Viewing post #2951698 by tapla

You are viewing a single post made by tapla in the thread called Midnight Marvel hibiscus leaves.
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Jun 17, 2023 8:25 PM CST
Name: Al F.
5b-6a mid-MI
Knowledge counters trepidation.
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".....what should I expect to see over the course of the next few weeks? If the roots didn't dry out before you got the cuttings transplanted, a real concern, within a few days after transplanting you should see evidence the branch you rooted is extending. If you leave it as it is, the main stem will continue to grow longer. If you want a full plant with multiple stems, pinch the center out above the 2 leaves. This changes the plant's chemistry and pinching will cause 4 new branches to. Two from the node the leaves are currently attached to and 2 from the node from which you removed the leaves ,,,,,, as long as the buds weren't damaged by you pulling the leaves off instead of simply cutting through the leaf stem with a cutting tool (scissors, herb nipper, etc).

Below is a cutting that was pinched, that is to say the growing branch tip was removed.
Thumb of 2023-06-18/tapla/19df49
You can see the new branches forming in the axil (crotch) of both leaves. They look like leaves at this point, but only branches can grow from that part of the plant, though the branches will have leaves on them. Since you have 4 nodes instead of 2, like miy cutting, you should expect 4 new branches if you pinch. The plant will start redirecting it's resources to the newly activated branches within hours of the pinch. Since root growth always precedes top growth, you'll see the new growth of all 4 branches as soon as the plant's chemical messengers tell plant central there are enough roots to support new top growth - usually within just a few days. Your plant's reaction to the pinch, as long as you keep the plant alive, is pretty much a certainty.

Tip: Hibiscus is something of an outlier when it comes to its nutritional needs. It is one of the few plants that uses more potassium than nitrogen and does not tolerate phosphorous well. For best results, you should keep that in mind when you decide how you're going to handle nutritional supplementation. Ask if you want/need guidance.
Al
* Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. ~ Socrates
* Change might not always bring growth, but there is no growth without change.
* Mother Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
Last edited by tapla Jun 18, 2023 10:45 AM Icon for preview

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