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Posts: 1
Registered: ‎09-23-2012
I purchased my tropical braided hibiscus tree 3 years ago, the one with the 3 colors, & for some reason it only blend blind the red color. Also it hasn't grown that tall. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong? I fertilize as directed with C.F. bud and flower booster. . Please help
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,878
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Is it in the full sun? Give the vendor a call if you have questions; maybe they can help.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,204
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Braided trees aren't going to grow much taller, but they should get fuller. A braided hibiscus tree (or any braided tree for that matter) is just a quick and dirty way to get a tree form of a shrub in the shortest time possible. It takes about three years to grow a three to four foot tall tree form of a hibiscus with a stem rigid enough to independently support it. By braiding three weaker stems together they can grow a tree form in one year. It won't grow much taller as the way you get a tree form is by pinching out the growing tip of the stem once the tree is at the height you want it to be. That induces branching resulting in the ball of growth that makes it look like a tree. The lower portion of the stem should fill in and get thicker, and you'll get some minimal height from the upper growth growing upwards, but it won't grow like a "normal" tree.

To grow a tree form of a shrub you select a straight, vertical stem and place a long, sturdy stake next to it. Then you keep securing that branch to the stake as it grows upward, pinching out side growth and keeping the growth going as vertical as possible until it reaches the height you want. At that time you pinch out the growing tip and allow side shoots to develop high up on the stem. Now that stem will be too weak to support any significant weight for several years, so you have to keep it staked. You'll keep pinching and shaping the tree top to achieve the look you want and after about three years that main stem should be about an inch or so in diameter and able to support the weight. You can then remove the stake and have a tree form of nearly any shrub.

If you want a taller tree, you wait longer to pinch out the growing tip. You can grow a tree form hibiscus as tall as the untrained hibiscus would grow. If the hibiscus itself is limited to five feet, then that's the tallest the tree will ever be. If the hibiscus grows twenty feet tall then you should be able to grow it twenty feet tall in a tree form. No matter how tall you grow it though it'll be years before the plant is able to support itself. That's why growers braid three weaker trees together.

In your case it's possible one or more of the braids has died. Braided trees also are handicapped in that you're essentially trying to grow three trees in a very compact space. If you repot it in a larger pot with fresh soil you may get better results. I'm not a huge fan of braided trees though. You're generally better off with one well grown (though much more expensive since it takes three times longer or more to grow) single stem tree than three weaker trees braided together in one pot.

To make things as good as possible, use a larger pot, fresh potting mix, full sun, lots of food and water, and hope for the best.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!