I Dug Up My Hibiscus And I Lost All Of…
Bill Asked
I dug up my hibiscus and I lost all of the rootball. I went ahead and placed it in the new planting hole and covered it with the same dirt. Do you think it will survive?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Bill in California: Hibiscus are lovely plants that give any garden a tropical feel. I am going to assume that this is a perennial in your California garden. I am sorry to say that it does not sound good for your hibiscus. The function of a root system is to stabilize the plant and, more importantly, provide food and water. Without a root system to take up water and essential nutrients, the plant cannot survive. Unless there are some roots left and through the process of photosynthesis it develops more to replace what was lost, there is little chance of survival. It will just be a waiting game at this point. You will notice it decline quite rapidly if it is going to. If this happens, just go ahead and remove the plant because it will not recover. Hopefully, this is not a sentimental specimen and you can purchase a new one to replace it.
