Hibiscus in Pot Needs Renewal Pruning

Q. I have a hibiscus in a 20-inch clay pot with wrinkled flower buds, small leaves, and leggy stems. The hibiscus gets filtered light on my South facing patio and gets hand watered every other day.

This is a hibiscus growing in a 20 inch pot.  Some hard renewal pruning is needed and repotting the plant.

A. I looked at the picture of your potted hibiscus and I think it is getting large for its container. This is a 20-inch container and the size of the main stems are larger than thumb sized. That’s because you are pruning all the small stems from the outside and not pruning the larger stems toward the center. Your pruning style is also the reason it’s getting “leggy”.

            I think you have two options; you can either get a larger container or cut the hibiscus smaller. Let’s me explain how to do “renewal pruning” on it first. I think that’s your best option.

Renewal Pruning

            Renewal pruning, cutting deep inside the shrub and removing larger wood, results in a flush of sucker growth from the remaining “stubs” that eventually fills the open areas. This flush of sucker growth will be succulent and produce lots of leaves and flowers. You then select the best suckers to establish a new plant. Basically, you are “renewing” an older shrub by reinvigorating it.

            Prune the main stems as low as 4 to 6 inches from the soil. This sounds  dramatic but in hibiscus it results in a flush of new growth from below the cuts. Doing this causes it to sucker below the remaining stubs with new growth filling these open areas. In previous pruning  you were removing from the perimeter. Do renewal pruning as soon as weather cools off in the fall and new growth will cover the deep pruning cuts before it gets cold.

Repotting

            After you finished renewal pruning your hibiscus, gently ease it out of the container and remove the soil from around the roots. Keeping the roots moist, prune a couple of large roots and replace the soil in the container with fresh soil. Repeat this renewal pruning and repotting process about every three or four years to keep it young and vigorous.