News from Hidden Valley Hibiscus

Greetings one and all!

We apologize for having to cancel our May Open House, and hope this doesn't inconvenience any of our local customers! We should be in better shape by the end of June and look forward to seeing all those who can make it then. Thank you to all of you for your understanding and for all the orders that have sold out so many of our hibiscus plants! For those who cannot make it to an Open House, there will be lots of rare and beautiful varieties available from the online store this summer.

Spring shipping is fully underway, and about half of the spring orders have been shipped now. We expect to have all orders shipped by the end of May, with the exception of a few of the rarest or newest plants that may not ship until June.

Our first article this month introduces An Even Better Pest Control Product that protects against the new resistant whiteflies and has other important benefits. Read about this new systemic product in our article below.

Spring is finally arriving in most of the country now, so if your plants haven't perked up on their own, it's time to take some measure to Wake Up Your Hibiscus! If your hibiscus were stressed in the winter by very cold weather, then it's especially important to help them come back out of dormancy as quickly as possible. Just the act of growing gives a plant more vigor, so the sooner a weakened plant starts growing again, the stronger it will become.

As always, we end with our newest Seedling of the Month.

Happy Spring to all!

Charles and Cindy Black

Why is it better than Bayer's Tree and Shrub, the systemic product that we have recommended for several years?

1. It is effective against the imidacloprid-resistant white flies that are becoming more and more common. Imidacloprid, the systemic ingredient in Bayer's Tree and Shrub, has been used extensively by growers and the public for the last decade. As expected, insects like white flies are slowly becoming resistant to it. "Tree and Shrub with Safari" contains a different systemic ingredient, called dinotefuron, which is similar to imidacloprid in that it is also a neonicotinoid (reduced risk pesticide based on the chemistry of nicotine). However, despite the similarity, Safari remains deadly to white flies that have become resistant to imidacloprid.

2. Safari does not stimulate egg laying by spider mites the way that imidacloprid does, which can be of major importance to hibiscus growers. We have known for years, long before Bayer admitted it, that we must watch for spider mites immediately following use of imidacloprid (Bayer Tree and Shrub). If we didn't do so, a major spider mite outbreak could follow. That is NOT the case with Safari, which alone is a big reason to switch to this product.

3. Safari also controls some of the most difficult to control pests, such as mealybugs and scale, better than imidacloprid does. These difficult pests may still require a multi-prong approach, such as spraying with horticultural oil and/or limonene, but Safari makes it easier to deal with them should they ever invade your yard.

4. Tree & Shrub with Safari comes as a granular product - no mixing in water is required. You simply measure out the amount needed and place it in the pot or on the ground over the roots of the hibiscus. You then pour water over it and it quickly dissolves and is moved into the root zone. It is drawn up through the roots into the hibiscus and any sap sucking insect that feeds on the hibiscus is killed by the Safari. No clean up is needed as with Bayers Tree and Shrub which is mixed in a container and then poured into the root zone.

5. Tree & Shrub with Safari comes with directions for use with in ground trees and shrubs and also directions for use in potted plants. Bayer instructions do not include directions for potted plants which was always something of a problem for users.

We don't want to go so far as to say not to use Bayer's Tree and Shrub. This is still a very effective product for controlling most sap-sucking insects. It is also available in a smaller container for less cost than the Tree and Shrub with Safari. However, once you are finished with your Bayer Tree and Shrub, we do recommend that you consider switching to Tree and Shrub with Safari. If you have had a lot of trouble with spider mites or if the Bayer product has not controlled whiteflies for you, then for sure you will want to switch to the Tree and Shrub with Safari.

Click here for more information on Tree & Shrub with Safari.

When hibiscus are dormant, they are not making the right hormones to cause growth to happen. This happens when they are living in a situation that is not normal for them - anyplace with very cool or cold winter temperatures and short days. To help them re-establish their normal hormone production and begin growth, we can treat them with plant hormones. Our favorite way to do this is to spray them with a combination of natural hormones and growth co-factors. We mix 1 teaspoon of Growth Enhancer into a bottle of HVH Wake-up Spray and spray all our garden hibiscus with this potent combination twice in May. For particularly stubborn plants, we repeat more than twice. This cocktail of beneficial plant stimulants starts the recovery, and visible results usually appear within two weeks of treating the plants.

Nutrition

To support the new growth that the plant hormones will stimulate, it is important that the hibiscus have the food it will need to grow. There are no better hibiscus fertilizers than the HVH Special Blend and the HVH Acid Blend (for use in areas where the water has higher than normal alkalinity and pH). Once the hibiscus are growing well and blooming is about to start you can also use the HVH Booster which will help the hibiscus bloom with bigger and more colorful flowers.

'Robin Hood' Triplets

Water

Remember, hibiscus drink their nutrients, and use water in many other ways to stay alive and thrive. When the weather is cool or overcast water needs are low, but as soon as the sun comes out and temperatures warm toward the 80's, hibiscus need a lot more water. If they do not get the water they need, they won't grow much or bloom much. If your plants are watered by timer, this device needs to be adjusted several times as we move from winter to summer. If you water them by hand you need to adjust your schedule so that they receive more water when they need it. Don't drown them, of course, but thoroughly water when you do water and water again before the soil dries out completely.

Location

If your plants are in pots you have options on where to place the pot. The hibiscus need warmth and light to pull out of winter doldrums. When you move them to the warmest location available also consider the amount of sunlight they had during the winter. If they go from indoors to outdoors, for instance, there is a chance the leaves will sunburn in the direct sun. Hibiscus show sunburn as white patches on the leaves. If you see this or suspect the change in light is too much, then only place them outside for an hour the first day and then slowly increase the time they are in the sun. You can also do this early or late in the day instead of mid-day to avoid the strongest rays of the sun.

Follow the above guidelines and your plants should transition to summer growth and blooms quickly and relatively painlessly. Share your experiences with others on the hibiscus forum. We'd love to hear from you.

 

Hibiscus 'Sea of Tranquility'

Seedling of the Month...

'Sea of Tranquility'

'Sea of Tranquility,' our seedling of the month, blooms with luminescent 6-8" soft blue and yellow single flowers that made us think of the lunar Sea of Tranquility. Its parents are the well known hibiscus varieties 'Crème de Cacao' and 'Moon Madness.' 'Sea of Tranquility' will be available in limited quantities this summer, with more coming next year.

Do you want to follow the progress of new varieties being developed by the HVH hybridizing program in 2010? See the photos of seedling plant's first blooms and read Charles' comments about them in the 2010 Hybrids/Seedlings section of the HVH Forum.

Hibiscus 'Sea of Tranquility' Twins