December blooms of the day

[blupit007]

Farmer D, those pads are so unique.  Thanks for sharing.

[farmer d]

Farmer d, whatever you're doing, you seem be doing it perfectly. Your plants DO look fantastic!!! Whereabouts do you live? I cannot imagine the work I'd have to put into preparing the soil in my yard to keep my hibiscus plants happy. Great job 

I just changed my profile to show where I live - Hollywood, CA.

The soil prep was a lot of really hard physical labor.  I'm a pretty healthy person approaching the big 4 0 but there were a few times I thought I was gonna pass out while conditioning the soil.  I filled my big green trash can three times with the heavy wet clay from my planters.  Seriously - every shovel full must have weighed nearly 20 pounds.  One time the trash man refused to take my can because it was too heavy so a late night covert distribution to my neighbors green trash cans ensued.

I particularly focused on the one planter that is shaded by a small brick wall that just never dries out.  I could foresee massive drainage issues if I didn't put in a lot of organic compost and even a little gypsum.  The clay was so thick that I couldn't even mix it much with the compost as it just clumped together like glue.  I dug down about a foot or two and removed most of the clay in that planter.

One positive was that my soil is very nutrient rich as it is a black clay so mostly a drainage issue for me.  I followed the HVH advice of making a $20 hole for each plant.  Dug really big holes and removed the clay and replaced it with the good stuff.

So a few days of really hard work has resulted in months of enjoyment now.  Just added a top layer of earthworm castings to hopefully help ward off the spring explosion of aphids.

[Pachrian]

Whew, that sounds exhausting!!! I'm in OC and have similar weather and soil conditions. Somehow I find it much easier to deal with pots, especially since I can move them around. My backyard gets practically no sun in the winter so I move everything to the side or front. Can't enjoy them much from inside the house tho

Your arrangement sounds like a dream!

[Mike]

Thanks Doll for helping me, that was my Erin Rachel it bloomed Dec 1 in the house the color was a little light probably because of low light.

[farmer d]

Whew, that sounds exhausting!!! I'm in OC and have similar weather and soil conditions. Somehow I find it much easier to deal with pots, especially since I can move them around. My backyard gets practically no sun in the winter so I move everything to the side or front. Can't enjoy them much from inside the house tho

I wonder if having no sun during winter is so bad?  If the plants turn off the growth mode do they still need that much light?

Does it get that cold at night - rarely does it get into the 30s here.

[Charlie]

Although hibiscus need some of both, generally speaking they need heat for health and growth but light for blooming. Since they are tropical they are not really supposed to turn off or go dormant but in temperate climates we see that they do hunker down and don't do much growing or blooming when low temperatures are consistently in the upper 30's and low 40's. We've also observed that it is the cumulative effect of cold over a long winter that does the most harm, unless of course they get a hard freeze for several nights which will cause more obvious and rapid damage.

Charlie

[farmer d]

Yesterday's shots...

Venetian Brick - first bloom ever.

More of the 24 buds of Chariots of Fire are opening.

My shadier planter: Rainbow Sherbet, Palm Springs, Black Dream & Bon Temps peaking out at the rear.

Farmer D

[Louis]

Hi Everyone, a belated happy thanksgiving to you all.

here are some blooms from today. twin wild grapes with a purple magic
a very nice black dream, which you will notice has been pollinated, by wild grape.

a very nice double, that is about 8 inches in diameter, called Flameball. the color is very accurate for all blooms. i used double HV booster on they all and the colors are noticeably darker. i do believe the heat in the greenhouse contributes to the muted colors.

louis

[Mike]

Here is my heavy metal, I think I'v got it now took my a little time to figure it out

[Charlie]

Farmer D, I sure hope Cindy is working with you on a future web page for the Hibiscus Gardens Around the World. You're growing some beautiful bushes there in Hollywood! I think I'm going to send the photo of the Chariots of Fire to a commercial grower who does mass production - show them what to aim for with Chariots! It's hard to get Chariots that full - how old is that one and how many times have you pruned it?

Louis, I've never seen Flameball. I got some wood from the hybridizer a few years ago but it didn't take and I didn't ever try it again. If you think it's worthwhile perhaps you can shoot me a cutting next year. Looks like Wild Grape and Black Dream are still blooming away in snowy Connecticut. Since you are making seeds this winter I wouldn't mind seeing what comes from Wild Grape x Purple Magic - with some luck the bigger flowers of Purple Magic and the better bush of Wild Grape and some wild purplish flowers.

Quicksilver, what a pretty Heavy Metal, much lighter in color than you will see at other times of year but I love the yellow edging around the petals.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

Well geez Farmer D, those pics are inspiring,  part of me wants to plant some of my CVs in 5 gallon pots this spring, to get them up to that size   Really nice bushes!  I am now thinking that I might need to dig out the flowerbed at my parents and do what you did

[farmer d]

Farmer D, I sure hope Cindy is working with you on a future web page for the Hibiscus Gardens Around the World. You're growing some beautiful bushes there in Hollywood! I think I'm going to send the photo of the Chariots of Fire to a commercial grower who does mass production - show them what to aim for with Chariots! It's hard to get Chariots that full - how old is that one and how many times have you pruned it?

Charlie

Wow, thanks for the compliments.  I get so much enjoyment out of my hibiscus plants.  As I mentioned earlier, I have never pruned any of my plants since I received them back in late April of this year.  They were all 4" plants that I immediately put in the ground.  So what you see now is pure growth in the last 8 months and on it's own it has filled out nicely.  

I wonder if the cool summer we had this year here in So Cal caused the plants to grow differently maybe not bolting straight up so quickly?  Just thinking outside the box here.  Also weekly HVH blend fertilizer feedings.

Also Cindy is already waiting for some pics to set up a world gardens page.  I'm being picky and waiting till each planter (3 of them) has a more solid wall of greenery before setting up that page.  I'll send her some pics of where it is now and she can do a before and after which was her idea from the start.

Farmer D

[farmer d]

I counted 66 buds on my Black Dream...this plant has been a super producer.  The flowers on it now are so dark it really lives up to the name.

On the close up you can see quite a few buds of all sizes.

Farmer D

[davidwood]

66 Buds!!!! I am not sure thats  legal? ha ha, well done.

[farmer d]

A few planter shots for anyone interested in ideas of how to configure in the ground.

Left to Right
North Planter: Bridal Path, Flickering Flame, Chariots of Fire, Bonnie Lass, Rainbow Sherbet, Scarlet Beauty

West Planter: Acapulco Gold, High Voltage, Venetian Brick, All That Jazz, Hot Pepper, Valentines Day, Vin Beaujolais, Rise & Shine, Crystal Pink

South Planter: Bon Temps, Black Dream, Palm Springs, Rainbow Sherbet, Valentines Day, Saffron hiding in corner (baby).

Farmer D