Pruning in San Diego County???

[Drew]

Hello Charles, Cindy and All.....

I am a newbie to the Hibiscus hobby (addiction).  I've been keeping Hibiscus for 2 years now and I feel pretty successfully.  I have 12 of the Speciality hybrids in pots on a deck that gets about 5-6 hours of direct sunlight a day.  Early in the summer of '08 I installed a drip system on a timer.  Previous to the drip system, I watered once daily - worried about overwatering and yellow leaves!  With the drip system (during warm weather) I water twice a day (morning and early afternoon) until water runs out of the drain hole.  Since the increased watering I've had PHENOMINAL growth - some plants doubling in size and a "bad yellow leaf week" produces only 3-5 yellow leaves out of all 12 plants!  I fertilize once a week during warm weather.

FINALLY!!!  My question - LOL!

Should I be pruning?  Lightly?  Heavily?  My plants are very happy without any pruning, but would they be happier?  If I should prune, when?  Fall?

HELP!!!!

Drew

[Charlie]

Hi Drew,

Congratulations on putting in the drip system. As you said, it can really make a difference in how well the plants grow, and how much time you save.

The main benefit of pruning is that the hibiscus develop more stems after pruning. Each stem makes flower buds so the more stems the more flowers you end up with. The other benefit is in rejuvenating a tired or damaged plant. Pruning can often turn a poor performing plant into a youthful version of itself. I like to do it in the late fall. It will grow a little during winter but as soon as spring warms things up the new growth will take off and blooms will come soon after. If you wait until spring to prune the new growth is much further behind and blooms may not come until mid to late summer.

Here in southern CA you can still do it, even in January. When pruning, consider the shape of the plant you want to end up with. Try to leave a few leaves and a small stem or two uncut to provide the plant with energy to get the new growth started.

Let us know how it goes!

Charlie

[Drew]

Thank you for your response!  I know you are really busy.  I hope that this forum takes off for you.  I will have to come even earlier to your open houses!!  ***not before you open though!*** LOL

I'm going to go sharpen my pruners right now.  I'm going to try a light pruning this winter and if all goes well, a heavier pruning next fall.  I just hate to think about cutting off all those blossoms.  My plants are STILL blooming (just tiny little flowers right now) even after all those cold nights we've had.   

Looking forward to adding to my addiction.

Drew

[Charlie]

Hi Drew,

Since you posted last I, too, got out the pruning shears and went to work on some more of the hibiscus in our yard. This unusually warm, or should I say, hot weather for January will encourage new growth to begin. There is always the small danger that the new growth will be exposed to freezing weather before it has a chance to harden up and will be nipped in the bud, so to speak. Even so I think the risk is worth taking in our area and the results in terms of good growth and earlier blooms in summer are worth the very small chance that the timing will be off. 

See you at an Open House, I hope!

Charlie