Hibiscus International #6

Profile in Exhibiting the Queen of the Tropics
An Interview with Janice McNatt of Pearland, Texas

By Gloria White

Last November, I was thinking of entering hibiscus blooms in the Miami Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society’s yearly show. I had only six gvs open that day, and so I clerked for the judges to preserve my amateur status for when I had learned a few more hints and had more flowers to show. But I did not go to my first show unarmed. I had met Janice McNatt through the THML, and she freely gave me information on what I needed to know for the show. It was valuable information for a beginner so I chose Janice to help anyone getting ready to try their hand at showing the Queen of the Tropics.

Janice lives in Pearland, Texas, a quiet suburb 25 miles southeast of downtown Houston. Janice has been working in the medical field for over 28 years and now is a surgical technician.

Not living in the tropics, Janice had never seen an exotic hibiscus and like myself had no idea at the range of color, texture and sheer size available in these blooms today.

Until 3 years ago, she had no idea there was a group of people who dedicated their pastime in discussing, growing, hybridizing and showing hibiscus. What she saw available gave her the same reaction I felt when I first saw this new world. She wanted one of each! But first she needed a bigger yard.

In her first year at following the shows, Janice watched and learned the tricks necessary to arm herself with what she needed to know when her time came to prepare blooms.

She volunteered to help the Lone Star Chapter’s Roz and Pat Merritt in any way possible. In this capacity, Janice learned the names and preparing the blooms, and it was made easy since the Merritt’s come to a show with hundreds of blooms to enter. Janice did not come to the hibiscus shows without showmanship experience due to her past interests in tournament level tennis and showing horses.

Janice offers this advice to beginners. You start with a perfect bloom, which sometimes is picked the day before and stored in the refrigerator overnight. When the flower is a third of the way open, you pick it leaving enough stem for you to handle it and avoid damaging it. Place the bloom on a dampened (not wet) paper towel, which is folded to look much like a burrito. You can then store several blooms one on top of the other burritos in a ziploc bag to be kept overnight in the vegetable crisper portion of your refrigerator.

These blooms can then be unwrapped and placed in paper cups with the bottom cut out or the paper funnels used when pouring motor oil in your car. This is all done before leaving for the show.

The blooms take 30-40 minutes to warm enough for you to handle them without damage. After they warm up, little handling is required. You hold the flower by the stem and you scoop it in an upward motion to open it, causing the bloom to lay flat. Always ensure that you do not disturb the sequence of the petals. These are your first entries.

Blooms produced the same day are difficult to open early in the morning and require the warmth of the sun to enable them to open. It is often better to arrive a little later to the show and not force the bloom because this will cause damage to them.

Enter these blooms later in the show and make sure the flowers lay flat. Janice also suggests not to enter all your blooms at the same time because judges rarely give gold ribbons to all the flowers on a given tray looking for that superior bloom, so it is better to space your entries.

Her final piece of advice is to enter as many blooms as possible as an amateur, even garden varieties, because even though a gv will not make the head table, a gold is a gold. These points count towards the sweepstakes ribbon when they tabulate your sweepstakes numbers.

Janice is now a junior judge where she can learn by working with gifted senior judges and learning what it takes for a flower to be Best of Show.

Janice is now an open collector and looks forward to exhibiting at the Texas and Louisiana shows.

We wish you lots of luck Janice, and you kick some calyxes!

As the time came for the mysterious flower genie to display her gems of many colors, she chose a table not of gold or silver because that would detract from their beauty. The genie chose a table of simple wood and laid the gems on rich black velvet to showcase their lovely colors.

The mysterious flower genie had waited for this day to show the world her collection of gems, a treasure worth several kings and queen’s ransoms. Some were priceless, some were without match and many were a joy to behold. Of all the gems that were shown that day, one stood out in the crowd of beauty.

This gem glowed as a pearl of pink and was beautiful beyond compare.

From the chronicles of the mysterious flower genie from the peninsula of flowers - Oyster Pearl.

When you bring your first hibiscus home, like any new member of the family, the first thing to consider is where they will be most comfortable. It might come as a surprise, but where you might feel comfortable, your hibiscus will too - that is in terms of temperature. Hibiscus will thrive with temperatures from 60 to 90 F. Outside of this range they will be stressed. Below 50 F, they will cease to grow and bloom, and freezing temperatures for more than the briefest of time are likely to be fatal. If you live in other than a tropical or subtropical area, you will have to plan accordingly. One of the first decisions will depend upon how frequently and for how long you might risk temperatures that will endanger your hibiscus. If you only have occasional brief periods of cold, you have two choices: in ground plantings or planting in pots that will be exposed to outside conditions except when protecting them from cold. If you live in areas with prolonged severe winters, your hibiscus will have to be grown in pots and a place for them made available during such months. This could be a temperature controlled green house or your own home.

You will also want to find a location with proper sunlight. Species hibiscus and garden varieties will often flourish in full sun. However, many of the cultivated varieties will prefer perhaps just a half day of full sun and some will do fine with as little as just an hour or so of full sun and the rest of the day in filtered sun or light shade. If your summers are extremely hot, more shade is recommended. If you plant your hibiscus in the ground, try to plant them at least 3 to 5 ft from trees or other large shrubs to prevent root competition. One of the advantages to growing hibiscus in pots is that you can move them from one location to another until you find the conditions, which suit them best.

Hibiscus like soils which drain well so that their roots are never soggy wet for any extended period. A means of acquiring this kind of drainage is to mix two parts of heavier soil with one part of coarse sharp sand. (Sharp sand is that which results from rock crushing operations as opposed to river sand, which is round and smooth.) In the case of potted plants, those soil mixes that are made for hanging baskets, normally have built in good drainage. Your new hibiscus will likely arrive in a container of one sort or another and may already be in need of repotting. This is easily determined by either looking for roots coming out of the drainage holes or carefully sliding the plant out of its pot and inspecting the roots. If there is a mass spiraling around the pot at the bottom, it is time to repot. Here you have two options, either trimming the plant to fit the same pot or moving it up to the next larger sized pot. If your plant is already of substantial size and you want to keep it in the same sized pot, remove about 1/3rd of the roots and 1/3rd to ½ of the top branches. It is prudent to sterilize your pruning shears before and after doing each plant in a strong bleach/soap solution or product like Physan to prevent the transfer of disease. Prepare either a new pot of the same size or the old one, which has been thoroughly washed. Used pots, especially if it is suspected they might have previously housed diseased plants, should be sterilized with a solution of Physan or similar – a 20% bleach solution will also do (1 part of Clorox to 4 parts of water). Renew the soil removed with fresh potting mix while placing the plant so that it sets at the original soil level, which should be about an inch below the rim of the pot. If going into a larger pot, select the next bigger size, for example moving from a 3-gallon pot up to a 4- gallon pot. It is important not to over pot, which means that you don’t want the plant to have more planting medium than the roots will be able to make use of in the next growing season. Over potting can lead to root fungus problems especially in cooler weather. If you want your plants to reach maximum size and live permanently in a pot, 7 gallons is about the smallest that will do the job, but as mentioned, work up to that size gradually.

Generally speaking hibiscus like to be kept damp but not soggy wet for anything more than the briefest of periods. Normally, it is best to water thoroughly and let the plants absorb the moisture retained by the growing medium until the surface becomes dry. To test this, push the forefinger into the soil. If no moisture is detected within an inch of the surface, it is time to water. The frequency for watering is dependent upon a number of factors including the size of the plant, the amount of medium it is growing in, the ambient temperature, exposure to sun and wind, etc. In very hot weather with plants exposed to considerable sunlight, daily or even twice daily watering may be necessary. During winter months at reduced temperatures, once a week may suffice. Its better to error on the side of too dry than too wet since the former only results in wilted leaves which will quickly return to normal upon watering, while the latter can result in root disease and eventual loss of the plant. The best means of watering is via an automated drip watering system that is set up so that a small amount of water is delivered over a longer period of time, resulting in the media being well saturated to the bottom. Hand watering is fine if done correctly. Just filling up to the rim may not be enough to saturate a quite dry pot, resulting in just the upper level of the soil being moist and encouraging many fine surface roots. One may have to pass over and fill the pots twice or more. This is a simple affair, when watering plants that are in close proximity. One simply waters all in the area and then returns to the first pot and repeats the process. A good test is to water what is considered to be an adequate amount and 15 minutes later carefully slide one plant out of the pot to see if it is saturated to the bottom. Plants that have thoroughly dried out may seem saturated as evidenced by the water flowing out of the drainage holes, when in fact the central mass is still quite dry since water couldn’t be absorbed as rapidly as it escaped around the edges and out the drains holes. If a plant is wilted and dry, water it and it will likely recover. If it is wilted and damp, it may have a root disease preventing the uptake of water and adding more water only increases the problem.

To grow and bloom optimally, hibiscus need continual fertilization, although they will survive and bloom under conditions of considerable neglect as well. Fertilizer should be applied to well-watered plants and never those that are bone dry. Generally lighter dosages more frequently are the very best. The easiest means of accomplishing this is through the use of time release fertilizers like Osmocote. Depending upon the formula and the mean temperatures over the duration, some are good for as much as 9 months. However, these fertilizers are only considered desirable where temperatures exceed 60 F. There are other granular fertilizers such as Nitrophospka which are used with good success on hibiscus, but some report that the continual use of this kind of fertilizer results in a crust like build up on the surface of the soil. Liquid fertilizers or those that dissolve in water can be excellent, especially when incorporated into automated watering systems that can deliver a lesser dosage at each watering. Although any fertilizer is better than none, some are more suitable to hibiscus than others. At the bottom of the list are the bloom booster formulas high in phosphorus such as Miracle Grow. The basic essential ingredients contained in fertilizers are nitrogen ”N” (the first letter), phosphorus ”P” (the middle number) and potassium “K” (the last letter) which is abbreviated as NPK. The corresponding numbers indicate the ratio of these ingredients. For example, an NPK formula of 9/6/12 would have phosphorus in the lowest concentration, followed by nitrogen with potassium being the highest in concentration. This represents the ideal formula, i.e., “P” phosphorus in the lowest concentration and “K” phosphate in the highest concentration. An excess of “P” phosphorus tends to build up in the soil and prevents hibiscus from uptaking or utilizing other needed elements. In addition to the above three major elements there are those referred to as minors which are necessary to optimum growth and include: sulfur, magnesium, calcium, iron, chlorine, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum. If you cannot find a formula that includes minors, they can be added through supplementals, such as fish emulsion, sea weed extracts, blood and bone meal. Magnesium often not found in sufficient concentration in most fertilizers can be obtained by adding a couple of table spoons of Epson Salts to a pot every month or two. Lastly, for these elements to be accessible to hibiscus, a pH on the just slightly acid side at 6 to 7 is ideal. The more the pH varies from this ideal the less various elements provided by fertilizers will be available to them and the plants suffer accordingly. The environment in which the complete soil mix and nutritional elements are contained is equally as important. To maintain it in the best condition, a mulch on the surface is highly recommended. It serves to buffer temperature and humidity and keep weeds at a minimum while generally helping to maintain an optimal soil environment. If your hibiscus are in pots, the pot itself can be isolated from direct contact with the sun by placing it inside of another pot to help prevent overheating. Alternatively, the pot can also be placed amongst shrubbery or itself planted into the ground for the warm season in a fashion that it can be easily removed to a protected location in the event temperatures may reach freezing as the seasons turn.

Hibiscus placed in a suitable area, with proper growing media, water and fertilizer will grow and flourish. However, if optimal bush shape and maximum bloom output are desired, pruning is essential for most tropical hibiscus. A small plant received in a 3” pot, should have its one or two vertical stems pinched at the tip when there are at least 4 leaves or nodes on the branch. This is accomplished by snipping off the growing end with the thumbnail by pressing it against the forefinger and is referred to as pinching, pinch pruning, tip pruning, etc. Ideally this will result is the formation of two or more branches on each stem. When these have 3 or 4 leaves, pinch again. A third pinch is only necessary if the previous pinching didn’t result in the number of branches desired to form a nice shaped bush. Remember, hibiscus generally produce new flowers at the tips of each branch, so more branches not only provides for a more beautiful bush but many more blooms as well. The price one pays is that blooming is delayed while each new branch develops. Larger bushes can also benefit from pruning to both improve their shape and increase vigor. The severing of the branch sets off a series of physiological processes, including the production of auxins and growth stimulants. Hence, pruning can revitalize an older bush, which has slowed its growth. If one is reluctant to prune due to the loss of flowers, prune sequentially. This simply means to trim the central branch first, and as it reaches bloom maturity progressively prune the lateral branches. Remember the branch pruned first will be the tallest when the pruning process is completed, hence the reason for commencing with the central branch first. There is also a technique to pruning. As the most likely place for the new branch to grow from is the leaf or two just below the cut, one can pretty much choose where they want the new branch to come from. Generally it is best to cut about 1/4” above an outward facing leaf. The cut should be made diagonally so that water will tend to flow off the wound and reduce the likelihood of infection. Although often unnecessary, pruning tar can be applied to the newly pruned branch. If one has a bush that has grown ugly, it can be reshaped from scratch. First, decide at what height you want the first branches to appear and prune just above the leaf at that point. If there are no leaves on the plant below the point you want to prune, there is a small chance there are no live growth points, in which case pruning at this point might result in the destruction of your plant. There is a way to solve this. Make a test prune somewhat higher above the lowest leaf. In a few weeks new leaves will start to appear where there are live nodes. It is then safe to prune just above one of these new growth points. This method also provides you greater flexibility is choosing just where you want the new growth to come from. As those branches grow, prune them until the desired bushiness is derived. Hibiscus can be pruned most any time of the year, so schedule pruning to your seasons and needs. Generally, it is best to prune in early spring. This will produce maximum blooms 6 to 8 weeks later.

The strongest defense against insects and disease, are healthy well-grown plants with a minimum of stressful conditions. However, there will come a time when intervention of one sort or another is necessary.

With regard to insects, the first means of defense is biological, i.e., development of a healthy and diverse garden, which keeps pests in control by natural predators. For instance lady bugs and especially their voracious larval stages devour aphids and many other hazardous insects. Accordingly, when additional intervention is required, the welfare of these natural predators as well as other non-intrusive inhabitants of the garden should be taken into consideration.

The second level of defense consists of mechanical means of extraction or eradication. White ice cream containers with one inch of water in the bottom to which has been added a couple of squirts of dishwashing detergent, make excellent traps for pollen beetles which damage flowers. They are attracted to the white, like a large white flower, and when flying into the soapy solution, quickly drown. Note, without the detergent they will likely escape and your traps become a nesting ground for mosquitoes. Sticky tape can be used to collect other flying insects like white fly. Copper tape builds up an electrolytic barrier across which snails and slugs will not pass. Containers with a small amount of beer, will attract and drown slugs. Predatory snails are sold for the control of slugs. Wood ashes and diatomaceous earth provide barriers across which ants, slugs and other pests will not cross. Also, included in this category is water either sprayed at normal or high pressure to areas of infestation. Simply spraying a plant down with a hose end nozzle can be quite effective for aphids and to a lesser degree for white flies. There are special pressurized water wands for this purpose that will actually remove scale. With minimal imagination one can be fashioned. Remember the undersurfaces of leaves are especially important areas of insect infestation so concentrate here with any contraceptive measures.

The third level of defense would include non- or low-toxicity chemical agents. There are a number of brands names that specialize in such products, e.g., Safers, which take various forms such as insecticidal soap, fine oils, etc. Dish soap applied at a teaspoon per gallon will rid a plant of many pests. Fine horticultural oils sprayed over the entire surface of a plant will smother most attached or sucking insects and in some case their eggs as well. Orthene Volck oil is such a product. These products should be applied to well watered plants early morning or late afternoon to avoid burning the leaves of the plant being treated.

The fourth level of defense is to employ granular systemic insecticides such as disystan or marathon. Although highly toxic, the chemical solutions pass into the plant through the root system to permeate the tissues, which although harmless to the plant itself, becomes fatal to sucking insects. These agents generally do not enter the bud itself in sufficient concentration to protect the flower from the damaging activities of insects. Although potent, as the active agents are contained inside the plant, beneficial insects are for the most part unaffected.

The last line of defense is potent specialized chemicals. If possible, to restrict the damaging side effects (beneficial insects, for example) only spot treat areas of heavy infestation. A particularly potent combination is a triple dosage of imidacloprid found in products like Confidor into which has been added Orthene Volck oil and applied by a hand sprayer. Spot sprayed once or twice a week for several weeks, it has been found to eradicate erinose mite and snow scale, two of the most stubborn problems. This is a generalized treatment interval, but for specific information check the life cycles of the insect or mite in question, especially the gestation period of eggs which might not be killed by the treatment and spray again just after that period. Mites are often little affected by normal insecticides, hence, special miticidal products are recommended and again used with a fine oil like Orthene Volck oil is even more effective.

There are number of fungal or bacterial disease which can damage hibiscus. In many cases these coexist at tolerable levels doing little damage to the plants, and in at least on case, e.g., microrizal fungi, are considered beneficial and even necessary to a plants health. When any of these disease agents get out of control, measures may be necessary. Again prevention is the first line of defense. Hard wood bark is considered to have anti fungal qualities but must be used at a threshold percentage in the mix to be effective. In the soil, root fungus can be a killer. As this group of fungi grow best at the cooler temperatures of 40 to 60 F (5 – 15 C) and in wet soil conditions, the preventative measure of avoiding these conditions is the first recommendation. A household remedy that works in many cases is the use of a 10 or 20% bleach solution. Physan is considered multi action: anti viral, anti fungal and anti bacterial and is particularly effective in helping maintain sterile pots, cutting tools, etc.

Yellowing Leaves: Tropical hibiscus are evergreen plants meaning that they always have green leaves which eventually become old, turn yellow and are replaced by new leaves. This is a normal process. However, yellow leaves in excess can be an indicator of problems. The first thing to suspect is stress. Hibiscus like each day to be the same, meaning they appreciate static conditions with minimal fluctuation. If there have been temperature or moisture extremes, hibiscus will respond by more yellow leaves than normal. It could be related to events, i.e., the moving of a plant from one location to another or their having been treated chemically. It could be due to insect or mite infestations, so close inspection of the plants is in order. There are a dozen or more reasons why an excess of yellowing leaves might occur, so you need to become a hibiscus Sherlock Holmes and deduce the most likely cause pending an evaluation of all the factors.

Bud Drop: A small percentage of bud drop seems to be somewhat normal, and some varieties are more prone to bud drop than others. At higher temperatures certain varieties may produce buds but few if any develop to maturity, but these plants return back to normal as the weather cools. In other varieties, they simply cease to produce buds at all at higher temperatures. Some are sensitive to under or over fertilizing and respond by dropped buds. There are cases when bud drop is the result of insects, either gall midge or thrips. In the case of gall midge, cut the dropped bloom in half with a sharp cutter and closely observe the cut surfaces. If you see something jumping, almost like liquid particles popping off the top of a carbonated drink, you’re probably seeing the gall midge larvae and have likely found your problem. Thrips will lay their eggs in buds, but this usually results in bud drop at an earlier age. Fungus can attack buds, in which case they tend to putrefy. Again observations and deduction are your best weapons.

The above are the basics of hibiscus care, but the last and one of the most important aspects, is to frequently visit and inspect your plants. They definitely can communicate, and it is up to you to understand their language. When the leaves droop, they are telling you something is wrong: either not enough water indicated by drooping leaves and a dry potting media or root fungus preventing the roots from functioning and getting water to the leaves indicated by a moist pot and drooping leaves.

It’s up to you to hear what your plants are telling you, and this is part of the reward of growing hibiscus, for when you listen they thrive and produce their incredibly magnificent blooms, making the both of you happy to be alive.

In H.I. 5, I related my experience in the world of importing hibiscus from Australia. Well that was just the beginning of the adventure. As I mentioned in that article, the plants arrived in great shape and in good time considering the distance they traveled. Now that they were an actual reality, the real work for me began. The plants were shipped bare rooted so each of them had to be potted up and this meant turning the kitchen into a potting shed for two days and a lot of Pro Mix, vermiculite and perlite to combine and moisten. But I’m getting ahead of myself a little.

When you grow plants indoors and you have a large number of plants arriving at once your thoughts turn to what type of container you will need to keep them and where you can get a large number of them for a reasonable price. Unlike the outdoor growers, who need to prepare a spot to put a plant by digging, indoor growers turn to their favourite source for pots and, in this case, a great many pots in several sizes. Hibiscus don’t like to be kept in a deep pot, their root systems stay very close to the soil level when compared to other tropical plants, so a narrow deep pot is a waste of potting mix and space and in general not healthy for hibiscus. The preferred pot for me is one whose width is at least equal to or greater than the depth. Pots marketed as azalea pots are about as close as I personally can find to satisfy the needs of a potted hibiscus. I try to make sure the pot has several drainage holes rather then one central one and if needed, I will add more using a sharp knife. One of the local chain stores carries suitable plastic azalea pots as a regular stock item at a very reasonable price so off I went. I loaded my cart and made my way to the check out stand. Eyebrows raised and people in line behind me started giving me odd stares as the clerk had to scan each of the one hundred and ten pots, one by one. Thank goodness I had a good supply of pots at home or I’d still be standing there.

Next, one must consider what type of potting mix is best and many growers have their own formula that works best for them in their climate and conditions. For hibiscus, I use equal amounts of Pro Mix, vermiculite and perlite. This mixture works well for me when considering the majority of my plants’ lives are spent indoors under artificially created environmental conditions. I mix up small amounts at a time to be sure all the ingredients are incorporated very well so that each pot has the same potting mixture. Each batch is moistened generously to ensure there are no dry areas but not to the point of saturation. The plants were then placed in pots according to their root size, filled to a correct level, and a small handful of worm castings sprinkled on the top. The pot is then given a generous watering using the vegetable sprayer until the water flows from the drainage holes. This procedure allows the potting mixture to settle around the roots and the fine spray from the vegetable sprayer doesn’t compact the mixture more then necessary.

The plants, after draining, were placed close together on a heavy sheet of plastic in the sitting room where they received bright light but no direct sunlight. I gave the plants a Vitamin B solution and water solution for the first two weeks when watering and used the same mixture as a foliar spray the first week. At this point in time, I do want to emphasize the need to read any cautions the manufacturer states on a container. I unwisely neglected the caution on the Vitamin B container about rinsing with water immediately after any contact with skin and got a rash on my face and arms as a result. I fed a very light solution of my regular fertilizer as a foliar spray the second week, while still continuing with the Vitamin B solution for watering. When I mention watering, I should clarify that I used a mister to keep the potting mix moist and did not use my usual method of using a watering can and placing the water in the drip tray so it’s absorbed from the bottom. This was done to keep the humidity up as high as possible in order to let the leaves reap the benefits of the moisture laden air while the roots developed without too great a need demanded of them. I also misted the leaves every hour for the first two weeks and gradually lessened the number of times I misted over the next two weeks. This allowed the roots to develop and helped the plants become accustomed to the climate inside my house, which is somewhat dryer then they were used to.

At the time of writing this it has been nearly two months since the plants arrived. A few which were placed in 6 inch pots because they were young and the root system was small, are now in need of re-potting to the next size larger pot. The temptation to put them in a much larger container and save having to re-pot again in a couple months or so is tempting but in the long run will not help the plant and may in fact harm it or kill it because there is more mixture in the pot than the roots need. This larger unused area can stay too moist and may lead to root rot very quickly. Better to go through the exercise twice than to take a chance on losing a valuable plant. Re-potting for me follows much the same procedure as mentioned above as far as mixing the ingredients in small batches and using the vegetable sprayer to moisten the mixture thoroughly. You want as much contact between the root ball and the new potting mix as possible to encourage the roots to spread into the larger area you’ve provided for them. I look for two things when I re-pot to ensure as much success as possible. First, I take great care in removing the plant from the pot and allow the mixture to become slightly dry before removing the plant. This keeps the potting mix attached to the roots but doesn’t put too much stress on them from a heavy wet mixture pulling on them. I tip the plant on its side and hold it carefully at the base close to the soil level. Tapping the bottom of the pot while slowly raising the pot upwards generally allows the plant to slip gently into my hand, provided roots have not grown out the bottom holes. If this is the case, I use sterile cutters and trim the roots projecting from the bottom before attempting to remove the plant.

Secondly, I examine the roots very carefully watching for signs of root rot, unhealthy roots and if the roots have begun to circle the inside of the pot I will very carefully work the roots free from the circle and spread them out. The plant is now ready for its new pot, which has already been prepared with a layer of potting mix on the bottom as well as a measure of Osmocote time-release fertilizer lightly mixed in. Enough potting mix is used to keep the plant at the same level in relation to the top of the pot it has been used to growing in and more is added to fill the area around the roots to that level. Tapping the side of the pot soundly while adding the potting mix will settle the mixture around the roots. Be sure to support the plant when potting to avoid any damage. A final spray of water from the vegetable sprayer until the water runs out the bottom holes ensures good contact between old and new.

Dear Damon,

I am like a lot of plants but my special interest is succulents including cacti. Plumerias are marginal members of that group.

Hibiscus are grown in Delhi, but it is unusual to see much more than the common 'Shoe flower' and its double frilled form.

Delhi does not have the best climate for hibiscus. It gets very hot in summer (up to 45C max) and goes down to 4C in winter. Apart from the temperature variation, our weather is very dry for most part of the year. It is the latter that does not allow the hibiscus to really do well.

However in the south where the conditions are milder and wetter, the hibiscus do very well and grow into splendid plants with lots of beautiful flowers. I am not sure whether there are any proper breeders.

In our area, some people do manage to grow an odd good hybrid, but it is not common. Even plumerias do not get good weather to flower profusely but post monsoons in August – September, they are at their best.

However they do not have problems surviving. The variegated plant I got as a small grafted plant from Bangkok last year has grown a bit but is still a single stem yet. I have heard it does not have too great a flower.

As for sending plants to the US, small parcels by post don't seem to cause any problems.

Cheers, Ram

(This response was to an inquiry I made to Ram. That inquiry is as follows:

Dear Ram:

I am a collector of both plumeria and hibiscus. I've just recently started the plumerias, but I do have over 200 of the hybrid hibiscus in my collection. In fact, when the International Hibiscus Society was formed last year, I was elected vice president and editor of the bi-monthly publication, which is called "Hibiscus International."

In addition to your interest in plumeria, do you by chance have any hibiscus or know of how they grow and are used in landscaping in your part of the world? I'm seeking out articles from people to show how this flower is used around the world. Could you possible comment on this? I'm attaching a copy of the last newsletter to show you what I've done with the publication.

I would also like to know more about the variegated plumeria. I don't recall reading anything about this one. Can this be sent from India to the United States? Some countries don't allow this. At any rate, I found your comments most interesting and would like to hear more of your experiences.

Damon Veach
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Send any freelance submittals directly to the editor: bookman@intersurf.com or to Damon Veach, P.O. Box 44370, Capitol Station, Baton Rouge, LA 70804 or e-mail: bookman@intersurf.com. Opinions expressed in the articles are strictly those of the authors who have submitted the data for publication and for sharing with the society and the readers of its publication. If the issue is already full of copy, the items will be held for future issues. The earlier the submittal, the more likely the copy will be accepted for a given issue. Acceptance of material is at the discretion of the editor with final approval from the BOD.

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"Marvellous Mallows" is a new and unique column written by three experts on the subject: Colleen Keena, Marcos Capelini, and Kristin Yanker-Hansen.

More Fiji material from Bob Rivers-Smith and the files of Ken Perks will be featured.

Gloria White will have another interview with a prominent Florida hybridizer.

Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the IHS. All submittals are subject to editing or rejection.

REFERENCE YOUR MESSAGE: If you respond to a subject (referred to as a thread when it continues into a series of communications), please remember to retain enough of the original message to which you are responding so that readers will have a point of reference and know what you are talking about and remove the remainder of the original post. As many people receive their communications in digest form, it is very redundant to see the entire original message repeated, particularly if it is a long one.

TITLE YOUR MESSAGE: Remember also, that if the major content of your post is changed, to change the subject. This permits people to, at a glance, see what is being discussed in your message. For example, if you are responding to a post with a subject of "Yellow Leaves" and this leads you into a discussion of a particular insect problem you might have, change the subject to "Insect Problem."

ADDRESSING YOUR MESSAGE: If you are responding to a particular post, you might address it to that person and others that have responded to that thread. If it is new and general, you might address it to: "Everyone", "List Members", "Friends," etc. You needn't address it to "Dick", unless it specifically relates to me, as I am only one member among the many. Although I'm the current president, there will be others to follow.

OFF TOPIC MESSAGES: The IHS is a society or group of cyber oriented people from around the world with a common interest, i.e., hibiscus. We, of course, revel in anything that is new and interesting on the subject. On occasion we all indulge in a bit of "Off Topic" discussion, but we should in such cases try to include at least some hibiscus content, and if there are continuing discussions on that thread, it is perhaps best to take it off line in personal communications.

BASIC PRINCIPLES: Our common interest is hibiscus and anything new or interesting that you might have to contribute along these lines is what we are here for. Anything including your very first bloom or a particularly outstanding one or one changed from its usual color or form, is of interest. The best of your garden on a given day is welcome, but avoid naming them all as that can become too long to be meaningful. We like to share in your hibiscus ups and downs and enjoy the camaraderie of people with a common interest. But remember there are over 150 people reading your messages so they should be of general interest to the majority of the group as whole. I suppose a general guide would be to look at what you have to say, and ask yourself the question: Is this something I would like to read if posted by someone else?

COMMUNICATE: Don't become overly critical. The main point is to communicate and most anything goes once or twice, but we should try, in respect for list members and the common interest that has brought us together on this forum, to keep posts pertinent, of interest and with real content.

Happy Hibiscus Growing To All,
Dick Johnson, Tahiti