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Hibiscus hedge looking poorly!

aaron_molloy83aaron_molloy83 Posts: 5
in Problem solving
Hi everyone
My Mother-In-Law lives in Egypt and we are here visiting. In her coastal garden she has a Hibiscus hedge that needs some serious TLC. The previous owners obviously hadn’t done much to maintain it.
I am attaching three pictures 
the first is showing how leggy they have become with almost no branches or leave on the lower stems. 
the second shows that ever where the hedge is healthy on top it has literally no lower branches.
The third is ever where they have branches and some leaves. Even then they have many unhealthy or dead branches plus unhealthy and pitiful amount of leave with almost no flowers.

has anyone had success with Hibiscus once it gets to this point and is there any chance of recovery ?


Posts

  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    Can you post a close up picture of the new leaves at the top of the plant? Weird request I know, but this is a tropical hibiscus of the sort only grown as a houseplant in the UK and I am loath to give advice about a plant I cannot identify exactly. All of the tropical hibiscus I can find have slightly serrated leaves. The usual way to deal with a neglected hedge is to be brutal and cut it back severely but as I know *** all about tropical plants outside of a lounge setting, that could be disaterous advice.
  • aaron_molloy83aaron_molloy83 Posts: 5
    Thanks Ceres for the response. From everything i have also read it does sound like we need to be brutal, cut it back, and let it regenerate with some proper feed.
    Attaching a picture here of the new growth. It doesn’t seem to have serrated edging though
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Is there a local gardener you can consult?
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    I think @JennyJ has a point. I can't nail down the variety on account of the leaves so maybe you could, as suggested, consult a local gardener or maybe go to a local plant nursery with your photos and ask for advice. I would always cut down a shrub that had got leggy and let it get started again from the base but some plants don't take kindly to that sort of treatment and others have to be cut at certain times of year in order not to frighten them to death.
    Sadly it isn't a shrub that is grown outdoors here so finding an expert could prove tricky. I wish you well with the renovation of the hedge.
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