Marsh hibiscus, also known as scarlet hibiscus or simply hibiscus (and "Texas star" in the United States), produces a bright red flower that can liven up any garden. In order to grow this beautiful plant, you need to know how to plant and care for it.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Planting the Marsh Hibiscus
Step 1. Look for a sunny, swampy spot to plant your hibiscus
The marsh hibiscus is a perennial, slender plant that prefers a sunny position with lots of water. Unlike many plants, it prefers a swampy place where standing water collects. If you have a swampy area in your garden that is very sunny, consider planting your marsh hibiscus there. It prefers a slightly acidic soil, but this is not essential; the main thing is to provide the plant with a lot of swampy or marshy soil.
- In warmer areas this plant tolerates partial shade for part of the day, but generally favors sunny places.
- This plant will grow very well next to a pond or stream.
Step 2. Prepare the soil where you will plant your hibiscus
Incorporate well-decomposed manure or other organic matter, such as compost, into the soil before planting. Mix soil and organic matter to provide the plant with the nutrients it will need to grow with.
The marsh hibiscus can grow up to 3 meters in height, if the soil is rich
Step 3. Dig a hole for your hibiscus plant
Dig a hole twice the size of the vase that held the hibiscus. Put the plant in the hole and fill it with soil. Water the plant and the soil around the hole to help settle the soil and remove air bubbles.
Continue watering the plant so the soil remains soggy
Step 4. Consider growing a marsh hibiscus from seed
Marsh hibiscus can be grown from seed if you don't want to buy a potted plant to put in your garden. If you are harvesting seeds from plants you grow yourself, do so in late spring when the pods are stiff and dry. It will be necessary to break them to open them and collect the seeds, which need to be rubbed with sandpaper or a lime to make them germinate.
Alternatively, try making a small cut with a sharp knife or pinhole. Soak the seeds in warm water for an hour, then dry them on a paper towel. Plant them as soon as the last frosts are over
Step 5. Place your seeds in the soil
You can plant the seeds directly in the ground, or you can start growing them in a pot. Plant the seeds about 5-6mm deep in the soil and cover them. Spray the surface with water.
If you are using a vase, cover it with a clear plastic bag or plastic wrap, and place it in a sunny spot such as a south-facing window sill. Germination, or when the sprouts start showing, takes about two weeks. Keep the soil moist until germination and continue watering it every day for a few months until it has settled. Since marsh hibiscus is a fast-growing plant, you will typically get blooms within the first year
Step 6. Grow your hibiscus from a cutting if you don't want to buy the plant or start from seeds
To make a cutting, select a healthy stem 5-6 mm wide and cut it about 15 cm from the top. Remove the lower leaves and dip the cut end into a solution with rooting hormones. Fill a pot with compost suitable for cuttings. Prepare a hole at least 5 cm deep and plant the cutting in the hole. Keep the soil moist and place the plant in a bright area but not in direct sunlight.
- You can also use a mix of sand and compost.
- The roots should form within a few months, and at this point the new plant can be planted outdoors.
Method 2 of 2: Caring for Marsh Hibiscus
Step 1. Prune your long-stemmed marsh hibiscus
The marsh hibiscus can grow a little by stretching the stem too much, and have a messy appearance. Pruning and plucking can promote more bush-shaped growth and flower production. Once the plant reaches about 60 cm in height, tear off the highest tips, so that the height of the plant is reduced in half, to about 30 cm.
When flowering begins, you should pluck the dead flowers away. This will be discussed in the next step
Step 2. Eliminate withered flower heads
Each swamp hibiscus flower will typically only last for one day. Try to remove dead flower heads every few days to help your plant produce as many flowers as it can. This will prevent the plant from producing seeds instead of flowers.
If you wish to harvest hibiscus seeds later in the year, leave a small number of dead flower heads on the plant so that the pods can form. These will need to mature and turn brown on the plant before the seeds can be harvested
Step 3. Prune the plant at the end of the flowering season
Pruning will help the plant continue flowering in the fall. Right at the end of winter, prune the whole plant back to the ground. The remaining stems will be woody. The next year's growth will form fresh shoots, so it's good to remove the old ones around December.
Make sure you use a sharp blade to prune the plant. Good quality pruning shears will do
Step 4. Place a stake next to your plant if the hibiscus tends to bend too much
You can prop the plant if it tends to bend too much. To do this, you can use a sturdy garden rod. Push the stake deep into the soil and tie the plant with string or garden ties, leaving them loose.
Don't tie the plant too tightly to the stake and try to allow for some movement on a windy day. The marsh hibiscus can also be supported by another tree, a pillar or a fence
Step 5. Feed the plant during the growing season
A marsh hibiscus typically develops most of its growth in spring, summer, and fall. You can use a generic type of garden fertilizer.
Try using a water-soluble fertilizer to use with your regular watering schedule
Step 6. Reduce the amount of water used in watering as the plant settles down
More settled plants don't need as much water as younger ones. However, you should always check the plant regularly; if you notice that the soil is drying out, water it right away.
It is very important to keep a close eye on the soil in dry seasons. Marsh hibiscus does not grow well without swampy soil
Step 7. Apply mulch to the area when the growing season is over
At the end of the growing season, mulch to cover the base of the plant. This will help protect the plant in the winter and prevent weeds from growing.
Well-decomposed manure or leaf compost is suitable as a mulch
Step 8. Divide your marsh hibiscus every 10 years or so
Many gardeners use to divide these plants at the roots roughly every 10 years. This is a good way to get more plants and trade them with neighbors. Divide the plants in late winter when they are dormant. The new root crown should be planted approximately 7 to 8 centimeters below the soil surface.
Advice
- Plants often self-sow themselves, so watch out for seedlings that sprout. Eliminate them as weeds if you don't want these new plants in your garden.
- This plant is very attractive to wildlife such as butterflies, birds and bees. In some areas of the United States it even attracts hummingbirds!
