Help I’m in Laveen Az where temps are in the 100s my beau...
What can I do.
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Hi Renee, I am in central Florida and have a 40+ year old hibiscus. I am thinking that possibly it’s not because of the heat. Is your plant in a pot? Looks like it’s dying from the bottom up and is in a pot.  Root rot and soil waterlogging are the primary drivers of bottom‑up plant decline because saturated conditions starve roots of oxygen and create an ideal environment for decay organisms. When excess moisture persists, root tissues begin to break down, leading to the characteristic dieback of lower stems and leaves.
Waterlogging typically occurs when soil remains at or above field capacity for extended periods—often after heavy rain, over‑watering, or in poorly drained containers. I hope this helps. Good luck 🧑🌾
Waterlogging typically occurs when soil remains at or above field capacity for extended periods—often after heavy rain, over‑watering, or in poorly drained containers. I hope this helps. Good luck 🧑🌾
Thanks so my next move ? Should I trim it back, it seems because it’s hot that it may kill it. I kept it in pot because of the heat should I cut it back in this season? Yes I do have holes drilled in the bottom but I believe ur right, it was so pretty I have never been able to maintain a hibiscus here. Should I try to seperate the roots when I transplant I know it was really compacted originally
@CoolSagopalm The pot looks too big for what’s happening. As a rule of thumb when potted it should be cut back around the root ball yearly . I’m with @Malagueña It doesn’t seem like a heat issue but possibly no humidity in the heat . If you want too save it it may be best to take it inside with a humidifier to help it bounce back . It doesn’t seem like root rot just no humidity in the. They thrive in humidity. The pot looks big but at 100 degrees it needs water every day to grow. It has a huge root ball so maybe the pit size is accurate. What I would do is a scratch testing bottom of tree if you scratch and it’s green you have a chance to save it. Maybe more details like when you purchased and how long it’s been outside will help . But at the end of the day humidity is the biggest factor in keeping this plant happy. All is not lost yet .
@CoolSagopalm Hi Renee! I have never grown hibiscus before, but I will tag Shannon @SuperbRaspfern for you! (Unless I’m out of my mind, do you grow hibiscus Shannon? 🤔🤪)
Also, you will need to include the tag of the person you are responding to in your comment. Otherwise, they won’t get a notification! 🔔
Also, you will need to include the tag of the person you are responding to in your comment. Otherwise, they won’t get a notification! 🔔
Spray it with the water hose keep it next to the porch in the part shade “tight area will hold humidity better” till it leafs out again. I have several types of hibiscus even the kind of the app doesn’t recognize. Apparently.. it’s a Texas star hibiscus looks exactly like cannabis “untopped” till it flowers. Always good local talk about them 😂😇
I never trim a certain hibiscus. I even have one that has a twisted trunk. let me take a picture of that one now kept in in garage last winter no heat no insulation. 94° today with 98% humidity this morning. Extremely high humidity I have it sitting in a two or 3 inch drip tray. Everything is so hot and dry here now it’s struggling. And we have tons of humidity so I can only imagine 
I never trim a certain hibiscus. I even have one that has a twisted trunk. let me take a picture of that one now kept in in garage last winter no heat no insulation. 94° today with 98% humidity this morning. Extremely high humidity I have it sitting in a two or 3 inch drip tray. Everything is so hot and dry here now it’s struggling. And we have tons of humidity so I can only imagine 
@OhGollyItsJolly it is by my ficus tree underneath and I have awnings on back porch and side. It was gorgeous 2 months ago. It’s still green only thing I did is neem spray 11/2montha ago so that did I my husband put several holes in bottom and stuck his arm in it and it felt dry I water almost daily
@CoolSagopalm i’m going to say get you a 16 to 20 inch drip tray. Some people are going to fuss. I’m going to say put it in a baby pool of water and let it soak up all the water it can. It will come back to life before it rots.  that being said mine looks very similar to yours right now and it’s really hot here. There are no flowers on the Chinese hibiscus’s only on the Texas star hibiscus. Today’s Texas 🌺  the Chinese hibiscus are yellowing here. Mine are in full sun currently as well. I should probably move into my humidity hallway. 
Also, after looking at mine and knowing how dry yours is. all the small twigs on the branches I would break off if they are dry/dead. Do not break off any leaves. Just give it a small hair cut don’t be cutting off any arms. If they are dry enough to break off by hand do so cause that means they’re dead ends anyway.  as hot as it is epic gardening YouTuber is in Arizona and he sometimes water his plants two and three times a day. My ex is actually a scientist in Mesa. 
@OhGollyItsJolly 😂😂 I know, I know! I have no excuse 🤷♀️🤪 Wow! What variety is your first one? I might have to look into some hardy types 🤔 , I can’t do most of the tropical ones in my area.
To make up for it, please accept this picture of my first and almost opened dahlia bloom of the season, as restitution. 🙏😜
To make up for it, please accept this picture of my first and almost opened dahlia bloom of the season, as restitution. 🙏😜
@CoolSagopalm oh no! Was it in sunshine when you sprayed with neem? That could be a possible cause…neem does make plants more photosensitive and apt to get sunburn 🥵 While I do recommend neem for indoor plants, it’s really difficult to get good results with it outdoors because of that.
@DreamMachine you must’ve known somehow that that’s my favorite Dahlia lol 😆 I believe the only hibiscus that is cold. Hardy is the Texas star the one that looks like pot until the big buds on top of it burst into a volleyball size bloom. & the rose of Sharon. This is the front corner of my house one of the first plants. A lot of people see. The Texas star biggest & oldest one I have grew 3 this year from same stalk sprouted new babies & just kept going. Never seen that tbh usually one stalk with 4-6 buds on top blooms an open separate from each other and sadly only lasts for a day so if you miss it, it’s gone. but it’s not shy you have to be nearly blind to miss that js 😁
have you ever drew the Tahiti sunrise, Dahlia? I ordered one and of course it was one of the things that never turned out. Rose of Sharon last pics 🤗 
have you ever drew the Tahiti sunrise, Dahlia? I ordered one and of course it was one of the things that never turned out. Rose of Sharon last pics 🤗 
@CoolSagopalm OK good as soon as you get up in the morning, I suggest to hose it with water. The plant not the soil unless you’re a rain collector with hose hookup. But spray the plant thoroughly Wet wet & water the soil with rainwater if you can I know in Arizona that’s like trying to find Blackbeard’s gold but use the water. You normally use for your plants and water until water comes out the bottom. thorough deep watering let tray collect the water & let the plant drink up what’s left.
also in my experience, it is best to water the plant deeply before spraying it with any type of oil because if it’s thirsty and you foliar feed oil yeah it just doesn’t sound great. I think that’s how I burnt my most recent plant. Not paying close attention to it was thirsty. I’m sure plant doesn’t care if you’re spraying for feed or for pest but if it’s hungry, it’s feeding. And with it being that dry in Arizona definitely want to water it first & even spray it with water before you hit it with neem oil. if anything to hold in the humidity and not repel it. and definitely keep anything sprayed with any type of oil out of the sun for a day or two “dilute dilute, you can always add more if you add too much there’s no going back.
No oil for now 👌🏽 just trying to be thorough. I normally would suggest fish fertilizer to get things popping again, but that’s immediate feed and nitrogen may not be good for anything in that heat & uv that being said a couple of drops in some water I don’t think would make things any worse microbial activity may help 
Sun in Arizona it’s not like sun anywhere else and I say it’s hotter here because of the humidity but the sun there kills. Likes it’s its job It’s a desert.
Hope this helps 
also in my experience, it is best to water the plant deeply before spraying it with any type of oil because if it’s thirsty and you foliar feed oil yeah it just doesn’t sound great. I think that’s how I burnt my most recent plant. Not paying close attention to it was thirsty. I’m sure plant doesn’t care if you’re spraying for feed or for pest but if it’s hungry, it’s feeding. And with it being that dry in Arizona definitely want to water it first & even spray it with water before you hit it with neem oil. if anything to hold in the humidity and not repel it. and definitely keep anything sprayed with any type of oil out of the sun for a day or two “dilute dilute, you can always add more if you add too much there’s no going back.
No oil for now 👌🏽 just trying to be thorough. I normally would suggest fish fertilizer to get things popping again, but that’s immediate feed and nitrogen may not be good for anything in that heat & uv that being said a couple of drops in some water I don’t think would make things any worse microbial activity may help 
Sun in Arizona it’s not like sun anywhere else and I say it’s hotter here because of the humidity but the sun there kills. Likes it’s its job It’s a desert.
Hope this helps 
And I think she’s going to be perfectly fine.
How much longer would you say your growing season is? I mean, does it ever get cool where you’re at? I know the temperature ranges are insane. Lows & highs. It may be preparing for winter because senescence is a thing. Not sure it would happen there because of the temperatures 🤷🏻♂️
How much longer would you say your growing season is? I mean, does it ever get cool where you’re at? I know the temperature ranges are insane. Lows & highs. It may be preparing for winter because senescence is a thing. Not sure it would happen there because of the temperatures 🤷🏻♂️
I grew them when I lived along the coast because there was more humidity.
They are humidity lovers. Arizona is a really bad climate for them it's too dry. Even in CA where I am, I had to leave mine behind. I knew it wouldn't make it.
They can survive some high heat, but 100 degrees is quite high. If it's too hot they drop their flowers and start to burn.
The heat will cause stress but it really just stalls their growth.
Too low of humidity and they start to drop leaves.
I honestly don't know how to help you here, your climate is just all wrong and she won't get enough sun to flower indoors.
It's one of those situations where it's just not the right plant for your environment. I know it sucks. I live in a similar environment. Hot and dry and I'm very picky with my outdoor plants because I know most will just struggle.
@OhGollyItsJolly You like your YouTubers. Just keep in mind YouTubers are in it for the money. If a plant struggles they aren't going to show you. They will get a new plant and pretend it's the old one. You wouldn't want to follow them, if their plants were always dying. Looking like they have the magic answers brings them $$$!
@DreamMachine Thanks for the tag my friend. I used to LOVE my hibiscus plants!!! 🌺
They are humidity lovers. Arizona is a really bad climate for them it's too dry. Even in CA where I am, I had to leave mine behind. I knew it wouldn't make it.
They can survive some high heat, but 100 degrees is quite high. If it's too hot they drop their flowers and start to burn.
The heat will cause stress but it really just stalls their growth.
Too low of humidity and they start to drop leaves.
I honestly don't know how to help you here, your climate is just all wrong and she won't get enough sun to flower indoors.
It's one of those situations where it's just not the right plant for your environment. I know it sucks. I live in a similar environment. Hot and dry and I'm very picky with my outdoor plants because I know most will just struggle.
@OhGollyItsJolly You like your YouTubers. Just keep in mind YouTubers are in it for the money. If a plant struggles they aren't going to show you. They will get a new plant and pretend it's the old one. You wouldn't want to follow them, if their plants were always dying. Looking like they have the magic answers brings them $$$!
@DreamMachine Thanks for the tag my friend. I used to LOVE my hibiscus plants!!! 🌺
@SuperbRaspfern ain’t THAT the truth! I remember following a TX YouTubers soil recipe and being flabbergasted that I was getting root rot all over the place. HMM. Wonder why it didn’t work in my Pacific Northwest climate??? 😂
@SuperbRaspfern right right bc everything on YouTube is a lie. Said YouTuber lives about 20 miles down the road from person in post who has a huge garden of things that they shouldn’t have growing in the desert & thriving. Maybe you should go check them out. 
Shannon @SuperbRaspfern I meant to ask you something earlier! Do you fertilize weakly most every time you water or do you do it monthly? I’ve been doing 1/4 tsp superthrive foliage pro with practically every watering, but I’m wondering if that is too weak of a dose?
@SuperbRaspfern well I don’t appreciate the negativity towards me every 1st comment. Like you’re out to prove something every time 
@DreamMachine I use it everytime I water. But never more than once a week. I use 1 capful per gallon.
That's for summer. In fall when temps start to fall, I use a bit lett every week until winter hits then I'm down to zero.
In spring I use 1/2 a capful.
That's for summer. In fall when temps start to fall, I use a bit lett every week until winter hits then I'm down to zero.
In spring I use 1/2 a capful.
@OhGollyItsJolly hey Jolly, it’s not an attack on you, ok? Shannon is just straight and to the point and doesn’t sugar coat it. I love her for that but it’s totally fine to have your own opinion. It’s just a word of caution re YouTube because there are LOTS of people out there who will blindly follow YT advice, and Shannon has helped pick up the pieces more times than I can count . That’s all it is. 🤷♀️♥️
@SuperbRaspfern thank you!! Okay, great, my instincts were telling me that, and I will increase the fertilizer a bit for a bit🙏