All, I got a little cutting of Hibicus while I was in Hawaii 2 summers ago. This little 2 inch branch turned into an extremely tall plant. I have it sitting in my south facing window and it's continued to grow and flower the entire winter. I has 6 buds on it as of last night. The problem is, its grown about 2 feet straight up this winter so far and is hitting the top of the winter and has no where else to go. It gets full sun and my apartment is hot enough (most of the times 80 degrees or hotter) that I'm not sure it even knows its winter. Should I cut it back almost to the base now? Or do nothing until the spring? -Kris
There's an old bar joke with "Beat him to death with a chair!" as a punch line. It would take more than a robust chair to do in an established hibiscus in my experience. So if you hack it off with a bread knife (sorry, an SNL skit...) it will come back with vigor. The thing is you have buds with the prospect of blooms. If you cut it way back, it could be many months before you get flowers again. I'd top off the very tip, and maybe sacrifice a tiny bud or three to encourage branching and yet still allow the remaining buds to dazzle you. Keep an eye out for new growth. You might have to tent to keep the humidity up while encouraging lateral growth, but it sure sounds like you are doing what ever this hibiscus desires already. Just keep it up with more of the same. My inground hibiscus are 30 years old or so, have been transplanted in the same yard, are in poor sandy soil, have gotten hit with 'canes, and sheltered by massive tree canopies, yet still spread and grow and flower. One is a bit sparse on the flowers because the leaf canopy is solid but for an hour or so of dappled light at sunset. The many trunks and old pruning scars and dead wood and rodent burrows just add an Addams Family kinda jive that appeals to me. Entropy as an art form.
