunny window inside, they'll make more flowers. If you don't have a sunny window, they'll grow a more lush bush. When I have a sick plant, I put it in my least sunny window on purpose to help it concentrate on growing the bush and to prevent the stress of flowering.
If you keep plants outside until nights drop to 40, they'll start to lose leaves, stop growing, and go semi-dormant. You risk losing some of the trickier plants or some of your younger plants.
Ideally, if you're really energetic, you could move your plants in and out (NO WAY DO I HAVE TIME TO DO THIS!!!!!!!!!! GEEZ!!!!!!!!!!!) But in the best of all worlds, our hibs would love to go outside on a warm winter day and come back in at night. But of course, most of us can't manage that!
The differences in sun tolerance apply more to hot sun and hot climates, I think.
Sleeping Beauty is one of the hibs that likes more shade, but it still likes to get an hour of direct sunlight every day in order to flower. Sun-lovers like Saffron and Acapulco Gold would want to get at least a couple of hours of direct sun every day to bud up and flower. So you might want to keep them outside longer than Sleeping Beauty, but not so long you risk damaging them in the cold.
If you have a hibiscus we call "tricky" at all, don't risk the cold! We have an old, really tricky cultivar called "Ring of Fire" whose branch tips would die if temps just barely hit 40! I had to bring it in the house and nurse it back to health far from any window for 2 years after temps dropped to 40 or 41 degrees! Needless to say, we don't grow that cv anymore. But any hib that is undergoing stress can have an extra strong reaction to cold. So warmth is very important. Sun is nice for budding and blooming, but warmth is a necessity for basic health for hibs.
Does this make sense?
Cindy
|
