Specimen from my collection.
Hibiscus are shrubs that, whether you have them in pots or planted in the garden, you will have no choice but to prune them from time to time if you want them to have the shape of a small tree or a compact bush with a rounded habit.
Although they usually do not grow quickly, which will undoubtedly be useful as it will allow us to better control their growth and development, it is important to know when to prune hibiscus so that they don’t have any problems.
When is the best time to prune hibiscus?
Hibiscus are a series of shrubby plants native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. This is important to keep in mind, because if we prune them in the middle of winter surely many branches will dry out and die, as they need high temperatures to be able to heal wounds quickly. And not only that, but they also need good weather conditions to continue their growth.
For all that, the best time to prune them is spring, but not at any time, no. This must be done when the thermometer has been registering a minimum temperature of 18 ºC for a few weeks. That is why, in many parts of Spain, they are pruned in the middle of spring, or even at the end of it, shortly before the arrival of summer.
Can you prune a hibiscus in summer?
Not in the middle of summer, since the plant grows and flowersTherefore, abundant sap flows through the conductive vessels. If pruned at this time, not only would it lose a lot of sap, but it would also attract certain pathogenic insects, such as scale insects or aphids. For this reason, it is not recommended to prune it during this season.
Can you prune a hibiscus in the fall?
It’s not the best thing to do, but If frost is never recorded in your area, yes you can do it in the fall. But if temperatures drop below 0 degrees, you shouldn’t do this until spring returns.
Are they pruned in the morning or in the afternoon?
Image – Wikimedia/Salicyna
If we take into account that when pruning the hibiscus a wound is made, that is, a very fragile part of the plants is left exposedIt is best to prune them at sunsetand as long as they are no longer exposed to direct sunlight.
As they say, any precaution is little. And it is that if we prune them while the light is still on, we could risk that those branches that we have pruned and which now have wounds will burn.
And of course, if they are burned, the leaves that still have will also suffer because they will lack the reserves (water and nutrients) absorbed by the roots and transported through the conductive vessels that are inside them.
Can you prune a sick hibiscus?
It depends. And it is that for the plant to recover in size, it must be more or less healthy, otherwise it can cost you dearly. For that, I do not recommend pruning a hibiscus if it is in very poor condition. It would also not be good to prune it if there were pests, since these are eliminated with specific insecticides (or even with a cotton swab from the cobs and water) without it being necessary to remove the branches.
It could only be pruned if it had dead, brown or moldy branches. These can, and indeed should, be cut to try and prevent the disease from spreading to the rest of the plant. Of course, after that it must be treated with a systemic fungicide.
How about a healthy little young hibiscus?
On occasion I have seen small specimens of hibiscus sold in nurseries; recently rooted cuttings which, of course, do not yet have flowers. As well, If you bought one, you can’t. It is not necessary to be in a hurry to prune the plants, especially if they are small and/or young.
He thinks that, for proper pruning, the plant must be left with a sufficient number of branches and leaves so that it can resume its growth. If we take two away from a hibiscus that has, for example, three branches about 20 centimeters long, it will have a hard time moving on.
It is best to wait and be patient. You have to let it grow on its own for a while.until it becomes a bush at least 40 or 50 centimeters high.
If you want to know how to prune it, I invite you to read this article:
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How to prune hibiscus