October Blooms

[farmer d]

Darren, if you put some of the heat tolerant varieties on your porch I don't think you will need to worry about the heat waves. Cindy's Heart and High Voltage would do just fine in the heat. I have both of these growing in full sun.

John you make an excellent point and I had given that a lot of thought and I ended up making the colors that stand out the best against my house colors on the porch the decision maker for me.  Now that I've gone through the heat wave and how it affected SC, RD and SO I am second guessing a little.

At the same time I also know that as our hibs get more mature they can much better tolerate and even flourish in those conditions.  My Rainbow Sherbet and Scarlet Beauty are two great examples for me that are up against a brick wall that really heats up every day.  Even on mild spring days I put a thermometer there and the temp by the wall reached over 90F.  So in summer it easily should have ambient heat over 100 daily there.

Their first 6-9 months they had some tough days and it showed with sunburned leaves and some wilting but over time they have acclimated well and I swear now even do better in the heat.  Also as the plants get bigger with more foliage they shadow the wall better and less heat is soaked in the wall behind them also making it easier to handle the heat.  

The shade they make becomes a growing factor not only with the heat but also with watering too.  As they get bigger you'd think they need more water but if your soil can retain moisture the more shadows your big plants make the less evaporation and I have come to the conclusion that so far I can pretty much keep watering the same amounts for now if the sun doesn't make it to the ground due to foliage shadows.

Funny I never would have thought of these things till I see them happen and then you see just more reason that if you can get your CVs to grow bigger and bigger more benefits seem to keep popping up.

So my thinking going forward for now is to leave those three on the porch which in winter will be good as they will be protected from the cold a little by the porch overhang and they will get the most heat during the afternoons when it isn't that warm soon.  I might also switch them up to bigger pots to improve drainage (currently in 10" pots).  

What really sucked was the spider mites coming in and really inflicting heavy damage so quickly after the plants were in shock.  Literally it took just a couple of days for it to happen.  By then all I could do was just react.

Great stuff - thanks John!!!

Farmer D

[farmer d]

And Darren I'm surprised you are not finding strangers strolling around your front yard!
Charlie

Could be that any free time I have I'm in the yard constantly - I know the hummingbirds are sick of seeing me.  It is also amazing how many people have no idea that these are hibiscus.  If they only knew how rare and special these plants are...

OK, today's pics...All That Jazz is turning into a really nice bush.  Highly recommended as it blooms very well and tolerates all conditions easily.

Ay Caramba has the cutest orangy heat spots all over like freckles.

Farmer D

[farmer d]

First ever bloom for Candy...hoping it isn't a mini bloomer but so far...still nice.

Bridal Path Plant - still hasn't held onto it's buds all the way through yet this season but it is starting to develop numerous new branches with lots of Supernova spraying.  Next year it should be like Flickering Flame I hope.  Again I moved it in the dead of winter and it is still coming back...

Farmer D

[farmer d]

If you have exotic hibiscus you don't need to go anywhere for fall foliage colors.  Just check out Palm Springs day 2 bloom.  Perfect autumn colors...

Farmer D

[farmer d]

Wow - some more...Rum Runner sure must have a lot of 5th Dimension in it.  Check out the fade...

Denise I know T Princess was avail in the HVH store a few months ago...if you get it put it in a shady spot as it fades fast in strong sun...

My Valentines Day 1 plant is so big I've nicknamed it "The Metropolis".  It grows outwards, upwards, I even have branches that are partially buried in the ground for over a year that are kicking some butt.  This thing is a powerhouse and if there was ever a plant that does well in the ground....blooms like crazy of course.

Farmer D

[davidwood]

Darren I had to smile when I read  ''  Even on mild spring days I put a thermometer there and the temp by the wall reached over 90F.  So in summer it easily should have ambient heat over 100 daily there.''  I did the same thing against my wall [photo shown] and the thermometer read 147f haha, obviously I cant grow Hibs there but it gives you an idea of the temperatures in my garden.

Now what is amazing is everything you say about about the plants as they get older in your garden is exactly the same with me here, I used to be always looking for sun tolerant cv's, where the truth is if you look after them when they are young they will all become tolerant of the heat and sun as they get older, in fact as my plants have got older, some over 2 years now they are much easier to look after, of course it will have an affect on the blooms but I now have lovely lush green plants.

[farmer d]

OK, last post today...I will be out of town starting tomorrow for a few weeks so one more day of pics maybe and that's it for a while....leaving just in time too as our first winter storm is fast approaching tomorrow and I'm not ready for anything like that yet...Aloha!

And what a great way to finish today - The Path Quads that are all perfect!!!

Farmer D

[farmer d]

Holy Smokes David - 147F!!!

What you've accomplished there is truly amazing.  I don't know if you get the same tv channels there in Vietnam but there are a lot of extreme cooking/baking shows currently.  If there was one for plant growing you'd be somewhere's near the top for sure.

Great job!!!

Farmer D

[davidwood]

Thanks Darren, the change to my garden over 2 years has been amazing, thanks a lot to your inspirational photo's, this forum in general and being able to buy Perlite, and of course Charlie and Cindy.

I don't fully understand air sun temperatures etc, it will say on the weather forecast 100f but in the garden its like hell on earth, if I have to water at lunchtime I have a umbrella the sun is that powerful.

[Charlie]

Denise, we grafted some Tahitian Princess plants last year but they sold out quickly. I've tried rooting some for the coming year but also plan to graft some more as well. That means that there will probably be some when the 2012 online store opens on December 30 but they will most likely sell out well before spring shipping begins.

Charlie

[Denise]

Denise, we grafted some Tahitian Princess plants last year but they sold out quickly. I've tried rooting some for the coming year but also plan to graft some more as well. That means that there will probably be some when the 2012 online store opens on December 30 but they will most likely sell out well before spring shipping begins.

Charlie

Thanks, Charlie! I will have to keep a look out come December 30... I am surprised this one catches my eye, as I usually go for very bright, bold colors. But there is something special about it. Thanks for the heads up!

[Darkhorse]

Charlie, just to confirm, you guys are opening the store on Dec. 30 this year and not early in the morning on Jan 1?  I set my alarm last year and definitely don't want to miss out this year. 

[Denise]

Charlie, just to confirm, you guys are opening the store on Dec. 30 this year and not early in the morning on Jan 1?  I set my alarm last year and definitely don't want to miss out this year. 

Oh wow! I didn't realize what an event this was! I suppose I will be setting an alarm too So much fun

[farmer d]

This morning was soooo much fun cutting buds and blooms in the pouring rain.  But I learned from my last trip that decomposing blooms can cause big issues when they are sitting on other leaves and branches.

Last post for a few weeks so enjoy...all the blooms I had for today!





Farmer D

[Denise]

Oh my gosh! Your poor naked hibiscus!

Have a great trip