Plant Name: Hibiscus
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Technical name: Hibiscus Moscheutos
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Plant Family / Type: Malvaceae or Mallow / Herbaceous Perennial
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Preferred location: Full Sun
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Mature height: 2’ – 8’
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Mature Width: 2’ – 6’
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Growth Rate / Habit: Medium / Upright Vased-shaped
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Flower / Foliage:
· Large trumpet-shaped Red flowers – late July or early August
· Reach mature height within 2-3 years, and return to that height each year
· To encourage rebloom, either remove old flowers before they form seedheads or prune plants back by 1/3 after a flush of bloom is finished
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Preferred soil:
· Tolerate a wide range of soils but will do best if plant in soil with lots of organic matter
· Water extra during the growing season and less often in the cooler months. It is better to provide less often, but more complete soakings
· Water until they are well-established. Hardy hibiscus requires lots of water. Try to keep them consistently moist. After they have been in the ground for a year or two, they can tolerate both dry and moist conditions
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Pruning and Maintenance:
· Time – early Spring
· Cut about 1/3 of the old wood, leaving at least 2-3 nodes on the branches for new growth to emerge. These cuts should be made just above the nodes, leaving about a 1/4 inch
· Remove any weak, diseased, or dead growth, as well as crossing or leggy branches. Branches that are growing toward the center of the plant should also be removed
· Once the new shoots have emerged the next season, you can prune out any old stems
· It can be lightly pruned in late Summer or early Fall
· Pinch branch tips throughout the growing season to encourage hibiscus to be bushy and full. More branches mean more flowers
· Stop all forms of pruning in the Fall. Pruning encourages new growth which is more susceptible to frost damage
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Fertilize
· A growing plant needs lots of nutrients to bloom well. In the Summer, use a high potassium fertilizer. You can either use a diluted liquid fertilizer one a week, a slow release fertilizer once a month or you can add a high potassium compost to the soil
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Hibiscus
