- Hibiscus plants enter dormancy in early fall to winter where leaves typically turn yellow and fall off of the plant. However, they start to grow new leaves in February or March. If no new growth occurs, your plant may not have weathered the winter months. Gardeners may keep their hibiscus plants semi-dormant by giving them three hours of sunlight a day.
- Gardeners may check their hibiscus stems with a sharp knife to see if they have died out. Sterilize your knife to prevent spreading a fungal disease to your plant. Dip the knife in a mixture of 70 percent denatured alcohol and 30 percent water. Wipe off the blade, and scrape the wood of a stem. If you see greenish-white exposed under the scrape, the hibiscus plant is alive. Brown or black underneath the scrape indicates that the stem or plant has died. To know if the entire top of the plant is dead, scrape the wood just above the soil line to look at the color of its water-conductive tissues.
- Your hibiscus plant may look completely dead but have living root systems, according to master gardener Sonia Day from Your Home. Gardeners may prune back all dead or damaged stems to see if their hibiscus plant recovers. Make 45-degree downward cuts into 2 to 3 inches of living wood when removing dead portions of the plant. Water the plant with rainwater or bottled water; tap water contributes to salt buildup in the soil, which may cause harm to already suffering root systems.
- Encourage healthy growth from a dying, damaged or unhealthy-looking hibiscus plant. Fertilize your hibiscus with liquid fertilizer during March and April or when temperatures are between 68 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Wait to see if your hibiscus plant produces any buds or new growth. Fertilize your plant every six weeks during the growing season. If the root system and the plant is dead, you can compost the plant as long as you know it didn't die from any fungal diseases.
Dormancy
Testing Stems
Roots
Care
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