Flower growers love hibiscus marsh for its decorative and abundant flowering. This subtropical shrub is grown as a garden or indoor plant. In the open ground, the specimens are spectacular and large.
This article will tell you what a hibiscus is a marsh, which requires light, watering, soil, soil for its cultivation and abundant flowering. And also how to prune, multiply, feed and what diseases and pests can threaten him.
Botanical description
The marsh hibiscus, the Latin name of which is Hibiscus moscheutos, belongs to the genus of the Malvaceae family. It hails from the tropics and subtropics of Indonesia, Fiji and China. In Europe, came at the end of the 17th century. The plant has several names - swamp, flower of beautiful ladies.
When growing in favorable conditions, it grows up to 2-2.5 meters, the diameter of the crown reaches 1.5-1.8 m. It has a straight stalk, which is stiff in old plants. The marsh hibiscus has simple leaves, their upper surface is dense green, the lower one is light, pubescent.
There are flowers:
- terry;
- semi-double;
- are simple.
The sizes of hibiscus flowers marsh in diameter reach 15-18 cm. The color palette extends from pale pink to thick purple with specks. Live flowers just 1 day. Every day a lot of new things are being dissolved. The plant blooms throughout the summer and before the cold snap. There are 5 chambers in the disintegrating boxes of fruits, each has a separate leaf. In them ripen many smooth or pubescent seeds with a dense shell.
A photo
Below you will see a photo of a flower:
How to care at home?
Temperature
19-23 ° С is considered to be a favorable temperature for their growth in spring and summer.in autumn - 17-19 ° С. In winter, the plant feels good at 15-17 ° C, when the temperature gets lower, the leaves fall off.
Watering
Hibiscus needs regular and abundant watering:
- in the spring;
- summer;
- in the fall.
At the end of autumn and in winter it should be watered once a week. This is best done by separated room temperature water. Half an hour after watering, excess water is drained from the pan.
Shine
On hot days, heating over 30 ° C should not be allowed. Hibiscus marsh need scattered light or a small shadow. For cultivation in the open field it is suitable sunny place.
Important! Insufficient lighting leads to the fact that hibiscus flowers shrink or flowering stops altogether.
Priming
When planting plants in a permanent place to prepare the soil for him. For this is taken:
- sod land - 4 parts;
- compost or humus - 3 parts;
- sand - 1 part.
At the bottom you can pour vermiculite. Charcoal is added to prevent root diseases..
Pruning
In hibiscus, each flower is formed at the end of the shoot, so pruning after flowering pushes new shoots to grow. They will continue to form buds. If time does not cut the escape, then next year will be less than one flower.
The plant removal of shoots all year round does not affect. It should be borne in mind that after this procedure, he should be ensured rest - reduce watering and put in a cool place. Very useful for swamp hibiscus pinching in early spring of young shoots and crown. It is necessary to make shorter branches that go beyond the crown. The upper edge of the cut should be directed outwards, and the lower - in the middle.
To be completely removed:
- dry and diseased branches;
- basal offspring;
- branches growing inside the crown;
- parallel to the shoots growing to the main trunk.
It is impossible to cut the plant strongly - no more than 2/3 of the branches.
Top dressing and pot
Swamp hibiscus should be planted in a spacious pot. Culture grows well with fertilizer application 2 times per season. In spring, you can fertilize with extract of rotted manure or with humus for plant growth, and in autumn with phosphate-potassium fertilizers, so that the plant survives the cold season.
Transfer
Adult plants are transplanted 1 time in 3-4 years, young - every year. The best time for this is the beginning of May. It is necessary to replant a plant together with an earthy clod. Every year in the pot should be changed topsoil.
Breeding features
Marsh hibiscus can be propagated by seed and cuttings. The second method is much simpler, they are used more often.
- For this spring young shoots are cut off.
- After processing with special compounds, they are rooted. Rooting occurs in a mixture of peat and sand in a greenhouse. The process lasts 1.5-2 months at a temperature of 23-28 ° C.
- Planting in open ground is carried out in June.
- In December, the young sapling necessarily mulch, sprinkled with snow, so that young roots do not die.
Reference! If there is no quality planting material, then seeds are used for cultivation.
We invite you to watch a video on the reproduction of hibiscus marsh seeds:
Diseases and pests
The main pest of hibiscus is a spider mite, but the plant may suffer from:
- whiteflies;
- thrips;
- aphids.
If the soil is low in nutrients or lack of water, then leaves and buds will be dropped. The cause of falling off and yellowing of the leaves, most likely, is watering with chlorinated water. Excess fertilizer leads to a long absence of flowers.
Similar flowers
Bush Syrian HibiscusWhich is called Ardens, blooms with large flowers that are double and simple. Mostly they have red petals of varying brightness. In height the bush can reach 3-6 meters.- Evergreen plant in the form of a tree or shrub Arnotti grows from 3 to 10 meters high. Its fragrant flowers in diameter reach a size of approximately 10 cm. They are white, tubular, and have 5 streaks on 5 petals. The presence of a long dark red pistil gives them an exotic look.
- Hawaiian Hibiscus grows in the form of a small tree and shrub, from 30 cm to a meter in height. Light green leaves have an elliptical shape. Its large flowers have 5 petals of bright red color.
- One more flower like hibiscus marsh is the variety copper king. This bush leaves can change color depending on the ambient temperature, the original color - dark green. Large flowers of white and pink color with rich pink stripes and a purplish-red center.
Bush Syrian HibiscusWhich is called Ardens, blooms with large flowers that are double and simple. Mostly they have red petals of varying brightness. In height the bush can reach 3-6 meters.In order for the swamp hibiscus to delight with its gorgeous colors and grow beautifully, you need to properly care for it. It is necessary to organize him the right place and monitor the constant moisture. Then this huge and incredible in its beauty flower will not leave anyone indifferent.
