An article about their own experience of keeping hibiscus at home. All the pros and cons.
Hibiscus are beautiful to madness! I made this conclusion by viewing just a few random photos on the Internet. I'm not talking about the so-called "grandmother's" hibiscus, that is, not about those plants that bloom mostly solid red flowers. I'm talking about varietal plants that are displayed in specialized nurseries.
In this article, I am not going to tell the story of the origin of hibiscus, but I want to describe on my own experience the problems that people who are already interested in this plant may encounter, but carefully study all the materials for caring for a sunken flower.
Seeing hibiscus once - just want to try them "in action". Bought: quite a modest neat bush with a tree trunk and large leaves. No problems, I will grow a tree and wait for flowering.
The first disappointment befell me when this tree spontaneously began to reach up, not wanting to brush sideways. One fine day on my windowsill there was a tall "drin" sticking out of a pot with the main crown only on the top of the head. Even windows oriented to the south did not save the situation, and hibiscuses need a lot of light and sun so that they do not stretch out.
I knew that hibiscus require pruning just so that they begin to branch and bush. But having paid a decent amount of money for a varietal flower (I remind you that it was not an ordinary tea rose from a grandmother’s windowsill), I was afraid to cut it. And this is despite the fact that I had the experience of trimming other plants. I was very afraid of destroying an expensive plant.
By the way, if I had the courage to cut the plants, then I had to do something with the cuttings. The plant is not cheap, throwing cuttings is just an unforgivable sin. Therefore, cut cuttings must either be quickly re-vaccinated on some other plant, or try to root, or donate to someone, or sell to those who know how to handle them. Make a choice as soon as possible, because the cutting is not eternal. All actions again require the efforts of not amateur from floriculture.
Fortunately, the absence of a shears in my hands did not stop the flower, and he finally tied up the buds and bloomed! And without any exaggeration I will say: varietal hibiscus is a work of art! You can admire the corrugation of flower petals, the size (often flowers are about 25 cm in size!), Transitions of shades and similar nuances to infinity.
But then another unpleasant discovery befell me: it was only in the morning that the opened, gorgeous flower was closed by the evening and fell off from the peduncle. As it turned out, most hibiscus flowers have a very short flowering time, and a miracle must happen in order for at least two flowers to bloom at the same time. And if you stay at work from morning to evening, it may happen that the flowering will take place completely without your participation, which, you see, is insulting.
We all step on the rake regardless of what knowledgeable people are trying to convey to us this or that truth. Knowing about the cultivation of hibiscus girlfriend warned me that they are with a terrible force loves to eat spider mites. He who has come across him at least once knows how difficult it is to withdraw him. I, of course, told everyone that this would not happen to me. Alas and oh! Dining room for ticks among my hibiscus became available from morning till night. Mites feasted every single day, and I was tormenting a bunch of drugs and wasting a lot of my time trying to get rid of this evil.
The actions of most drugs (even the most modern and effective today) lasted a maximum of a month and a half to two. Then everything was repeated from the beginning. And it is worth noting that most of the means of pests is not harmless to the inhabitants of the home: animals, children, and the florist themselves.
The result of my craving for owning hibiscuses was that I decided to admire them in the photographs of more patient flower growers. So somehow calmer.
Given my experience, I would like to identify all the pros and cons of hibiscus content at home.
First about the good.
- Stunningly beautiful flowers! All households and acquaintances will be delighted, the hand will get tired to hold the camera in order to capture the flowers in all possible angles.
- Let the flowers sometimes hold only a day, or even less, but the buds can open one by one. It is likely that every morning you will admire the new flower opened.
- Hibiscus are taught many wisdom floriculture. If you want to constantly contemplate around you all the charm of flowering, then you will learn a lot of methods of pruning, vaccinations, baiting of bloodthirsty insects.
- You can make money on pruning, rooting and vaccinations. Hibiscus connoisseurs of the sea and there are always willing to either exchange varietal plants, or buy something from your collection. Another advantage will be the acquisition of a mass of like-minded friends.
Now for the cons.
- Plants are not small, require a lot of space for placement and preferably on the sunny side. Otherwise, you can never wait for flowering and admire only the stretched half-naked "sticks" with bunches of leaves on the crown.
- Price. To keep varietal hibiscus is quite expensive, and, believe me, it delays. I want to have everything in the collection, because they are so different! The price of a plant starts from 700 rubles per piece and, most likely, it will turn out to be just a rooted cutting that is not quite ready for flowering. Adult copies will cost even more.
- Constant care for the plants, including the formation of neat bushes (pruning), which many are wildly afraid of. Attachment cuttings, too, will fall on your shoulders. For the money spent is a pity to just throw away the cropped in the trash.
- Well, the most unpleasant: pests! Be prepared for the almost constant attacks of the spider mite on your plants. Stock up on chemicals, respirators and patience.
Now you are quite well informed about possible problems of hibiscus maintenance at home, therefore, after analyzing all the pros and cons, you will make the right and firm decision: whether the beauty is worth so much effort.
But I will tell you a secret: it's worth it! But on condition that you have patience and infinite love for all that is beautiful! Good luck!
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