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I Repotted my hibiscus and shook the roots off…the heAvy soil around them. Will they survive?

Without seeing pictures of the size of your Hibiscus, and knowing a bit more about where you are it’s hard to say what will happen; here are a few hints to help your Hibiscus survive the traumatic treatment; spray the roots and keep them moist, and repot right away into a lighter mix.

I usually use Sunshine mix for indoor plants, because it’s sterilized and does not contain any pathogens that could potentially get into the plant and infect it with root rot for instance. You could use any good quality potting soil, but stay away from those that have fertilizer added; the tender delicate new roots that will emerge could be burned by contact with fertilizer.

To reduce the burden on the roots, you can cut back the top of the plant. Remove any flower buds, because these will be a major drain on the plant, and most likely won’t open properly anyway.

Cut back up to half of each stem; you can also pull off leaves to reduce the work that the roots have to do, and allow the ones remaining to do the work of supporting the roots and helping it recover. If you don’t cut the plant back, it will do it for you by wilting.

Spray the plant with plain water a couple of times a day, especially if you’re gardening where the temperature is hot.

Other than that, have patience; sometimes plants go into shock by being repotted, but just hang in there and watch; you will most likely be rewarded by some new growth in a month or so.

Best of luck,
Jacki