HIBISCUS
Top Quality Breeding:
Production - general information, soil, planting, timeline
General information
Outstanding plants which can be characterized as multi-purpose hibiscus for use
in the garden, patio or indoors. The strengths are continuous free flowering, bud-drop resistant, extended
shelf life, vibrant colors, excellent branching and internodal compactness.
Soil
Use a well drained, sterilized planting medium - pH of 5.5 to 6.0. Many growers
use a sphagnum peat-based soil.
Planting: fungicide
Unpack the cuttings and provide with water if needed. Plant as soon as possible
in the final container. A fungicide drench within one week of planting provides
additional protection for the young plant.
Timeline of growing
1. Week 1 and 2 after potting, the maximum EC is 1.0.
2. Week 3, roots are at the side of the pot (70 degrees F) pinch leaving 5 to 6
nodes
3. Week 4, new shoots or breaks are visible, then increase EC from 1.5 to 2.5
depending on light levels and plant needs
4. Finish at an average EC of 1.5
5. Important note: Lower light level means feeding at a lower rate. Anticipating
higher light levels allows to preemptively feed at a higher rate. In the winter
use mostly nitrate nitrogen. In the spring (higher light and temperature)
nitrogen can be composed of mostly nitrate nitrogen with low levels of urea and
ammonium nitrate. A high level of urea can cause stress and a high level of
ammonium can lower pH.
