Growing Hibiscus from Cuttings - How I do it

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

Propagating plants from cuttings is like gathering Christmas presents several weeks ahead of the Holidays: the anticipation of so much joy to come! I was given a few plants by my grandfather before he passed and over 25 years after his passing, we still have ‘offspring’ from those plants because when the ‘parent’ plants are past their prime, there are always a few thriving new ones from cuttings. And… they’re free!

[@PlantLifeYT]

Absolutely! And plants are a wonderful way of keeping our loved one's memories alive! ❤

[@BlyGuy]

Haha, do we have the same grandpa?

[@BlyGuy]

Plants are such amazing examples of life. They really are our greatest ally on the planet. Humanity would be better off if more people understood that.

[@sarahbenson921]

Woohoo!! I’m excited to give this a whirl.

[@PlantLifeYT]

Thank you for the suggestion! :D

[@BlyGuy]

I propagate a tropical hibiscus my grandpa gave me from Cayman Islands using honey as the root hormone and 3 of 4 rooted nicely and are looking really good and healthy today. I put my cuttings in a cup of water until the roots came out and then put them in dirt, but think i will go with this method of straight to the dirt this summer. I think ill get some root hormone too to see if i notice any differences with the honey.

[@nesq4104]

How do you do this method. Just put honey on it and then plant it or put it in water?

[@BlyGuy]

@@nesq4104 I cut off pieces of new growth that were still green and not woody, cutting at an angle just above the node, stripped all the leaves except the top two or three leaves, dipped the stem in raw honey, then put the cutting in cups of water. I put a drop or two of hydrogen peroxide in the water to get rid of bacteria. Once a week or so I changed out the water for fresh water. After 4-6ish weeks give or take, the roots came out, which I let grow a bit in the water and then put them in dirt. I gifted one of them to my sister in law and kept two, both of which are looking great today. I live in the northeast US, so they are inside now. I plan on pruning them this spring to start promoting bushy type growth.

[@BlyGuy]

@@nesq4104 I provided a detailed response to you yesterday, which isn't here today. Did you see it at all?

[@monicar8003]

Thank you for the lesson I’m trying with three little pieces in three different pots and hoping one or all 3 will work

[@PlantLifeYT]

Good luck! 👍

[@emilycooper6539]

Question: can I grow this in a pot with no holes, but with rocks as a draining system on the bottom? And I live in San Diego right now is September, how long can I grow a brand new cutting outside till it gets to cold? What is their temperature range, and favorite temperatures?

[@PlantLifeYT]

You should be able to grow hibiscus with a rock drainage system as long as you water properly and have the right sized pot. There are so many different varieties of hibiscus that it is difficult to answer the temperature range correctly. Tropical hibiscus prefer temperatures over 50F and thrive in zones 10-12. Hardy hibiscus grow in zones 4-9 and can tolerate cooler temperatures. Often they will grow back after dying off in the winter. Hibiscus syriacus (rose of Sharon) is the hardiest of all and can survive temperatures as low as -10F. Hibiscus can also be stressed by temperatures over 90F and may show yellow leaves. I hope this helps!

[@emilycooper6539]

@@PlantLifeYT thank you!!

[@j.spallin1502]

So many top tips and tricks here. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise! Question: have you tried using cinnamon powder as a root hormone? I've heard it can be as effective with hibiscus-if that's the case, I'd switch to that since it's natural/cheap/in my drawer. Cheers!

[@PlantLifeYT]

I have tried cinnamon powder but it helps as an anti-fungal so that the cutting can remain healthy long enough to root.

[@BijnorCity]

I am propagating white and red hibiscus from hardwood cutting without rooting harmone... Result is 50-50 but i still get few more hibiscus plants for my terrace garden

[@BlyGuy]

I'm sure you have some honey laying around, just dip the cuttings in that and you'll improve your odds.

[@Cutright628]

Love your channels, sadly I don’t give this as much attention as the brews but I did have a question about drying hibiscus to make tea. I have a huge midnight marvel hardy hibiscus and was curious if you can harvest this to make tea and if you have or could make a video to help me figure out harvesting?

[@PlantLifeYT]

Great suggestion! I will work on a video to help you out! 🤓

[@johndavis6482]

Yeah moar learnings....I use my hibiscus in all my meads

[@jeffvikings6240]

I ordered cuttings and I got them with roots but no foliage! After I planted how long does it typically take to see foliage growth?

[@PlantLifeYT]

I have never ordered cuttings but typically it takes 3-8 weeks to root based on various conditions.

[@farquarfarkle6957]

Great Video, sadly I'm in zone 6b and they won't survive the Winters. I miss all the Tropical flowers that you can grow in Florida. My Brother in Jax has a second year Passion Fruit going this year.

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

Hibiscus work as indoor plants as well. I live in Belgium after years of wandering the globe. I’ve got a red hibiscus that spends summers outside and lives on my windowsill in winter. You’d have to prune it down every once in a while, but it could work. Pruning means fresh cuttings for friends!

[@farquarfarkle6957]

@@eddavanleemputten9232 I thought of that, but my plant room is almost full this year with Rosemary and Thyme plants! But I have researched a few "Hibiscus" for future thoughts next Spring, one which will survive here but needs to be cut almost to the ground each year (Which would certainly create LOTS of cuttings for friends and associates.)

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

@@farquarfarkle6957 - Plant room… lucky you! I make do with windowsills. Rosemary and thyme are such wonderful herbs, aren’t they? I have a rosemary bush in my garden that’s higher than my waist. Originally it was one of those small grocery store plants and I just plopped it in my little herb garden and let it go. I’ve taken multiple cuttings from it for friends but not this year. Good luck with the hibiscus next spring!

[@farquarfarkle6957]

@@eddavanleemputten9232

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

@@farquarfarkle6957 - Switserland? Comparable to where I live, although more of a continental climate than where I live, and a higher elevation. Colder winters, too. Less humidity in the air. That means inside in winter. But it should work! I have family living in Switserland and they have a hibiscus on their windowsill. 😊

[@alicialaw4813]

Hi thank you for your awesome sharing. Is there anything I can use / drip to replace the green bottle (“Fast Roots”) ? And following your method, do you meant we only check back the plants after 2 months to see if the roots are growing? Why do you prefer first planting in the soil vs the use of water? Thank Ü very much! 😊

[@PlantLifeYT]

The tips I’ve shared in the video such as adding root hormone and cutting at the leaf node area aid with fast roots. You can prep the cutting as I showed and place in a glass of water to observe root growth if you prefer. If you don’t have a spray bottle for watering, you can use any gentle watering method you like. The wait was to give the cutting plenty of time to develop roots. I hope I answered your questions. If you have more, I will try my best to help! Thank you for watching! 🤓

[@CherylHamilton]

Do you remove the plastic to add water every few days?

[@PlantLifeYT]

The plastic should keep the humidity high, but it is a good idea to check the moisture. If the soil feels like it is drying out to the touch then water.

[@CherylHamilton]

@@PlantLifeYT Thanks! I'm giving it a try.

[@wk4240]

Hardwood cuttings can also be taken anytime, including late Fall and Winter..

[@liberatedlioness6478]

Do you water the cutting while it's under the dome for 6-8 weeks?

[@PlantLifeYT]

I check the moisture level to make sure it stays constant and water as needed. This will differ based on your environment.

[@gardentours]

Nice sharing 🌱✂️🌺👍

[@PlantLifeYT]

Thanks for visiting😊

[@djkingyadahchamangurangura2979]

You cover it with plastic for how long I m interested to try this

[@PlantLifeYT]

It only needs to be covered until signs that the cutting started to root show. The cutting should show new growth and should be difficult to move when gently twisted.

[@djkingyadahchamangurangura2979]

What about big cuttings can it work still or not

[@PlantLifeYT]

The larger the cutting the more energy required to keep it alive. You can certainly try but you might have better success with smaller cuttings.

[@xXxKingjonxXx]

Can you root it without rooting hormone?

[@PlantLifeYT]

Most things can root without the hormone, but it often helps.

[@nesq4104]

But the the green part never gives me roots the thicker older ones but newly made bark gives me roots

[@PlantLifeYT]

It seems that new growth is the key as the plant is putting energy there. The newly made bark might give the cutting more resilience.

[@nesq4104]

@PlantLifeYT ok I see. After your video I took more cuttings to experiment. One has to survive. 😂

[@bjoernmalkmus7177]

A much easier and faster method with a higher success rate is putting cuttings some 2 inches deep in water. Add a couple of drops of hydrogene peroxide to keep bacteria at bay, and optionally add a homeopathic dosis of fertilizer. No need to put a plastic bag, neither any kind of rooting hormone. Keep cuttings warm and in partial shade. Change water as soon as it starts to look somewhat cloudy (every 2 to 3 days). Most hybrids will start to form roots after some 2 to 4 weeks. The more difficult to root hybrids may need between 1 and 4 months. Once roots are about 2 to 3 inches long, they can be potted up in regular soil. In easier to root hybrids the success rate is close to or equal to 100%. And even difficult to root hybrids (especially very fancy ones with broken colors) will have success, which else would always fail if put directly in soil.

[@nesq4104]

So for the fancy ones you suggest keeping water? I have some fancy ones that keep failing to root. And I'm trying again as of 12/9. Any advice is appreciated

[@PlantLifeYT]

@nesq4104 even soil moisture should work best. Ideally you don’t want it too wet nor too dry, just consistently moist.

[@nesq4104]

@@PlantLifeYT I'm am starting some in water and others in potted soil to see what makes it. This particular variety I havent had any luck this year. But trying again

[@bjoernmalkmus7177]

@@nesq4104 These information are from my own experience running a plant nursery. Older hybrids and primary hybrids usually easily root in soil in few weeks. However, modern hybrids (e.g. those with broken colors, spots or mottling, color streaks, several color zones in a single flower, etc.) may be quite tricky and they may need much longer, sometimes several months to form roots - if at all in soil. And especially in these the water method has proven to be much more reliable, as the growing medium (i.e. the water) can be much easier controlled than soil. The only clue to success is keep bacteria at bay by changing water every couple of days, to add a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and a much diluted fertilizer.

[@nesq4104]

@@bjoernmalkmus7177 thank you for that great detail. I will do exactly what you said as you have the expertise. This flower is so beautiful and unique I have to have it thrive and grow. Also the business I have got the clippings from has appeared to have closed down. I'm guessing that these hibiscus there don't have a long life left before the new owners rip them out.