About 10 years ago I grew quite a few H. Rosa sinensis, I was even trialing them for a hybridizer. At that time the growers felt that, unlike other flowering plants, excess phosphorous was detrimental to good growth and flowering in tropical hibiscus. Yesterday I picked up a beautiful Tradewinds 'Mandarin Wind' and the tag with it said to fertilize with 5-10-5. Have the recommendations about phosphorous changed? What are you all feeding yours?
Thanks, alice

Yes, phosphorus should be low for H. rosa-sinensis. According to Hidden Valley Hibiscus, you should have medium Nitrogen, low phosphorus, and high potassium. The fertilizer they sell is 17-5-24, so anything with a similar ration would be best. Personally, I have had pretty good success with Miracle Grow.

Thanks Horntoad, that is what I remembered. We have an excess of phosphorus in our soils and water here, I didn't want to add to the problem.

I am testing out miracle gro potting mix on two small tropical hibiscus I purchased online. Most websites i read say it can be used on them. I'll update in a few weeks to see how well it works.

Been 2 days so far a few leaves are yellowing on one and lost a bud not sure if it is because of potting mix, or it became too hot because they have to be slowly introduced to sunlight. Also maybe still stressed from the mail.

It could just be the transplant shock right now. I've frequently had buds drop after re-potting. I'm not too fond of miracle gro potting mix. It seems over priced, and to me it under performs. Make sure you don't have the one with the water holding crystals added.
Can you show us photos of the plants you are worrying about?

Not quite worried yet few yellow leaves coming o n though. Only had them out of the mail 3 days. Did not realize first pic is blurry.

The other one is looking normal.

Eric, for some reason I can't see either of the photos. Can you try again?

Are they blurry, or you just can not see them? I am using a fire tablet.

Ok, they weren't there at all, but they are now. The first pic is quite blurry but the second one is better. Since you haven't had them long, I'm thinking they look fine. Make sure they have good light and enough water and they should do fine.

It's always an adjustment process with the new because you have to slowly get them used to sunlight. Also I don't want to over water them.

I am not a fan of Miracle Grow products. They are partnered with Scotts who is partnered with Monsanto.

Also ever try to find things like NPK numbers or ingredients on Miracle Gro products? You can't. It's a secret.

I buy 40-60 bags of Miracle Gro Garden Soil every year when it goes on sale. By fall it's gone, used in my gardens here and there. When this batch is gone, it will be gone from my yard forever.

So it's been a week. Plants really have not grown much. I had four buds on one when it shipped and they all went bad. Maybe due to miracle gro used for soil.

It could still be transplant shock. I have my new hardy hibiscus in the ground. It's got some yellow and dropping leaves. The others turned purple. The one bud is still hanging on, but seems shrunken, so I expect it to drop soon.

I agree with Karen, it's more likely due to transplant shock. I've had plenty lose buds after transplanting. Never had an issue with Miracle Gro.

plantmanager said:It could still be transplant shock. I have my new hardy hibiscus in the ground. It's got some yellow and dropping leaves. The others turned purple. The one bud is still hanging on, but seems shrunken, so I expect it to drop soon.

I am not sure you have to do this with the hardy, but when you buy his tropical he says to slowly introduce them to sunlight.

I would do that with a tropical one, but didn't do it with the hardy one I got. I put it directly into the sunny spot and only shaded it with a chair the first day. I imagine that's why the leaves turned purple so quickly.

So both plants have buds now. I am also using hibisgain on my other ones. So far have not seen much flowering after two sessions of fertilizer the past two months with hibisgain. I'm fertilizing every 3 weeks.

Miamiu said:So both plants have buds now. I am also using hibisgain on my other ones. So far have not seen much flowering after two sessions of fertilizer the past two months with hibisgain. I'm fertilizing every 3 weeks.

Palmgain by the same manufacturer has an NPK ration closer to what tropicals like. Also contains Magnesium, Iron, which is important to topicals.

Would it be better to fertilize every two weeks rather than every three?