When is the best time to prune hibiscus?

Hibiscus pruning

Hibiscus pruning can control the plant shape and posture, promote flowering, eliminate the apical dominance of new branches, reduce nutrient consumption, and allow nutrients to be supplied to the flower buds, thus ensuring abundant flowering and improving the overall ornamental value.

Hibiscus Pruning Time

The best time to prune hibiscus is in autumn, or it can be done in early spring. Hibiscus can actually be pruned quite a bit, and there is no fixed pruning time. The most suitable time for cuttings is spring, when the temperature and humidity are suitable and roots can take shape faster.

How to prune hibiscus

1. Upright hibiscus

The upright hibiscus has strong germination ability, but relatively poor branching ability. You can reasonably select the main branches and side branches, gradually thin out the excess main branches and side branches, coordinate the relationship between the main and side branches, make them reasonably distributed and moderately dense, thin out the dense branches on the periphery, and increase ventilation and light transmission.

One-year-old strong flower branches do not need to be pruned after the flowers wither. The next year, the vigorous branches and strong flower branches that sprout on them should be thinned out. Only the medium and short branches need to be retained for flowering. The outer branches should be shortened, and the outer buds should be left at the cut ends. Generally, three strong branches can be grown. The competing branches on the branches should be cut off, and the others can be left for a long time, and then they can be cut back and cultivated into branch groups.

2. Clustered Hibiscus

The branches of the clumping hibiscus are large in angle, and it is easy to grow vigorous branches. It is necessary to promptly thin out the upright branches sprouting from the inner part, but generally there is no need to shorten the branches to avoid disrupting the shape of the tree. After the strong flower branches are slowly released, they should be promptly pinched back, and then released and pinched back again. This can increase the number of medium and short flower branches.

Tips for pruning hibiscus

Hibiscus is usually pruned in autumn and winter. At this time, all dead, diseased and weak branches on the plant should be cut off, and the overgrown branches should be shortened. If there are branches that grow too densely, they also need to be thinned out appropriately.

Generally, you can pinch the top of the plant appropriately in spring to encourage it to grow more side branches and thus produce more flowers. After it blooms, you should cut off the remaining flowers in time.