Summer – I mean Spring is here!
This is the most exciting time of year for gardeners as many of our plants are bursting forth with their first growth spurts of the new year. Well this year that might not be the case since we never really had a winter except for a few weeks in December. I saw my first spring growth spurts in mid January, almost two months earlier than in previous years. And I am already seeing summer colors on my hibiscus blooms. Colors that I normally don’t see until July which tells you how out of whack are weather has been this winter. On the flip side our drought has become the mega-drought with epic restrictions now being placed on all California residents.
Their is an unexpected bright side to this if you grow hibiscus. Believe it or not they are water wise plants. Yes you heard me right! Hibiscus don’t need tons of water. Most people assume since they are tropical in origin they need tons of water. But that is not the case at all.
Hibiscus roots need lots of air too so keeping them soaking in water logged soil actually will quickly lead to root rot and the demise of your plant. The best way to get great results is to have a drip system that can regularly water and feed your hibiscus at the same time. Not only do you save a lot of time but with a drip system it actually saves a lot of water too. Compare having regular landscaping with sprinklers to water them to that of hibiscus that only need a drip system to take care of them. It is actually quite a big water savings! Just lay out your tubing, attach both drippers and micro sprinklers and with a fertilizer injector you are set for a great hibiscus garden. It is that easy!!!
So you can do your part in helping save water during our mega-drought and still have a green garden full of colorful pretty blooms. Not too many plants can do that for you!
Take a look here and see what amazing colors and shapes await you! I hope you will agree that the world of hibiscus is like no other.
Darren Eminian, President Southern California Hibiscus Society