This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: African violets

At 09:30 PM 6/6/97 -0400, you wrote:
>You know, I love hibiscus.  I think they're gorgeous.  I've always
>wanted one but I don't know if I can keep one alive.  Can I grow one in
>the house?  I grow orchids in the house--under mercury vapor lamps &
>floresc. lights--would a hibiscus need the same type of thing?
>
>Please advise :)
>
>Julia
>
Julia:

Here in Ontario there seems to be two types of hibiscus, the normal one
which grows very rangy under fluorescent lights and has to be pruned so
often to keep it a decent size that it rarely blooms for me.  I think it
would probably be all right under the higher light of mercury vapor lamps.

The other kind seems to stay very compact.  It has very dark green toothed
leaves and flowers like crazy.  Of course it isn't labelled as to
species/variety so I don't know its origin.  This morning it has 3 six-inch
blooms, white with a red center, on a plant a foot high.

BTW hibiscus blooms at the tips of the branches, so the more you prune the
more branches you get and the more flowers.  The trick is to catch it
between bud sets.  You will invariably find when you think it's time to
prune that it is covered with buds. :-)  

Go for it.
Ruth Zavitz                                     
rzavitz@execulink.com                            
Freelance Writer & Gardening Consultant
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index