August Garden Diary – Growing Hibiscuses in Pots

I love Hibiscuses. Here in our corner of the Western Algarve in Portugal, most of my Hibiscus Plants, which grow in pots, flower all year. Apparently, you can buy varieties specifically for pots. Who knew? I’ve only ever seen the plant labelled as ‘Hibiscus’ at the garden centres and not had the luxury of choosing a variety. I have included a link below that lists the various varieties and whether they are suitable for pots.

Planting Hibiscuses in pots does mean you can site them in places you want to add colour or interest but don’t have room to plant them directly in the soil. I now prefer them to bedding plants as they are not so needy, and if you feed and water them diligently, they will last for years.

This is a recent addition. I love the vibrant colour! I have often wondered how the nurseries make the leaves such a dark and luscious green.

I inherited this hibiscus when I bought a pot from a friend who was moving back to the UK. I’ve since transplanted it to a larger pot, and despite the intense heat of the midday sun in summer, provided I remember to water it every other day and feed it from time to time, it is a happy plant.

The yellow double flower Hibiscus (no, I don’t know the variety) has become leggy as it survives mostly in the shade and only enjoys the late afternoon summer sun.

This unusual dusky pink variety survives in the sun for most of the day. The pot is strategically placed over a drain cover in a rockery and can easily be moved for access.

Hibiscus growing in pot. This picture is from 2019.

I chose this orange hibiscus for its vibrant colour. In the summer, it enjoys the morning sun until about 14.00 in the afternoon, when the sun disappears behind the oleander.

This is my favourite.

This lives tucked in the corner of the terrace overlooking the pool sheltered from the prevailing winds. It must be happy because one year it flowered on Christmas day.

Pesky Aphids

The pesky aphids love my hibiscus flowers and then the ants are attracted to the aphid.

There is a fascinating article regarding aphids on Hidden Valley

“…. they also excrete a substance called “honeydew” that is clear and sticky. This drops onto the top of the leaf below where they are feeding and very quickly a type of mold called “black sooty mold” grows in the honeydew. The black color stands out on hibiscus leaves and its presence tells you that a sap-sucking insect such as aphids is feeding on the plant. (There are other sap suckers such as white flies that excrete honeydew, but aphids are the most common.) …”

As they attract an army of ants and we don’t have any ladybirds in our garden, I usually spray these with water with a couple of drops of natural soap which is not ideal. They recommend using a systemic product “which you sprinkle on the soil and then water in, and lasts 3 months.“

I never use pesticides that you spray on the flowers because of the bees and other insects. However, I know that if I don’t take action, the plant will eventually succumb to sooty mould and die.

Gardening is a balance.

The RHS also offers advice.

My garden is home to lots of bees, so I will continue on the same path.

Repotting an Hibiscus

I rarely repot Hibiscus, apart from repotting it in a larger pot once it has settled into its new home. Occasionally, if the plant looks unwell, I have removed it from the pot to find an ant nest or white fluffy aphids. On these occasions, I’ve just cleaned the roots and repotted them using general-purpose compost.

How to Propagate Hibiscus

How to Propagate Hibiscus in 10 Easy Steps

Hibiscus Varieties: https://plantura.garden/uk/trees-shrubs/hibiscus/types-of-hibiscus

I started writing this post for Six on Saturday but got distracted trying to find the battery charger for my camera. Better late than never!

Cee’s FOTD Challenge