Hibiscus Frustration

[Beman]

Ok I need tips on how the heck to get the hibiscus to bloom? Do I need to trim it back to stimulate it to start blooming? I have had the jungle dawn on it for 2 weeks and I am not seeing any signs of budding. I mean it is definitely growing way more than before but no buds yet. Or do I need to be more patient


Two weeks ago when I added the jungle dawn to the lighting set up... And the pic on the right is now. You can see on the left where the one branch at the front has grown at least 2-3 inches and then the branch on the right behind the feeder has done the same thing.

 

[MissSkittles]

Maybe they just need more time? Wish I could help but my ravenous girls prevent blooming on mine. Jack has a hibiscus, but it’s still too small to bloom.

 

[DonKeesh]

They need a ton of light to flower, may not be possible indoors. However yes you could try a light pruning and/or a liquid organic fertilizer.

 

[Beman]

They need a ton of light to flower, may not be possible indoors. However yes you could try a light pruning and/or a liquid organic fertilizer.

I have so many dang lights on this cage now Currently running the UVB of course but also 2 T5HO fixtures with 6500k daylight bulbs and now the last two weeks the Jungle dawn Led bar by Arcadia.

Now when you say light pruning what do you mean Like take off down the stem a few leaves length? Any liquid organic fertilizers you recommend?

 

[Tkrd69]

I switch out one in one out the one outside loaded with buds i wait till they start opening and switch out

 

[Beman]

I switch out one in one out the one outside loaded with buds i wait till they start opening and switch out

Yeah not an option for me because of how I have his enclosure set up. He also stresses when his plants and cage get changed so its not something I do unless I have to.

 

[Tkrd69]

Yea, I clean the poop out wipeout the bottom switch plants he comes down to eat blooms and buds

 

[nightanole]

I switch out one in one out the one outside loaded with buds i wait till they start opening and switch out

Yup i had to have rotational ones too. Two outside and 1 in the cage.

Hmm. Could have one outside just for making flowers, and then pop them in the cage for eatin. The flowers only last a day or two away before they falloff.

 

[DonKeesh]

@Beman I use the Espoma organic indoor liquid fertilizer. And you can take off a couple inches of each stem, no more than a third of the total plant.

 

[jamest0o0]

I agree with the others, try some fertilizers. Flowering takes a ton of nutrients and light and our enclosures probably get wiped clean of soil nutrients fairly fast.

 

[Uri]

Probably lighting i mean why else would they do so well possibly nutrients too but I lean towards lighting just because even the brightest leds don’t do much vs the sun my eyes literally burned earlier because of how bright it was I couldn’t walk out without sunglasses

 

[Kaizen]

Ok I need tips on how the heck to get the hibiscus to bloom? Do I need to trim it back to stimulate it to start blooming? I have had the jungle dawn on it for 2 weeks and I am not seeing any signs of budding. I mean it is definitely growing way more than before but no buds yet. Or do I need to be more patient


Two weeks ago when I added the jungle dawn to the lighting set up... And the pic on the right is now. You can see on the left where the one branch at the front has grown at least 2-3 inches and then the branch on the right behind the feeder has done the same thing.


View attachment 325071 View attachment 325072

B, I still think it’s a light issue. Hibiscus leaves should be more rigid. Leaves get big and floppy when they etiolate due to insufficient light. I know it sucks, because you have a small city’s worth of wattage over it. Years ago, I managed to get one blooming indoors in a basement. But it was under a 1000watt halide.

 

[Sonny13]

Don´t know about the Hibiscus, but for instance the Madagascar Jasmine only grows for 2 months in my enclosure (around this time and sits low without full spectrum from the jungle dawn) and then `sleeps´ for the rest of the year. See the same happening with flowers and plants in my garden. I do believe like others mentioned that´s a nutritional thing, because the jungle dawn lets everything bloom inside an enclosure, at least in mine. Side note, it also takes some time for plants to adapt and get stimulated by the new light, therefore it maybe needs a bit more patience (it´s already growing, that´s good sign).

This plant sits at almost 55´ from the jungle dawn on the bottom and is in full bloom

 

[DonKeesh]

For what it's worth the mandevilla in my outdoor cage dosnt really flower even though it's in the real sun, it grows leaves like crazy though... This is because I have a shade cloth on top of the cage. They need full direct sun to really bloom.

 

[Beman]

Ok I am going to start with the fertilizer that Don recommended then go from there. I read a ton on Hibiscus yesterday. If I prune now I will make the stems split and according to what I read it can take them 2 months to flower from the new growth from all pruned areas.

Thank you everyone!

 

[Tkrd69]

Mine this morning

 

[nightanole]

Mine this morningView attachment 325112

Mine 9 years ago lol.

 

[MissSkittles]

Here’s Stella’s hibiscus. This is the replacement for the one she ate to death. Poor thing is barely clinging to life.

 

[Sonny13]

Here’s Stella’s hibiscus. This is the replacement for the one she ate to death. Poor thing is barely clinging to life.
View attachment 325125

Really sorry for this, but

Stella the Hibiscus slayer just love how some veiled’s rip plants apart. When Bella was in her first enclosure (too small by advice from) she did it with several plants and would just look at me and then demonstrative tear a leaf off

 

[garrythegardener]

I think allowing your potting mix to go completely dry is the reason for dying Hibiscus. If you let your plant get to the point of the foliage wilting, you will often see some flower buds fall off before opening. or you can use some organic fertilizers like soil fertilizers to improve the nutrient efficiency of the plant.