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Gardening Answers Knowledgebase


Knowledgebase record #657

PAL Question 

Can you tell me how to grow Hibiscus from cuttings?

Answer 

According to the American Horticultural Society, most hibiscus root easily from cuttings. They suggest the following in Plant Propagation (1999, p. 131 and pp. 100-101):
"...cuttings should usually be 1.5 to 2 inches long, with two or three pairs of leaves retained at the top...remove the soft tip from each cutting, because it is vulnerable to both rotting and scorch...remove the lowest pair of leaves to make it easier to insert the cutting into the medium...make a hole in the medium with a pencil...[for]...minimal resistance...the cuttings will benefit from a warm, protected environment...when the cuttings root, knock them out of the container and gently pull them apart. Pot singly..."
The AHS suggests using rooting hormone and they also point out that due to timing, you may get 'greenwood' (slightly hardened) rather than 'softwood' cuttings; they are treated the same way.

The web page of Roz and Pat Merritt includes pictures and directions on how to take a cutting (scroll down to cuttings).

I also looked at GardenWeb, a gardening forum where experienced gardeners share their knowledge. Here is another link from this site which suggests layering, a process by which you bend a branch down to soil (usually in a pot), anchor it, and wait for it to take root.

Here is additional information about layering hibiscus, from Hibiscus World.

Keywords Hibiscus, Plant cuttings, Propagation
Season All Season
Date 2008-08-08

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April 19 2012 16:02:30