Seeking some help with my hibiscus

[ladikara]

Hi everybody, I am new here. I am seeking some help and advice.

I was given a beautiful Hibisus for my birthday last April. It has almost tripled in size and produced beautiful blooms all summer.

We had a cold snap here in the bay area about a month ago where we got into the upper teens and 20's (uncommon). I covered the plant up as best as I could, but I think the freeze got it.

One by one, the leaves are starting to fall off. They are black along the edges and very limp. Any buds that were coming, are also dead.

I do see new growth along the stem, which is a good sign. But I am worried the cold may had hurt them too. They are still mighty green.

This is my first time raising a hibiscus and I am learning as I go. I never have had a green thumb, but I have been very proud of my baby.

Any thoughts on what I should do to try to save it? Am I suppose to cut it back during the wintertime? Would it hurt if I trimmed off all the leaves, since a good portion of them are dead?

I have removed the planter from the back open patio to the front covered patio, where it will get sunlight but no rain.

Here are some photo's of the current shape my plant is in. :(

My Hibiscus

Close up of leaves and some new growth

New Growth

Another picture of my hibiscus

[Newt]

Hi Ladakara,

I looked at your pictures and it looks like your hibiscus is recovering nicely.* Keep in mind that leaves are expendable to a shrub or tree and they will shed them when they are stressed.* I wouldn't recommend you remove them but let them fall naturally as the new leaves sprout.* The shrub will still need the leaves to feed the plant for now.

You mention you live in the bay area, but you don't say what bay.* I'm in the bay area of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and my hardiness zone is 7.* We can only grow hardy hibiscus outdoors in the ground or tropical hibiscus in pots that are brought indoors for winter.***Your hibiscus appears to be a tropical one.* You can tell by reading here.********************************************* ************************************************** ** *http://www.trop-hibiscus.com/gindr.html

Hibiscus tend to be heavy feeders, especially in spring, and summer until blooming slows down.* I would suggest feeding every two weeks in spring and summer and once a month in fall and winter.* Use an organic fertilizer such as fish emulsion or fish emulsion and seaweed or kelp.* The fish emulsion smells bad, but the smell dissapates once you water the plant.

You can prune dead wood, if you have any, once the plant starts to put out new leaves again.* Just prune just above a leaf that is growing to the outside.* Be sure not to prune until all threat of frost has passed.* This should help.********************************* ******* http://www.trop-hibiscus.com/bfertins.html

[align=left]Newt[/align]

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[ladikara]

Thank you so much for all that wonderful information, Newt. I really appreciate it.

I actually live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Currently the plant is in miraclegrow fertalizer, along with all my other plants. All my other plants were covered like the hibiscus during our cold snap. It was really odd because everything else survived. Not a single one of them look like the cold got to them. I currently have a lot of new blooms and buds. My newest, being my tulips that are about to shoot up buds. So it must be because the hibiscus is tropical. ???

I haven't* noticed any dead wood on the plant, but i'll look it over carefully tomorrow and trim if needed.

Like all my indoor and outdoor plants, I currently have them in soil that is a MiracleGrow soil. All of them have done wonderfully in this soil.

I'm loosing about 5-10 leaves today. I bet I give it a week, and it will be "naked". I just really want it to come back. It had such beautiful blooms over the summer.

Once again, thank you.

[Newt]

[align=left]Ladikara, you are so very welcome!* It sometimes does seem odd that some plants have more tolerance for cold then others, but it does happen.* If you have another threat of frost, or even weather below 40*F you might want to bring your hibiscus indoors.* Just be sure to keep it away from a heat source.* I'm sure it's a tropical since it reacted that way.* The leaves looked shiny in your pics as well.[/align]
[align=left]Glad you know your other plants survived ok.* [/align]
[align=left]One word of caution with using Miracle Gro potting soil that has fertilizer added.* Be careful not to fertilize with a synthetic fertilizer*for 2 to 3 months after repotting.* You risk burning the roots by adding more fertilizer.* [/align]
[align=left]Newt[/align]