Hidden Valley Hibiscus Forum

Charlie, this is my most problematic hibiscus at the moment. This bloom is only 4" and is pretty standard for what I've been getting all summer. The buds look great but the open blooms are stunted and washed out. Also the new leaves are crinkled, kind of tough, and curling inward.  My first thought was thrips, but I've never found any thrips on any plant in the greenhouse including this one now.  Do you have any idea what might be going on here? Is this a plant that can be finicky to grow? It's growing in an 8" pot.

Thanks,
dave

Hmmm there are always exceptions to the norm.  I feel as though my Acapulco gold is a werido, Ive had alot of issues getting this one to bloom, I really cant figure out why it doesnt want to make flowers for me, but I am just going to leave it alone and see what happens.  It tries to make buds but they are small and never grow, and eventually shrivel up.  So its possible that your TD, has its own "personality"

If so, I hope it decides to change its personality soon. Considering my space limitations and rediculously long wish list, I don't have room for slackers. lol
How long have you had your AG? I have a year and a half old Belle du Jour that is finally growing well, but has never set a bud. Maybe soon.

Hi Dave,

That bloom of Tangerine Dream appears to have at least 7 petals. That is very unusual although I have seen it before on other singles that normally have 5 petals. Tangerine Dream should be more colorful and larger in cooler weather. If not, something is up with it. This variety does make leaves that have some bumps in them, but the smaller leaf that shows in the photo is extreme and looks more like what happens when some insect chews on a developing leaf. This distorts the normal growth pattern and you get weird leaves even long after the insects have been killed or moved on. I would remove that leaf because it is not needed and is a distraction for me.

There are always mysteries with hibiscus, some never are solved whether or not the problem sorts itself out or not. Sometimes  a particular plant gets a setback and does nothing that year but if you keep treating it well the next summer behaves perfectly. It's hard to know whether that will happen or not and if space is a concern it may be better to give up on one that is problematic. I can hear Cindy crying "no, no" but she is one to try and save every creature while I have learned to give time and resources to those that respond better. Whichever way you go there will always be mysteries along with some and wins and some losses.

Charlie

Thanks Charlie,
The blooms were a little larger and closer to your photos of it during the past winter but still didn't have that pop of those pics in your gallery. It's been kind of a slow starter so I guess it's not quite there yet. I'll give it a little more time and maybe try a different fertilizer program.

dave

Hi Dave,

My AG is about a year old.  It is really getting quite large and it bloomed once and that is it.  I think Im going to give it till next spring, then I might just buy another one.  I hope tangerine dream starts to behave. 

-Chris

Hi Chris,

I wonder what your AG needs to kick start the blooming? Mine took a good part of the summer off from blooming after I did some corrective prunning but is finally getting some buds again. The Belle du Jour I mentioned in an earlier post a few days ago is finally getting some buds. Another dud of a bloom on Tangerine Dream today. It's only opened half way, but at least it has 5 petals instead of 7.  lol
I guess they all can't be easy.

dave

Hi Chris,

Has light been limited for the Acapulco Gold? It is odd that it hasn't bloomed, as it buds up here when the stems get approx 18" tall. I think we are looking at another "hibiscus mystery"!

Charlie

Hi Charlie,

It is in the most sunny place in the apartment.  It gets full sun from 10am - 4pm, in fact it is often droopy when it is getting full sun.  I thought that this was due to a lack of water, but the soil is moist.  My AG is a werid one, It just doesnt want to bloom for me, so I might have to try another specimen because I dont really know what else I can do.  I fertlize with the seaweed extract you have on the website, the organic general fertilizer you used to offer and super nova every watering and it gets plenty of sunlight.  I cant figure this one out :(

Well, when nothing else works just tell it you're fed up with it and are going to kick it out in the snow as soon as it snows again. Sometimes that works!

Charlie

LOL, I think I will do that and hopefully the threat will be taken seriously. If not, I will probably pawn it off on someone else as a pretty houseplant :P

Hi Charlie,

I hadn't thought of threatening as a means of inspiring my Tangerine Dream, but now that you mentioned that to Chris regarding her Acapulco Gold I think I'll give ot a try. That reminded me of our approach for two dwarf grapefruit trees we had planted when I was still living at home. It seemed that they were taking an awful long time to start bearing some fruit so basically they were threatened that this was their last year to at least get a couple of grapefruit and they exploded with citrus all over. Maybe just a coincidence?  Who knows.

dave

Hey have you guys seen the movie "The Happening?"  Plants know when they're threatened.  Essentially, the plot is that all plants in the world evolved to excrete a toxic gas that causes humans to kill themselves.  It sounds kinda hokey but the concept is interesting from a biochemical perspective. 

I think of this while holding my hibiscus under water for spider mite baths... haha...

More updates to come later on that.  I promise to detail the new treatment as soon as I know it will eliminate all the spider mites in my garden!!

Dave and all,

I was kidding with Chris about threatening his Acapulco Gold with expulsion into the snow, but I didn't make up that approach. Over the years several people have related anecdotes about their plants responding to their intentions just in the nick of time. I've personally noticed time and again that hibiscus hybrids respond positively to personal contact. If left on their own they tend to go downhill while if given attention they seem to perk up and perform. Of course the water and food and other benefits they get from people would explain most of this but I've always wondered if there is something else at work, too.

Charlie

I ran across a photo I took of Tangerine Dream in early May. That bloom looks very normal compared to the bloom in September which I posted earlier. Could it be as simple as Tangerine Dream not performing well in summer heat?

dave

Dave, that photo you posted shows the standard flower of Tangerine Dreams. It's possible that your local summer conditions in the high desert caused a change that is temporary. Keep us posted, please.

Charlie

Tangerine Dream update. I brought it inside the house about 3 weeks ago and blooms are much improved over what I saw during the summer. This one is a bit reflexed but the color is much better than the earlier summer photo I posted. It seems to dislike heat.

dave

Tangerine Dream with Spring SoCal flower.

I don't think that yellow version is really Tangerine Dream. While hibiscus vary quite a lot with conditions, the eye color does not change. The eye can be larger or smaller but I don't recall ever seeing it go from one color to another. Tangerine Dream has a silvery white eye as shown in the first picture posted by roadrunner. But I never say never with hibiscus because these babies can fool you by doing something never seen before. Even so, the yellow version is so different from the flowers I've seen of Tang.Dream that I have to doubt it is the real thing or wonder if it could be a genetic sport on that stem.

Charlie

I got this one from you I think 2 years ago. I always thought it looked different then what people were posting. it does change in summer/fall. I will post a pic then too. One thing about thi plant is I have a hard time keeping it green. It likes to yellow.

Charlie, here are some more shots. I love this version as it is really soft in color but glows in the garden.

Maybe you have Cosmic Gold...?

thats what i was thinking

Great Tangerine Dream, aren't its cooler weather colors awesome?

Its not Cosmic Gold, the leaves on Cosmic Gold are very different, with reddish stems, really cool.  The flowers have a heavier texture than Tangerine Dream, this is just a cool weather flower.

It is like this year round. It has not been too cool although we are getting close. Here it was in Summer.

Oh I bet its Midnight Sun then,  Tangerine Dream turns yellow and tangerine in cool weather, but if its like that all year.  I bet it is Midnight Sun then, maybe Charlie can confirm for us :)

Good call, Chris. Midnight Sun does have the golden yellow eye although most of my photos of it show brighter colors. However, a few photos I have are almost identical to the ones Len posted. Below is the more colorful version that we see in summer along with a spring bloom.

Charlie

Midnight sun sure is great, Ive seen a few seedlings from it which are really nice.  Makes me want to give it a try  :)

Charlie, I think it was a random sport and I ended up with it. I bought this from you as Tangerine Dream and I have never seen a flower look like Tangerine Dream or what you just showed as Midnight Sun in summer. After seeing Midnight Sun, I now want one of those too :)

hmmm Sports are super rare, so being a mismarked plant is more likely.   What year did you get the plant?  The bloom also kinda reminds me of Apricot Butter. 

Whatever it is, at least it s a pretty one!

I believe I got it in Spring of '09. I like it too. It is a hard one to keep green though.