My Hibiscus Plant Was Covered For The First Frost. When…
Dean Asked
My hibiscus plant was covered for the first frost. When I went to bring it indoors, the cover was not on, it was in my screen porch. The leaves are falling off now; will the leaves come back or did the frost kill it?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Dean: The damage from the frost is irreversible but I would not say goodbye to your tropical hibiscus just yet. Was it a hard freeze or just a light frost? Obviously it was more than the foliage could handle, but the root system may be just fine. It is going to be a waiting game at this point. I assume you have brought it indoors, so keep in mind that the best place to over-winter your hibiscus is in a south-facing window or any space where it will receive bright filtered light. Since it does not look very happy you might put it in the basement under lights. The idea is just to keep the plant alive so it can go outside next spring and put on new growth. It is normal for these tropicals to drop some of their foliage when we take them indoors for the winter months. There is always a certain amount of stress involved with this process, and reducing the stress is key to successfully over-wintering our tropical plants. Keep the soil on the dry side but do not let it completely dry out. Watering every seven to 10 days should be fine, but it will depend on the temperature and humidity of your home, so check the soil before watering so it does not receive too much water. Avoid fertilizing until you take it back outside next spring.
