Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

I am about 12hours ahead of you here in Vietnam so its 2012 already.
A very nice Rainbow Sherbert to start the year, huge bright colourful blooms and my favourite cv.

                           *** Happy New Year ***

Fantastic, David!  And thanks for starting the 2012 Hibiscus Photos of the Day. Note that I changed the Board name this year from Hibiscus Flower Photos of the Day to Hibiscus Photos of the Day. This due to the many great bush photos that we all are finding instructive as well as the great flower pics.

Charlie

Those Rainbow Sherbert blooms are just perfect. The whole plant is! Happy New Year!

HI David - Happy New Year to you!  That pic is gorgeous.  What pretty blooms.

Late arrivals today, Perpermint Drop Bright Horizon and Hot Pepper.

Nice pics David I am loving your pics  :)  happy new year to everyone

Beautiful blooms David. My Peppermint Drop is solid red now but still beautiful. Looking forward to seeing its warm weather colors.

Here are a couple of pics of Flickering Flame aka "Late December mystery" and one of Ruby Tuesday.

dave

Happy New Year to everyone!!!  Good times here in Hollywood with a serial arsonist and temps today of about 80F (26C).

Dave it never even crossed my mind that that was Flickering Flame!  I am so used to how mine look...it is amazing and exciting how each CV can vary so much with the unique environmental conditions it grows in.  Yours is absolutely beautiful.

David Wood your most recent Pocahontas has finally convinced me to get my first brown CV (when available again).  How would you describe the bush and vigor of it?

Today I now have 11 blooms at once on Acapulco Gold and a killer bloom from Valentines Day.
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/ValentinesDay1-1.jpg)

Black Dream - the dark side of the hibiscus force...
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/BlackDream1-12.jpg)

Farmer D

come on - Tahitian Lavender Rainbow now looks like something so different I don't know what to think anymore...

Farmer D

Nice Blooms Darren! 

I am glad you are trying out some brown CVs :)  Pocahontas has an amazingly nice compact and well branched bush.   Charlie describes its growth habit more here:

http://www.hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com/forum/index.php/topic,392.0.html

Thanks Kerry, I am having a bit of a Golden period at the moment and will have a heap more later today, I need to clean the garden first, still rainy season here and makes a right mess, also I have my daily battle with Mealy bugs beetles and caterpillars which I have to tackle each day.
I just wish more people would join the Forum and post pictures, there must be loads get bought and we never see again, its a shame as its great fun and so enjoyable.

David Wood your most recent Pocahontas has finally convinced me to get my first brown CV (when available again).  How would you describe the bush and vigor of it?
Farmer D
[/quote]
Darren its a wonderfull bush, very compact, a bit on the smaller side than most of my others but in your garden will probably be much bigger.

Hi everybody If you like browns I sure do like this one , It's the second day for this flower . It's Brassy Blonde
(http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/Hibiscus%20flowers/Picture1-1.png)

A few nice blooms today, Magnifique and Thanksgiving looking very nice.

Darren I have it as well , I agree with David. I may actually put mine in the ground so I will see how that goes. Mine is smaller than davids ATM. some of the hibiscus I bought from a local collector where a bit neglected so I am turning them around slowly. I will take pics of the plant Tuesday.

Looking forward to seeing that Dave, wonder if your bush will be like mine, its by far and away the most compact cv I have [bit to compact sometime], sometimes I will examine it and find a bloom growing inside that you cant really see by just looking at it, I would normally start thinking about pruning soon but PD just doesn't need it so I will let it go for now. Also another interesting thing about PD is the red colour, outside its more of a wine color but if I cut the bloom and bring it in its soon a much lighter red as below.
 I think you are really going to enjoy this cv.

David I should find a way to come to Vietnam just to see your garden. Stunning just doesn't seem to convey how beautiful it is. I wish my Magnifique was half as nice as yours. It wilted badly on a cool night and has yet to recover so I may end up losing it this time.

Darren looking at some news reports on the net this morning it appears you may have a team of arsonist at work out there.  That is downright terrifying to me.  Life is pretty stressful without that kind of garbage to deal with. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night with anything like that going on. Hope they get those idiots soon.

Mike a very interesting and beautiful Brassy Blonde. Will be glad when mine starts getting some buds.

David the clean and beautiful look of your rooftop garden is magnificent. Makes me also think about going to Vietnam---something I definitely didn't want to do when  I was in the army in the late 1960s.

Here are a few photos from today:The Path and its bush, Black Dream, and Living Legend with a petaloid (first one I've seen on it).

Erny

A few more: my first Electric Orange (planted in September)--looks quite red but it opened while I was gone so I can't say exactly how old it is though I do know it is at least three days. Jazz, Lovely Lil, and a bud on my King Protea that should be a magnificent flower in about a month.

Erny and Dave you should come, Nha Trang is a great place for a holiday and of course it would make my year if I thought someone was coming to see my garden.
Erny you will get a lot of joy out of Electric Orange, on any given day it can be anything from bright red to bright orange depending on the sun, its also very easy to get cuttings from so I have took a few and will be spreading them around.

Erny very interesting we have the same CVs blooming and wow do they look the same (LL & BD).  I am gong crazy over BD with the darkness of the blooms.  On facebook they are a real big hit with other hibiscus lovers around the globe.

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/BlackDreamTriplets1-2.jpg)

Farmer D

a few more...Dave good news they caught the suspected arsonist who set more than 50 fires apparently.

Farmer D

I am crazy about your DARK DARK DARK Black Dream blooms too!  Up here in the cool PNW, this is probably the usual look for them, so that makes me really happy as it is my favorite look! 

Erny, your yard looks fantastic!  I cant wait to see the renovations you make this spring :) :) :)

Darren, like you i am loving the very dark "wet" look I am getting from all my Black Dreams--two in the ground and one in a pot. It doesn't seem to be the least bit bothered by the relatively cold weather we had in mid-December. Glad to hear they have apparently caught the arsonist.

Chris my fingers are itching for a shovel to begin digging out some of my lawn to create more planting space. With the 16 cvs ordered from the store opening on Dec 30 plus the seven still in pots received a couple of months ago I should have no trouble filling the available space.

Erny

Very sunny today so I had to bring Magnifique in to photo it, Electric Orange looking nice and Sherlocks Mystery with a nice deep red colour.

David those 3 look are looking great. I wish I could get my Magnifique to bloom like yours. It is beautiful.

Darren great news about that arsonist being arrested.
Your Black Dream is incredible. I wish there had been some available in the 4" size in the store reopening. Kinda financially strapped here. lol. Space is gone here too, but I bought a few anyway hoping I figure something out before they get here. Corazon was there for the taking and I hesitated because of the space issues and missed it.

Ernest yours are looking great. I'm envious of your and Darren's climate. I wish I could plant several of mine in the ground. It would help with the space issues at least temporarily. Having about 100 all in containers is getting to be a major challenge.

dave

David- Your Magnifique is looking so nice these past few days. It's taunting me as I was seriously considering it on Opening Day and didn't do it. Isn't it funny with hibiscus you never experience buyer's remorse, but instead non-buyer's remorse? Haha.

David your blooms are constantly show case quality - just marvelous!

Well we got a first timer today and I've been really curious as to what this one might look like.  Big Oaf in all it's glory...not bad for a mid-winter bloom.  Very heavy and waxy with a lot of strength in it.  Looking forward to it blooming more after some growing season weather.

Interesting Ay Caramba that was housing a stupid eerwig that made the bloom all screwy but pretty colors none the less.

Currently have 20 blooms on COF, 11 on VD, 10 on HP, 11 on AG and 22 on BD.  Yep that'll git'er done - thanks SN!

Oh Dave (AZ) check out the Flickering Flame bloom - looks awefully similar...

Farmer D

some more....1st Big Oaf right after opening in the shade, second early afternoon.

Farmer D

Very nice Darren, but Big Oaf ha ha, I think I would have called it Raspberry Twirl, maybe its just that my mum used to call me a a big oaf, I am extremely clumsy mind.

David I agree with you for how it looks now.  It is supposed to eventually bloom in the 10-12" range so then we'll really see if it lives up to it's name.  I'm a total clutz too so how could I have not have one with my name sake although I would say I'm a medium sized oaf though...so if it blooms in the medium sized range...

Some more pics from today...late afternoon seems to be the best time for pics here when there is no direct sunlight.

All those buds on VD are finally starting to go.  It's interesting that if I can get one to open (in this case manually) it signals the rest of the plant to open up the others on it's own.  Anyone else seen that too?

Farmer D

Great blooms everyone...Ive only had a couple and been so busy have not had a chance to post them....I had a lot of blooms but it was so cold and windy for almost a month that they just fell off....darren I am spraying every day....trying to help my hibs make it through the rest of winter....the weather is so nice now...in the upper 80's....Darren I got prosperity in the store opening...and got a black dream today in the 2 gallon... ;D...I also have big oaf....I have it indoors..its doing really good.. growing like crazy...and I finally have a couple small buds forming....David this is the best I have seen your hibs look...just beautiful....luv peppermint drop...I thought of getting one but already have a cherry apaloosa coming in spring...I think they are pretty similar........lynette

Many blooms again today, Acapulco Gold with one of its cuttings in the rear, a nice Cranberry Muffin and my favourite at the moment Sherlocks Mystery, the photo just does not do this bloom justice, its lovely.
But all my cv's as lovely as they are at the moment[thanks Lynett] are taking second place to the pod under my Saffron bloom, I think I look at it every hour and its well into its second week and perfectly green, not sure when I can relax and start to think it will be ok, the other 17 have all failed.

Although I have had hibiscus in the ground for several years, I was ignorant about the need for fertilizer etc and thus had few blooms. Now that I am paying attention I am struck by how different the blooms look at different times and different weather conditions. Here are some from today: Donna Lynn looks completely different from the way it was last week--I never would have recognized it; Mr. Ace showing a much paler blue tint; a very red Belle du Jour--again I wouldn't have recognized it; Living Legend minus most of the bright red it had a month ago; Me Oh My Oh; and finally, the exception to the rule--Black Dream--the gift that keeps on giving.

Very nice Erny, it will be like you have a new garden. Not sure if you are just using fertiliser or you are adding Booster as well, the Booster makes a huge difference, bigger and more blooms for sure.

Ahh, so is Booster your secret, David? Your colors are stunning!
Darren, do you use Booster as well?

Acapulco Gold blooming well today, 9 blooms and thats a record for me, a few other blooms as well but AC is the real eye catcher even in the pouring rain.

Thanks David. I've been using HVH Special Blend and Booster together (half and half) for the past few months now. If I can get my plants looking half as good as yours, I'll be quite pleased.

Erny

That 9 bloom AG is crazy! I love it.

Everyone's pictures brighten up my day. I can't wait for spring to arrive.

Funny you should ask Denise.  I believe a little before you joined we had a little uproar on the forum over how much fert and booster one might use and how often.  I was on the extreme high end of that at the time. 

Again since mine are in ground all year round with heavy wet clay soil I am able to really go overboard with both.  I was also trying to maximize growth in my plants to get them much bigger so this winter they wouldn't struggle so much and shut down like last winter.  The bigger and more mature the less issues and it was hard this summer getting strong growth being so cool here in So Cal for 2011.

It worked really well and my biggest take away from all of it was that the booster really allows your plant to absorb much more water and nutrients.  Mine kept getting yellow leaves anytime I watered but once I started adding the booster to the fert mix that stopped and the plants really took off.

It's a whole different ball game with potted plants so be very careful with how much you experiment with.  I find that spraying with SN seems to be the key to keeping your plants in growth and budding mode 24-7.  Of course they need to be feed too on a regular basis. 

Right now in winter I am at a point where I can't even water mine anymore as I did last week and the amount of yellow leaves I got all of a sudden was astounding (with Bonnie Lass leading the way).  They don't want much right now and also the effect of the booster has probably worn off so they are again sensitive to water.

My new adventure come spring will be to change out the soil on many of my cvs with higher quality organic soil and feed them mycorrhizae to really strengthen the root systems and bring back more of a natural synergistic microbial soil environment (Kontos and ferts worked well but I can never find anymore earthworms and other stuff in the soil which used to be so prevalent).

But I am only a novice so lots of experimenting and learning I'm sure then.

Farmer D

Erny your blooms look awesome.  Really pretty for the middle of winter.  Keep spraying and I know you'll just keep getting more and more blooms.  And I can't wait till summer - I bet your plants will be covered in buds and you'll be going bonkers!!

David Wood your blooms are amazing.  Can we just agree right now that Acapulco Gold is probably one of the best CVs out there based on the fact it is so easy to grow and it is a super prolific bloomer.  Have you had so many blooms on at once?  Did you even think you would get that many?  I can't wait to see how many more you get as your plants keep maturing and we all keep figuring stuff out continuously.  What a way to start off 2012!!

Mine today coincidentally has 9 blooms also but I am all the way on the other side of the spectrum with hardly any color now from the cold.  I bet we like each other's more than our own currently...

Farmer D

Alright - we have been in the 80s F now for almost a week and a lot of those buds are finally opening.  I also stopped spraying just during this warm spell to let those black spots of fungus dry up and I also figure with the warmth and sunshine the plants aren't going to shutdown just yet.

Dave (AZ) it is uncanny how my Flickering Flame is following yours to a tee.  Now mine has a pretty orange border as well - just lovely.

Also Tahitian Lavender Rainbow is really quite a beautiful bloom - large size and very delicate in both color and petals.  Still wish it would look like the advertised pics.

Enjoy!

Farmer D

some more...

Farmer D

oh-oh some more....

Farmer D

sorry last one...everyone should come out and visit LA right now the weather is finally normal and just gorgeous.  Next week mid 70s F (24C) all week with lows in high 40s (9C).

Farmer D

David Wood your blooms are amazing.  Can we just agree right now that Acapulco Gold is probably one of the best CVs out there based on the fact it is so easy to grow and it is a super prolific bloomer.  Have you had so many blooms on at once?  Did you even think you would get that many?  I can't wait to see how many more you get as your plants keep maturing and we all keep figuring stuff out continuously.  What a way to start off 2012!!
Farmer D
[/quote]
Very interesting Darren, for sure Acapulco Gold takes some beating, everyone who sees one bloom loves it never mind 9 blooms, if it has one drawback its the branching, they are not that strong for me and to get it the shape I want I have had to stake and tie quite a bit, on a scale of 1 to 10 for the bush I would give it a 6 where as say Bright Horizon Transcendent and Cosmic Gold I would give a 10, Peppermint Drop Bridal Path a 9, so a 6 for AC is quite low, saying that its still fantastic and I think the bloom a sure fire 10 and as an added bonus its quite easy to take cuttings from.

Yes I think its great we can all learn from each other, there is no way I would be getting the results I am getting now if it weren't for what you have written and shown can be done with these hibs so thanks, lets just hope it gets better and better.

David that is interesting you mention the branching.  I believe John from Houston was having similar issues with Black Dream where as mine never did any flopping.  I can say that my AG since day 1 has been more open of a look than I would prefer but at the same time it grew strong and tall fast with the branches never having any strength or size issues.  This summer it has been excellent to start branching out more to increase the fullness of it's size so it doesn't have as much of the bean stalk look at all now.  

So I guess the question again is why mine never encounter those branching issues?  Seems logical that being planted in ground with a free range root system maybe the plant can then grow more aggressively with more strength.

Also of all my CVs this one seems to react the most and best to daily spraying with Supernova.  I have never seen so much new branch growth on any other CV I have except Some Like It Hot (which is too much branching and might require a major trim job).

But all the new branching quickly curves upward and grows thick enough that I've never had a need for staking.  The only drawback to AG for me was it got so tall that when we have a strong wind event it probably would have either blown over or lost a lot of main branches.  With one 6 ft stake it was perfect back when we had our 10 yr wind event in November.

I take it you're not spraying SN daily on your plants like me.  I also wonder if the tremendous heat there keeps your plants a little bit off from peak performance over time and that too adds to the thinner branching.  My thinking is just to give it more time to mature and I hate to say it but down the road upgrade to a larger pot if possible.  

Either way you've done a magnificent job with all of your plants and it shows in every picture being a head turner.  Great job David!!!

Some bush shots from summer and fall
Farmer D

So I guess the question again is why mine never encounter those branching issues?  Seems logical that being planted in ground with a free range root system maybe the plant can then grow more aggressively with more strength.
  My thinking is just to give it more time to mature and I hate to say it but down the road upgrade to a larger pot if possible.  
Some bush shots from summer and fall
Farmer D
[/quote]
Some good points there and I think the main one being that with yours in the ground it will be much stronger, for sure pot size is not an issue, its in a huge pot so hopefully it will get stronger as it matures. Another point which I failed to mention and which will surprise some is that it does not tolerate the sun as well as some of the others I have, I say surprise as AG is known as a sun lover, but no matter how much water I give it after about 4 hours sun the leaves will go a little limp, I know its very hot here and this may be expected but it doesn't happen on most other cv's I have, so like you say heat could also be an issue.

Darren I have just seen your photos of AG and there is no way my branches are strong like that, we talked about pot size and one of the reasons its in such a large pot was for me to try and replicate the conditions you have in the ground, but if I had branches of that length they would just fall over, thats why they are tied, also I have no where near the length of green branch you have, at half that length mine are brown wood.
 I would say that my AG is more the norm, and yours like all your other cv's is the exeption, you just seem to have hit upon the most perfect conditions.

Happy New Year everyone. Absolutely stunning blooms from all. David, your AG is outrageous. Sigh.....gotta go where its warm.

I really don't have much to show lately. I have been having a big problem with the spider mites. I just cannot control them. I am using Kontos and spraying each and every plant once a week with a strong spray, however, its just not working.

Nevertheless, here are two to start the new year. first is a second day Black Dragon and the other is a first bloom from a cross between Wild Grape and Moonstruck. The bloom is about 7 inches.

All of my last year seedlings are coming into bloom now, they are loaded with buds.

louis

Very nice Louis, I like them both but I think you are going to have to give the x a name, maybe run a thread to name it, Charlie did that for Braveheart and it was good fun.

That's really weird about the Kontos, I have never heard of it not actually working, I think everyone has a few teething problems with it but once its settled down it works fine.
Maybe you got a dud bottle, doubt that happens much in the USA but here in the copy capital of the world it happens all the time.

David I personally like the way your bush looks compared to Darrens ( no offense Darren  :D ) I like my bushes to look more fuller with height.  David to get you ag to branch you will have to continuously cut small pieces from the tips of the branches. I did this with wild dream last year. It would not branch at all until I did that. I still have work to do with that plant. If you want thick branches like Darren you will have to pot your ag up and then let get bigger and mature. You then can put it back in a smaller pot if you want. You can prune the roots back so that it can fit in the pot you want.  It's almost similar on how bonsai trees are. They take years to for nice thick branches and trunks, but since we are talking about shrubs I think you can get the nice thicker branches and trunk with in one year.  If not you will just have to let it grow for a few years to get thicker branches.


Some of the older hibiscus I have are 5-8 years old and have thick branches and trunks
compared to my younger ones. The first owner didn't prune or repot so the plants grew like this in a pot. If she planted them in the ground lie Darren they would probably be the same
size.

Thanks Kerry, thats sort of what I have been doing to get it the shape it is now, but where you say cut small pieces from the tips I have been pruning it right back to where the branch is strong enough to stand on its own without staking. I will try your way in March when I will be ready to do it again and see if it helps.
As for the pot well I cant really go much bigger its in a 15x18 inch now with no sign of any roots coming out the bottom, so maybe that's ok anyway.

I also just missed your message about how ag is floppy and you stake it up. I am not sure why that is happening to your ag but Chris may chime in.

The ag I got is small so I can't really comment yet on how mine will look.  ( sorry if I skip and skim some messages I need reading glasses haha )

The differences in AG bush shape can be explained by the fact that one is grown under entirely tropical conditions (Daves) vs subtropical (Darren).  Under subtropical conditions fall and winter weather is not usually warm enough or there is not a long enough photo-period (hours of daylight) for hibiscus to grow very much.  Although there is usually little vertical or primary growth, there is still secondary or woody growth occurring.  This allow Darrens plants to put more girth on before the growing season begins.  The last two summers have been relatively cool in Southern California, extending the cool weather "bulk up" so a very sturdy AG may be an artifact of this.

In contrast David lives in an entirely tropical climate, where it is warm enough for hibiscus to grow vigorously all year.  Therefore Davids AG is growing vertically at a faster rate than secondary or woody growth can occur, contributing to a floppier bush.

Although there are differences in bush growth, I think we can all agree that under both conditions AG is a prolific bloomer and has excellent color and form.       

Thing is Kerry I have had this on a few of mine, P's Purple Saffron and Vin Beugelois [ long weak branches] being the worst, I have overcome it by basically pruning it back to nothing and starting to grow it again, Saffron I pruned back to just 4 inches and now a year later have a wonderful bush, strange how it does not seem to grow like it as much the second time, maybe the roots are so much stronger and can support stronger branches, that's just a guess mind.

Thanks Chris that explains a lot, and at least now I know its not my fault, I will certainly increase the amount I prune, this should allow the lower branches time to thicken up and with the speed everything is growing its not a problem.

Nice Pocahontas and Thanksgiving today.

Louis, those are two beautiful blooms. The caption on the lower one says Wild Grape X Moonstruck. Is that correct or is it Black Dream? Whichever it is the result is outstanding.

Erny

Chris, your explanation about the different growth patterns in tropical vs sub tropical zones makes a lot of sense. I think Darren's point about growing in the ground also has some merit. The reason I say this is that I have noted , as he has, that some cvs that other describe as having poor bushes seem to do very well in the ground here in southern California. Another old veteran in the field told me that , in his opinion, proper soil pH was the key factor in bush growth. No doubt the growth patterns are probably influenced by multiple factors and it is probably next to impossible to sort them all out.

Erny

I totally agree Erny, I am sure that the soil and water in Vietnam is very different than the interesting chemical stew that makes up LA city water.  I know that you are also getting Acapulco Gold this spring, so hopefully you can provide some more insight on this CV. 

My experience with AG was as a houseplant where it was a nice grower and good bloomer.  There are a few seedlings from my AG crossed to my now deceased Burnished Gold which Charlie has grown for me.  They seem quite nice from the pictures and I am sure this is due to the awesome parents!  I hope that they propagate well and are made available to everyone in the near future.     

hi erny,

thanks for bringing that boo boo to my attention, it's definitely wild grape and moonstruck. i had to go back and check the tag :)
i corrected the original post.
thanks,

louis

Nice points from all about bush growth and Acapulco Gold. Another factor not mentioned is the effect of wind on bush growth. It makes a lot of difference. Some commercial growers in greenhouses actually stimulate stem strengthening using a manual process of bending the stems each day. Not usually needed with hibiscus but it is interesting that the natural movement of the stems caused by wind also causes the stems to thicken.

I like your new seedling, Lou. Not what you probably imagined from this cross but I have seen Moonstruck babies show this type of color before and find it different and pleasing to the eye. No doubt you will see a wide variation in these seedlings as the flowers come.

pH of the growing media is important to growing anything but hibiscus have a wide range that they do well with. As long as the leaves are a nice green and growth is reasonable you can conclude that the pH of the soil your hibiscus are growing in is within the range that hibiscus like. 

Charlie

Interesting Charlie about the manual bending some grower perform on their plants.

I also forgot to mention that lowering the amount of nitrogen you use in your fertilizer will also decrease the rate at which your plants put on vertical growth.  Usually low nitrogen and high potassium promotes more girthy plants.  I have dramatically decreased the amount of nitrogen I give my plants indoors since I do no want alot of top growth, but still give high potassium and magnesium.  The result has been nice compact bushes with lots of blooms still.  :)   

I am going to try that for a while, I would prefer a much more compact bush and with the garden being on a roof top I dont want my cv's to get to tall.
Can I ask what ratio of Magnesium do you give to the Potassium, is it like equal proportions, 1 teaspoon Potassium to 1 teaspoon Magnesium[Epsom Salts].

I use the potassium and magnesium at a 1:1 ratio.  I tend to use more magnesium because my plants are indoors and get less light, but I cant imagine that outdoor plants wouldnt benefit from increased magnesium as well. 

Chris I think you make a really strong point here.  This past summer the temps  were very consistent for three months straight and nothing too hot always between 75 - 80F (24 - 27C).  This definitely helped to moderate the rate of growth so that the bean stalk look and possibly thin branching was averted.  Couple this with my spraying of Supernova to induce branch growth and divert the plant's energy to being dedicated to just vertical growth I think factors in somewhat as well.

What's interesting is that I was so heavily feeding my plants with fert and booster and yet they still were able to get such solid size on the branches.  So as Erny mentioned the in ground environment makes the difference in my book and is the true driving force of thicker branches.  I know that this is still the main factor in my avoiding floppy branching with all of my CVs (except Some Like It Hot).

Kerry no offense taken but I do have to say that if you look at my AG (different angle with these pics) I am so excited to see how the plant is branching.  You can see by the curvature of the new side branches how much more round and full this plant is going to become next summer.  I also love how it has branched out just above the wall on the backside.  I don't have to trim or mold this plant or any others at all.  

I know in a few years this thing will just be an awesome full lush bush that will be probably over 8 ft (2.5m) tall.  Ironically I'll have to determine how tall I really want it to get as all the shade it will create will be an issue for my grass.
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/AcapulcoGoldPlant1-7.jpg)

Farmer D

So here we are at the end of the 1st week of January.  Last year this is when I started seeing all of my plants begin to shut down.  I have not sprayed this week with Supernova as it has been in the 80s all week till today.  I have noticed my smaller plants I got this past spring are now getting lots of yellow leaves so this might be the sign of them shutting down.  My 2 yr olds are going strong with no stopping in sight so far...either way I'll start spraying again tomorrow.

One thought I'll throw out there which is why I spray with my dinky plastic spray bottle instead of some sort of mechanized sprayer that would save time is how plants seem to respond to us being around them a lot (the fuss factor as Charlie has stated previously).  It is really interesting lately some of the research and findings that are coming out about morphic fields and how they interact with each other.  We apparently have them as well as our cherished plants too, really all things do.  Anyone else familiar with this?

Farmer D

some more

Farmer D

Daren,

treat yourself to a battery powered sprayer. i have one and love it. do a search for "Cepia Battery Powered Sprayer"

they come in sizes from 6 ozs to one gallon.  this is really not an endorsement but sharing info. :)

louis

Sorry to be redunant, but that Prosperity NEVER quits!!! If I'm not mistaken, those colors are just as vivid as they were in Summer and Fall. Can't WAiT to own that one.

Don't worry Denise come late Spring I expect you will be showing loads.

 Looking down on my browns, Cranberry Muffin at 8 inches looks very big compared to the others.
Finally Dragons Heart is budding up and blooming again, its in a very shady spot and has been resting for about 2 months, John's Passion Play is one of my favourite blooms and this is quite similar.

Saturday night fun here on the forum!!

Denise you're right on with your observations on Prosperity.  That's one of the reasons why this is my overall favorite CV that I have.  The thing is a machine of top quality everything.  If you haven't already purchased this one I would highly recommend making it your next buy.

Farmer D

Don't worry, it was the first one in my cart at 4 AM on 12/30!! :)

David, that Dragon's Heart is stunning! And so is that brown one in the upper left. Your colors are so striking! I love it. This forum is getting me through Winter, that's for sure! Can't wait for Spring to get here though!!!

Darren- How is your Ay Carumba doing? I still have my heart set on that one as well.

Denise that is my Thanksgiving, below is the only picture I have that comes close to showing how it really looks, I dont know why but I really seem to struggle to capture exactly the darker cv's, the lighter ones are easy I just point and click, but like the Thanksgiving below I have to mess about with this light thingy and then tilt the camera, its a right game and I want to try and show it as it really looks and it really is a beauty.

David, I have that problem too. I have a deep dark purple rose that I like to photograph but I have never gotten a picture that looks like it does in person! I can adjust the colors on a program on my computer after taking it, but that feels like cheating! There must just be something about dark colored flowers that are hard for the camera to capture.

Darren and David, Charlie should be paying you a commission on sales. Your beautiful photos have been responsible for more than half of my purchases so far!

Erny

Big Santa Ana winds here today--very unfriendly to hibiscus and other plants. A few photos from yesterday: Kinchen's yellow looking more pale in the photo than it is, Magic Moments, Velvet Illusion less vivid than it was in spring, a profusion of flowers and buds from Prima Ballerina, Jazz, and Living Legend bush.

Erny

Denise it is doing great.  Check out the pic from today.  Lots of buds and overall in great shape.  My only concern for AC is in the summer with any prolonged heat waves.  It is not used to sunlight tucked in the corner of that planter but my strategy is to put another hib bush in front of it that likes sun and protects it.

Farmer D

Erny I was worried about the winds today too but this time not even a breeze here.  I hate the wind too and hope it is short lived in your neck of the woods.

By the way your Velvet Illusion and Jazz blooms are just fantastic!!!  Great colors especially for winter.

Well Prosperity is off the charts today.  For those of you who are getting this one this is what you are looking forward to enjoying....both quantity and high quality all in the middle of winter.

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/ProsperityQuintuplets1-8.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/ProsperityTwins1-8.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/ProsperitySeptuplets1-8.jpg)

Farmer D

Some more....

Farmer D

Beauteous blooms Farmer D...  Your 'biscus must really be enjoying that warm weather!  Prosperity is looking amazing (so glad I was able to snag one this year!)  Love the blooms all in a row photo! :D

A few singles today. Hot Pepper Electric Orange and Think Pink.

Triple Dragons Heart, I really like this cv and I am sort of developing a bit better the bottom corner where it lives.
In the second photo you can see the Creme De Cacao and behind it a heavily pruned P's Purple, the third photo shows the path leading to it, of course it looks very bare now but when all the Adeniums P's Purple and a few others come into flower it should look nice.

Excellent photos all around, but Darren, that Prosperity photo may be one for posterity! Spectacular.

Charlie

Looks like Prosperity is unstoppable.

A winter Rainbow Sherbert and some of my new seedlings.
Frappuccino x Voodoo Queen

Thanks Darren. I hope to get a good picture of Velvet Illusion in the spring when its true colors show--one of the most vibrant  deep reds that jump out at you even from a distance. Great photos of Prosperity. That one showing the half circle of blooms perectly lined up is spectacular. I'm sure glad I have that one coming.

David, all I can say is that every time I look at pictures of your garden it's like being transported to Shangri-La. For those too young to understand that reference rent the great old film "Lost Horizon".

Erny

Looks great, Darren! Thanks for the picture! I really like that one. I know Charlie mentioned he can't really say at this point what will be available when...so I won't ask...;)

Almost didn't see this one today.
Sun Shower - Sprawling bush but a beautiful bloom. I'm hoping Flashdancer will become available later this year. The bloom seems very similar but on a nice bush.

And Rainbow Sherbert taken later in the afternoon.


 

Louis thank you for the link for the battery sprayers.  I might need it sooner than I thought as accessing all sides of the bushes is getting more challenging by the day.

John it is great to see you're still getting some nice blooms.  When do you usually get the plants back outside?

Deb & Charlie thanks for the compliments on Prosperity but the ultimate compliment goes to Charlie for creating this one.  Today it is maxed out at 9 blooms and in winter....

Farmer D

Darren, normally I can start moving everything outside the first week in March.

A few winter blooms today: Creole Lady, an atypical Donna Lynn, Renaissance Blue, Lovely Lil, Georgia's Pearl, and finally GP trying to mate with a small papaya.

Erny

Louis you had mentioned that you were fighting the dreaded spider mites and this time not even Kontos was working?  That is a scary thing too hear - do you have any further info regarding what you have been experiencing?

Lovely blooms Erny - that Creole Lady is very moody and enticing!

Today a lovely Ay Caramba winter style as well as Chariots of Fire going bonkers with around 20 open blooms currently.

Farmer D

some VD...

Farmer D

Darren, what an impressive display with your COF. I think we are going to have to start calling Super Nova the anabolic steroid of hibiscus. Scarlet Beauty is showing good color for a winter bloom. Ditto for Ay Caramba.

I really like Creole Lady. That picture is a day two bloom and the color changes over the three day life of the flower are very pleasing.

Erny

I today have had what I think my nicest C of Fire bloom so far, thing is they may have been nice for a while but I haven't been able to see them properly. But now as the photo shows I have nearly finished the top left corner of the garden and am able to bring COF down lower, now it dosent matter if they point upwards.

I very like that Creole Lady Erny.

Beautiful winter blooms, you guys in southern California! Vietnam, too, but that is to be expected. Last year it was Lou who had fantastic winter blooms in his Connecticut greenhouse heated to balmy temps. I am sorry to hear about the mite problem this year.

Lou, spider mites are creatures of greenhouses. They seem to love the constant warmth and perhaps have fewer natural predators inside than out. Cindy and I have been growing hibiscus as houseplants for a long time and spider mites were our number 1 problem.

Kontos did change everything and still works well for us. We finally gave up on using the lowest possible dose and now use 1/4 teaspoon of Kontos per gallon of water every time we water the indoor plants. Kontos appears to be effective only when it is present in the water or soil (and thus the plant sap) at all times. Using it intermittently does not work well at all. It helps a great deal if saucers are used under the plants so any runoff is captured and re-absorbed into the pot. That way none of the expensive Kontos is lost.

And remember, if an outbreak does occur it can take the Kontos a month or even longer to get control again. That does not mean it isn't working and it is important to keep using it with every watering. Eventually the outbreak will be calmed down and no more mite damage seen.

Adding new plants to existing ones can bring about a mite attack. Most nurseries are unable to fully control mites and will sell plants with some already present. As mentioned last year, we spray every week in our greenhouses and use the best miticides available in an attempt to ship hibiscus free of mites. But, when you add hibiscus or any other type of plant acquired at garden centers of by mail that can host mites (and there are many) you should segregate the new plant and treat it with Kontos before mixing it in with the existing plants.

hi everyone,

as far as my mite problem is going, Charlie, I do believe I am not using it enough. When I was using it in every watering, there was no problem. Trying to pinch a few pennies, I dosed the plants once a week, not enough for a greenhouse.

On a lighter note, here is an update on my new blooms from my crosses last winter.

the other day
 i posted a photo of the first bloom of a cross between wild grape and moonstruck. today is the second bloom from that cross and its even nicer than the first. its a true 8 inches, nice and crinkled and the colors are a little more intense. and a real surprise and delight this morning as the first bloom from a cross between  wild grape and purple magic opened. real deep red throat and a predominant purple color. the photo shows the colors accurately.
the bloom measures 7 inches, i have hopes that it will get bigger with each new bloom.



i think this is a keeper for sure.

louis

Louis I really like both of those!

Louis, the Wild Grape x Purple Magic is outstanding. I have a couple of Wild Grape crosses that should bloom this summer.
April Showers x Wild Grape
Wild Grape x President

I would be very happy if one of mine turned out so beautiful.

Wow Louis, a very nice seedling indeed!  I would definitely say it is a keeper!

John those should be interesting to see this summer!  I think your April Showers x Wild Grape has the most potential.  Don't be too disappointed if Wild Grape x President gives you some nice pink and simple flowers, but those plants will be excellent to cross with!   

This is Cindy on Charlie's log-in... Lou, I knew that Wild Grape - Purple Magic cross would be good!!!!!! I've been waiting to see it, and it was worth the wait!  Wow!!!!!!! Spectacular!!!!!!!! I LOVE it!

Cindy

I still look like Charlie, but I'm Cindy.... PS Lou, how big is the Wild Grape x Moonstruck?  It looks like Erin Rachel and Mai Tai, but with a Moonstruck mom, it could be bigger than both of them. Another good one!!!!!!!

Cindy

Hi Cindy et-al,

Thanks to all for the encouragement, makes the wait worth while.

Cindy, the bloom on grape x moonstruck is now showing 8 inches. possibly can go to 9 inches.

The bush is lanky at 2 1/2 feet. i choose to see the bloom first before i trained the bush, i will do that now.

Wild grape x purple magic has a more compact bush. it reminds me of the cosmic gold bush, pretty leaves and about 18 inches high. right now its loaded with buds. all i have to do to that one is pinch the ends a bit.

i have about 5 more plants of the cross between grape and purple magic.
another one with buds that might open tomorrow.

I also have only plant of a cross between moonstruck and tigerama that should be of interest. no sign of buds yet.

Also have one plant of a cross between moonstruck x stolen kiss and another one of a cross between moonstruck and howard hine, a deep red.

stay tuned.

Louis

Louis,

Your blooms there on your wild grape crosses are the kind of results we're all hoping for when it comes to our seedlings.  I would be thrilled if any of mine are half as pretty.  Just awesome!!!  With those amazing blooms there are about a thousand different name combos that would fit - how fun is that going to be for you?  Very very impressive - thanks for sharing!

My seedlings are going on over a month old now so light years to go...but growing faster by the day.

Farmer D

Well for anyone who has outdoors hibiscus still hanging in there it is now crunch time.  I've noticed most of my rose bushes have shut down and/or are losing their leaves so they'll be pruned down now.  Also seeing more signs from the hibs too - Black Dream has gone into mini bloom mode as well as all plants looking more thin and a lot less lush.  Bonnie Lass, Rainbow Sherbet, COF and even Acapulco Gold are showing multiple yellow leaves and are thinning out somewhat.  

Interesting thing is that the weather has been terrific since xmas eve so definitely not a factor there.  So what is in plants that they switch gears and go into retreat even if the weather has been ideal for quite some time?  I'm again spraying daily with SN after last week off to see if it really can make the difference.  Even if it doesn't I want these plants so full of stored energy that when they perk up again they are going to explode come spring.  Let's see first...

Today a beautiful and surprising orangy Valentines Day.  I would have mystery gamed it but I just did one so I'll let it rest for now.  Very pretty - looks like something maybe from Ay Caramba.

Also beautiful Acapulco Gold bloom that is really gold and yesterday's Scarlet Beauty recovered from first day reflex and is huge - same size as in summer.  This time of year works well for it as it doesn't fade so second day is at best.

V Day
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/ValentinesDay1-11.jpg)

Acapulco Gold
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/AcapulcoGold1-11.jpg)

Farmer D

some more from today....Living Legend day 7 & Simple Pleasures day 5

Farmer D

Cosmic Gold today and a nice large Rainbow Sherbert.

Darren that Valentines Day is breathtaking.

Darren, I'm experiencing the same as you with my plants in the ground. Smaller blooms, more reluctant to open and muted colors. Even old reliable, Black Dream, is now starting to put out smaller blooms. It seems like many of them revert to a default pattern this time of year. It seems to be genetic as my winter bloomers--proteas and camelias-- are going great guns.

Erny

Darren and Erny, one of the challenges in growing hibiscus is the time lag between cause and effect. What you are seeing now is most likely caused by the cold snap we experienced a couple of weeks ago. Same type of time lag happens with insect attacks followed by spraying the plants. The whole process sort of happens in slow motion with effect following cause in due course but rarely showing immediately. It makes for an interesting challenge to figure out what is going on and why.

Charlie

Lou, Cindy took over my computer after I showed her your seedlings but now that I have it back...... excellent color on the latest seedling!! I am reluctant to use Purple Magic in hybridizing because the bush is so flawed but the big colorful flower sure combined well with the flower of Wild Grape. Hopefully, the bush was improved by Wild Grape - only time will tell. In any case I would love to grow this one from a cutting when you have enough firm wood to spare some.

Charlie

David, the multiple blooms you are getting nowadays is really becoming impressive. As your plants grow larger and fuller they are sure making a wonderful display of color! Could be your rooftop will become a tourist destination!

Charlie

thanks charlie,

i will certainly send wood to you in the spring. the bush is about 2 feet or so and i have not pruned it at all, which i should do to make it more compact. the leaves are large, which is interesting since both parents do not have the large leaves.

in a couple of weeks when i have had my fill of the flowers, i will start to cut it back to see what i can get.

louis

Hi Everyone!

  Long time no talk.  You all are showing some beauties for my winter blues!  Thank you for that.  I have not had much action until this week... I had a beautiful 5 bloom Cindy's Heart, was too lazy to move the plant so the back light is awful, but you get the idea.

  Saffron is always blooming and lately more often then not.  I have had either plant shut down due to winter or finally loosing cv's.  Not sure which.  My Space Oddity, Tiger's Eye, and Gator Pride have all lost their leaves.  SO is looking a bit wrinkly in some places.  I cut the wood off.  The strange thing is these are cv's that I pruned in fall, I hope I didn't spread a disease to them by doing so.  I alcoholed the cutters before each cut...

 Lou, Incredible seedling!
 Darren, as always, your garden is amazing!
 Dave, that AG is crazy pretty!  You are doing a beautiful job with your hib's!
 

Kristen great to hear from you & Happy New Year!  That CH is looking fabulous!  Hang in there with your CVs.  I have lost a handful this fall/winter too and unfortunately I have a few more looking really grim.  Such is the world of hibiscus sometimes....but just when things get frustrating along comes our spring shipments and all is forgotten...

Farmer D & his lone offering today

Cosmic Gold is a real stand out today.

WOW David, your blooms are competing with the leaves for space on that CG plant!  I believe that ties your bloom record?  Amazing!!!!

Farmer D

Nice Pictures David !!

Happy New year Kristen, Sorry to hear about some of your plants that are doing bad. I have a few that are doing bad because bf moved them to full sun and they went into shock. :-\  I hope they make it for you Kristen. Gator pride is a strong one so keep your fingers crossed.

Beautiful pictures as always David. We're all counting on you to help carry us through these bleak winter months. My day is never complete until I've seen some pictures of your fabulous rooftop garden.

Erny

Woah CG is trying to reach the cosmos, using blooms as fuel! 

Nothing to share from me lately, but WOW David!  Your photos have been outstanding!  I'm so jealous of your climate!!  :P

And Lou, the seedling is gorgeous. 

David, your Cosmic Gold is out of this world.

Blooms are few and far between for me these days. Had a nice High Voltage today.

All pics taken by Bf :)

 Satsuma again Look at how thick petals are
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/s3/v39/p544118958-5.jpg)

Island Girl  with Jasmine relaxing in Cali sun :)
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/s11/v32/p708724995-5.jpg)

Island girl again
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/s3/v40/p636841131-5.jpg)

(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/s11/v35/p957103277-5.jpg)

Thank you Charlie for pointing out the time lag challenge.  I have given this a lot of thought this winter and am observing every change I can and noting the time frames involved.  So far what I am seeing is that the time lag seems even more spread out than I would have originally thought which I was guessing at a couple of weeks on average.

For instance you can see in today's pics that Acapulco Gold is showing some decent colors again just the last few days.  Prosperity has been looking like it's old self for about a week now too.  The weather has been sunny and warm since 12/24 so it would make sense after about 3 weeks of great weather that I would see things start to swing back the other way now.  Back then all my plants looked very strong as if it were still summer, just having trouble opening blooms with a month and a half of cold weather.  Probably the first sign of cold stress then which has been showing up more and more each week since.

Now I'm taking off many yellow leaves and am seeing lots of dropped buds on my plants (below 50% now make it).  So I guess somewhere around 3-4 weeks seems to be the time frame I am seeing for climate effects to show up.

It looks like our weather pattern might be shifting again to a colder and rainy stretch so I am curious to see if that happens if the warm weather effects will show up even though the current weather at that time would be wintry.  

This is really helpful for me to identify if negative changes I am seeing are the result of winter lag time effects or something more urgent such as over watering or spider mites though I know they are really low key this time of year.

Gorgeous Acapulco Gold & Prosperity today...
(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/AcapulcoGold1-13-1.jpg)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/Prosperity1-13.jpg)

Farmer D

Great photo and just love that dog Kerry, she looks so content. Thanks everyone for all the nice comments on Cosmic Gold, it is a wonderful sight and I cant believe my luck. I am just hoping I have a few blooms on January 23rd, its a hugely important day here, the same as Xmas Day at home if not bigger and it will be a joy for me to cut and give away a bloom to my closest Vietnamese friends.

Fantastic Darren, Prosperity is my favourite of yours to see.

Darren you may be interested to hear this, can you remember a few weeks ago there was a discussion about pot size, and how all the experts say you should move up slowly rather than start in a big pot, like you I questioned it thinking it would replicate whats in the ground if you just start of in a bigger pot and its what I have been doing.
Well yesterday I found out maybe why they say what they do and its better to slowly increase pot size as it grows.
I had an accident with my Peppermint Drop and the pot got broken, when I broke away all of the pot I was not left with a root ball making it easy to just place in another pot, what I had was a 2 foot stack of potting mix with 70% of the roots concentrated in the bottom 3 or 4 inches of the pot and very little in between the top and bottom, now apart from this not being healthy for the plant it made it impossible to pick up as a whole, when I did the bottom roots just all fell away and now I am hoping it will re-take in its new pot, its all looking very limp at the moment.

Having seen how roots behave in the pot  I will never again start my plants straight of in a bigger pot, I will slower increase the pot size, still live and learn I suppose.

David thank you for sharing that experience with us.  With what you said in mind my question becomes why does the plant want to send out the main roots far out instead of creating a more symmetrical root ball first with many roots?

When I have moved a few of my in ground plants around in the past that seemed like they were establishing themselves pretty well in their original spots I noticed that they had a few main big roots that traveled pretty far away from the plant (similar if not the same to what you saw).

Is this a normal rooting trait for hibiscus if left to naturally root the way they are genetically programmed to?  If so what has happened over time to make the hibiscus genetically programmed to root this way?  What advantage does it serve?  Or does how a hibiscus root also vary like how different CVs have varied above ground growth patterns?

My rookie attempt to come with some answer ideas:
If I am a system of things that work together synergistically and my upper half is growing tall and gaining a lot of weight with each passing day would it make sense to grow deeper to offset being too top heavy which can put the plant in lethal danger of being unable to hold itself up by the roots?  I'm thinking in hibiscus' plants long past they came from areas of the world with well draining soils so that leads me to think that the original environment's soil might have been looser in composition forcing them to send out strong and long roots quickly to anchor the plant?  Also if they naturally prefer a more shady or dappled shade area to grow then I would also think that in that situation the plant is going to grow more tall and lanky in the search for some sunlight adding to the need for deeper roots to anchor.

Man I hope I don't cause another uproar on here like with the fert posts...

Here is a good example of what probably would never happen naturally in regards to proportional above & below ground growth (unless your a palm tree or redwood tree).  Still amazing that a plant can put out like this with so little room to live.

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/c08tlj8konei8quli.jpg)

I'm thinking out loud here so forgive me but I am really curious about what these plants are trying to naturally do so that I can better approach their needs in the outdoors.  

I currently have a pretty big Caribbean Beauty in the large sized pot you saw pics of earlier this summer.  I got it as a well established plant at the end of summer and I want to see what it can do in a big pot.  You know my goal is to replicate the results with my in ground monster plants.  I have one big advantage over you with the potted plants and the rooting situation which is I don't need to move them around putting them at risk of being broken and then needing to repot.  I bought some shade cloth that I will unroll on a daily basis when needed to protect them from hot direct sunlight on my porch so they can stay put.

OK go ahead and grill me...I'm ready!

Farmer D

Kerry, I know.... I think it's the short days we have here that are taking a toll on some of my cv's.  That and I sometimes let them dry out a bit more then they should.  Been really busy and my poor babies were getting the back seat unfortunately.   I am hoping for the best.  Your dog is adorable!  Is she a pitie?  

Darren, awesome AG!  holy cow!

Since you are referring to my disagreement with your fertilization technique, I will just provide you with some sources that will lead your "roots" to the right information:

Hydrotropism gene regulation:
 http://www.pnas.org/content/104/11/4724

Hydrotopism:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1838587/

Chris thank you for providing those links.  That is some fascinating research about what drives root growth.  I do not have anywhere near the scientific background you have so I'm doing my best to apply what is there.  Just fantastic to learn more and more each day with these plants (and plants in general).

It sounds like roots are more dominated by the over powering effects of gravity rather than a more balanced combination of water and gravity.  I would not have even figured phototropism could be a factor for root development even if a very small one.

I wonder with my heavy wet clay soil how hydrotropism might actually work if the soil is actually too saturated and the roots need to breathe more.  I wonder if those long roots I'm seeing are searching for a better drained area along with countering the weight of the plant?

I know with my giant Valentines Day I moved it early on and was amazed at the super long main root that was pretty much growing horizontally for over two feet away from the plant.  Now that plant naturally has a lot of horizontal growth so makes sense to me to see that sort of root development (gravitropic?).

Other plants I wanted to move like Sea of Tranquility, Cindy's Heart and Midsummer Night had a much more straight down root growth to the point that I couldn't entirely remove them from the ground (root went too deep) so I just replaced as much soil around them as I could for better drainage.  So again I'm thinking with the way those plants grow more upright that would be more gravitropic?

I know it is not this simple but every piece helps me out more and more.  And please understand I just want to keep things flowing smoothly here - we all are learning so much from each other and I really appreciate you taking the time to share with us your knowledge and access to the latest cutting edge information.

Farmer D

I think Darren the problem is that plants in pots do grow the same as they would in the ground [sending out long roots], but because its in a pot you need to stop that not encourage it, in the ground having no restriction they don't start wrapping themselves around something like they can in the bottom of a pot, something that does happen in a pot and is known to cause problems [that's why we root prune I suppose], and maybe even have the possibility of the very lowest roots sitting in water.
 So to overcome these problems they advise growing in smaller pots and increase slowly and root prune, and not just for Hibs, I have seen it written many times for other plants [ they dont like wet feet etc], truth is I suppose plants aren't really meant to be in pots, but if you do grow in a pot this is the sort of tried and tested best way to do it.
Like I wrote I am only saying what I saw and can now understand why they say it, by trying to replicate in a pot how they grow in the ground is not a good idea for a healthy plant, and with years of experience in pot growing that's why they say it.

As for Peppermint Drop I was a bit unlucky, the fact that its so compact was the problem, the wind hit it and it blew over, other cv's of similar size the wind would blow through, but with PD it acted like a sail and nearly took off.

Farmer D, to complicate matters further, it seems that in addition to the lag factor there is also a cumulative cold weather factor. I've seen hibiscus take 1 night at 30F with no big problems but 3 nights in a row at the same low temperature causes a lot more damage. This also appears to apply to cool weather such as nights in the upper 30's but the effects are slower to show. In other words, 2 months of low but not freezing temperatures appear to cause problems almost as bad as a few nights of sub-freezing temps. It's hard to sort it all out because of the lag factor but it is good that you are making close observations and trying to draw conclusions.

David, if your Peppermint Drop does not crisp up you may need to do some top pruning so that the top is in balance with the roots and both can regrow in a harmonious way.

Charlie

Chris, nice links but I'm not sure which posts you are referring to that describe or object to your fertilization technique. Also, since these links aren't about fertilizing I'm a bit confused.

However, the links themselves are fascinating and quite informative, particularly the second one which is worth a read by anyone interested in the science behind plant growth.

There are good examples of the tropisms (growth in response to influences such as light, water, gravity, etc) described in the articles readily available to people who have grown hibiscus in different ways and under different circumstances.

For instance, when any of us are growing hibiscus in pots it is very common to see, as David described with his pot of Peppermint Drop, that the roots quickly grow toward the bottom of the pot and then fill out at the bottom of the pot. This is because pots dry from the top down and the wettest soil is found at the bottom of the pot. This is even more so if there is a saucer used under the pot and excess water is allowed to stand in the saucer. This is an example of positive hydrotropism - the tendency of hibiscus roots to grow toward areas of more water availability. It is probably most pronounced in areas where there is a lot of water stress on the plants - meaning hot conditions.

Eventually, in pots that are watered adequately, the root system will fill in throughout the entire pot. David observed the Peppermint Drop in the broken pot before this could happen. The reason we do not recommend using a pot that is too large is that, as you saw, there is a lot of soil that is not being drained by the roots and that wet soil can become a location where pathogens can grow.

Another good example I have seen of tropism and hibiscus roots is when using time release fertilizer that is placed on the surface of the potting mix. You will find a mat of fine roots spread across of the surface of the soil as the roots grow toward this source of nutrients. Root development lower in the root ball can be inhibited in this situation. That is one reason we recommend use of both time release and water soluble fertilizers and making multiple planting holes for the time release rather than spreading it across the surface.

In the commercial setting, one of the most important things we teach workers is to make sure our pots receive sufficient water to wet the entire root ball. If that does not happen the drier soil at the bottom of the pot will become a negative tropism for the roots and they will grow away from this dry soil and the root ball will be restricted with the negative effect on growth that this causes.

Interesting discussion - thanks to all for the stimulating thoughts and observations.

Charlie

Thanks Charlie for the additional information.  It's like being a detective piecing together things one at a time to make sense of the bigger picture.  With my heavy wet clay soil I think I was looking for my root systems to actually be negative hydrotropic without realizing that is the scientific classification for that reaction by the roots.  So much still to learn...

AG putting out some real nice ones this week.

Farmer D

Yesterday's Prosperity blooms are even more colorful today plus it helps it is more overcast today too.

Farmer D

Hi Charlie,

I was referring to a previous discussion about Darren's high fertilization regime.  Since Darren has referred to my opinion as causing an "uproar" on multiple occasions, I am just trying to provide raw information and no longer state an opinion or provide additional insight.  Just trying to keep the peace here.

I am glad that you found the links informative, I agree that the second link is particularly good.  Tropisms are fascinating especially when one factors the effect hormones have on these effects.  Auxin, in addition to regulating apical shoot growth, is also involved in phototaxis.  Pretty cool stuff to say the least!

Dragons Heart and its first bloom from a cutting, triple Sherlock Mystery and Melon Melange. Just 4 today with Cosmic Gold but still looks very nice.

Yes she is our rescue we got from our local shelter , she is the best dog we have rescued yet !

Thanks for both the Links they where very informative Chris. I am not sure why your information is causing an " uproar" most of what you post are facts not "theories"  ??? ???  I don't know as much scientifically about plants so all your information I soak up like a sponge. I am more in tuned with animal biology lol ask me anything about dogs specifically I am your woman haha

David nice pictures once again. I do not think I will ever get sick of see pictures from your garden, each one is a real treat ! This is why I love hibiscus in containers. You can achieve the same results as when they are in the ground on a smaller scale. When I started my first garden all of the plants where lush and full like your bushes.

Thanks kerry, I just love it, I am 56 now and have had many hobbies in my life, football boxing golf but this gardening beats the lot.
Well everyone is thanking Chris for them theories, I started to read it and about half way through I just started giggling and then laughing a lot, I thought why are you reading this you daft sod, I haven't the faintest clue what any of it means, it might as well have been quantum physics written in Latin for what sense it made to me haha.

Here is one from the greenhouse today

Norm

Nice High Voltage today and in the background 3 Hot Peppers starting to bloom, I shall be pruning HV later today, I need to try and get the size right because as you can see in the second photo  I am growing a cutting of High Voltage, and each side of that cutting are cuttings of a white Andenium, when it all comes together it should look very nice.

Bridal Path with strong colours today, and the new bit down the bottom is growing fast, I cant seem to get a good photo here but there is Valentines Day Cranberry Muffin Cream De Cacao, behind C De C I am sure P's Purple is growing an inch a day and a pair of Dragons Breaths at the bottom, when the Adeniums come into flower on either side I am hoping it will look pretty special.

A couple of blooms from the indoor garden today...

H. Arnottianus
Fox Fire

Deb  :D

Happy MLK Day to you all!

David the awesomeness just keeps coming with all your blooms!!!  All are so lovely.

Norm that is a fantastic Over the Rainbow.  The colors are so rich and deep!!!

Deb your Fox Fire is a really pretty and interesting bloom.  The way the petals increasingly ruffle the closer you get to the edges is quite dramatic.  That is a unique look to a hibiscus bloom!

Kerry - Jasmine has got it made in that shot!  Any chance we can train some of those super sniffing dogs we see at the airports into Spider Mite sniffers?

Today's blooms...

Farmer D

a few more...we need more holidays!!

Farmer D

Farmerd - love your pics.  the AG looks huge - how tall is that plant?

I love Ay Caramba - i was hoping to get it when they had the store opening but it wasn't listed:-(

It may be my favorite color:-)

Last few days the temperature is rising, 90f yesterday and its knocked an inch of Rainbow Sherbert, you cant really notice so much in the photo but as it gets a bit smaller the colours get stronger which is a bonus.
Second photo is of my Bridal Path bush, its now 6 feet tall and looks wonderful, I shall be giving it a big prune in March so it should look majestic in a few months.
Last couple of photo's are of my Plumeria, they are like bouquets of flowers in the sky.

David, beautiful colors on that Rainbow Sherbert. Do your plumeria retain their leaves year round?

Erny

Thanks Erny ,I have 5 different types and only one loses its leaves, problem is because of this rust problem I had to strip them all bare, still I suppose it lets you see the blooms better.

Greetings Everyone from the cold & snowy North! 

Always sooo nice to come home to a bright and cheery tropical bloom (or two) on a night like this... Brrrrrr!  :P  Of course, when I don't have any of my own, I know I can always find beautiful ones to enjoy here on the Forum  ;)

Another first time bloomer - Bienvenue

Deb

Wow Deb that has to be the nicest Bienvenue I've seen yet!  Amazing colors!

Thanks Farmer D!  ;D

Not bad for an indoor girl, eh?  Growing 'biscus indoors, I'm always surprised by the technicolor bloomers, too (I think it's that they just LOVE their HVH Houseplant food!)

Deb, I think your photos of Fox Fire are the first I've seen of that variety outside of our greenhouse. I like the contrast with the white H arnottianus. For Fire has a shiny look that is hard to capture in a photo - kind of a glow. It's a Creme de Cacao by Night Magic offspring. Thanks for showing.

Charlie

whoa I am in love with fox fire now ! thanks for sharing Deb !

Deb, beautiful pictures of Fox Fire and Bienvenue.

Temp down in the high 30s to low forties last night in Orange Co. Only a few brave souls today: Haut Coutere, two Love story, one double and one with just a petaloid, Me Oh My Oh, and I caught this hummingbird feeding on Banksia Prionotes (member of Protea family).

Erny

WOAH awesome Banksia!  What other South African and Australian Protea family representatives do you have? 

I have several other species of Banksia, a few Protea, and a couple of Leucadendron and Leucospermum. My King Protea (Protea Cynaroides) has several large buds ready to pop. I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow.

Ernest great pics - your HC is really vibrant!  Very nice.

Couple nice ones today including Palm Springs & V Day Triplets.

Farmer D

Farmer D

Some wonderful blooms for me today.

My Cosmic Gold today is looking its best, and today of all days to have 8 blooms showing is wonderful. I say wonderful as today is the day here in Nha Trang where many thousands of plants are bought ready for the Lunar New Year, of course that means little to me but my Viet friends are in raptures and think a great sign of good luck, 8 blooms and Gold will mean very lucky next year.

Just magnificent David!!!

Thanks Darren, the sun went in and I managed to get a better picture and have changed it.Cosmic Gold is still giving me the odd second day bloom at the moment which helps, that will stop shortly but I am ever so pleased and my friends are amazed.

  wow David I thought I was doing great when my CG had 4 blooms... show off!
Nice growing
Norm

David, you have certainly mastered the art of growing hibiscus in pots. Great job.

two more from the greenhouse today  Creole Lady & Erin Rachel
thanks Norm

sorry still learning how to do this. Here is the other pic
Norm

Doll, I forgot to mention how beautiful your pic was. With the light yellow and the white rays so bright it reminds me of Moon Goddess
Norm

John your Rainbow Sherbet looks just like mine did in December.  I haven't had a bloom since but a lot of buds falling off instead.

How big is that bloom?

Farmer D

Darren, this bloom was 7"
It opened yesterday morning when it was 39. I didn't think it would open with it that cold. Sorry to hear yours is dropping buds.

Thanks to David, Darren, Norm, and Doll for the wonderful pictures. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be logging onto an internet forum and looking at flowers to get my kicks, I would have thought they were nuts. But it is such a pleasure that it has become the first thing I do each day. I wish I had more to share but here are a few from today.
Black Dream, Cherry Ice (the first bloom I have had from this one), The Path, Living Legend and its bush, and two lonely blooms on Haut Coutere fighting their way out through all the leaves.

Erny

Its so bright and sunny today its a strugle to get a picture, I have cut a bloom of Bridal Path and brought it in to enjoy. Acapolco Gold also looking nice.

Thanks John but don't feel sorry for my Rainbow Sherbet it is doing just fine.  It has produced a whole new crop of buds so if the weather can continue to be warm I should have some blooms in a week or two. 

Farmer D

Erny your plants are looking great.  Your LL has a lot more color than mine has been showing lately.  Very nice!

David I was just thinking today about how amazing it is that all of these plants can be shipped in a box from CA to Vietnam for probably over two weeks inside and be able to survive.  That is amazing in itself and then to see what you've been able to do with them this year is a whole other thing too.  BP is still one of my ATF blooms.

Remember that VD bloom that you liked a lot that was real orangy?  Today was it's 10th day and it looks like it has a lot more mileage left too.

Farmer D

Black Dream again very dark, partially black really.  Love it.

Farmer D

Ay Caramba day 7....

Farmer D

Thanks Darren. Living Legend is one of my favorites for its great bush and consistently perfect presentation of its blooms. I do prefer the spring and summer colors however. Your Rainbow Sherbert bush looks fantastic. I was able to count over twenty buds in the picture and I'm sure there are more that can't be seen. I'm looking forward to seeing a picture of it in full bloom soon.

Erny

After a record high yesterday of 81, I woke up to these nice blooms this morning.

Very nice, Doll. That's a cool Sun Shower!

Ten days!!!, mine are now struggling after 10 hours, its like someone just turned the oven on here haha, still I have had the most amazing month, 8 inch multiple blooms and 2 and 3 day blooms, its been a real treat and a treat even in my wildest dreams I never thought I would achieve, which has been topped of with me having 6 pods on Saffron and 6 on Thanksgiving all happily growing away.

28 days was the record from leaving HVH to my front door, 6 plants and 4 survived, at 23 days another 6 all survived, like you say amazing, but the real amazement is Cindy saying Yes nearly 4 years ago when I sent my letter, most if not all companies just say no but not her, ''we will give it a try'' and its changed my life.

John nice blooms!  Didn't know you had Sun Shower.

The Prosperity parade continues...

Farmer D

couple more...

Farmer D

Hi all!  Im finally getting some blooms to share with ya.  You all have been showing some great January sunshine here on the forum, glad I can finally join in!  :)

First up is a Cindy's Heart trio sitting next to the garden variety Sunny Wind that Im trying to make into a standard.
 
Then I tried to get a decent shot of Thanksgiving, given the conversation we had earlier in the Thanksgiving topic...  these are a bit better then the ones I posted before.

next is for me to try to get a decent Erin Rachel shot... that one is difficult for me.. Anyone have a good shot of that one? 

Beautiful Kristen!

Thanks Jordan!  Finally gettin some :)
Here is Belle du Jour

Kristen, I really like that photo of Cindy's Heart with the snow in the background.

Cranberry Muffin Rainbow Serbert and a pale little Hot Pepper.

Quite a difficult picture to take, its 2 pm and the sun is blazing on Acapulco Gold, you can see how the leaves are a little limp and in behind is the taller cutting of AG, 90f in the shade so in the garden with this sun the temperature would be off the scale.

next is for me to try to get a decent Erin Rachel shot... that one is difficult for me.. Anyone have a good shot of that one

Kristen,

to get the most accurate colors, place a white card, not printer paper in the photo for the first shot, take the paper out of the shot and take others without changing the settings. in your graphic program, select the white card as the white point and the rest of the shot will be accurate.

great shots btw.

Louis

Some planter shots today to see how the different CVs are faring so far thru winter.  I have to say overall very good and almost all are still growing as of today with the Tahitians picking up the rear.  80s F (26C) forecast for remainder of the week so nothing to slow them down yet...

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/PorchPlanter1-24.jpg)

Lft to rt: Daisy Mae, Cindy's Heart, Tahitian Lavender Mist, Summer Fun, Tahitian Lavender Rainbow (big one), Living Legend, Tahitian Lion Queen, Tahitian Pretty Boy, Confection Perfection.

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/NorthGatePlanter1-24.jpg)

ltf to rt: The Path (in front), Some Like It Hot (tall one), Electric Orange (Rt of SLIH), Bearss Lime Tree Semidwarf, Ay Caramaba, Tahitian Princess, Daisy Mae (corner)

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/NorthFrontYardPlanter1-24.jpg)

ltf to rt:Plumeria, Midsummer Night (corner & hard to see), Passion Orange Guava (in pot), Sea of Tranquility, Bridal Path, Flickering Flame, Chariots of Fire, Bonnie Lass, Rainbow Sherbet, Scarlet Beauty

(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m613/darreneminian/Jan%202012%20Hibiscus/WestFrontPlanter1-24.jpg)

ltf to rt: Acapulco Gold, High Voltage, Venetian Brick, All That Jazz, Hot Pepper (using 3 stakes), Valentines Day Metropolis, Vin Beaujolais, Rise and Shine, Crystal Pink

Farmer D

Last day for Valentines Day bloom at 14 days (see pic of Vin Beaujolais plant for last pic)

Prosperity just continues to blow me away, another 6 open blooms currently all summer size and colors.  Looks like a great mother's day gift for sure...for their mailbox set ups of course.

Farmer D

Cosmic Gold showing lovely colours as it opens. Hot Southern Nights and a Hot Pepper and a very nice Thanksgiving, it appears Thanksgiving may be a good pod parent, its allways growing pods and is now growing 5 I have crossed.

David I love the way your 3 CG blooms line up in a row.  So formal and perfect!

Farmer D

They where in a line Darren, I also took it early as its a bit tricky taking pictures at the moment [low sun big shadows etc], am quite surprised they went into a second day which was nice as shown below. Also today a nice Melon Melange Rainbow Sherbert and Pocahontas.

82F (28C) today and the plants love it.

Farmer D

more shots...

Farmer D

some more...

Farmer D

Darren, thank goodness for you and David. While my plants seem to have decided to take the winter off I know I can log on to the Forum and see pictures of beautiful flowers from the two of you. Ay Caramba looks great. I've never seen such a dark Raging Bull but it's a great look for that cv

My only decent blooms today are on the two plants I still have in pots. I think it must be because I have been bringing the pots inside at night since we started having nighttime temps in the low 40s. Black Dream and Creole lady photographed in bright sun and shade.

Erny

Erny, great BD

Thanks Kristen. That's the most perfect BD bloom I've had in terms of shape, symmetry, etc.

Erny

Well Ernest I think your BD is the photo of 2012 so far, what an absolute beauty.

Thanks David. That means a lot coming from you. You and Darren have set the bar high for the rest of us--you with potted plants and Darren with those in the ground. I'll be happy if my garden ever looks half as good as either of yours.

Erny

Yes, very nice Black Dream Erny. You've got one advantage over David and Darren - some very well established decade old cultivars, right? To bring them to full glory you might consider getting a 10 gallon, electric powered sprayer and a couple quarts of Supernova. Such sprayers make the task of spraying fast and easy and have enough power to blast deep into the canopy of bigger plants with lots of leaves.

Charlie

A few from this week.
A super soft 5th, thats how they have been blooming for me all winter.
An always perfect Blue Ballerina
A deformed Cherry Appaloosa
And The Path

I was just about to say this Erny, That BD is amazing.

Kristen, that Blue Ballerina photo is really nice.

Charlie, thanks for the suggestion on the power sprayer. My older plants are indeed fairly dense and hedge-like. Where can I find 10 gallon power sprayers? The local big box stores don't seem to have any.

Kristen, very nice photos. I hadn't really looked at Blue Ballerina before but I sure am now.

Thanks to all for the nice comments on the Black Dream bloom. Chris is keeping quiet because he knows that is HIS BD that I am holding for him.

Erny

Finally the warmer temps have pushed out some blooms. We've had pretty heavy Santa Ana winds the past two days so my hand makes an appearance in some of the photos in order to keep the flower from blowing around. Two pictures of Heavy Metal with its somewhat muted winter colors; two of City Slicker with its winter look; and Me Oh My Oh and its bush with triplets.

Erny

A few more: Black Dream triplets, Donna Lynn, Renaissance Blue, and Double Date.

A final few: Lovely Lil with its bush showing twins and some more buds ready to pop; a pretty Kinchen's Yellow; and a very red Belle du Jour.

Erny

Erny it looks like your yard is getting ready to give Darren a run for his money!  Great looking blooms.  Black dream and Double Date are my two favorites, I wish I could come there and take a bunch of cuttings :)

I need Kerry to hurry up and pick up Black Dream from you, it is so amazing!  Any CV that does well where it is cool is what I like to see.  Its so sad how I probably wont see temps in the 60s till June/July...

WOW - fantastic blooms there both Kristen and Erny.  Who cares that it is the middle of winter - this is great!  And the colors are pretty amazing for this time of year. 

The warm temps have really done good for the hibs here and luckily no Santa Ana winds in Hollywood this time...enjoy!
Farmer D

more winter blooms...

Farmer D

some more...

Farmer D

Darren, your Black Dream bush is incredible. Fabulous pictures of Prosperity and Chariots of Fire as well. Every time you show Palm Springs I ask myself why I don't have it. I guess the time has come.

Erny

Darren- Bon Temps is looking interesting. I wouldn't have guessed that's what it was! Every time my 7 year old sees me browsing the store, she wants me to buy that one! :)

I have to say Creme De Cacao is not one of my favourites but it has since I put it in a bigger pot turned into a lovely green healthy bush, and its provided a lot of pollen for me to put on Thanksgiving.
Cranberry Muffin and Hot Southern Nights, a very pale Magnifique. Also today 2 different colour blooms on my Electric Orange.

Dragons Heart and a little lilac Hib from Saigon.
The garden has come through the winter rains ok, now lots of pots to fill with my cuttings and it should start to fill up nicely.

David, every time I see your Cranberry Muffin, it makes me anxious to see the first bloom on mine. Great color on Dragon's Heart. Do you have a sign at the entrance to your garden? If not, I suggest "Welcome to Shangri-La".

A few blooms worthy of pictures today: 1. Double Date--second day looking a little more pink  2. Lovely Lil triplets 3,4,&5 Magic Moments  6. Creole Lady with its ever changing blend of colors. I haven't seen it like this before with the petals reflexed giving a near perfect pentagonal shape.

Erny

Denise I love Bon Temps.  It is really responsive to changes in temperatures so the blooms can vary a lot as you see with my winter blooms.  It has such a rich yellow and combined with that warm pink in summer it is just marvelous.  Great bush too.

Farmer D

Erny Palm Springs comes highly recommended from my experience.  It grows vigorously, has a lush pretty bush and the blooms like Bon Temps change a lot with the temperature so lots of variation and surprises.  Seems to like to bloom a lot too.

Farmer D

Can't forget Vin B.

Farmer D

Wow... Lots of beautiful blooms!

Here are some snowbiscus photos I took of Fox Fire today... Fresh snow and sun light, so you can see her true colors! Also, a super bright Picante from two days ago.

Charlie, I saw the post you made about seeds; I'm having a lot more success harvesting crosses with Arnottianus this season... So far: Rosalind, Bienvenue, Picante and Fox Fire (which has awesome pollen!).  So, I should actually have some seeds (with fragrance potential) for you this spring!  :D  

Shan·gri-la (sh ng gr -lä ). n. 1. An imaginary remote paradise on earth; utopia. 2. A distant and secluded hideaway, haha Erny I looked up what it meant and wow!! spot on.
Your Creole Lady is so nice and now you are using the Booster and Fertiliser you will see a big improvement in all your blooms, not only bigger and more of them but the colors get much stronger, I cant show it on a photo but the outer yellow ring on my Rainbow Sherbert is the brightest yellow imaginable so I think you are going to be in for a few nice suprises this summer.

Darren, thanks for the info on Palm Springs. It is definitely going on the list. Your Black Dream profusion shows how perectly the blooms are presented--a lot like Living Legend and another of the really nice features of that cv. It looks like your Chariots of Fire is trying to take over the yard.

Deb, love the snowbiscus pictures!

David, if you haven't seen the old Ronald Coleman movie, "Lost Horizon", rent it and see if its depiction of Shangri-La doesn't remind you of your own garden.

Erny

Hi Deb,

You might want to save those seeds and grow them yourself if you are interested in producing some modern looking CVs with scent.  Usually the F1 Arnottianus can have light fragrance, but look like deformed versions of Arnottianus.  Crossing these F1 back to a Modern CV, usually does not produce scent, and the offspring look like garden CVs. Crossing F2 back to other F2 seedlings can give more "modern" looking CVs and of those CVs maybe 10 percent have scent as well.  The scent with these offspring is also not consistent, being scented on only some days.  Scent is recessive and has incomplete penetration, so it takes about five generations of breeding to get this combination!  One modern CV which I have seen put out scented CVs once in a while is Georgia's Pearl.  Heaven Scent has this CV in its pedigree, it is also parent to another CV, Maxine Hannah, which is also scented.  It a long haul, and requires meticulous record keeping to get such results!

I really like Foxfire, sure is a beauty!     

Erny and Dave,

Yard is looking great, cant wait to see more!

Magnifique and quite a nice Creme De Cacao today.

Shangrila! Perfect name...

Deb, I love those photos that show hibiscus with a snowy background.

As for the H arnottianus seeds, I would be happy to grow them out if you want to send them to me. I do have a special request if it becomes possible - cross 2 H arnottianus flowers with each other and send me those seeds to grow. Thanks.

Charlie

Will do, Charlie.  Lots of buds on H. Arnottianus right now... Hopefully they'll all bloom as doubles!   :D

I have a few for ya today.  Everyone, your blooms are blowing my mind! Dave, love the CDC!  real pretty.

A first for me is Valentines day.  Real small at about 4" but it is in a tiny pot (been telling me for months it wants a new home but it needs to wait till spring)
A real crappy night shot of my Saffron extravaganza!  (nothing like Darren's garden explosion, but for me in CT in pots, Im pretty psyched!
And a Very Unique Ruby Tuesday.  Looks like it has Black Dragon in its jeans!

Have an awesome day everyone!

Kristen, great colors on all those blooms. Valentine's Day proves that small can be beautiful. Nothing crappy about your Saffron--great looking bush and flowers.

Erny

Kristen those are some great blooms.  VD is so colorful and nice form to it.  I love your Saffron bush and blooms.  I really hope mine turns out like yours some day...thanks for sharing.  Pretty awesome to have blooms in mid winter in CT.

Today was a really good day in the garden....24 open blooms for Chariots Of Fire, 17 for Acapulco Gold, 8 for Vin Beaujolais, 20 for BD.

Farmer D

lots more...

Farmer D

check out the new hummingbird pics from today...lots and lots of patience.

Farmer D

Ok this is it for today here...

Farmer D

Darren, lots of great photos as usual. Love the hummingbird pictures as well. But the hands down winner is that Simple pleasures bloom--easily the nicest photo I have ever seen of that cv.

Erny

Farmer D, what can I say? Even the old fashioned garden variety hibiscus don't bloom like that in mid-winter. You continue to do a remarkable job. Thanks for letting us see those beauties.

Charlie

Here are a few blooms for today , I took them outside for the photo's their still in the house for winter .
(http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/Picture1-20.png)Cindy's Heart
(http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/Picture3-10.png)Belle De Jour
(http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/mphquicksilver/Picture4-8.png)and a second day rockets red glare
   

Cosmic Gold Dragons Breath and a nice Valentines Day.
Also today I have a small orangy Thanksgiving, its maybe small due to the fact I have had it in a cool shady doorway for 3 weeks, but I do have 8 pods growing on it so I cant complain.

Darren, it's hard to believe it's winter with the way your plants are blooming!
Mike, those are really beautiful.
David, you better start making room for all those seedlings you will have in the future.

I had a Sun Shower bloom today.

David, you better start making room for all those seedlings you will have in the future.
[/quote]
Well John I have been making plans, truth is I only really have room to grow maybe half a dozen at most [and hope they are not like this one mutant monster I have at the moment], my garden is not really that big and is just an extention to my lounge [its actually the roof of the house next door] as you can see from the photo I just took,its 5am so dark.
But above my lounge is a very large empty flat roof,double the size of my garden which I am thinking of using, it will need a bit of work and I somehow need to find a safe way up there, I am at the moment thinking of putting in a Iron Spiral Staircase from the edge of the garden but once its all done I will have tons of room, but I suppose I had better wait till I get a seed first haha.
The second photo shows it a bit clearer my problem, its looking back into my lounge and you can see the roof I need to get on.

Mike those blooms are just beautiful - like in full summer.  Just wonderful for growing them indoors.  Great job!!

David your blooms are just awesome.  Cosmic Gold just has so much character!

John your Sunshower looks beautiful - counting down the days to get back outside?  Your weather has been pretty good lately.

Farmer D