Indoor plants today have become more than justa hobby, but also one of the tools of interior design. However, it was not us who came up with the idea of decorating our homes with green bushes, trees and vines. It’s just that before we did it intuitively, according to the principle of “like it or not”. Today, even interior design professionals use house flowers as additional decor, taking into account both the shape and size of the flowers. But many still trust their intuition and their taste. Some people prefer miniature flowering bushes that fit on the windowsill, some enjoy contemplating prickly cacti, and some decorate their homes with almost real trees. And if this tree also blooms... We’ll talk about such a green house pet, growing to the size of a miniature tree and delighting its owners with a lush crown and gorgeous flowers. This is hibiscus, known to many as the Chinese rose. What kind of plant is it? Is it difficult to grow it at home? What kind of care does it need? How to achieve constant flowering? Let's figure it out.
Botanical portrait
Actually, hibiscus has nothing to do with roses as such.no relation. This is an evergreen shrub from the mallow family, which can reach a height of three meters. However, in indoor floriculture, low-growing varieties of this species are common. In the wild, hibiscus grows in Southeast Asia, on the Pacific islands, in Transcaucasia, in Crimea, in Kazakhstan, in Western Europe, in the south of Ukraine, and in the Russian Far East. And in indoor floriculture, the species known as the Chinese rose is common. As the name suggests, this type of hibiscus comes from China and Indochina. And in Malaysia, it is generally recognized as a national symbol and is even depicted on coins. By the way, Malaysian hibiscus is called Bungaraja. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a perennial evergreen erect shrub with woody stems and a chic dark green crown. Even without flowers, it retains a decorative appearance, and during the flowering period it becomes simply irresistible. Its flowers are large, if not huge, and can reach sixteen centimeters in diameter. Initially, the Chinese rose was represented by a few varieties with red flowers, differing only in size and shades. Today, thanks to the efforts of breeders, about three hundred varieties of this species are known with flowers of various shapes and colors. Among them, there are plants with simple, double and semi-double flowers. There are varieties with flowers of various shades of red - from pink to purple. And there are plants with yellow, white and even lilac flowers. There are varieties with flowers of an unusual color for hibiscus - a dark spot at the base of the petals. And some varieties of Chinese rose even have unusually decorative leaves with white, red or cream spots or strokes on a dark green background. In a word, the Chinese rose is deservedly popular in indoor and greenhouse floriculture. Therefore, there are more and more fans of this spectacular indoor plant. And, naturally, new owners have quite legitimate questions about keeping a Chinese rose at home. How should this plant be cared for?
Care and maintenance
Caring for this indoor flower is not difficult.special troubles. Chinese rose is a heat- and light-loving plant. Therefore, it should be grown in a room with bright but diffused lighting, since direct sunlight can cause burns to delicate leaves. In the warm season, the plant can be kept outdoors, moving the flower pot to the veranda, loggia or garden. In general, Chinese rose is considered a fairly unpretentious houseplant that requires minimal care. However, for its successful cultivation and periodic flowering, it is necessary to follow a number of rules.
- Watering
This plant does not require a special watering regime.is required. The only thing that needs to be followed is the timeliness and intensity of watering. During the active period (spring and summer), this indoor plant is watered abundantly, achieving wetting of the entire earthen lump. It is unacceptable for the soil in the pot to dry out, which can lead to the shedding of buds and wilting of flowers. The frequency of watering depends on the size of the plant and the volume of the flower pot. Young plants need to be watered more often, since the soil in relatively small pots dries out faster. In winter, the plant goes into a dormant stage and caring for it comes down to maintaining the temperature regime and moderate watering. Water the hibiscus with settled or filtered water at room temperature. At the beginning of flowering, the water for irrigation should be warm, and during flowering, the Chinese rose also requires additional spraying. It is advisable to spray the plant when the air in the room is dry - hot season and the heating season.
- Additional fertilizing
Proper care of house plantsimplies their periodic feeding. Chinese roses are fed with aqueous solutions of complex mineral fertilizers. During the growing season and budding, it is appropriate to feed with fertilizers for flowering plants. The dosage and frequency of feeding are calculated in accordance with the instructions for specific preparations. But it is also useful to fertilize hibiscus with home remedies. Experienced gardeners recommend using weak sugar solutions and blood slops as feeding. To prepare sugar feeding, dissolve half a teaspoon in a glass of water and fertilize the plant about once every two weeks. For organic blood feeding, use the liquid left after defrosting meat or water in which fresh meat is washed.
- Transplant and trimming
The Chinese rose needs periodictransplantation, which is carried out in the spring. For transplantation, take a larger pot and prepare a new soil mixture consisting of four parts of turf soil, three parts of leaf soil, one part of humus and one part of sand. Transplantation by transshipment is also acceptable, in which the plant is moved to a new pot together with a lump of earth. The empty space in the pot is filled with the prepared soil mixture and compacted. The older the flower, the less often it is transplanted, but at the same time, the soil in the pot is renewed annually, removing its top layer and adding fresh soil. After transplantation, hibiscus must be pruned. In this case, all branches are shortened a little, and strongly elongated shoots are cut by one third. Such pruning promotes the appearance of young shoots, on which buds then appear. If the Chinese rose is not pruned, it will not bloom, since flower buds are laid on young shoots.
Reproduction
Home hibiscus can be propagated by cuttingsor seeds. However, in indoor floriculture, the vegetative method of propagation is most often used, since propagation by seeds is more appropriate for breeding work. To propagate roses by cuttings, green, non-lignified shoots are used, which are cut in the middle and at the end of summer. Apical cuttings are taken only from shoots of new growth. Each cut cutting should have two or three internodes (leaf growth points). Leaves are removed from the cut shoots, and the cuttings are rooted in a mini-greenhouse. To do this, the cutting is planted in a light, loose substrate and covered with a small transparent container - a glass jar, plastic container or cellophane bag. About a month usually passes from the moment of planting until the roots appear. Rooted cuttings are transplanted into small flower pots with a diameter of seven to nine centimeters. The soil around the seedlings is compacted, and the plant is watered with warm water. During the growth and development of the young plant, the tops of its lateral shoots are pinched, which contributes to the formation of a lush crown and early flowering of the hibiscus. After a year, the young plant is transplanted into a new pot.
Errors in care
The Chinese rose is considered unpretentiousa plant that rarely gets sick and is affected by pests. However, it is improper care that often causes some diseases and the appearance of pests such as spider mites, aphids, whiteflies and felt. Parasites are eliminated in a traditional way for caring for houseplants. Leaves and stems are washed with a soap solution or tobacco infusion and treated with special insecticides. In case of severe damage, it is also recommended to transplant the Chinese rose into fresh soil mixture. Sunburnt leaves are wiped with a weak solution of sugar syrup. By the way, this procedure not only promotes the restoration of the plant, but can also be used as a method of foliar feeding. In general, if the care of the Chinese rose is correct, it will live at least twenty years and will delight you with its wonderful flowering all this time. Good luck!
