Hibiscus is a beautiful tropical shrub growing in the southern United States in warm conditions. You can buy young hibiscus from the seedling garden, but can sow hibiscus seeds? Does hibiscus have seeds?
Growing hibiscus from seed is a time-consuming but rewarding, economic, and productive way to fill your garden with these wonderful plants. Keep reading this article for further information.
What Is Hibiscus?
Hibiscus is a flowering plant from the Malvaceae family. This large genus includes hundreds of species native to subtropical, temperate, and tropical regions.
It accounts for the large member species with showy blooms. Apart from the hibiscus name, its other names are rose mallow, hardy hibiscus, tropical hibiscus, and Sharon rose.
Does Hibiscus Have Seeds?
Yes, it has. You can use seeds to sow with proper soil moisture, organic matter, and enough care to develop gorgeous hibiscus plants with colorful flowers, such as white flowers, yellow flowers, and even red or orange ones.
Can You Plant Hibiscus From Seeds?
Yes, you can have a hibiscus plant from its seeds. Growing hardy hibiscus in containers or jars is an ideal option.
Follow the detailed guide to grow this floral plant without hassle.
Step 1: You need to germinate hibiscus seeds indoors. Depending on the hibiscus tree hardiness zone, the seeds may take longer to germinate.
Step 2: After the successful germination, plant the seeds in pots or trays with a seed mixture and potting soil for your germinating hibiscus seeds (we will explain the propagating process later).
Step 3: Sow these seeds about 1 inch deep in potting soil and place them in a sunny and warm location (at least 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit).
Step 4: After 2-3 weeks, the hibiscus seedlings will sprout. Once the hibiscus seedlings have true leaves, you can harden the plants by moving them outside.
In the garden’s well-drained soil, dig a hole big enough to hold the hibiscus strong root ball. Place the seedling in the hole and water the planting site abundantly.
And that’s how to plant hibiscus seeds successfully. Besides gardenia and jasmine, their vibrant blooms will add more accents to your garden.
How Can You Harvest Hibiscus Seeds?
Harvesting these seeds is a simple process if you know the correct procedure.
Step 1: wait until the hibiscus flowers completely fade with the brown and dry seed pod since this is the best time to harvest.
Step 2: Start by collecting the climbing hibiscus plant’s seed pods. You can utilize a sharp knife to slice each pod of seeds to remove them. Then, keep them in a container or clean bowl.
Step 3: You must clean the hibiscus seeds by adding a little fresh water to the bowl or container and slightly stirring them. This will remove dirt and other substances on the seeds.
Step 4: Dry them and keep them in a dry and cool place.
How To Propagate Hibiscus Seeds?
If you live in a frost-free, warm climate, you may grow hibiscus trees from the freshly harvested seeds in your garden. Planting hibiscus in fall is also necessary for propagating the seeds.
However, follow this guide if you prefer to sow the seeds indoors.
Step 1: Use good sandpaper to nick the hibiscus seeds or a knife tip to help moisture penetrate them. This step allows the hibiscus seed germination to start.
Step 2: The nicked seeds will germinate within a month, but not a few months. Soak the seeds in warm water overnight or at least one hour after cutting them.
Step 3: Fill the bowl or container with a proper quality starting mix. Use a seed tray with cells if you want to sow multiple seeds. Note that you don’t mix with previously added fertilizer.
How To Take Care Of Germinative Hibiscus Seeds?
Step 1: Hibiscus seeds need heat to germinate, so choosing a place of 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (25 to 29 degrees Celsius) is advisable. You may put the tray on a heating mat to offer sufficient heat.
Step 2: Use clear plastic to cover the seed tray or place it in a white trash bag and monitor your tray daily.
The plastic helps keep the proper moisture to give the seeds a favorable environment. If you find your seeds dry, water them.
Step 3: After removing the plastic, put the trays under grow light for seed germination. Place the seedlings in 10 cm (4 inches) pots when the stems become woody, and the leaves are multi-paired.
Move the seedlings with care because their stems are fragile. Next, start feeding with a water-soluble all-purpose fertilizer diluted in half.
Step 4: Once your hibiscus is big enough to grow its own, transplant it outside in the warm months. Otherwise, you can plant it as a houseplant to protect them from the cold weather.
How To Store Hibiscus Seeds?
First, you should choose a dry, cool, and dark place to store these seeds to help give them the best survival.
This indicates that the freezer or fridge with a constant temperature is the proper environment to preserve hibiscus seeds.
Yet, it’s best to keep the seeds in an airtight container, such as a vase or an airtight plastic bag. You need to label the exact date for the seed container to monitor the seed viability.
Besides, it is necessary to maintain low humidity levels. This means that you shouldn’t store seeds in airy or damp areas.
If you give hibiscus seeds proper storage, they may be viable for several years. Human studies show that storing hibiscus seeds in a dark, cool, and dry place may help them survive up to 3 years.
Note that seed viability may decline over time. Thus, it is critical to monitor the seeds regularly.
FAQs
How Long Will It Take To Grow a Hibiscus from Seed?
Depending on your location, it takes about 6 to 12 weeks to thrive indoors before the danger of frost. Overnight-soaked seeds will help kick-start the process.
Sow the seeds 1/2 inch deep in well-drained soil, keep proper hibiscus spacing, and place them in full sunlight or under a lamp and keep 60% humidity.
Transplant them into a larger pot after 4 to 5 weeks; be careful not to damage the taproot.
Why is My Hibiscus Not Producing Seeds?
It’s probably because the male pollen can find its way into the female blooms, so no seeds can form. You should foster the pollinating process by taking the pollen to the female flowers.
Also, hibiscus’ flowering season is super short; they might not have sufficient time to pollinate. The last to blame is ants.
Abundant nectar in its flowers will draw many ants, and these insects will feast on their pollen.
Conclusion
Does hibiscus have seeds? The answer is yes. You can follow the ultimate guide in this article to harvest good-quality hibiscus seeds for propagation.
Also, you must know how to plant these floral plants from seeds to collect beautiful flowers for your room or backyard decoration.
Although the sowing process for the young hibiscus plants requires more effort and time, it makes you happy and is worth it.
