When to bring them in

[helixturnhelix]

Im still trying to cope with the idea of seasons, so I am just curious as to when we should consider bringing our plants into the house.  I can see that next week it is supposed to be in the mid 60s during the day and upper 40s at night.  Do you think it is time to bring them in, or will they be ok outside for a while longer?

[Darkhorse]

I would err on the side of caution, especially if you have some teeny tinys.  I've decided that I'm going to bring all my plants in when the lows are below 50, as I have a lot of little plants that are just coming out of 4" pots.  I've heard that temps as high as 55 can damage plants if it's windy, too, and it can get pretty windy here in the bay.

[Charlie]

Yes, erring on the side of caution is wise. There always seems to be a time in fall when hibiscus suffer from tip die back. I think that the temperature drop allows some type of fungus to go active and these attack the tips of stems. It might also have to do with increased condensation that comes as temperatures drop more at night.

If you see tip dieback you should cut the stem back below the dieback. It is not a systemic infection so removing the dead tips can help stop the spread to more of the plant.

What fall means for me is that I have to start using heaters in the greenhouse to avoid the dieback problem. That is expensive so I have to choose between dealing with some dieback or spending a lot of money on costly propane. It hasn't happened yet in southern CA and won't until November but in other places like Chris in Colorado it may be time to keep them indoors.

Generally, temperatures under 50F signal that the time has come to consider more protection for the hibiscus. However, if the days are clear and sunny and quickly warm up high 40s are not usually a problem. There will come a time, though, when you have waited too long and some plants will be damaged.

Then there is the other situation where the indoor conditions are much worse than the outdoor due to lack of light - such as in a garage with no windows - and then I would be tempted to wait a bit longer until there was the threat of temps dropping into the 30s before moving them inside.

Charlie

[jpiper82]

Charlie, In my situation the garage has two windows but due to Dallas temperatures in the summer I put in low E glass with a solar film on them. Do you know what effect that will have on the plants in terms of blocking out what the plants need from the sun?

John

[Charlie]

Excellent news about the windows in the garage. I'll try to find out about the effect this type of window may have, in fact this is the second time the question has come up lately, but whatever effects it may have I feel sure that the light that does get into the garage will be of help to the plants - far better than a garage with no windows at all. I've been surprised how little light hibiscus need to stay green. Flowering is a different story but for just maintaining hibiscus a lot of light is not necessary. If one has a choice between adding more light or more warmth in winter I would say more warmth is the better choice assuming there is some light available.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

So I decided to bring mine in last night and I am glad I did it rained and snowed and rained some more...  I am really not used to this weather concept, but all the plants look pretty happy in the house.  How much sun do Acapulco gold and Saffron need to bloom?  They are both very lush but dropped all the buds they had. On the other hand Belle gets about 3 hours of sun and is covered in buds on its new growth, whereas Saffron and Acapulco gold get about 4 hours and still nothing and they were all pruned at the same time.  Do those two need bloom when they put more growth on?  Pretty open ended question but I thought I would ask.

[Charlie]

Whoa Chris, it snowed already! That is different for a southern CA boy.....

As for blooming, you will have to tell us how much sun it takes in your conditions. I have had Saffron and Acapulco Gold in the office here when they bloomed with lots of indirect sunlight plus about 2 hours of direct sun. All that light heats up the room a lot during the afternoon, and that probably has a positive effect on blooming as well. Ironically, in winter when the sun is lower on the horizon some of our windows get more direct sun than during summer when the sun is so high in the sky that it does not come in the windows.

Please keep us informed about what happens during your winter months.

Charlie

[roadrunner]

. Ironically, in winter when the sun is lower on the horizon some of our windows get more direct sun than during summer when the sun is so high in the sky that it does not come in the windows.

 

Charlie

Charlie, that is my situation with the windows. I only have north and south facing windows and the roof overhangs don't allow any direct sun inside except from late fall through very early spring when the sun gets low enough for the south facing windows. The sunlight is just starting to creep inside just a little bit now as the sun is getting lower, but there won't be enough for the hibiscus for at least another few weeks. We more often that not get a cold snap a couple of weeks before I have enough sunlight coming in the windows so it becomes a delicate balancing act for timing the hibiscus move inside. Sometimes it's a daily inside outside moving routine for a week or so.

John, my windows are tinted (Low-E 140). Most of my hibiscus bloomed fairly well last winter, but since the windows are south facing they were getting sun most of the day. I don't know what effect the tinting would have on plant growth at shorter time lengths. I've attached a few pics from last winter. Pardon the couch, it's my dogs viewing site. LOL

Chris, way too early for snow. Good grief!

dave

[helixturnhelix]

I couldnt believe there was snow intermittent with rain, but this is the mountains.  I hope that I will get to see flowers on those two cvs soon, its been about two months without any blooms

[Charlie]

Thanks for that info about the windows, Dave. I'm glad to hear the Low E 140 tinting did not seem detrimental.

Looking at your winter living room with all the hibiscus I can't help but notice how the greenery adds to the ambience of the room. I know that when we periodically take all our indoor ones outside for a few days the rooms feel very different.

Charlie