Tiny leaves 1-2mm not growing in hibiscus

Question

Sir I buy some hibiscus plants from nearest nursery which are in different colours.when I repot them 2-3 plants are dying.I gave them root organic product mixture with water which can generate root growth.After 7-8 days tiny leaves are seen about 1-2 mm long, but they are not growing.how to fix the problem..and grow leaves..

Answer 1

Small leaves not growing larger indicate the plant is stressed. Other signs to look for are pale green leaves and spider mites or other infestation.

I have had my hibiscus since 1985. It was originally "air layered" from another plant.

Plants from nursery companies are notorious for being "forced." They do things like ramping fertilizer, playing with the lighting conditions, etc. It's the plant equivalent of a "puppy mill." They get you a plant that looks good in the store, but has a good chance of just dropping dead on you in a few weeks.

They need particular care when you get them home. First you want to give them a period of acclimation. You want to do as little as possible for the first period to avoid giving them any shock. You water them and give them light and see if they grow. If they do, then you can move on to things like re-potting them and such. Don't add any fertilizer or do any re-potting until they are growing.

By the way, hibiscus can be sensitive to things that might not be obvious. For example, keep them well away from forced-air heating vents and AC vents. These will stress the plant and cause a number of problems. Room temperature water for watering. If you can catch rain water to water them with, that's better. If you are hooked up to city water that has lots of anti-bacteria chemicals, try letting the water sit in an open container for 24 hours before using it to water. It lets the chemicals mostly de-gas out of the water. Water the plant such that some water just seeps out the bottom of the pot, and discard this overflow. Don't put it back in the pot.

Water the plant well, then let it dry out a little. Usually that means water every two or three days. There are different varieties and some will want more or less water. Keep your eye on the leaves. If you see them wilting you have waited too long between watering. If the plant is getting lots of sun then it will want more water. If it is in a cool less well lit place you might need to have more time between watering.

For potting soil, you want something with a lot of mild organic material. That usually means the typical "houseplant" potting soil that has been well composted.

If the plant is showing signs of stress, you might try just getting a slightly larger pot. Try not to disturb the roots and just plop it in the new pot with new soil all the way around the existing root ball.

For fertilizer, you want to start very slow. If the instructions on the fertilizer say use so much, then start with a much smaller quantity. If it says one spoon per liter, for example, start with one spoon for ten liters. See if the plant responds. The thing about fertilizer is, if you get too much in there it is hard to get it back out.