Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

A sudden cold snap (it's 51 degrees at almost noon in SoCal  :o ) prompted me to bring my pots inside. They thanked me with several blooms  ;D

here's a pic of Fallen Hero together with Chariots of Fire

Very pretty blooms with strong colors of cool weather. Maybe it will warm up again in southern CA now that this latest storm has passed. Apparently it's been cool just about everywhere, even Florida and the Gulf Coast states that are usually nice and warm by now.

Meanwhile HVH has started shipping 4" size pots to the warmest areas and to some indoor growers. That trickle will become a torrent as we move into April and peak during May.

Not many blooms in our garden yet, but soon we hope.........

Charlie

Yay for warmer temps...waiting for that big brown truck :)

In the meantime, let's brighten the day with some fire in the sky: Voodoo Magic.

Happy Easter, with a pair of Sunkissed blonds.  The plant looks pretty bad, still haven't trimmed it since the spider mite incident a few months back.

Nice to see some April flowers, just before the spring blooming really kicks in.

I had some today, too, with the dark reds being the best. Below is Burnt Saffron and a Geronimo - 2 of the best for showing darkest red/orange.

Charlie

Thanks for sharing Charlie!  When it's warm enough to put my plants outside I will have blooms to share as well.


Can't wait for my Burnt Saffron!! (amongst others)


Geronimo is fascinating in that it looks like it almost has a leathery texture (at least to me in all its photos).

Great pics Charlie!  I really like Geronimo alot, very awesome coloration, I just wish the flowers were bigger.  Dragon's Breath opened a bit later today and a new hybrid Cattleya Orchid that just bloomed behind it.  Both love bright sunny windows!

Jordan, you're right about the texture of Geronimo - it's heavy and firm and has a sort of leathery appearance. And Chris, you and me both wish it was a larger flower as that would be totally awesome. As it is I still enjoy it and in fact made some crosses with it a few months ago hoping to capture the dark coloring in some other flowers.

Charlie

Orchids and hibiscus blooming together! Hibiscus need less intense conditions than many people think, and some orchids can take more intensity than generally believed, and your photo shows how at least some of them can get along well in the same space. Very cool, Chris.

Charlie

HERE ARE A COUPLE BLOOMS TODAY....I DON'T HAVE MUCH YET......RED BEANS AND RICE.....AMOUR AND PINA COLADA...HOPEFULL THE WARM WEATHER STAYS..80 TODAY IN SANBERNARDINO CA....AND CHARLIE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE OPEN HOUSE NEXT MONTH!

HERE ARE THE OTHERS...i AM HAVING PROBLEMS ATTACHING

motherof4, how are your temps at night?

My plants spent all winter outside (I'm in OC) and since I joined the forum I've been much more worried about temperatures. Especially since I seem to have lost my Cinnamon Girl, I fear the Wake Up spray, if it ever arrives, will come too late.

The past few nights have been cold here, down to 43 degrees in my backyard. I considered moving the pots back in the front where the temps right up against the house stay higher, but daytime temps are over 102 degrees there even on a cool 68 degree in the shade day ( I measured the other day). I don't even want to think about what they are like on a nice warm day like today. Maybe I should move the hibiscus inside at night?

THE TEMPS RIGHT NOW ARE AROUND 47-50 AT NIGHT......i HAVE SOME POTS ON MY FRONT PORCH....AND AROUND 25  CVS IN THE GROUND......MOST OF THEM ARE FINE..STILL RECOVERING FROM THE WINTER WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF RAIN...I HAVE 2 LARGE TREES SHELTERING THEM...i HAVE AROUND FOUR OR FIVE THAT LOST ALL THE LEAVES..THEY WERE PRETTY SMALL THOUGH... i HAVE BEEN USING SUPER NOVA ON ALL MY PLANTS AND WAKEUP SPRAY ON THE ONES THAT LOST.THERE LEAVES...ALL ARE GETTING NEW GROWTH...i THINK THEY WILL MAKE IT ...CANT WAIT FOR MORE BLOOMS...IF THE WEATHER STAYS WARM THEY SHOULD BE FINE....AND i WATER PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY....i COULD NOT GET MY OTHER PHOTOS TO ATTACH.....i AM NEW AT ALL OF THIS ALSO

I have a bunch of blooms i need to post but been so lazy, I got two RRG blooms. Simple pleasures and midnight flyer.

would love to see them...i wish I had more...hopefully in a couple of months

I'd love to see them too. RRG is Rocket's Red Glare?

Tonight's Bridal Path, facing a branch  ::)

so pretty!!!!.....that one is one of my favorites..cannot wait for mine to start blooming

Hi,i am also new at this so take my advice as you wish. You talk about 102 degrees as this may be a problem but my garden is on a rooftop in Vietnam and the temperature in the garden is over 120f most days.I have never lost a plant to the sun,they may not perform as well as some in cooler spots but from what i have learnt its better to be hot than to cold.

and your garden courtyard is beautiful!!

David, that is 100 degrees on an otherwise cool day. The wall of the house reflects the heat and sunshine. On a day like today, where we got temps around 85 degrees it feels like the inside of a kiln out front. I'll check tomorrow.

Wow, David, I didn't realize that you had to deal with that kind of heat! Hopefully water is free and plentiful. Hibiscus can survive very high temperatures if they are watered enough. The blooms don't fare so well but in many locations around the world people pick the blooms early in the morning and use them to decorate houses and places of business. Unlike most other flowers hibiscus do not need to be placed in water after picking so it is easier to find ways to display them - even in the hair of women like they do in French Polynesia.

Charlie

Ok, it's 11am and 79 degrees in the shade, 94 in the sun in the backyard, and 126 at the front of the house. Yikes! I don't even want to imagine summer temps.

This just goes to show that you can't just go by the advertised temperatures for your city alone. I can't believe that there is a difference of 32 degrees in my small yard despite the fact that both locations are in the sun.

Ok here are some march blooms and april ! I am a little late hehe

(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p462430195-3.jpg)
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v7/p472567371-3.jpg)
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v10/p325300973-3.jpg)
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p379765926-3.jpg)
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p377392491-4.jpg)
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v7/p507990697-3.jpg)

close up of RRG petals

(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p191132426-3.jpg)
(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v8/p271331853-3.jpg)

which one is the 4th one down?????Your flowers are beautiful

midnight flyer  :D

Yay Kerry, that Rockets Red Glare is popping for you!

My stand out bloom today was Burnt Saffron. It was darker than the photo - camera just can't seem to believe in the darker colors and wants to brighten them up. In any case this was a beauty and makes me glad we will have a lot more Burnt Saffron plants later this summer.

Charlie

Great pics everyone!

Here is a lighter Dragons Breath.

I understand trying to get dark colored blooms to show, I had a Dragons Breath bloom that was a very dark maroon color, and it did not show up at all.  Well enjoy!

(I also crossed this bloom with Heaven's Scent, I really hope it takes, it would be really interesting to see what comes from that cross.  Heres to hoping for a ruffly double DB)

here are a couple blooms from today

and another

majic moments

magic moments 2

pina colada

Motherof4, are your blooms indoor flowers or outdoor flowers, and what state are you in? Its nice that you have so many this time of year. This past week I've seen a big increase in blooms but we're still at least a month away from prolific blooming.

Charlie

these are outdoor.......and I am also southern ca...sanbernardino area...I was surprised at these blooms....you know the bad winter we have had...so much rain!..but I am using all your nutritional care...looking forward to more...and your open house next month!..Lynette

Hi Lynette, you're doing a great job then as its been too darn cold at night to get our outdoor ones started. Our indoor ones, otoh, are doing fantastic right now.

Charlie

thanks charlie....I don't have any indoor....I get very little light in my house...I do have a couple spots though  that I might try.....I use most of your nutrition ...a lot of super nova...and I did not loose any over the winter...a couple small ones lost most of there leaves ..but now are sprouting out new leaves...I can't wait for more blooms...they are so beautiful

Im waiting for Creme de cacao Bloom today ( looks like it will) I will pollinate it :)

Ok here it is ! Creme de cacao has some interesting colors greens in deed !


(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v10/p15711410-4.jpg)

(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v8/p165666641-4.jpg)

(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p220178580-4.jpg)

(http://kerrysroxy.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p95690896-4.jpg)

That was fast, Kerry! As you can see it is an unusual color itself, but has within it genes for all sorts of other colors to come out in offspring. It's a plus that it also has such a strong bush and that passes on a lot of the time, too. I'll be interested to see what unique cross ideas you come up with as opportunities present themselves!

Charlie

Well today both CDC and Carolina breeze opened so i made CDC mother , I will let you know if it took. :D

About a week ago I treated the greenhouse plants with HVH Booster (potassium nitrate) for 3 days in a row instead of their regular fertilizer. Even though it has happened many times before, I am always amazed when the plants respond with tons of big, colorful blooms 1-2 weeks later. Below are a sampling of named varieties blooming the last couple of days. The heated greenhouse is about 2 months ahead of the outdoor southern California hibiscus, but everyone growing hibiscus has this type of display to look forward to in coming months of summer!

Correction to photo below - the one with file name Blue Denim is really named Denim Revolution. There is no Blue Denim flower, not yet anyway. :)

Charlie

Awesome photos Charlie!  I really love blue denim,  I want to cross it with dragons breath and silver dragon.  A dark blue with white swirling would be very impressive.  Though your seedling BTBW x MB is very close :)

Sigh, my wish list is getting longer and longer.

I tried to look for more info on Blue Denim but couldn't find it in your gallery. It looks lovely. How does it compare to Denim Revolution?

WOW Charlie!  Great photos!



Do you not normally include HVH Booster in your feeding regimen for the greenhouse?

Pinot looks great the new pics make me want one now hahahah

Can you tell us more about blue denim ? I am in love with it for sure !

Woops! My mistake. The name of the blue flower is Denim Revolution not Blue Denim. Sorry for the confusion. It is so new we don't know that much about it, other than it does seem to be a good bloomer whenever I stop cutting the wood off of it so that it can bloom. This one does not have wood firm enough to use yet to make more plants, so it gets to show off some blooms in the meantime.

No, I don't usually fertilizer with booster in the greenhouse, but I might just start doing it once a month! The flowers are pretty enough with normal fertilizer, but I do like the extra zing that is seen with the potassium nitrate (HVH Booster).

Chris, the idea of a blue with white swirls like Dragons Breath is awe-inspiring. That would be something to see.

Charlie

I love tahitian orange rainbow......will there be any available??

O Ok I was about to say it looked similar to denim revolution  :) I am still using Bart's formula and this is why my hibiscus are blooming now :D

T Orange Rainbow has grown on me, too. It's got some different colors and nice rings of color and the older the plants get the better it seems to do. Tons of flowers recently on the few plants I have of it. So yes, next step is to propagate it for sale. If that works, there will be plants late this year or for next year.

I'm glad you like it, and appreciate the feedback. It helps in the decision on whether to go ahead with a variety or not.

Charlie

If yesterday was the day of beautiful single blooms, today was the day for bushes to burst forth with multiple blooms. In the office Chariots of Fire has 3 flowers with 4 more buds showing color (about to open) and Hot Pepper has 4 open flowers. I didn't get photos of them but in the greenhouse I was able to photograph bushes of Hotwired, Acapulco Gold, Climax, and Cindy's Heart with 3 and 4 flowers open on each. Below are the photos, click to see full size.

I do love Cindy's Heart, both the flower and the real one  :)   I can't wait to send this variety out to those who have expressed interest. It's big, intense, and the flowers last for several days.

Charlie

Awesome pics Charlie, Cindy's Heart is a real beauty.  Does she make a big bush?

Cindy's Heart is a medium size bush, medium vigor. The photo from yesterday was on a bush 5 feet tall, with these flowers all being on the lower branches of the bush.

I mentioned the blooming hibiscus in our office yesterday. They were even prettier today so I had to get the camera out to capture their abundant display of good cheer. Chariots of Fire is in a southwest facing window and Hot Pepper is in a northwest facing window. The photos were taken as the sun was setting.

Charlie

WOW look at that CoF!  Hot Pepper too; I'm glad to see another photo of HP because I have one, and haven't seen any photos of it other than the on on its page and Bart's photos.

Thanks for sharing, Charlie.

Jordan, Hot Pepper is a very well behaved variety that grows into a nice bush and flowers a lot.

What is the weather like at your new house? Is it on the Peninsular or over on Oakland side? Now that you've learned some key lessons this could be a good summer for you.

Charlie

Being in cold weather produced an interesting HC today.  Looks like a Acapulco Gold, but with lavender veins.

That's quite a look for Haute Couture!

Chris, any news on the plants that got caught out in the snow?

Charlie

Hi Charlie,

It is a really cool Haute flower!  HC still looks pretty good, no leaves turning yellow or falling off.  The others are losing a bunch of leaves... sigh :(  Hopefully they will grow back ok, if at all... I also just harvested the last bunch of seeds from BG,  BG x Sunkissed Blonde.  I will get them sent out this week,  hopefully these offspring can keep their parents legacy alive.

Charlie,

   Neither, actually.  I live in the San Joaquin Valley now, just south of Stockton.  It's much hotter out here in summer than the bay area-- the summer average temp is low to mid 90s.  Winters are a bit cooler here it seems also, but with less rain than the bay.

   I'm really looking forward to this year as well.  I've learned so much.  I got a lot of different cvs last year and didn't get to see many of them bloom.  :(  On the up-side, I've also learned to be more selective about the varieties I choose to keep and some of the ones I lost I'm not that disappointed about.  My next hurdle will be getting some successful crosses going.

The warm to hot summers in your area will really help the hibiscus grow rapidly. Keeping then well watered when it gets hot will allow them to bloom a lot, too. I still think that is the biggest mistake made in summer-time, letting the hibiscus get stressed from not enough water. Once that happens a few times they stop blooming until the weather cools. In our 100 degree plus greenhouse we keep them watered well (twice a day if needed) and they never stop blooming completely. Most hibiscus have flushes of blooms followed by development of new buds which is normal and not the same as stopping altogether for a couple of months in hot weather. I look forward to seeing how it goes for you this year and to enjoying a few special "Jordan style" reports!

Charlie

I was worried about moving here, as I thought it might be too hot for them outside.  I'm thinking now, though, that the hibs might be better off here where it stays warmer than in the bay where it gets up into the mid 80s but is cool at night.  I'm planning on watering them 2x a day.  Now that I have a garden hose that will be much easier than carrying bucket after bucket from the kitchen sink. 

I have an overhang on my back patio that gets allows a few hours of sunlight a day underneath.  It just so happens to be early morning sun, too.  I plan on keeping my shade-loving cultivars (Black Dragon, Sleeping Beauty) under it once they are living fully outside.

Is Burnt Saffron like Black Dragon in that it prefers more shade than most?

That porch with the overhand sounds excellent for hot summer growing of hibiscus. I have a similar porch that faces east and only the morning sun shines in on the plants there. I have grown many varieties there during summer and they do great.

I'm not sure about Burnt Saffron. My biggest plants of it get tons of sun in the greenhouse and have been making some great flowers as of late. The greenhouse plastic does filter out some light so it isn't full sun but they do get a lot in that location. We both have to experiment more with this variety, and find out where it likes to grow the best. Let us know!

Charlie

Will let you know!  Am looking forward to blooms from Burnt S.