Hibiscus

I have one in the garden didn't know you could cut it back, when do you do it Crissue mine is flowering at the moment.

Hi Barbara, the reason why I'm following Vavillas advice and taking my one back, is because of no flowers in two years...When she reads this she will be able to advise you, if you need it, yours is flowering so you haven't the problem...and the pruning may be different...x

ah I see ok thanks for that Crissue.

You're welcome B....:)))

Great shrubs - :))))))))

Typed a long answer Sue and it just vanished leaving only 2 sentences........where it went I do not know;

Hence, I am starting again and trying to make it short and to the point too. Let me put it this way Sue. if it was my plant, I would still cut back the tallest branch about 8 inches back.
Next step - I would collect all that you have put around the plant to the base itself to cover the plant at least one foot high and cover it with a solid layer of good soil. When the bark starts rotting, the mountain will go down gradually. But, If those bark pieces are new, too big and solid, they will take a long time to rot and the chances are, when you water the plant, the soil will get washed away. If that is the case you have to dig a little around base (about 4 inches maybe)of the plant without damaging the roots and put all that inside the trench and then cover up with a good layer of soil, if possible dug from a compost heap.
Anyhow if you are using bark for plants, I feel that you should bury them first somewhere else to quicken the process of composting.

The method you have used is good for plants like orchids and anthuriums which put out roots and grab hold of anything like pieces of clay tiles, charcoal, crushed pieces of red bricks and any wood that is already rotting. That is how those plants survive. They must be kept wet with good drainage. All plants must have good drainage. And Hibiscus generally like a whole lot of sunshine to flower or change color of leaves but they don't need a lot of water. Ixora and hibiscus have the same needs. If the base is too wet all the time the leaves could turn yellow and fall.

Good soil is what plants like hibiscus need although here they survive on any soil because they are generally hardly plants. Having said that, there are exceptions to every rule and maybe some rare varieties need special attention. Compost is the answer.

When composting if we you put in large branches, they will take a long time to disintegrate. Have to cut them into small pieces before burying. Any unwanted papers, bills,(not glossy stuff)also can go into it with unused food too.
Hate to see food getting wasted...birds and squirrels can have a very good meal with unwanted food and fruits.

Hope I have answered to your satisfaction Sue. I will put a picture of my Humming Bird bush which grew on it's own. I pruned it well and good and now it is putting out new shoots. Song of India has shed most of it's leaves due to transplanting, but it is still surviving. Nobody else would have pulled out such a large plant. To me, gardening is all about taking a chance, like in life.
Win some, lose some! But you learn with every mistake.

Hi Vav, have read with interest all you've said...I'll answer bit by bit, then I won't miss anything lol.....

First...we'll cut the main stem down again as yousuggest.

Under the Bark is a good layer of composted waste from our bin all through that border.
The Bark is there to help retain moisture lost during our Hot Summers.
I would have bought very fine stuff if I wanted it to rot quickly...
+ It's decorative too...

This is as far as i'm prepared to go with this shrub...maybe it's just not meant to flower...

Just to reassure you no food goes to waste,if we don't eat it, and our chooks don't eat eat it, it gets composted.....;))))
Thanks for your tips....

Thanks Paul, just trying to sort this one out...if not I've' got something that will flower on way that could possibly take its place tout suite.....;))))

It will flower Sue. You have to be patient. For plants like bougainvillae, ixora, shoeflower(hibiscus) hot sun is essentail for them to flower. They have to be watered but the soil should not remain wet all the time in my opinion. That would encourage a lot of foliage..

Do you know that some plants flower and some trees bear fruit when they are neglected. They get scared that they might not regenerate and quickly start going about their business. Some do that when they get caught to a fire! Papaya for instance. I think this rule applies to plants in hot countries...anyhow, here are some website you might find useful regarding hibiscus. What I do in a hot country might not be suitable for a place with varying climates. I read that a hibiscus tree can last up to 40 years and another said it can live for more than hundred years! I think patience is the key word. Selling places always make them flower with hundred and one tricks and they don't act the same way once the effect has gone away...hope you will find these sites useful Sue
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Vav...I don't mean to be rude, but we don't exactly live in a cold Country...Heat is something we have an abundance of, for many months of the year...
In this Village alone, with the same soil type as my own, my neighbours plant them as hedges, and they grow like weeds...and flower profusely, so I probably have a duff...
Anyway I have no more time to waste on it..sorry....

Some are talking about the winter coming Sue and having to stay indoors...so I am not exactly sure what your weather is like...if the weather is ok Sue, not to worry......it will flower eventually.. at the most unexpected time maybe when you least expect it......
you have so many other plants to concentrate on...maybe you should ignore it and it will get upset and flower...........I am serious....these things happen Sue..nature acts in strange ways...just wait and see but don't give it too much attention.