Hibiscus or Chinese rose - beautiful bush with gorgeous bright green leaves, pretty large sizes, blooming with large inflorescences of different colors. The plant is often used for decoration office premises, but it is no less common on home windowsills. Although over time, an adult bush will no longer fit there - strong shoots form a real tree, sometimes reaching up to 3 meters in height.
You can propagate at home in two ways:
- seeds;
- cuttings.
Propagation of hibiscus by seeds
To obtain high-quality seedlings, Chinese rose seeds are purchased at a specialized flower shop. For planting, choose a wide, but not deep pot or box and fill it with nutritious soil.
Make a groove (shallow), water it or spray it with a spray bottle. Place the seeds one at a time and sprinkle with a little soil. There is no need to go deeper. Cover the pot with film and place in a bright, warm place.
Periodically, the film is raised to ventilate the greenhouse. Instead of watering, spray the soil well. As soon as the seeds hatch, the film can be removed. As the seedlings grow, the largest and strongest ones dive into separate pots for growing.
Disadvantage seed propagation The problem is that plants obtained in this way do not always retain varietal characteristics; moreover, they bloom only in the fourth year.
Propagation of Chinese roses by cuttings
At home Chinese rose most often propagated using cuttings. To do this, cut off the top of a healthy semi-lignified shoot, on which there are three buds. The length of the cutting should be no more than 15 cm, and the cut should be made obliquely. The lower leaves are torn off, and the top stalk is cut at a right angle. Sprinkle the cut area with wood ash or moisten it in a root formation stimulator.
You can root cuttings in a glass of water, or by planting them immediately. To root the planted cuttings, use wet sand or mix it with peat.
Fill plastic cups with soil, water it and plant the cutting, lightly compacting the soil around it. Just as when sowing seeds, the glass is placed in a greenhouse from a bag until the cuttings take root. To remove accumulated moisture, the bag is opened slightly from time to time.
The rooted cutting will be ready for transplanting to a permanent place in about four weeks, and will delight you with its first flowering next year.
Growing hibiscus at home - video
Rule No. 1 – hibiscus is a light-loving plant, so pay attention to this when choosing a suitable location. Create soft, diffused light by covering the window sill with reflective foil. Remember, short daylight hours slow down plant growth, inhibit flowering and the blooming of new flowers. When choosing a sunny window sill, also keep in mind that hibiscus does not like cramped spaces, room conditions the plant grows to 1 – 1.5 m high. Taking this into account, choose a spacious pot for your Chinese rose.
Hibiscus grows in tropical conditions
Since hibiscus grows well in tropical conditions, temperature and humidity play an important role. Optimal temperature conditions for growth in summer period– 20–22°С, and in winter – 14–16°С. If you keep a flower in winter in more warm conditions, it is possible that hibiscus will bloom. On the one hand, this is not bad for you, but for the plant a dormant period (November–February) is necessary. Therefore, try to create conditions for it that are close to the specified temperature and maintain moderate watering.
Loves high humidity air. Regularly spray the plant with a spray bottle, without touching the flowers, humidify the air. Place several bowls of water or a special humidifier around the hibiscus. Remember, dry air not only slows down plant growth, but also provokes the appearance of, for example, spider mite, and with it the fungus.
Summer is considered a favorable period for hibiscus propagation. From June to August we cut young cuttings with three internodes. Next, we choose the rooting method - in water or direct planting in the ground. For the first option, prepare a glass vessel, preferably made of dark glass, add two drops of Epin or another growth stimulant to it, place the cuttings in water, after removing the lower leaves, and cover them with a “greenhouse” using a piece of plastic bottle or a small glass jar. This will create the necessary air humidity and temperature. As the liquid evaporates, add water to the container. Cuttings take 25–30 days to root. When two to three centimeter roots appear, we transplant the young plant into soil rich in peat.
Hibiscus propagated by cuttings
The second method is direct planting in the ground. In order for the rooting of cuttings to be successful, and young hibiscus seedlings to soon delight you with their flowering, we prepare a nutritious and light soil mixture with a neutral acidity level, close to pH=6. We recommend two options. The first is to mix one part of humus soil and coarse sand with 3 parts of leaf soil and 4 parts of turf soil. The second is an equal amount of humus and sand, 2 parts of turf soil. If sand is unavailable, you can replace it with vermiculite or other porous material to create loose, breathable soil.
We prepare the cuttings. We remove the lower leaves to reduce the area of evaporation, dust the heel of the cutting charcoal, you can use crushed activated carbon tablets. To be safe, treat the lower edge of the cutting with Kornevin, Heteroauxin or another preparation that promotes rapid rooting. After deepening the cuttings into the soil, we moisten the soil as it dries and pinch the shoots. When new leaves appear on the cuttings, this means the plant has taken root. As the hibiscus grows, transplant it into a larger pot.
After planting the cuttings in the ground, follow following rules. Alternate abundant watering with moderate. Hibiscus loves moisture; during the period of active growth from early spring to November, do not skimp on water, but do not over-water it, check the soil moisture with a wooden skewer. During the dormant period from November to February, maintain moderate watering, moistening the soil 2-3 days after the top layer of soil has dried.
Fertilization is important for lush flowering of Chinese roses.
For lush flowering of Chinese roses, fertilization is important. Before growth begins early spring We introduce a complex of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, and use other fertilizers in the summer as needed. Hibiscus responds poorly to nitrogenous fertilizers, so it is better to avoid them.
We replant the young flower every year in the spring into a larger pot, and starting from the third year of cultivation, we replant it every 2-3 years.
So that hibiscus does not fill the entire room and delights you every year lush flowering We regularly carry out formative pruning. Remember, buds open only on young shoots. Therefore we shorten side shoots a third of the length, do not forget about pinching. We cut off straight-growing shoots (tops), as well as those that grow inside the central stem.
The soil for hibiscus should be loose, well permeable to water and air. The best option is a mixture of equal proportions of fertile garden soil, peat and washed sand. Another option is 1 part leaf and turf soil and 2 parts sand.
The container must be dark, otherwise algae will begin to multiply, and this can lead to rotting of the sprout. Use boiled or settled water room temperature with activated carbon diluted for disinfection. Now, to grow hibiscus from cuttings, make a mini-greenhouse by covering the sprout with a bag or cut plastic bottle. Leaves should not touch its walls.
Cuttings in water require some care. The temperature should be around +24 °C. Ventilate the seedlings from time to time. A seedling grown using this method is transplanted to a permanent place when its roots grow to 5 cm (after about a month). It is important not to miss this moment, since plants with longer roots do not tolerate transplantation well or die. Using this method, cuttings will best be propagated in July–August.
In the ground
You can propagate hibiscus at home by immediately planting the cuttings in the soil. You can take disposable cups or seedling pots with a volume of 200–500 ml, depending on the size of the seedlings. Wash the pot in advance with soap and pour boiling water over it.
Place drainage on the bottom: expanded clay, charcoal, sand. Disinfect the soil with a hot solution of potassium permanganate. The soil should occupy a little more than half the volume of the container. 2 cm of sand is poured on top of it. Water it ( better by spraying) so that the layers do not mix. Stick the cutting into the sand. It should not touch the bottom layer - already sprouted roots will reach the ground.
Cover the sprout with a bag or jar to create greenhouse conditions. Care consists of watering as the top layer dries. When growing a seedling, try to maintain a temperature of +24 °C. With this method of growing hibiscus at home, the process of root formation occurs in 2 months (unlike the first method, you don’t have to rush to replant). Using this method, it is better to cut the plant in March-April.
Planting with a peat tablet
Propagation by cuttings can be done using a peat tablet. To root a plant using this method, fill a peat tablet (at least 4 cm) with boiled, now cooled water and leave to swell. Dry the cut cuttings a little and treat them with a rooting agent diluted according to the instructions.
Shake off excess water from the swollen tablet and mix with vermiculite. Use a clear plastic cup (300 ml). Pour expanded clay onto its bottom for drainage, and fill it with the resulting mixture on top. Deepen the cutting by 2–2.5 cm and place it in a mini-greenhouse. Ventilate the sprout once every two weeks for several hours.
With this method, roots form in 2–3 months; you will be able to see them through the walls of the cup. Transplant the plant to a new location only when they have grown and become stronger. Many gardeners note that propagating hibiscus by cuttings using a peat tablet gives the best results.
Further care
After transplanting to a permanent location, alternate between heavy and moderate watering. Homemade hibiscus loves moisture, but overwatering can cause its roots to rot. Soil moisture can be checked using a wooden skewer. From November to February, watering should be especially rare - the plant at rest absorbs a minimum of moisture. Care involves the mandatory application of fertilizers. For abundant flowering Phosphorus and potassium are especially important. The Chinese rose does not like nitrogen and can be completely abandoned.
An important part of care is formative pruning, without which the hibiscus will grow too large.
In addition, flowers appear only on young shoots. During formative pruning (once a year), it is recommended to shorten the shoots by 1/3, remove tops (straight-growing stems), as well as shoots growing inside the bush. Proper care includes regular replanting. In the first 3 years this is done once a year, in the spring. Don't take too much big pot“for growth”: in soil that is not covered by roots, water will stagnate, which will lead to rotting. In addition, in a spacious pot, the plant’s energy will be spent on the development of new roots, and not on the formation of buds. After 3 years, a transplant is needed every 2–3 years.
Breeding by any method involves a series of general rules. Seedlings should be kept in a well-lit place, but not in direct sunlight, otherwise the plant will get burned. Try to maintain the temperature in the range of +17...27 °C. Coolness and dampness can provoke fungal infection, and due to too much high temperature the plant will simply “cook”. For hibiscus, propagation by cuttings necessarily includes a greenhouse, because it is a very moisture-loving plant.
Hibiscus, or China rose, is not as easy to propagate as compared to other indoor flowers. It is usually bred by cuttings, but some gardeners prefer growing the flower from seeds. We will tell you in detail about each of these methods of propagating hibiscus and determine their advantages and disadvantages.
The most common way to propagate hibiscus at home is by cuttings. This method allows you to preserve the varietal qualities of the plant and obtain viable seedlings in a short time. Although rooting cuttings is not very easy: many of them never take root. Another advantage in favor of cuttings is that the planted cuttings begin to flower the very next year.
Harvesting cuttings
To prepare cuttings, carefully examine the indoor flower:
- Mark the strongest stems with semi-lignified bark.
- Cut them off using a sharp, antiseptic-treated knife or pruning shears. The cut should be made obliquely to obtain a larger feeding area through the stem.
- Trim the shoot so that its length is approximately 15 cm. Each of them should have 3 to 4 internodes.
- Shorten the stem at the top, departing about 1 cm from the upper internode. In this case, the cut should be straight. So its area will be minimal, which means the loss of moisture from it will also be minimal.
- Remove the lower leaves completely, and shorten the upper ones by 30-50% to reduce evaporation.
Rooting of cuttings can be done in various ways. Some gardeners root the shoots in water, others recommend immediately planting them in a pot, and still others claim that cuttings are best planted in peat tablets. Let's consider each of the methods.
Rooting in water
To grow roots from a cutting:
- Choose a container that is the right size. It is desirable that its walls are not transparent.
- Fill the container tap water, standing overnight at room temperature.
- Place the cutting in water so that one internode is under water.
- Stretch a plastic bag over the top and secure it with an elastic band.
- Place the container with the cutting on a well-lit windowsill. The room temperature should be kept at 25 o C (small deviations in one direction or another are allowed).
- When you notice that condensation has accumulated on the plastic bag, remove it to air it out. And then put it on again. If this is not done, the cutting may rot.
- If the water becomes cloudy, replace it with fresh water. Before each water change, rinse the shoot in water at room temperature.
With this method, rooting of the shoot occurs in approximately 3-4 weeks. But you can plant it in a pot only when the roots are 5 cm long. If they are smaller or larger, the risk that the cutting will not take root increases.
Rooting in the ground
Reproduction of hibiscus by cuttings by rooting in soil is carried out as follows:
- Prepare a pot with a volume of 200 to 500 ml. The volume depends on the size of the cutting.
- Wash the pot using laundry soap and disinfect it by pouring boiling water from a kettle.
- Place a drainage mixture at the bottom of the pot (chopped and fired brick mixed with charcoal and washed river sand).
- Fill the pot with universal potting soil. You can buy it at a flower shop. You can prepare the soil yourself. To do this, mix 2 parts sand, 1 part turf and 1 part leaf soil. This composition is very loose, it allows air and water to pass through. Before use, bake it in the oven for 2 hours.
- Place another layer of river sand on top of the soil. Its thickness should be approximately 2 cm. The roots begin to form in the sand. And only then do they penetrate deep into the soil and begin to take nutrients from it.
- Insert the cutting into the center of the prepared pot. Water the soil thoroughly.
- Stretch a plastic bag over the top and secure it with an elastic band. Warm air will help the cutting grow roots faster.
- Place the pot in a warm and well-lit place.
- Water the soil as it dries.
If you propagate hibiscus from cuttings by rooting in the ground, the roots will form in about 2 months. But the seedlings obtained in this case will be stronger and more viable, since they will initially receive nutritional elements from the soil.
Rooting in a peat tablet
To root a cutting in a peat tablet:
- Soak a tablet with a diameter of at least 4 cm in cooled to room temperature boiled water until completely swollen.
- Take a plastic glass and fill its bottom with disinfected expanded clay.
- Sprinkle calcined soil on top (generic soil from the store or prepared from river sand, leaf and turf soil, taken in a ratio of 2:1:1, according to the order). Leave room for the peat tablet.
- Insert the cutting to a depth of 2 to 3 cm into the middle of the tablet and place it in a plastic cup on top of the soil. Fill the empty spaces with soil. Moisturize it.
- Put on a plastic bag and secure it with a garter.
- Place the container on a well-lit windowsill. Moisten the soil in a timely manner, ventilate the greenhouse, and remove condensation from the bag.
With this method of rooting, roots also appear after 2 months. Flower growers claim that roots grow better in peat than in plain soil, since it is looser and retains moisture and heat well.
Propagation of hibiscus by seeds
Hibiscus can also be propagated by seeds. To do this:
- Prepare a shallow bowl (height 7-8 cm) and fill it with universal soil. Instead, you can use any other loose and nutritious mixture. The main thing is that it is treated against infections and pests.
- Make shallow grooves in the bowl, which need to be moistened with water using a spray bottle.
- Place hibiscus seeds in the grooves, but do not bury them. Otherwise they will not germinate.
- Cover the bowl with film and place it in a well-lit and warm place.
- Regularly ventilate the mini-greenhouse and moisten the soil.
- When shoots appear, remove the film.
When the seedlings grow and become stronger, they will need to be planted in separate containers.
Attention! Plants grown from seeds begin to bloom only in the 4th year of life. Therefore, it is better to choose this method of propagation when you do not have the opportunity to propagate hibiscus by cuttings.
Seedling care
Regardless of which propagation method you choose, care for your hibiscus seedlings as follows:
- Maintain the room temperature at +20...+25 o C. At night, do not allow the temperature to drop below 15 o C.
- Moisten the soil when the top layer of soil dries out. But don’t wait for the earthen clod to dry completely.
- Once every 1-2 weeks, treat seedlings with Fundazol solution to prevent root rot.
- In hot weather, spray the hibiscus leaves, but after this procedure the flower should not be placed in direct sunlight.
After rooting, fertilize with universal fertilizer for indoor flowers. Two feedings per month are enough.
Experienced flower growers give the following advice:
- When rooting cuttings in water, add bone meal or activated carbon to the water. They will prevent the water from blooming, then it will need to be changed less often.
- Also add a solution of a root growth stimulator to the water (1 drop of Kornevin, Epin or Kornerost is enough).
- When rooting with soil, choose a container that is not too large. Otherwise, the soil will be excessively moist. And this can provoke the growth of fungi, causing rotting of the cuttings.
- When propagating hibiscus seedling method Buy seeds only from trusted manufacturers to be sure that after 4 years you will receive exactly the same flowers as in the picture from the package.
At home, hibiscus reproduces in two ways: through seedlings and cuttings. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, each of them has the right to exist. Choose the most convenient way breeding hibiscus and strictly follow the instructions. Then in a few months you will receive strong and viable seedlings.
Which, like everything else, needs reproduction. The most the best option The question of how to root hibiscus is cuttings. The method is not troublesome, so it is well suited for beginner gardeners. Considering that the flower itself is not very picky, the rooting result is almost always positive.
Selecting and obtaining cuttings
Cuttings should be taken from the middle part of the plant. The pruning procedure should be done after the flowering period. Cuttings are taken from young, well-developed shoots that already have semi-lignified bark. The procedure is carried out using a sharp and clean knife. The shoot is cut obliquely, which allows less harm to be done to the plant.
Hibiscus cuttings are carefully cut after the plant has finished flowering.
Important. The optimal length of the cutting is a segment of 15 cm. It must contain at least three internodes.
How to prepare cuttings
The upper part of the hibiscus branch is shortened with a straight cut. The outer pairs of leaves on the cutting must be completely removed. The following sheets should be cut to half their size. In order for the plant to quickly take root, you need bottom part dip the cuttings in any dry root-forming agent or immerse them in water for several hours.
Methods for rooting cuttings and rules for caring for cuttings
There are several ways to root hibiscus at home. Which option to choose is up to you, since each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Rooting in the ground
Containers (from 200 to 500 ml) for seedlings are filled with loose soil. You can buy a ready-made composition, or prepare it yourself, using equal parts of garden soil, sand and peat. The soil needs to be well moistened and a sprig of hibiscus should be planted there.
You need to put a transparent bag on the pot, after making holes in it so that the plant can breathe. This will help maintain the water and temperature balance that is important for the seedling (at least 24 degrees Celsius).
Hibiscus cuttings are planted in small containers filled with soil.
The first roots of the cuttings should appear within a month. This will be a signal that it is time to transplant the plant into a pot.
Caring for a seedling during rooting consists only of monitoring the humidity. If the inside of the bag is covered in condensation, then you need to carefully remove it, turn it inside out, shake off the water and return the bag to its original place. Too much large number moisture can provoke the onset of rotting of the cutting and its death.
Rooting hibiscus in water
An easier way is to root the cuttings in water. To do this, the selected branches are placed in a container with water mixed with activated carbon. The hibiscus jar should be made of dark glass so that the light does not harm the lower part of the cutting. After some time, roots will begin to appear on the branch. You should not grow them too much; the optimal root length for planting in the ground is 5 mm.
Important. While rooting hibiscus in water, do not change the liquid. It is enough just to add settled water.
The only disadvantage of this method is that young seedlings grown in water are weaker. But their survival rate still remains high.
Hibiscus cuttings produce roots after being in a container of water for some time.
Rooting hibiscus in a peat tablet
Many gardeners advise propagating Chinese roses using peat tablets. This method is the most optimal for the plant, since it receives all the necessary microelements and nutrients that allow the root system to fully develop.
To carry out the procedure you will need:
- Plastic cups (300 ml).
- The tablets themselves, the diameter of which must be at least 40 mm.
- Expanded clay for drainage.
- Root system growth stimulator (any).
- Perlite, vermiculite or other natural soil loosener.
- Cellophane bag.
The procedure itself looks like this:
- The tablet is filled with boiled water and cooled to room temperature. Let it sit for a while until it swells completely.
- Excess liquid is removed from the tablet.
- Soil loosening agent is added.
- The resulting composition is mixed.
- To the bottom plastic cup drainage is laid, on top of which soil is poured.
- The cutting is placed in a glass, lightly pressing the soil at the base of the branch.
- A drained bag is placed on top.
You can root hibiscus cuttings using peat tablets.
Seedlings should be placed in the light, but so that they are not exposed to sun rays. Every two weeks the bag should be removed and the plant ventilated, and watering should be done as needed.
The first roots should appear within 2-3 months. After some time, when root system will be strong enough, the hibiscus can be transplanted to a new place.
Important. If you propagate hibiscus by cuttings, it will delight you with its flowering the very next year. If this procedure is carried out by seeds, then the first flowering will not occur earlier than after 4 years.
What to do after rooting
After roots appear on your cuttings, the seedlings will need to be rooted into the soil. It should be as comfortable as possible for this flower to live in and contain a sufficient amount of peat. To prevent the plant from needing moisture, you can add sphagnum moss to the soil.
When placing a seedling in a permanent place of residence, it is worth lightly trimming the upper leaves and removing the lower ones. Further care caring for a seedling complies with generally accepted rules for caring for adult hibiscus.
If you grew from a cutting tree hibiscus, then after rooting it needs to be planted outside, choosing the optimal place for growth.
On video experienced florist shows how to properly root a hibiscus cutting at home.
For hibiscus to take root, you need to choose best time for reproduction. Many years of experience suggest that this plant takes root best in May. It is during this period that hibiscus begins to actively grow, and its “vitality” increases many times over.
In addition, you should not give up growth stimulants. Some varieties of hibiscus may not produce roots without their use, and the process will stop at the stage of callus formation, followed by the death of the cutting.