How To Keep Hibiscus Blooming: Seasonal Care For Nonstop Flowers

I’ve been growing hibiscus in my mom’s garden practically since my first gardening years because I love drying hibiscus petals and using them to make tea.

If you’re looking for ways to keep your hibiscus plants bright and blooming, you’re in the right place! 

Today, we’ll be going over a few important seasonal care methods and techniques that can help keep your hibiscus producing flowers nonstop. Let’s dive right into it, shall we? 

How To Keep Hibiscus Blooming

1: Provide ample sunlight

Hibiscus is the type of plant that typically won’t do very well in low light and shaded environments. Don’t ever make the mistake of planting this one in a dark porch or shaded corner of the garden, as it won’t perform the best in these locations.  

If you live in a hotter region, planting in containers can be a good idea as it will allow for mobility, and you’ll be able to protect your hibiscus from afternoon scorch by moving it away from the blasting heat. 

As a general rule of thumb, anywhere between 6-8 hours of sun exposure on a daily is recommended for optimal and continuous hibiscus blooming. 

And if you’re also growing clematis, here are some tips to keep it blooming just as strong, both love the sun but appreciate a little strategic care.

2: Deadhead spent blooms regularly

If you’ve been following my work for some time now, you’ll know how big a fan I am of deadheading. My mom was the first to suggest this technique to me, and it has drastically helped improve the vigor and speed of my hibiscus blooms. 

Once the flowering season comes to an end and your hibiscus blooms begin to fade, cut off spent flowers and dispose of them far away from your garden. This might encourage a second flush of blooms or lead to better, healthier blooming later on in the season. 

3: Maintain consistent moisture

As challenging as it can be to give your hibiscus consistent moisture and maintain it, it needs to be done in order to trigger continuous blooming and keep your plants safe and hydrated during hot conditions. 

Keep a proper watering schedule and diligently water your hibiscus every time. This one is generally a thirsty plant, so you may even need to water it on a daily basis. 

4: Use the right fertilizer!

A balanced, water-soluble fertilizer is generally best for promoting strong and consistent hibiscus blooms.

If you want to go for a specialized option, choose one that has a slightly lower phosphorus content (NPK 10-4-12) and apply it once every 2-4 weeks, depending on factors like rainfall and absorption.

And if you’re also growing petunias, here’s a quick guide on the simple habits that keep them blooming all summer, similar feeding routines can work wonders.

5: Prune to encourage new growth

To many new gardeners out there, pruning is this evil thing where you cut back your plants entirely and waste all the effort you put in towards growing them. In reality, things play out much differently, and experienced gardeners know that it’s actually beneficial for the plant’s growth. 

Pruning will not only allow you to get rid of weak blooms, foliage, and wood to lighten up your hibiscus, but also tidy up the plant and maintain its aesthetic appearance. 

6: Mulch to retain soil moisture

Mulch can help retain soil moisture, which is important for keeping your hibiscus plants healthy and thriving.

In hotter environments, moisture in the soil often evaporates entirely, and the soil starts to become extremely dry, causing dryness in the roots and eventually deteriorating the entire plant. 

7: Monitor for pests and diseases

This single most important tip just cannot be emphasized enough. There won’t be any hibiscus blooms if there aren’t any plants left alive to produce them. Pests and diseases are the single biggest threat to your delicate hibiscus in the garden. 

Regularly inspect your plants for unusual spots, patterns, or bite marks that may indicate a potential pest problem. If there’s anything suspicious and you see trouble incoming, it’s probably time to take strong, immediate action.

You can also take a look at this guide on yellowing hibiscus leaves, it covers some early signs that might be easy to miss.

Overwintering tips

Let’s Conclude

As much as I love growing hibiscus and using its fragrant petals to make hibiscus tea in the wintertime, I do have to admit that they’re a lot more challenging to grow than people might think. 

As a matter of fact, I’ve had more failures than successes when it comes to growing hibiscus. Most of my early plants either fell victim to pests I wasn’t protecting them from or developed fungal diseases that quietly spread until it was too late to save them. 

This isn’t meant to discourage you; it’s just a heads-up that you need to have some serious conviction and patience to achieve continuously blooming hibiscuses.