INTRODUCTION |
· THE GENUS HIBISCUS CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY 200 SPECIES DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL REGIONS. HIBISCUS ROSA-SINENSIS COMMONLY KNOWN AS SHOE FLOWER OR CHINA ROSE BELONGS TO THE FAMILY MALVACEAE. THIS IS A POPULAR LANDSCAPE SHRUB. HIBISCUS ROSA-SINENSIS IS WIDESPREAD IN CULTIVATION THROUGHOUT TROPICAL ASIA. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST VARIABLE OF ALL CULTIVATED HIBISCUS SPECIES. IT IS A LARGE SHRUB OR SMALL TREE THAT GROWS UP TO 4.7 M TALL. THE LEAVES ARE ARRANGED ALTERNATELY ON THE BRANCHES AND ARE OVATE IN SHAPE (WIDER AT THE BASE THAN AT THE TIP) AND GROW FROM 5 TO 15 CM LONG. THE LEAVES MAY BE DARK GREEN OR VARIEGATED AND THE MARGINS OF THE LEAVES ARE TOOTHED. THIS PLANT HAS A VARIABLE STATURE AND MAY BE UPRIGHT OR BROAD AND SPREADING. ERECT PLANTS ARE AVAILABLE THAT GROW TALL ENOUGH TO SERVE AS WINDBREAKS. MORE COMPACT PLANTS ARE MAINTAINED AS HEDGES AND REQUIRE FREQUENT PRUNING. SELECTIVE BREEDING OF THIS SPECIES HAS RESULTED IN MANY FLORAL FORMS, SINGLE OR DOUBLE PETALS, DIFFERENT FLOWER COLOURS AVAILABLE IN BOTH SINGLE AND DOUBLE FORMS. THE FLOWERS ARE VERY LARGE AND CAN BE UP TO 15 CM LONG. IN CULTIVATED VARIETIES THE PETALS MAY BE SINGLE OR DOUBLE, SMOOTH OR SCALLOPED. CULTIVARS ARE AVAILABLE WITH SINGLE OR DOUBLE FLOWERS IN SHADES OF WHITE, PINK, RED, YELLOW, PEACH, OR ORANGE, OR COMBINATIONS OF THESE. |
LIGHT REQUIREMENT · THE PLANT GROWS IN PARTIAL SHADE OR PARTIAL SUNNY LOCATION. IT CANNOT GROW IN FULL SHADE. THE PLANT GROWS BEST IN FULL SUN. |
CLIMATE · TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL CONDITIONS. |
SOIL · IT CAN BE GROWN IN LIGHT (SANDY), MEDIUM (LOAMY) AND HEAVY (CLAY) SOILS AND PREFERS WELL-DRAINED SOIL. IT PREFERS MOIST SOIL. |
PROPAGATION AND PLANTING · PROPAGATION IS BY SOFTWOOD OR SEMI-HARDWOOD CUTTINGS. HARD OR SEMI HARD WOODCUTTINGS OF 60 CM LENGTH ARE USED FOR PLANTING. ROOTED CUTTINGS CAN ALSO BE PLANTED IN THE NORMAL MANNER DURING JUNE TO JULY IN 30 CM X 30 CM X 30 CM PITS AND FILLED WITH FYM, RED EARTH AND TOP SOIL |
IRRIGATION · HIBISCUS PREFERS ABUNDANT WATERING AND FERTILIZATION WHEN NEWLY PLANTED, BUT REQUIRES LITTLE CARE ONCE ESTABLISHED |
PINCHING · SINCE PLANTS FLOWER ON NEW GROWTH, PINCHING THE TIPS OF DEVELOPING BRANCHES IN SPRING AND MID-SUMMER WILL INCREASE FLOWER PRODUCTION. |
AFTER CULTIVATION · THE PLANTS ARE IRRIGATED AS AND WHEN REQUIRED AND MANURED WITH 10 T FYM/HA DURING JANUARY AND AGAIN IN AUGUST. NO CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS ARE NORMALLY APPLIED. |
FLOWERING SEASON · FLOWERING IS OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. |