how to keep hibiscus alive in cham cage?

[jck09]

hey all. i have a hibiscus in my chams cage and am having problems with it. leaves keep falling off and i have not had it bloom since its been in there. i have 2 ge full spectrum bulbs and 1 "plant" light as well as the heat lamp and uv bulb. the leaves just turn yellow and then fall off. about 2-3 per day or so. any help would be appreciated. thanks
john

 

[SoCaliSon]

Be sure the soil stays moist. Dry soil will easily kill hibiscus. If that doesn't work, Lowes and Home Depot have a 1 year gurantee on the plats you buy there.. .Meaning you bring them one of their plants dead, and they will replace it with a live one!

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

They best way to keep it alive is to have two. Switch them out and allow them to get natural sunlight.

It could also be a feeding issue. You are providing good light. Yellowing leaves could be lack of nutrients. They pant may need some plant food or fertilizer. You have to be very careful covering the soil with rocks etc.


EDIT : Socali, I love the 1 year guarantee. Won't keep them alive but will guarantee you can get a new one. That is the best solution.

 

[BocaJan]

I have trouble keeping mine too, but not from plant issues, from cham issues. My girls LOVE to chew on the leaves. I finally had to remove them from the cages to let them releaf.

 

[jck09]

i can add plant food? i do have the soil covered with large rocks. my cham loves eating it but i dont think that is why the leaves are falling off. they are always whole leaves. will plant food affect the cham if he eats the plant? thanks
john

 

[FOREVER ENDEAVOR]

use watered down organic plant food...

 

[KevinA]

It's most likely not enought watering and light. Hibiscus like a lot of light and need to stay semimoist all the time.

Mine dry out and the leaves begin to wilt, but go back to normal within an hour after watering.

They will stay alive in lower light levels ususally, but will not bloom unless under intense light. I have mine below my heat lamps, just not close enough to burn them and I get blooms everyday.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Actually ...
Yellow leaves indicate too much water.
Do you have a dripper or mister that drains into the hibiscus pot?
If so, that is your problem.
It sounds like you have plenty of light.
I water mine once a week and they have been doing great in the chameleon enclosures.

-Brad

 

[KevinA]

Actually ...
Yellow leaves indicate too much water.

-Brad

That is true for the most plants in general. However, I currently have a patio filled with hibiscus and one in each of my cages. In my opinion, the yellow leaves in the hibiscus in my care that evetually drop are a result of insufficient water and light. Not excess water by any means. Hibiscus have a tendancy to drop leaves fast and do not do well without moist soil and suffiecent drainage with high light.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I also have a patio garden that I keep hibiscus in every summer and hibiscus that have been permanently housed (never rotated) in a chameleon enclosure for 2 years.
I do have to water the outdoor hibiscus quite often when it's really hot, but once a week in the cham habitat is plenty. Too much water and the leaves turn yellow, not enough water and the leaves wilt and dry up (but do not turn yellow). This has been my experience with them.
I have only been using them in gardens since '92 (16 years) so maybe I will see something different once I have been keeping them longer.

-Brad

 

[jck09]

my mister sprays at the top of the plant. i really doubt that i am not watering enough. the soil is always moist. how can i lessen the ammount of water it gets? i have rocks at the bottom of the pot to help it drain. i mist for 10 min 2-3 times per day.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Yeah ... that's a lot of water for that plant and without a doubt why the leaves are turning yellow.
What species of chameleon do you keep in there?
I think 30 minutes total of misting is excessive ... unless you're keeping a montane species.

-Brad

 

[jck09]

hes a veiled. it takes him a little bit before he will drink. he runs away at first then he will eventually come over to the dripper and just sit directly under it and take a shower. how long should i mist?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

You'll have to be the judge of that.
I don't use a mister. I use drippers and none of them drip onto plants, my chameleons drink from the hose.
My veileds get misted 2 to 3 times a day for about a minute ... but again, the dripper runs all day long.

-Brad

 

[BocaJan]

I found the same thing as Brad. my plants are doing well. I don't water them too much. They have to be dry before I put some water in them. I do not let them sit in a dish of water....that is a no no.