You may be able to find out when to get an order in for next year at Fleming Farms. The current hybridizers return phone calls and emails themselves, and fairly promptly, too.

thank you guys! I will look into some of those and see where it gets me!

I started a few of the Luna Red Hibiscus seeds. They came up I re-potted them. But I really didn't understand how to grow them. Now they are pretty tall and starting to flop over. Around a foot tall. I thought they would start branching out but they haven't My question is can they be cut back and or trimmed back hard in the spring before I put them in pots? I am in Zone5
TIA

I usually let the hibiscus grow however it wants. I don't think its good to be cutting the stems. I would just put it in a big pot to let it start growing.

I agree with Eric. Pruning won't do much except possibly reduce the amount of blooms this season.
The Luna series doesn't really branch. They just have more stems coming up after a couple of years. They get to about 3 feet tall.
Some of the newer cultivars have some branching. Most of my seedlings from branching varieties maintain that characteristic, but vary significantly from the parent plants in other ways.

I have some too that get long and leggy and I too wish they were a little bushier or branched out. Tie dye is a real sprawler for me.

My Candy Crush, Evening Rose and Mars Madness make more side branches than most. CC and ER are about 3 - 3 1/2 feet tall and Mars Madness is 4 1/2 to 5 feet tall.

Hi All!🌺
Just wanted to update on my proven winners website purchase from last spring. My candy crush hibiscus has not shown any signs of new growth. PW will not replace or refund as they don't guarantee their plants to overwinter. That's disappointing, to say the least. Very expensive purchase to not have any guarantee on...lesson learned! Time will tell if the other 2 will thrive or not...they are still on the smaller side compared to others I have.

My Blackberry Merlot didn't seem to survive the winter (no new growth and roots appeared rotten?). That was one that was almost completely devoured by caterpillars last year.

I noticed today the sawfly caterpillars are back and starting to eat the leaves on some of my other varieties.😣 I'll probably try hand picking them off before trying insecticidal soap.

My Summer Carnival hibiscus has just poked a tiny 2" shoot above ground.
This was after I used GA3 gibberellic acid hormone to wake it up. There is a 'Wake Up Spray' for hibiscus that costs a bomb. But the main ingredient is GA3. Which is dirt cheap to buy and use by yourself.

Meanwhile the other hibiscus are all awake and growing for weeks.

Summer Carnival is not in the best location to be sure. But last year was only 6" tall and no flowers. I am not too hopeful for this year either if I had to force it awake.

Texas Star hibiscus putting on a show:



And it attracted a visitor!

That's a huge Texas Star, Char. Those butterflies are big, and your hibiscus makes the butterfly look smallish.

I raised the Texas Star from seed, and it took two years for it to bloom. I keep it sitting in a tub of water (because it's a bog plant) inside a wooden planter to keep it from blowing over. This fall I'm hoping to collect more seeds.

Char, I bet the tub of water is what pushes your blooms to maximum size. They surely love "wet feet".
Mine is in a drainage area, but doesn't get the steady water like yours does. The same kind of butterflies visit my blooms.

Update on the sawfly caterpillars:
I've applied homemade insecticidal soap by hand and it seems to be helping. I just dunk my hand in a small bucket of the solution and wipe it on the backs of the leaves. It seems, once again, that it's the darker leaved varieties that are attracting them (starry starry night, evening rose).

I've still found a couple of caterpillars while doing quick checks but nothing like the initial infestation. I'll probably continue to treat them at least once a week. Some of the caterpillars are so tiny it's impossible to pick them off and it's almost impossible to see some of them as they are sort of transparent.

SummerBee
I've ordered a "hand duster" for diatomaceous earth. I'll let you know how the sawfly larvae like it.😏

DraDiana,
Please do!! 😁🚫🐛

Ugh! Dang caterpillars are back with a vengeance and also attacking a Rose of Sharon and Luna white hibiscus now 😒
If the flowers weren't so pretty I'd be very tempted to just be "done" with hibiscus altogether. 🙄 What a headache.
I might try neem oil (I don't think it's recommended?) if the insecticidal soap doesn't start working better soon...

I wasn't sure if the neem oil hibiscus warning referred to tropical or hardy hibiscus or both! I decided not to try it and dumped pyrethrins on them instead. It slowed the saw flies down, but didn't eliminate them. The intact upper leaves are post pyrethrins

The sorry lower leaves are pre pyrethrins.
This arrived in the mail yesterday, but it is still in the 90's, so I haven't been out to apply the diatomaceous earth yet.

My leaves/plants look similar. I did a very quick check again today of one plant and didn't notice many caterpillars so I'm hoping things will improve. 🤞🏻
Hopefully the diatomaceous earth will work!!🍀

My lilac crush and valentines crush have been shipped. I also ordered a heart throb.