Hibiscus Trees in Atlanta Winter
72Link to harmful bushes to pets-Hibiscus is bad news
At our home in Atlanta in our backyard we have five Hibiscus Trees growing in large pots. The Hibiscus Trees grow happily all spring and summer full of leaves and flowering. As winter approaches the Hibiscus Trees begin to get ready for the cooler months.
The first year I thought as long as I kept them under a deck that has a floor and a roof but in the cold that they would survive the brutal winters in Atlanta. Brutal may be a excessive term but I was born and raised in Atlanta and I think our winters are brutal.
Anyway, spring arrived and our great Hibiscus Trees were toast.
Here is a link to do with pets in your yards. We have had two dogs get sick and one passed away last year. A friend forwarded me this link. It is important that if you have pets in your yard you read this. It mentions Hibiscus Trees and it will cause me to move the remaining two to a spot on my deck away from my pets. Read this and maybe prevent your pet from getting real sick.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Trees and bushes that are deadly to pets.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
That summer we once again went to Home Depot and bought more and once again they lived happy lives in the small to large plastic pots in our back yard. Full of leaves and flowers then sadly winter was returning. This time I draped large plastic sheeting over them and put them under a deck that had a solid roof. Then spring returned and I opened them up and dragged the Hibiscus Trees back into the sunlight to figure out that they were dead.
Once again back at Home Depot during spring buying more Hibiscus Trees putting them into their new homes. I felt bad but who knows. They are pretty and my wife wanted them. Once again we enjoyed great Hibiscus Trees with lots of leaves and flowers.
Alright I'm ready now.
I have a new plan.
Winter was approaching. I have a small room in my basement that in unfinished and has enough room for my Hibiscus Trees. So, I drag all five Hibiscus Trees in them into the little room where the furnace and water heater hide. I give them about a cup of water and shut the door. As I close the door I suggest to them to go to sleep. December I give them each a small sip of water about a cup. January I go in and say hi and give them each a cup of water. February the same. March is the beginning of spring to some degree and I give them a cup of water and tell them it's almost time to wake up.
A quick easy check on if they are alive or not is to slightly dig your thumbnail into the skin I guess bark and scrap it a tiny little spot. If you see any green color they are alive. Digging down if you see brown and a light feel to them them I suspect that they are toast. if you are testing the tree part then it could mean bad news but maybe not.
Spring is upon us and I drag the five potted Hibiscus Trees outside under our deck and give them a huge amount of water. Then the weather man tells us that we heading into the high seventies and I drag them out so that they will be able to enjoy the sunlight. I water them again and go on about life. This was a week ago in Atlanta so that was March 14th 2009 or so.
Today our Hibiscus Trees are beginning to have tiny little green leaves budding out. All of them made it. It was a success. YEA! This was the second year that I saved our Hibiscus Trees from certain death.
To any one that does this or tries it at the end of this season the only thing I am going to do differently this year is cut the branches back some and get most of the leaves off of them. This year (2009) and last year I didn't do that. I end up with a fair amount of brown dried leaves all over the floor of the little storage room and anywhere along my path when I am dragging them outside.
I keep the lights off in the room that they are sleeping in. Occasionally I go in and get something but I do not leave the lights on them. I do not want them to wake up and think its time to go back outside.
I suppose you could be able to move them into your house or apartment and keep them going all winter but we do not have room for four Hibiscus Trees that are about five feet tall. One is six feet tall.
In a couple weeks any branches that are dead I will operate and remove.
This is my story on how to keep Hibiscus Trees alive during the winter months in Atlanta. Good Luck with your Hibiscus Trees this winter.
Eggads In Atlanta we had two days of cold weather. Well did I learn a lesson yes. You have to wait until there is no chance of a cold blast otherwise even though the trees made in thru a long time in the closet of basement they will freeze and all the work will be toast. Yea I dragged them back into the basement and they are looking out the window till this weekend.
They are now back in the yard.
Once again the trees are in the yard basking in the 70 to 80 degree weather. I dug a finger nail in all of them and they are very green inside under the skin so in a few days they will once again full of leaves.
Lesson learned. That two days of cold Atlanta had killed two of the four I had taken care of all winter. I had them in good condition all winter then out they went a week early. One brief cold snap finished off 50 percent. Drat.
Thanks
JR
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