Plant Doctor Archive

Split hibiscus

Question MY ‘Suva Queen’ hibiscus has split into three at ground level. I don’t know how this happened — one day it was fine, the next day it was like this. It has survived so far for about four weeks. I put a stake in the ground and tied it to the stake. Will it survive the winter? Is there anything I can do to help it survive?

Answer  YOUR ‘Suva Queen’ has at least one other branch coming from below the break, so it will survive.

I suggest leaving it tied to the stake over winter then in spring cut the damaged branches back hard to just below the break. This sounds drastic, but if you leave the broken ones to grow, supported by the stake, they’d almost certainly eventually break off completely some time in the future.

‘Suva Queen’ can be a little weak in the branch unions and three coming out from around the same area would have created extra stress, which could be the reason for the breakage. Heavy rain or strong wind might have been the last straw.

When you do cut it back, give it some fertiliser at the same time, to encourage strong growth.

Weekend Gardener, Issue 174, 2005, Page 28