Wake Up Spray and narcoleptic hibiscus

[Paul]

Hello fellow hibiscateers. I have a question about using wake up spray. I have four hibiscus that had a rough time being indoors over the winter, despite grow lights, indoor formula fertilizer, etc... Making sure that they weren't goners, I did the scratch test, and they all had healthy green flesh under the bark. So I began using the wake up spray back at the end of March, using the product as directed.  Well the only one that has really produced results is Scarlet Beauty. The other three haven't done a darn thing. I have even added Super Nova to the mix, hoping that would be the boost that they needed. Still nothing. I took these photos today of the three narcoleptic hibiscus (a month and a half after starting the wake up spray). They still show healthy green flesh under the bark... so they are still alive. The problem is I am out of wake up spray, which really hasn't done anything anyways. So my question is, should I order more or are they all lost causes?

Photo 1) My problem children. Meet Sugar Plum, Miss Fantasy, and Peppermint Drop
2) Scratch Test one
3) Scratch Test two
4) Scarlet Beauty showing some growth.

[Charlie]

Hi Paul,

The Wake-up spray works best when it can be absorbed through the leaves. It does not get into the plant when sprayed only on the stems and should not be used as a root drench.

In cases like this, when there are no leaves, HVH Growth Enhancer (Supernova) works better. Until you get new growth, try watering with 2 teaspoons of HVH Special Blend fertilizer and 2 tablespoons of Supernova mixed in 1 gallon of water.

The most important thing for getting new growth is warmth  -warm nights and hot days. I think you are in West Virginia - has it warmed up there yet? Particularly nights as cold nights can hold back new growth even with warm days.

Anyway, water with this potent formula until new growth occurs and keep the plants in the warmest place possible. Once the plants start growing, ease off on the Supernova to 1 tablespoon but keep fertilizing at 2 teaspoons per gallon with every watering.

Let us know what happens!

Charlie

[stplong]

Paul,

I would like to make a suggestion, in the future use supernova during the winter monthes because it seems to work for me and I live in Ohio.


Patrick

[farmer d]

Hi Paul:

My experience when the wood is still green but no leaves is they need a lot more heat to finally trigger the wake up and produce new leaves again.  Ones that had a tough winter and completely shut down and look just like yours I go so far as to dig mine out of the ground (and repot) and place in a make shift plastic covered plant rack with a couple of 2 ft 4 bulb T-5 light fixtures.  These by themselves create quite a bit of heat and then also being my covered plant rack is in my garage it gets further heated up each day by the afternoon sun so it gets into the mid 80s to high 90s inside the rack with humidity from 70%+.  I have a digital temp/humidity gauge in there.  You can add heat mats too but I am wary of drying out the soil from bottom up when in pots.

I also covered the bottom of the rack with bubble wrap and taped it almost air tight (the plastic cover has zippers to gain access).  It won't work if the bottom is open unless your outside climate is always quite humid day and night.  The cost for the rack and lights is a little high to start but when you start resuscitating or saving those that got hit by winter shutdowns it starts to pay you back from losing your original purchase price of each plant saved plus costs of all the time and fert/soil used to grow them beforehand too.

The results are pretty amazing.  I recently placed my Beautiful Desire and T Lavender Rainbow plants in there and the very next day BD had little green nodes appear which quickly started leafing so it was already close to the waking point.  My TLR which looked like a total goner with two little twigs hardly six inches long started to show green nodes a week after placing it in there.

Unfortunately I am out of town currently or I would post some pics.  I am eager to see what they look like when I get back.

Also my experience is the wake up spray and Supernova spraying have no effect when the plant is void of any leaves.  They need prime environmental conditions at this point to wake up and go light on watering until you get some sizeable leaves going too.

If pics help let me know and I'll post some when I am back.

Farmer D

[Charlie]

Good suggestions, all around. Patrick, Supernova was originally developed as a cold resistance treatment so I'm not surprised that it has helped your hibiscus in winter.

Charlie

[Ernest]

Thanks to Charlie, Patrick, and Darren for the helpful advice. Darren, given how hot my garage gets in the summer, I'm thinking of setting up a hibiscus Intensive Care Unit along the lines you describe.

Erny

[Paul]

Thank you Charlie, Patrick, and Farmer D! I appreciate your time and the advice! I will try watering with the concentrated Super Nova, and I'll see about setting up some sort of hot box to see if I can get better results.

Yes Charlie, I am in West Virginia. We have had mostly a warmer than normal spring. I had kept my plants inside until the low temps were 50 or above. I did have to bring them inside this past Sunday and Monday when we had a weird cold snap and there were freeze warnings. But I will try bringing those three back inside and figure out a way to give them a hotter environment (along with the stronger Super Nova dose). All of my other plants are doing great!

Where in Ohio, Patrick? I have family there.

Farmer D.  I think I already have most of the materials you have listed, including the lights which I used this past winter. I think I can set up something similar to what you describe. I will try to create a makeshift incubator this weekend.

Thanks again everyone! It's hard to lose a hibiscus (or three) that you love, especially when they are rare and hard to replace. I appreciate the advice!

[farmer d]

Sounds good Paul!  One other thing that helps me get the humidity up in my covered rack is I have a seedling tray with a large reservoir of water in it that provides constant moisture.  I average around 87% humidity which is a little high but in dry So Cal I haven't had any problems with molds or mildew.  Also makes it possible to be out of town for three weeks and not worry about it too.

If it gets too hot inside it during the day (100F+) I just switch my timer to turn on the lights only at night.

Farmer D