Hibiscus - quite a popular plant, known for its beautiful bright colors. If desired, it can be grown not only at home in pots and pots, but also landed on a plot in open ground.
The main thing is to provide comfortable wintering conditions so that the plant can easily endure the cold and delight with flowering for more than one season.
How to prepare a hibiscus growing in a garden for the winter period, whether it is necessary to shelter and what it will be described in this article. Also here you will see a photo of a garden hibiscus and find out what to do with a flower after it has survived the winter.
Do I need to somehow prepare the plant in the garden for the winter period?
The name Hibiscus is mainly associated with the Chinese rose., which is successfully grown by indoor plant lovers in houses and apartments. However, there are garden varieties that winter well under shelter, and even those that do not need warming during small frosts.
Herbaceous and hybrid hibiscus tolerate frost well. In the conditions of central Russia, they can not be covered, but pruning before cooling is necessary. More delicate varieties, especially terry, low temperatures tolerate worse, so for them protection from the cold is required.
Important! Plant frost resistance increases with age. If the seedling is very young and will winter for the first time, it is better to hide it, no matter what variety it belongs to. If the hibiscus is grown from cuttings that gave roots in the water, it is better not to plant it in the first winter at all, but leave it in a pot in the room.
When to start training and what exactly should I do?
To grow hibiscus in the open field, you need to immediately pay attention to the cold-resistant varieties. It is known that terry varieties overwinter worse, so for them shelter is necessary even in a fairly mild climate. Also be sure to monitor the condition of planting material: seedlings should be free from damage and signs of illness. It is better to give preference to trees from famous nurseries.who had time to prove the quality of plants.
When planting a seedling in the ground, it is necessary to choose the right place and prepare the planting well. It is necessary to pay attention to the flow of groundwater - they should not flow close to the surface of the earth. This can lead to stagnation of moisture, weakening the state of the roots and, as a consequence, reducing the frost resistance of the plant. It is better to choose a place on an elevation, or even create an artificial hill or alpine slide specifically for planting hibiscus. At the same time hibiscus loves lighted places.
Near the hibiscus can plant low-growing shrubs with a developed root system. They will help retain the necessary moisture and protect the plant from the winds.
If the hibiscus is already growing on the site and it's time to prepare it for the next winter, you can start with abundant watering. With this you should not delay. The temperature should not be below zero so that the water does not remain a crust of ice over the roots. Phosphate and complex fertilizers can also be applied to the soil.
Next, you need to pruning. This can be done when the average temperature reaches -5 to -10 ° C. It is necessary to remove all seed pods, shorten the shoots by an average of 10 cm and pinch the side branches, so that new growths form in their place. Formative pruning can not be carried out categorically - it will weaken the plant.
Hibiscus roots must be mulched in front of the cold. Garden perlite or dry straw is suitable for this.
After the soil is well fertilized and moistened, the plant is trimmed, and its roots are mulched, you can cover it.
How to cover: step by step instructions
The best material for this is spruce branches. Its effectiveness is proven by research. The only disadvantage of using it is the interest of the rodents in it, although they can be quickly managed with the help of mousetraps or special tools placed at the base of the shelter.
Also, customary covering garden materials may be suitable. For example, spunbond, lutrasil or agrotex. But with strong (below -15 ° C) and prolonged frosts, they may be ineffective. In this case, you can make several layers.
So, for the shelter of hibiscus for the winter you need:
- Make a frame around the bush. It is better if it is in the form of a hut so that the snow does not linger on its roof and does not break the tree. If the plant is grassy, you can simply bend it to the ground.
- Wrap it with a covering material or cover it with spruce branches.
- If necessary, make several layers.
- Secure the shelter.
If the plant is tree-like and strong enough, you can do without the frame. Then just wrap the bush covering material or sheaves of spruce branches and strengthen.
A photo
Here you can see a photo of a tree hibiscus in the garden:
Cold care
In winter, hibiscus does not need special care. The main thing - to check that the shelter was not damaged, and the bush was not left without protection. It is also worth noting whether a layer of snow is bending it too hard to the ground. Otherwise, the tree may be damaged.
What to do at the end of winter?
As soon as the frosts recede and a stable positive temperature is established, you can open the hibiscus. It is not necessary to sound the alarm if the plant did not immediately begin to form new buds. He still needs to wake up. Forming or trimming is already possible in the spring or early summer.
In general, care for garden hibiscus does not require special skills. The main thing is to provide comfortable conditions for a tropical plant. Proper watering and fertilizing, as well as taking care of it during the cold weather will allow you to enjoy its flowering for more than one season.
