Hibiscus moscheutos seeds «Galaxy»

Hibiscus herbaceous «Galaxy» or rose mallow, swamp rose-mallow, crimsoneyed rosemallow, or eastern rosemallow - is a perennial plant from an extensive genus of plants of the Malvaceae family. For the winter, the upper part of this hibiscus dies off, and in the spring, around the end of May, it grows again, like in chrysanthemums.

It can winter in open ground without shelter. The flowering of the hibiscus herbaceous «Galaxy» is very plentiful, the flowers are rich red, very large, from 22 cm in diameter. It blooms for a long period of time, from July to September.

Hibiscus grown from seeds blooms in the year of sowing around the end of August. Seeds can be sown outdoors in late autumn or early spring.

It is also possible to grow seedlings: sowing seeds for seedlings in mid-March and planting seedlings in open ground in mid-May.

Agrotechnics of growing hibiscus herbaceous from seeds

We disinfect the seeds for half an hour in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate, rinse thoroughly and soak in a growth stimulator solution for a day. You can not soak the seeds in a large amount of solution - the liquid should only cover them, otherwise the lack of oxygen will destroy the embryos. Next, germinate the seeds in a damp cloth made of cotton or linen, periodically airing. Warmth and humidity are the main conditions for successful germination.

In order for the seeds in a rag not to dry out, you can place them in a plastic bag with holes for ventilation. Usually not all seeds germinate, this is normal for hibiscus.

If a day after mass germination, some seeds still do not have seedlings, they must be thrown away. It is very convenient to grow seedlings in special tablets, but they are not suitable for hibiscus. It is better to use deep half-liter cups (you can use beer) or jars of sour cream.

The fact is that hibiscus seedlings give a fairly long main root, and it is better if it grows freely, without bending or wriggling. The soil for seedlings can be used universal, as for ordinary seedlings.

The glass must be filled three-quarters, slightly compacted and watered a little, carefully sow the seed with the seedling down, carefully sprinkle with soil 1-1.5 cm, and then again pour a little warm water, and cover half a centimeter of soil on top. To preserve moisture, the cups can be covered with paper or perforated cellophane.

Shoots appear in 4-7 days or a little later. Seedlings should be kept in a warm, bright place, moderately, if necessary, watered and carefully loosen the topsoil for better aeration. Plants respond well to periodic spraying with warm water from a spray bottle.

It is very desirable to artificially extend the daylight hours a little, but my seedlings do fine without supplementary lighting. Of course, they are somewhat elongated, but their stems are still quite strong, do not lie down, and then, under more favorable conditions, become stronger.

In case of insufficient lighting, seedlings should not be fed with nitrogen fertilizer, then they will certainly be long, thin and frail. I start fertilizing only in the ground, when the planted plants go through an adaptation period and take root properly.

You can plant young hibiscus in mid-May - early June, when the threat of repeated spring frosts has passed. Can be planted immediately in a permanent place. In this case, they choose an open bright place, taking into account that the bush will grow large, it needs a lot of space, at least four square meters. Good seedlings from early seedlings will bloom in the first year, and we will be able to see what they are like and decide where to plant them for permanent maintenance.

The soil for planting hybrid herbaceous hibiscus should be fairly loose with the addition of peat and sand, moderately moist. Pour the hole with water, carefully dump the lump with roots out of the pot, put it in the hole, sprinkle it with earth, compact it, squeeze it, pour it again with plenty of water. The root neck should only be deepened by a centimeter and a half when planting.

We mulch the soil around the seedling and provide shading from direct sunlight. It is best to use agrofibre for this, throwing it over temporary arcs and carefully securing it. A separately planted plant can be shaded with a bucket without a bottom, a box, shields. Hibiscus quickly adapts. Even if the seedling is “burnt”, has lost its leaves, do not rush to remove it from the garden. Keep watering and it's possible he'll survive.

In the first year, hibiscus, grown from seed, gives one unbranched or slightly branched strong shoot 60-100 cm high and good thick roots. A strong well-groomed plant usually in the first year and blooms, however, towards the end of summer. There are few flowers, they are unlikely to greatly deplete the plant, so they can not be removed. Do not be upset if in the first year the flowers did not impress you with their size - everything is ahead.