Syrian hibiscus planting and care in the open field in the suburbs

Cultivated tropical plants are striking in their beauty. Syrian hibiscus is especially often used in street gardening. It has a relatively high frost resistance. In the southern latitudes of the country, tree-like hibiscus hibernates even without additional shelter. The plant moves to the north, risking freezing in winter. But already in Kaliningrad and in the Moscow region, Syrian hibiscus is used in landscaping.

Features of growing Syrian hibiscus in the middle lane

The biology of the plant is such that the double forms of flowers were obtained as a result of selection work. Therefore, a simple inflorescence is a sign of greater resistance to frosty wintering. Hibiscus can survive a short-term drop in temperature to -200 without shelter. Such conditions can be guaranteed only in the southern regions. Therefore, the Syrian hibiscus in the Moscow region should spend the winter under a protective structure.

After wintering, the first shoots will appear when the average air temperature per day settles within 12-15 degrees. In the suburbs - this is the end of May. After the plant wakes up and chases the trunks, it takes 3 months before flowering, such is the biology. Beauty will appear in August, and will delight you with September days before frost. This will be followed by yellowing and preparation of the plant for a new wintering.

All of this points to a different path for landscaping with tropical flowers. If you build a greenhouse made of plastic wrap over a group of plants in spring, the earth will warm up faster, and the growing season will begin earlier. Thus, it is possible to win back up to two weeks from nature and get the Syrian hibiscus, as in the photo.

More often, in the middle lane and northern regions, tropical plants are grown in containers. On the territory they are placed in single or group spots.

The containers can be buried in the ground or installed on the surface. Once the buds have formed, the containers must not be moved or rotated.

Winter storage of Syrian hibiscus is carried out at low temperatures of 5-15 degrees. By creating conditions for development, cutting and feeding the plant, it can be kept in a tub for up to 20 years. In such conditions, you can grow the most beautiful double flower varieties in Siberia.

Varietal variety of Syrian hibiscus photo

The indescribable beauty of flowers is best seen. Plants in the middle lane grow up to one and a half meters. By trimming, you can give the plant the desired shape.

Syrian hibiscus Ardens (purple). The bush is compact, always double, with inflorescences ranging from pink to dark lilac flowers. Grows well in Ukraine with minimal cover.

Syrian hibiscus Rosentus Plantus is a deciduous shrub. Large toothed curly leaves. Shelter is required in winter. It is also cultivated as a houseplant.

Hibiscus Syrian Blue Chiffon is a continuation of the "chiffon" series. This variety is distinguished by a pure blue color, turning into blue without lilac impurities. There are few such flowers in nature. Blue Chiffon is a novelty of the season.

The variety of colors and shades of hibiscus makes it a desirable decoration for any garden.

Syrian hibiscus - planting and care

For growing hibiscus outdoors in the middle lane, you need to create favorable conditions for the development of the plant. They need:

• light, nutritious, drained soil;
• regular watering with soft warm water as needed;
• balanced fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers;
• the place is sunny, but sheltered from the wind and direct rays.

And a beautiful tree also needs love. The more often he is visited and talked to, the more beautiful it becomes. But you need to approach him with a bow in order to loosen the ground. In the morning or evening, sprinkle the leaves with a warm shower in the cool. At the same time, see if aphids have come. In three days, instead of beautiful leaves, she will leave crumpled fists.

After pruning old branches, you can put them in a bucket of water and get excellent planting material in a month. You can plant plants that have wintered in pots in a warm room. Or you can create an open-air nursery. Only in autumn will young plants require particularly careful insulation. The onset of flowering depends on where the cuttings are grown. After a warm winter, they will bloom the next year. After the nursery - 3 years will grow up.

An interesting way is to grow Syrian hibiscus from seeds. Such reproduction can make you happy with the receipt of a new flower, different from those sitting nearby and participating in pollination. Terry is not transmitted by seeds, only coloring. Therefore, this method is more often used by breeders. Moreover, a young seedling starts flowering in 4-5 years.

For seed propagation, stratified seeds are soaked in a stimulator and germinated before pecking in a warm place.

In the prepared substrate, seeds are sown in separate cups. You can sow in a bowl, but then you need to dive after the appearance of the second leaf. Babies should grow up in a warm, bright place.

With the appearance of the sixth leaf from the seedlings, they begin to form a bush, pinching the tops. As they grow, young hibiscus are transplanted into new dishes by transshipment, fed and left to winter in a cool room. The next year, plants from seeds are arranged in a permanent place.

Video about planting and caring for Syrian hibiscus

Hibiscus is a beautiful, lush blooming plant native to Southeast Asia. This relative of mallow is grown both indoors and a flower garden in the garden. This plant is very fond of warmth, which means that it is not very suitable for our climate. The only exception can be garden hibiscus. Today we will talk about the features of its cultivation in the open field: planting, reproduction (by cuttings), care, etc., as well as the main varieties (photos are attached).

Hibiscus: main varieties and varieties

Hibiscus is a flowering tropical plant that belongs to the Malvov family. Outwardly, it may look like a tree, a woody shrub, or a herbaceous plant. Hibiscus leaves are most often ovoid with pointed edges. The flowers of the plant are funnel-shaped, large in size, with five or more petals. Their shade is incredibly diverse: white, pink, yellow, purple and many others.

There are three main varieties of hibiscus:

• Syrian (garden) is the only hibiscus species that grows well in the garden.The flowers of this plant have juicy green foliage and flowers of various shades. This species grows rather slowly and begins to bloom only by 3-4 years of its life.

Syrian (garden) hibiscus

• Triplet. This plant reaches almost a meter in height. It has lush petiole-shaped leaves and small flowers of a pale yellow color, which bloom for quite a long time - within 30 days and bloom for several hours a day.

Triple hibiscus

• Dissected This type of hibiscus blooms from late spring to late autumn. It has medium-sized flowers with strongly dissected petals of a bright red or orange hue.

Dissected petal hibiscus

• Drummond hibiscus. It has a strong, straight, highly branched stem with 5 cm leaves, dissected along the edge. It blooms with five-petal flowers of an unusual color: pink with a black center.

Drummond hibiscus

Today, there are more than 200 species of hibiscus (photos can be found on the Internet) and almost all of them grow in tropical climates, respectively, the climatic conditions of our region are very extreme for them. However, if in the winter period you take certain measures to protect the plant from the cold, then it will perfectly outlive it. If your region has warm and almost snowless winters, then you can grow a luxurious hibiscus in your garden with a 100% guarantee.

Hibiscus is a rather unpretentious plant to care for, and at the same time it is an excellent decorative element for any garden.

Advice. If you are planning to purchase hibiscus for growing in your garden, then you should know that there are two types of hibiscus, depending on the type of flower: double and non-double. The former are distinguished by better resistance to cold.

Planting plants in open ground

When planting hibiscus, be sure to choose a well-lit and wind-protected area. He is not particularly picky about the soil - the main thing is that it is nutritious and light, so that water can freely penetrate to a sufficient depth (almost the same as for planting roses).

Planting in the ground should be carried out in the spring, when the soil warms up to a sufficient depth. If you choose a tree variety of hibiscus, then you need to prepare a hole for planting it twice the depth of the root system of the seedlings. The bottom layer (drainage) should consist of broken bricks and be 15 cm thick, the next (10 cm) should consist of sand, then the compost layer (the same depth as the brick) and the last one - again sandy, 15 cm deep.

Avoid thickening of hibiscus plantings

We fill the pit with a mixture of the following components: soil (from the pit), peat and sand. Everything should be prepared in a 2: 4: 1 ratio. So, we place the cutting in the hole in such a way that the neck of the root is only a small part of its height underground and then we fill it with a prepared soil mixture.

After the hibiscus is planted, it is imperative to spud it so that a hole forms around it. Fill it with a sufficient amount of water - it must be absorbed and only then fill the hole with earth. Flatten it carefully.

Advice. If you have a need (or desire) to plant hibiscus not in the prescribed period, but in the fall, then do not forget, in addition to the above actions, to mulch the soil around the trunk of the seedling and be sure to tie it with spruce branches.

Hibiscus care

Caring for the plant is quite simple and does not require significant effort. Most importantly, hibiscus care activities must be timely, correct and of high quality. But first things first.

Watering and pruning the plant

The soil around the hibiscus should always be loose - be sure to keep an eye on this. In addition, excessive accuracy of the plant negatively affects the growth of the plant, so periodically the hibiscus needs to be thinned out.

To keep the hibiscus from drying out, it needs generous watering, especially in hot weather. The land under the plant needs to be watered quite abundantly, but only when it is completely dry, not earlier (that is, 2-3 times a week). In a particularly dry period, watering should be daily.

Hibiscus needs to be fed throughout the growing season

Pruning hibiscus is optional but highly desirable because it allows you to create the desired plant shape or is used for hygienic purposes. It will take a lot of strength and patience to shape a hibiscus into a beautiful, well-groomed tree. If the plant is young, then the branches should be shortened to the level of 2-3 buds, without touching the trunk. In the following years of life, hibiscus is pruned in winter (at the end of February) to a pair of buds - lateral shoots and 5-6 buds - on the trunk.

For hygienic purposes, pruning is done in early spring. Any damaged, weak or underdeveloped shoots are completely removed, and branches left over from the previous year are shortened by 30%. This will create stimulation for new kidney growth.

Advice. If you want to grow a very lush hibiscus with a lot of flowers, you need to prune it as short as possible in order for a large number of new shoots to grow.

Plant propagation by cuttings

Reproduction of hibiscus is also quite simple. As for the garden species, it reproduces mainly by seeds or cuttings. The second option is the most common - and we will consider it.

Reproduction is carried out in the summer: cuttings are cut with a pair of internodes, the bottom is smeared with special growth stimulants. Cuttings are planted in a greenhouse with a pre-prepared peat substrate. Necessarily heated from below. Usually hibiscus takes out the first roots within 25-30 days, then the sprouted cuttings are transplanted into pots filled with soil with turf and leaves, as well as sand and peat (all in the same proportions).

Young plants need regular watering, and new shoots should be pinched periodically to form a bushy look. As soon as the plant reaches the desired appearance, you can transplant it into the open ground.

Fertilizing and feeding hibiscus

In the summer period until the beginning of September, when the growing season enters the active phase, it is necessary to start active feeding of the plant with a large amount of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers (every 10-14 days). Closer to autumn, in preparation for wintering, phosphorus fertilizers need to be slightly diversified with potash fertilization.

Almost always, the flowering of hibiscus lasts only one day, but with good care, a new one will grow to replace the wilted flower. So don't forget to follow this process.

Wintering after flowering

Since the article deals with the cultivation of garden hibiscus, keep in mind that it is quite "gentle", so it will need additional protection from the cold, especially if the cultivation takes place in the middle lane, for example, in the Moscow region.

So, if you do not want to transplant hibiscus to another place for the winter, then the plant will need a protective shell for wintering in the garden. It is quite easy to build it: make small frames around the bushes, on which you stretch the agrotex, etc. This must be done in late autumn and early winter, when the first frosts begin. If in the area where you live, the air temperature does not drop below -15 degrees, then the measures taken will be sufficient.

For more reliable protection, you can use the old proven method - a spruce hut. Cover the hibiscus with spruce branches in several layers (do not forget to tie the bush and put a light bag on it).

Caution: diseases and pests

Hibiscus is a plant that is very resistant to various pests and diseases. But if in a hot period it lacks moisture, then it can be attacked by insatiable whiteflies, aphids, and a Putin tick.To eliminate the spread of these pests, use insecticides (the interval between treatments should be about a week).

Most often, hibiscus is affected by a disease such as chlorosis - the leaves located below begin to fall off, and yellow ones grow to replace them. The reason is the lack of iron and nitrogen. Control method: adding iron to the water for irrigation, and nitrogen fertilizers to the soil (in the spring).

If the hibiscus did not bloom at the right time, despite the fact that it grows in an ideal place for it and receives proper care, this can only mean one thing - the plant does not receive boron and phosphorus. Just apply fertilizer in sufficient quantity and, most importantly, on time, then everything will be fine.

Hibiscus in landscape design

Combining hibiscus with other plants

There is an excellent combination of hibiscus with almost any variety of roses. In addition, outwardly they will make up a luxurious tandem. If you live in a rather warm region, then plant several lavender bushes next to the hibiscus - this will not only give the garden an aesthetic appeal, but will also protect the hibiscus from various pests.

Our article is coming to an end. We have introduced you to the peculiarities of growing garden hibiscus in the open field. Follow the tips provided in the material and you can create a luxurious flower garden. Good luck!

Planting Syrian hibiscus: video

Growing hibiscus in the garden: photo

The indoor flower loved by all grandmothers is a Chinese rose or hibiscus; in recent years, you can often see it in garden plots. Thanks to breeders, hybrids have been bred that can grow in the open field of the middle zone of the country.

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Beautifully flowering plants attract many gardeners who want to start growing this exotic. For a suburban area, you should choose the type you like: grassy, ​​tree-like or shrub.

In regions with a temperate climate, there are several hibiscus for growing in a flower garden in the country:

• trifoliate - an annual medicinal plant. Blooms from June until frost. The flowers are not as luxurious as in other species, but they are an excellent honey plant;
• Syrian (more often called garden or tree) - a shrub that grows up to 3-5 meters, winters well in the southern regions, in the middle lane a young plant requires shelter for the winter;
• marsh - an ornamental shrub with beautiful leaves, during flowering is covered with bright inflorescences reaching 16 cm in diameter. Blooms from regrowth of shoots to frost. It tolerates cold temperatures up to -20-25 degrees;
• herbaceous hibiscus - most suitable for growing in the middle lane. Beautiful large flowers (up to 40 cm in diameter) adorn the site for a long time. For the winter, the aboveground part dies off, and the roots require shelter.

All types of hibiscus are beautiful plants, they are distinguished by bright, large flowers that can decorate the site all summer.

Features of growing in the suburbs

Observing some rules, even a novice gardener can grow hibiscus in the Moscow region.

Considering that the winters of the middle zone are often characterized by both severe frosts and prolonged thaws, it is worth choosing a growing method. You can take into consideration several:

• seedling annual;
• perennial, capable of withstanding low temperatures without damage and freezing;
• hibiscus, grown in a tub, which is transferred when cold weather comes into the room;
• rhizomes dug up every fall. Stores well in a cool dry place until next spring.

When choosing a plant for a summer residence, you need to know that hibiscus with simple inflorescences are most resistant to low temperatures. If it is decided to grow varieties with double flowers, then without high-quality shelter, all the work can go to waste, the bush will freeze out.

Young shoots begin to grow at the end of May, when the average daily temperature is about 15 degrees. In order to form a flowering shoot, hibiscus needs about three months, so the first buds will appear in August, but the plant will bloom until frost.

To get flowers in the early stages, in the spring, it is worth building a greenhouse from film over the bush. Thus, the flowering period can be brought closer by 2-3 weeks, sometimes by a month.

When growing hibiscus in tubs, remember that during the budding and flowering period, the container cannot be turned or moved.

Both the dug out rhizomes and tub plants are stored at a temperature not exceeding 10-15 degrees, in a bright, dry room. It is possible to grow hibiscus in this way, taking into account correct pruning and dressing, up to 20 years. The method is good for terry varieties that freeze out most often.

How to choose planting material

Having decided to buy hibiscus, first of all, you need to pay attention to local nurseries that grow ornamental plants. It is from them that high-quality planting material is acquired, acclimatized and adapted to local conditions.

Hybrid species bought in another region or cataloged, even the most exquisitely beautiful, can be a disservice. Either they will freeze out, or they will wipe out in the first winter after planting.

When buying, you should clarify how tall the plant will be, the conditions for good survival and ways of care. Particular attention is paid to the root system, so it is better to purchase the plant not in a container. The roots should be strong, well developed, without decaying branches.

It is better to choose an individual not younger than 2-3 years old. At this age, a period of adaptation to the cold season has already passed, he will be able to show greater frost resistance, he will more easily transfer acclimatization in a new place.

Popular varieties

It is better to buy several bushes with different, well-matched colors. For example, you can choose:

• Syrian Blue Chiffon is new. Pure blue flowers turning into deep blue. Requires shelter for the winter or tub cultivation;
• frost-resistant and long-flowering variety Duc de Branat, formed in the form of a ball, looks great in any combination with garden plantings;
• all chiffon varieties look great - Lavender Chiffon, White Chiffon, China Chiffon, Pink Chiffon.

Most often, bush species are grown, forming in the shape of a ball. The petals of the buds are double or even along the edges of the most bizarre color, of different sizes.

Seat selection and landing

Considering the southern origin of hibiscus, a sunny, wind-protected place is chosen for permanent growth. Light, well-drained soils will allow the flower to take root and adapt in no time.

Planting material does not require special preparation. Unless the roots are soaked in a root solution. Planting hibiscus in the garden is best in spring. So during the summer period he will get comfortable in a new place, grow new roots and prepare for winter.

The planting pit is prepared with the expectation of a powerful root system and the possibility of its further growth in loose soil. A drainage layer and a nutrient mixture consisting of sod and leafy soil, sand and humus with the addition of bone meal or superphosphate are laid on the bottom.

Having poured out half a bucket of water, a plant is planted on a soil cushion in such a way that the upper tier of roots will be located at ground level, only slightly sprinkled with soil.

Gradually fill the entire planting hole, carefully compacting and watering. This does not form voids at the roots. After the bush is planted, it is slightly spud and mulched to retain moisture.

Hibiscus grows well with a neighbor like a rose. Having picked up the colors, you can get an original composition of bright buds. A beautiful free-standing, well-formed bush.

It is recommended to plant lavender nearby, so you can escape from the worst enemy of roses and hibiscus - aphids.

Plant care

After planting, caring for a hibiscus consists of weeding, loosening the trunk circle and applying fertilizers.

The plant loves feeding with nitrogen and iron-containing fertilizers, but it is not recommended to overfeed it either. It is better to take ready-made mixtures of micronutrient fertilizers for ornamental flowering shrubs with a high phosphorus content and prepare the solution yourself.

For better flowering, top dressing is carried out several times per season. The first is in early spring, the second is during the budding period, and the third is after flowering. At the end of the season, for better wintering, the plant is fed with potash fertilizers.

Hibiscus loves regular watering, but without fanaticism. It does not tolerate stagnant moisture at the roots. In the summer heat, it is recommended to pour about 5 liters daily.
Watered only with warm, settled water. A cold shower has a negative effect on the plant, the bush can shed its buds. But spraying with warm water has a beneficial effect on flowering. A combination of fertilizing with watering is possible.

After water procedures, the trunk circle is mulched with chopped straw, peat chips or old sawdust.

In the spring, a bush is formed by cutting out excess branches. Thus, fresh growth is stimulated, where new flower ovaries are formed. Shoots are shortened to 2-3 buds. The first pruning is done one year after planting.

Pests and diseases

Hibiscus is extremely rare. Most often due to improper care. For example, if the soil is too salty, leaves may fall at the bottom of the bush. Excess nitrogen will lead to fattening and will not produce flowers on the plant.

Soil depletion, waterlogging or drought, lack of mulch, strong winds or drafts are critical.

The bush is not susceptible to attack by pests, unless there is an infected plant nearby. Spider mites are common. Aphids, thrips or whiteflies quickly colonize tub or potted hibiscus.

If pests are detected, insecticides are used.

Wintering and preparation for it

The main test for hibiscus is to survive in the winter cold, but it is possible to overcome them, accordingly preparing the plant for low temperatures.

Low-hardy, terry or varieties brought from other regions are best grown in tubs and harvested for the winter. The same rule is followed if the variety is unknown. The plant is dug up, placed in a container, and stored in a cool, light place.

Older plants, both herbaceous and bushy, do not require strong shelter. Sometimes they are not insulated at all, it is enough just to huddle and mulch the trunk circles.

Preparation for the winter of young specimens is different.

So herbaceous varieties are cut to a height of 8-10 cm, followed by hilling and mulching with peat chips, old foliage or chopped straw.

Shrub hibiscus is tied with a covering material, burlap, adding spruce or pine spruce branches. Together with insulation, it will protect against rodents.

The older the plant, the less attention it requires during wintering. Old, never transplanted bushes, can overwinter without consequences if they are not covered at all. But the first 4-5 years after planting, special care is required before the onset of low temperatures.

Cultivated tropical plants are striking in their beauty. Syrian hibiscus is especially often used in street gardening. It has a relatively high frost resistance. In the southern latitudes of the country, tree-like hibiscus hibernates even without additional shelter. The plant moves to the north, risking freezing in winter. But already in Kaliningrad and in the Moscow region, Syrian hibiscus is used in landscaping.

Features of growing Syrian hibiscus in the middle lane

The biology of the plant is such that the double forms of flowers were obtained as a result of selection work.Therefore, a simple inflorescence is a sign of greater resistance to frosty wintering. Hibiscus can survive a short-term drop in temperature to -20 without shelter. Such conditions can be guaranteed only in the southern regions. Therefore, the Syrian hibiscus in the Moscow region should spend the winter under a protective structure.

After wintering, the first shoots will appear when the average air temperature per day settles within 12-15 degrees. In the suburbs - this is the end of May. After the plant wakes up and chases the trunks, it takes 3 months before flowering, such is the biology. Beauty will appear in August, and will delight September days before frost. This will be followed by yellowing and preparation of the plant for a new wintering.

All of this points to a different path for landscaping with tropical flowers. If you build a greenhouse made of plastic wrap over a group of plants in spring, the earth will warm up faster, and the growing season will begin earlier. Thus, it is possible to win back up to two weeks from nature and get the Syrian hibiscus, as in the photo.

More often, in the middle lane and northern regions, tropical plants are grown in containers. On the territory they are placed in single or group spots.

Containers can be buried in the ground or installed on the surface. Once the buds have formed, the containers must not be moved or rotated.

Winter storage of Syrian hibiscus is carried out at low temperatures of 5-15 degrees. By creating conditions for development, cutting and feeding the plant, it can be kept in a tub for up to 20 years. In such conditions, it is possible to grow the most beautiful double flower varieties in Siberia.

Varietal variety of Syrian hibiscus photo

The indescribable beauty of flowers is best seen. Plants in the middle lane grow up to one and a half meters. By trimming, you can give the plant the desired shape.

Syrian hibiscus Ardens (purple). The bush is compact, always double, with inflorescences ranging from pink to dark lilac flowers. Grows well in Ukraine with minimal cover.

Syrian hibiscus Rosentus Plantus is a deciduous shrub. Large toothed curly leaves. Shelter is required in winter. It is also cultivated as a houseplant.

Hibiscus Syrian Blue Chiffon is a continuation of the "chiffon" series. This variety is distinguished by a pure blue color, turning into blue without lilac impurities. There are few such flowers in nature. Blue Chiffon is a novelty of the season.

The variety of colors and shades of hibiscus makes it a desirable decoration for any garden.

Syrian hibiscus - planting and care

For growing hibiscus outdoors in the middle lane, you need to create favorable conditions for the development of the plant. They need:

• light, nutritious, drained soil;
• regular watering with soft warm water as needed;
• balanced fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers;
• the place is sunny, but sheltered from the wind and direct rays.

And a beautiful tree also needs love. The more often he is visited and talked to, the more beautiful it becomes. But you need to approach him with a bow in order to loosen the ground. In the morning or in the evening, sprinkle the leaves with a warm shower in the cool. At the same time, see if aphids have come. In three days, instead of beautiful leaves, she will leave crumpled fists.

After pruning old branches, you can put them in a bucket of water and get excellent planting material in a month. You can plant plants that have wintered in pots in a warm room. Or you can create an open-air nursery. Only in autumn will young plants require particularly careful insulation. The onset of flowering depends on where the cuttings are grown. After a warm winter, they will bloom the next year. After the nursery - 3 years will grow up.

An interesting way is to grow Syrian hibiscus from seeds. Such reproduction can make you happy with the receipt of a new flower, different from those sitting nearby and participating in pollination.Terry is not transmitted by seeds, only coloring. Therefore, this method is more often used by breeders. Moreover, a young seedling starts flowering in 4-5 years.

For seed propagation, stratified seeds are soaked in a stimulator and germinated before pecking in a warm place.

In the prepared substrate, seeds are sown in separate cups. You can sow in a bowl, but then you need to dive after the appearance of the second leaf. Babies should grow up in a warm, bright place.

With the appearance of the sixth leaf from the seedlings, they begin to form a bush, pinching the tops. As they grow, young hibiscus are transplanted into new dishes by transshipment, fed and left to winter in a cool room. The next year, plants from seeds are arranged in a permanent place.

Video about planting and caring for Syrian hibiscus

> Materials:

No matter how pleasing to our eye and not attracting exotic plants of the southern regions, not all of them, unfortunately, are able to take root in our inhospitable temperate climate, characterized by sharp temperature fluctuations. Those who succeed, as if transferring to our soil a piece of the colors of their homeland, which is why the flora of our latitudes acquires an elusive southern charm and charm and becomes even brighter, more colorful and beautiful in its natural diversity.

Syrian hibiscus

Syrian hibiscus is just one of these plants, which managed to take root in a foreign land for him. According to various sources, there are from two to three hundred of its species in the world, and a number of them are successfully bred as decorative by Central Asian, Ukrainian and Moldovan gardeners. It, a native of the tropics and subtropics of Korea, China, Western Asia and the Malaysian archipelago, can be found even in many regions of Russia and the Moscow region - however, in the open field of these latitudes, it freezes out, therefore flower growers prefer to grow it in a greenhouse, winter gardens and as an indoor decorative plant. In the open air, it can only be grown in the southern regions, subject to shelter for the winter. But wherever and in whatever form hibiscus grows - as a loner, in a group or as part of a hedge - it looks attractive, graceful and elegant everywhere. In the southern regions, you can often see unusual flowering compositions of it in the form of a ball, cube, pyramid and other figures.

Hibiscus (or Hibiscus syriacus) is a perennial plant of a predominantly shrub type with a height of one and a half to three (sometimes up to five to six) meters and a width of 1-1.5 meters with three-lobed ovoid leaves up to 10 cm long and beautiful large single , sometimes double flowers, similar to mallow flowers. The color of the leaves is bright green, the flowers are white, yellow, dark red, lilac, blue, violet with a red core, purple and crimson; you can even find a two-tone color with a border or an eye in a contrasting color. In cold springs, young leaves are often yellow-white, and yellow in autumn. They bloom late and resemble chrysanthemum leaves.

Hibiscus blooms for three months - from late June to late September. During flowering, many peduncles appear throughout the bush, and despite the fact that the bud lives for one day, wilting is almost imperceptible due to such an incredible abundance of flowers blooming one after another. Thanks to this, the shrub looks majestic and irresistible. Each flower can be up to 12 cm in size.

In addition to natural species, there are many artificially bred hibiscus varieties that differ in the shape of the leaves and color of the flowers, so that the total number of all species and varieties reaches half a thousand. Not all are bred in horticultural culture, but some have become extremely common among professional florists and ordinary flower lovers. These types include:

1. Syrian hibiscus, or tree-like. It also has the names "Syrian rose", "Drummond's hibiscus" and "Hibiscus syriacus", can grow as a tree and as a one and a half or two meter shrub. Its most common varieties include Diana (has white, wavy buds along the edge), Vayelit Ilar Double (differs in double or semi-double violet-blue flowers with red spots in the middle), Pink Giant (its buds are single, pink with a purple spot in the base of the petal) and Carneus Plenus (has flexible shoots and double pale pink flowers with a purple spot in the core).
2. hibiscus trifoliate. The homeland of its habitat is Central and North Africa, but recently it has extremely spread in those regions where there is irrigated agriculture. It differs from the Syrian hibiscus in smaller, up to 4 cm flowers, smaller in height (up to 80 cm) and in that its flowers open only for half a day, from morning to noon. The blooming of the trifoliate hibiscus lasts more than one month, the characteristic color of the flowers is yellowish with a dark red middle.
3. hybrid hibiscus, aka "garden" and "herbaceous", bred in the middle of the twentieth century on the basis of the holly (armed), bright red and marsh species growing in North America. It is a herbaceous perennial with a high frost resistance with a height of one meter to 170 cm with yellow-green leaves, large large pink buds of different shades (mainly light and raspberry-pink) and a powerful straight trunk. Sometimes there are also annual varieties of this shrub.
4. indoor hibiscus.

Syrian hibiscus is often called the general species name "garden", apparently emphasizing that it, unlike indoor hibiscus, also called "Chinese rose", can be grown in gardens, greenhouses, rose gardens and rock gardens. The Chinese rose, due to its fragility and tenderness, is recommended to be bred exclusively as an indoor or greenhouse ornamental plant, although many growers avoid doing this, referring to the omen according to which the cultivation of a Chinese rose brings misfortune to the owners of the house, and flowering means someone's close death. It is difficult to say how justified this omen is, but one fact is undeniable: all varieties and types of hibiscus are distinguished by their beauty, attractiveness and some modest, attractive charm, so looking at them, it is even difficult to believe that this flower can be associated with various bad omens.

Despite the fact that hibiscus has taken root in the temperate climate of the Northern Hemisphere, it requires some attention, and in order to transfer a piece of ancient China or mysterious Korea to your garden in your garden, you need to know some very important rules for caring for it.

1. when purchasing a seedling, you should pay attention to the fact that the root system is stable and well developed - this will help rooting and rapid growth. You should also take into account the frost resistance of the flower and choose simple varieties. It is noticed that the simpler the growth, the more frost-resistant it is.
2. hibiscus is a light-loving plant, so for it you should choose the most sunlit place, such that the shrub can bloom for a long time and delight your eye with an abundance of flowers. The ideal place for it should be light and protected from the wind and have light fertile moisture and air permeable soil, which is used for roses. By the way, if an ordinary garden rose is next to it, this will be a wonderful solution to the problem of choosing a place: hibiscus looks very good in a company with roses, and besides, it will fall into a favorable soil for itself. At worst, partial shade is acceptable, but keep in mind that in this case fewer flowers are formed on it (and sometimes they do not exist at all).Hibiscus can be planted both alone and in a group: in addition to roses, low-growing perennials will be good neighbors for it. A wonderful solution would be to plant lavender next to the hibiscus: in addition to beauty, it will also be beneficial, since with its smell lavender drives away aphids that can hit the Syrian rose in dry season. To solve the problem of soil fertility, you can add compost or humus to the planting hole. Peat is usually mixed with clay soil, and garden soil with sandy soil. Choosing the right landing site is almost half the battle.
3. hibiscus should be planted in spring, but not early, when the threat of night frosts is still strong. It is best to plant the seedlings when the earth warms up well enough, but you shouldn't delay this matter either: by next winter the plant should take root and get stronger.
4. hibiscus planting scheme is as follows. To begin with, prepare a hole twice the size of the root system of the seedling, on the bottom of which they are laid one by one: a fifteen-centimeter drainage layer in the form of broken bricks, a 10-cm layer of sand, a fifteen-centimeter layer of compost and a layer of sand of the same thickness. The soil taken out during digging is mixed with peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 4: 1, the seedling is carefully placed in a hole at a shallow depth (the root collar should be barely underground) and the free space is filled with a ready-made peat-sand-earth mixture. Then the seedling is hilled and abundantly watered, and after the moisture is absorbed, the soil is poured into the excavation formed after hilling until the plot is leveled.
5. at first, you should keep the soil near the hibiscus in a slightly moist state, especially during heat or drought. That is, it should be watered regularly. When the Syrian rose takes root and begins to grow, you can reduce the watering intensity to moderate so that the flower does not disappear, and allow the soil to dry out before watering it again. The frequency of watering an established plant in normal cold weather is once every two weeks, but if there is a hot dry summer outside, which also threatens to drag on, you need to water the hibiscus daily. If allowed to dry out, the buds will begin to dry out and fall off one by one, and the plant will lose a lot in appearance.
6. the Syrian rose grows quickly and can bloom soon after planting. When young green shoots appear on it, you need to remove old dried stems and regularly loosen the soil near the flower, weed out the weeds and make sure that it does not thicken too much. With flowering and active growth, it is imperative to feed the tree rose with phosphorus and nitrogen-containing fertilizers at least twice a month. In the fall, along with phosphorus, potash fertilizers are also introduced, helping her to survive the winter. It is best to feed the plant after rain or watering. You should also remove dried flowers in a timely manner, keeping in mind that they live one or two days and appear one after another.
7. Pruning also contributes to the rapid growth and rapid abundant flowering of hibiscus - it is on the shoots of this year that new buds appear. The shrub is also cut for sanitary purposes, and for decorative purposes - to give it a certain, desirable shape for itself. Often, for the first time, this is done almost immediately after planting - the branches are shortened to two or three buds, leaving only the trunk intact - then the lateral shoots are annually cut to one or two buds and the trunk to five or six until they acquire the desired shape. Preventive pruning is done annually in early spring, before the juices begin to move: they completely remove old, diseased, underdeveloped or growing shoots inside the bush and shorten the growth of the last year by one third - this stimulates the development of new buds. In the summer, you can pinch young branches.If your hibiscus is already several years old and is considered old, you can rejuvenate it by removing old and dead branches and shortening the rest by two-thirds. You can trim to the same height, or you can experiment.

In principle, hibiscus does not need transplanting throughout its life, but if the need for this nevertheless arises, then it, like planting, should be carried out in early spring after the annual pruning of the shoots to half their length and before flowering. The transfer scheme is the same as for landing. Caring for a transplanted flower is no different from the above-described care, except that after transplanting it must be watered.

Reproduction of the Syrian rose is carried out in the following ways:

The first two methods are the most popular, the third and fourth are used less often.

The seed method can be practiced already in winter: the seeds should be soaked for half an hour in a dark pink manganese solution, and then for a day in a Hellene solution so that it barely covers them, then sown in containers with a sand-peat mixture, cover with glass and place in a place with a temperature of + 25-27, if necessary, organizing heating from below. Before planting in open ground, you need to ventilate the container, remove condensation and moisten the soil. When the first leaves appear on the seedlings, they can be planted in flowerpots. Particular attention should be paid to ensure that the seedlings do not stretch out due to lack of light. If you notice this, be sure to make an artificial backlight. Young plants are planted in open ground only in mid-May.

Some growers prefer to sow seeds directly into open ground. This should be done only in May or June in order to guarantee to avoid frosts and wait for a good warming up of the earth. You need to sow seeds in the loosened soil, making shallow grooves, then, after moistening the soil in advance, you need to cover the crops with a film - this way you will accelerate germination. If everything is done correctly, the first shoots will appear in two to three weeks. When two or three leaves appear on them, you can open the plant. However, it should be remembered that hibiscus grown from seed blooms only in the third or fourth year after sowing.

By cuttings, the shrub can be propagated both in spring and in summer. This requires:

1. cut the cuttings with two or three internodes 10-15 cm long, remove all the lower leaves and half of the upper ones.
2. process cuttings with growth stimulants.
3. then plant them in greenhouses with a substrate consisting of peat, humus and sand, water well, cover with foil and heat from below. You can also try rooting the cuttings in a jar of water, keeping them there until the roots appear and keeping them out of direct sunlight. When the cuttings get stronger, they can be planted directly in pots with prepared soil.
4. if everything is done correctly, after a month the hibiscus cuttings will take root, after which they need to be transplanted from the greenhouses into pots with a specially prepared substrate, consisting of leafy and turf soil, peat and sand, taken in equal parts.
5. a newly planted flower needs to be watered regularly, and when new shoots grow, they are pinched to stimulate tillering. Once the bush is formed, it can be transplanted into the open ground to a permanent place, and with appropriate care, it will bloom in the first year after planting.

If you had to cut hibiscus in cold weather, for the winter, greenhouses with shoots should be well insulated with dry foliage or any other covering material.

> This motto of the Stark family from the TV series Game of Thrones is relevant not only for humans, but also for plants, especially for those thermophilic like the Syrian rose. In central Russia, it must be covered without fail, even if you grow frost-resistant varieties with double flowers.For the winter, you can dig up a hibiscus, place it in a container or large pot and place it on the veranda or lower it into the basement or any other cool room until spring, and in the spring, plant it again in open ground. If there is no opportunity to dig up a hibiscus (of course, you cannot dig up an overgrown and adult Syrian rose) or if you decide to leave it in the garden, then in mid-November, at an air temperature of -5 - -10 degrees, build a frame around the hibiscus, on which stretch lutrasil, spunbond or agrotex. In winters with a temperature of at least -15, this structure will reliably protect the shrub. However, the disadvantage of such a shelter is that these materials do not allow air to pass through, so there is a risk of damping out for the hibiscus covered by them.

Another way to protect hibiscus from freezing is to tie it with a rope, put a sack bag on it and cover it with three layers of spruce branches, laying branches in the form of a hut. Around the bush, mousetraps should be laid out or poisoned - processed wheat should be placed under a shelter: very often rodents climb into such shelters, fleeing the cold, and during the winter they eat the bark of the plant, thereby dooming it to death.

If the hibiscus has not grown much and has grown, it is enough to cover it the way garden roses are usually covered for the winter.

If the flower will overwinter in the house, do not forget to water it.

> The Syrian rose is rarely affected by insects or diseases, but in drought, without long watering, it can be invaded by thrips, aphids, whiteflies and spider mites. You can get rid of them by double treatment of the shrub with actellik, phytoverm, intavir or karbofos with an interval between treatments of 7-10 days.

The biggest danger to hibiscus is chlorosis (a disease in which the formation of chlorophyll is disrupted and photosynthesis decreases). The manifestation of chlorosis on a Syrian rose looks like this: the lower leaves fall off, the new ones have a yellowish color. The cause of chlorosis is a lack of nitrogen and iron in the soil, therefore, when watering, iron chelate should be added, and in the spring, a complex fertilizer should be applied to the soil with the presence of nitrogen in it.

There are also the following deviations in the growth and development of the Syrian rose:

1. lack of flowering with proper care. Perhaps this is due to the lack of phosphorus or boron. If at the same time the growth of shoots has slowed down, there is a lack of not only these elements, but also nitrogen. Treatment consists in the timely application of the necessary fertilizers.
2. yellowing of the leaves. This happens: as a result of chlorosis (what to do in this case, described just above), with insufficient watering in drought (watering should be increased), or with trauma to the root system, which the flower could have received during transplantation. If so, it is necessary to add zircon or root root when watering according to the instructions and spray the leaves with their solution at the rate of 3 drops per 0.5 liters of water.
3. falling leaves. In the fall, this is a natural process, but if the leaves fall off earlier than expected, this is a consequence of insufficient or excessive watering or root trauma.
4. the appearance of spots on the leaves. This is the result of the work of harmful bacteria or fungi. Such leaves should be immediately removed and burned so that the infection does not spread further.

It has been noticed that the Syrian rose is resistant to urban conditions, so it can be grown not only in the garden or greenhouse, but also on the balcony and loggia. The main thing is proper care, in which she can live in one place for up to 20-25 years. This means that, perhaps, not only you, but also your children will be able to enjoy a piece of beautiful China and the national symbol of South Korea, which is also called the "flower of love", in the Russian, Ukrainian, Central Asian or Moldovan latitudes.

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