Growing Hibiscus

[spatulars]

Does anyone have a lot of experience with growing hibiscus? The home depot by my house has some blue hibiscus for sale now (i've been keeping my eye out) for just $7 but they're just a bundle of short, bare branches. Do those things even work? Does anyone know how long it would take for it to branch out and grow? What type of soil can hibiscus be potted in that's also safe for the chams? When might hibiscus already in bush form come up for sale?

Also, the ficus that's in my enclosure now is getting some yellow leaves towards its base. Is this a sign that it's dying?

 

[KevinA]

The blue hibiscus( Alyogyne huegelii) I think your talking about is not the tropical variety(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis). This edible plant list ( http://www.anapsid.org/resources/edible.html ) suggests that only the flowers of the blue hibiscus are edible, while the leaves and flowers of the tropical variety are both edible.

It would take at least 1 maybe 2 growing season for you to grow something like your suggesting to a decent size for a Cham.

I just use good potting soil like super soil.

Hibiscus will generally be more widely available in the warmer months of the year in places where it gets cooler.

I use the Tropical Variety of Hibiscus(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) in all of my cages and I love it so much better than ficus.

 

[JimNPHX]

From what I gather, yellow leaves are due to either too much water or not enough. (Go figure . . .)

I have some hibiscus that I bought at Home Depot. They started out doing great and flowered 2-3 times. Now they lost most their leaves and look half dead.
Is this normal?

 

[dodolah]

From what I gather, yellow leaves are due to either too much water or not enough. (Go figure . . .)

I have some hibiscus that I bought at Home Depot. They started out doing great and flowered 2-3 times. Now they lost most their leaves and look half dead.
Is this normal?

is the pot constantly wet?
is the water stink like old aquarium water?
any gnats flying in your enclosure?
what about the lighting you use?

 

[KevinA]

Hibiscus should not loose many of their leaves unless something is going on. They need bright light and and what is considered "full sun" to bloom consistantly. The yellwing and falling leaves probly is too much water or not enough as the previous poster said.

They do loose some leaves when they are adjusting though.

 

[spatulars]

The blue hibiscus( Alyogyne huegelii) I think your talking about is not the tropical variety(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis). This edible plant list ( http://www.anapsid.org/resources/edible.html ) suggests that only the flowers of the blue hibiscus are edible, while the leaves and flowers of the tropical variety are both edible.

It would take at least 1 maybe 2 growing season for you to grow something like your suggesting to a decent size for a Cham.

I just use good potting soil like super soil.

Hibiscus will generally be more widely available in the warmer months of the year in places where it gets cooler.

I use the Tropical Variety of Hibiscus(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) in all of my cages and I love it so much better than ficus.

Oooohhh, different plant entirely. Good thing I asked, because I just thought it was a different color of hibiscus.

Well, I guess I'm just going to have to wait it out. It hasn't been cold here at all this winter, I feel very deprived of hibiscus.

 

[JimNPHX]

is the pot constantly wet?
is the water stink like old aquarium water?
any gnats flying in your enclosure?
what about the lighting you use?

No (I also have rocks in the bottom of the plant pots)
No
Yes (I use the recommended soap solution too)
Repti Sun 10.0

 

[dodolah]

the gnats larvae might have done something to the roots of your hibiscus.
my suggestion is to re pot the soil.
but wash the root with soapy water be4 re potting.

Plants do not need a lot of UVB; instead, they need more of UVA. So, try adding low wattage basking spot lamp and shine it directly on your hibiscus.
or if you already have a strong UVA basking lamp in the cage that just happened to be far away from your hibiscus, try to put it closer. Giving it a chance to also 'bask' like your chameleon.

 

[JimNPHX]

the gnats larvae might have done something to the roots of your hibiscus.
my suggestion is to re pot the soil.
but wash the root with soapy water be4 re potting.

Plants do not need a lot of UVB; instead, they need more of UVA. So, try adding low wattage basking spot lamp and shine it directly on your hibiscus.
or if you already have a strong UVA basking lamp in the cage that just happened to be far away from your hibiscus, try to put it closer. Giving it a chance to also 'bask' like your chameleon.

I re-potted it once already but maybe I did not wash the roots well enough. I will try again soon. Also, the one hibiscus sits right under the basking lamp so I do not think I could get it any closer if I tried.

Oh well . . . I never bragged about having a green thumb!

Jim

 

[Jordan]

How are the leaves yellowing?
Does it start at the edges of the leaves?
From the veins to the edges?
Blotch spots on the leaves?

There are many different nutrient problems that can cause this, from nitrogen to potassium. Of course it could be something way more simple but how the leaves are turning will determine that.

Overly wet soil is a lot of times the culpert for gnats. It is also important to keep any kind of water catch you might have empty and the floor free of decompossing plant matter.

 

[spatulars]

Well, it's strange, because i'm not noticing yellow spots, I'm just noticing every day when I wake up that there are more yellow leaves than before. It's only at the bottom, and only in the middle. I have to say that the plant has been drenched. I just began my new drainage system a few days ago and I can see the soil getting drier so hopefully that will help.
How much fertilizer does a ficus need?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

My guess is those yellow leaves are from too much water. (I'm a brilliant detective!)
I would fertilize at least twice a month and I recommend fish emulsion or organic peat or compost.
With the peat/compost if you can remove a couple inches of the soil and "turn in" the new material, you could get away with only doing this once every couple of months.
I don't use any chemicals on plants here as I allow the chameleon full access to the dirt.

-Brad