Potting Soil

[Kathleen]

I have lost about 5 of my new Hibiscus plants this year.  As always, we had a very wet August and September here in Florida.  I think my soil was just too heavy and stayed too wet.  I want to order new plants for the spring, but I don't want to keep buying plants that die.  Can anyone suggest a soil mixture that will improve my chances that might be available in Lowes or Home Depot?

Thanks to all and Happy New Year growing the most beautiful plants ever.

Kathleen

[Jonathan]

i always use the soil here available at hvh.

[Charlie]

Kathleen,

Miracle Grow potting mix is probably the best of the ones available at mass market stores but its not all that great. Do you have smaller independent nurseries or garden centers in your area? Most of them carry premium brands of potting mix that will be much better for your hibiscus. Ask to talk to the manager or other experienced horticulturist or licensed nurseryman at the nursery.

Charlie

[Gil]

Hi Kathleen,

I also live in Florida. Yes, the Summers can be wet. That's why you need a mix that dries out quickly. I was unable to keep plants in small pots, because if it didn't rain, they would need more than once a day watering.

I place 3 plants (many were 6 inch) into a 24 inch pot.
This is the mix I use from Home Depot. I buy a 3 cu ft bag, but they do come smaller.
My guess, it's 90% peat moss, 10% perlite. Dries very fast! In the sun, I'm watering daily. In the shade, maybe every other, or 3rd day
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lambert-3-cu-ft-Loose-Potting-Mix-141071/202521363

Using this mix, with HVH spec blend, booster and SuperNova daily, 30 plants (10 pots) grew to 6-8 feet in 1.5 years!

[Gil]

Here are some of my pots

[Kyle]

Don't forget about adding beneficials when making your own potting media like earthworm castings.    If you are in a hot sunny climate adding organic matter and Beneficial's will help retain water and create an ecosystem in the pot.     Some nurseries make there own potting soil add compost and make it available to the public just ask for it.  
Due to my difficult cool,wet,shady conditions, drainage and porosity is important.   Personally I re comend the potting media available from hvh.  

[Kathleen]

Thanks to all for your recommendations.  If I could get results like the ones Gil showed in his photo's I would be thrilled.  I have a hard time just keeping the plant alive, let alone thriving.  I have all three of the HVH products you mentioned.  I use Super Blend and SuperNova daily, but I only use Booster once a month.  I still have plants dying.  I am going to order worm castings as Kyle suggested when I repot in the spring.  The only thing I can think of is the soil....maybe I shouldn't wait until spring.

Thanks again,

Kathleen

[Kyle]

Kathleen
Keep in mind you can have the most perfect potting media on the planet but if you overwater or as I call it "water to often" you push the air out of the soil to often and the soil turns into cement,  plant wilts and eventually dies.    I have done it before after pruning when little foliage is left on the plant at the peak of winter solstice.     These exotic hybrids  are fussy about to much water, not enough water,  and climate changes to.  Take a real close look at what your doing and try to understand the feedback and reactions from your plants.
We can't have you lose any more of your hibiscus again.   The forum is here for your help and the hvh moderators are  some of the best in the business. 

[Kathleen]

Kyle - That is a very good point.  I have noticed that most of the plants I have lost have started to go down hill after a heavy rain...which is why I want to make sure I am using a soil that drains well.  Not much I can do about how much rain they get though.  During the summer months I often don't water at all because we get heavy rain almost every day .... which then means they aren't getting fertilizer, or it just washes through.  What if I cover the to of the pot so the rain doesn't get into the soil?   Would that be a problem with air flow?  I ordered some plants yesterday when the HVH online store opened.  I hope to get this figured out before they come.

Thanks - Kathleen

[Charlie]

You could cover the soil but if you leave the cover on all the time you are likely to get some weird mold growth underneath. The type of time release fertilizer we sell from the web site is made to release the fertilizer depending on temperature, not the amount of water that passes over it. It would be suitable for using on hibiscus that receive a lot of rain.

Charlie

[Kyle]

Kathleen,
I have covered my pots in the past but only because i had just watered them that day and unexpected heavy rains were falling.  After the rain finished, I uncovered them and emptied the trays so the roots don't drown.    I use trays to keep the floor dry  and free of algae but I usually need to empty trays after it rains which is not fun.     A tray can also act as a very bad thing because it doesn't allow the water to drain out and could suffocate the roots.   My houseplants in 4" pots love the trays because they draw up water in a days time on there own which helps them from drying out to quickly.
Charlies idea about using time released fertilizer on top is great for your situation. When I lived in S. Fl  the plants in ground and in pots  grew so big and so fast they needed a constant supply of nitrogen to keep them looking nice and green and time released granules was beneficial.
I also like to use the Acid Blend fertilizer before a rainy weekend or after much rain has fallen but only after the soil dries up but never completely out.