Hibiscus syriacus 'Ultramarine'

Planting Advice for Hibiscus 'Ultramarine':

• Grow in a moist but well-drained soil in a sheltered position in full sun.
• Select an appropriate spot for your plants, making sure that you give them enough space to grow to their full size.
• Dig a hole twice the width of the roots, forking over the bottom to loosen the soil, and add some good quality fertiliser such as Blood Fish & Bone.
• Aim to plant at the same depth as the soil mark on the trunk.
• Holding the tree or plant upright in position with one hand, slowly backfill the hole with soil, and gently shake the plant, so the soil falls back around the roots.
• Use your heel to compact the soil around the plant to ensure good contact around the roots.

Aftercare Advice for your Hibiscus:

• Water 'Ultramarine' well and regularly for the first few months until established.
• Once planted, keep the area free of competing weeds.
• Apply a generous layer of mulch around the base of the plant after planting and thereafter annually.
• Hibiscus can be bare of leaves right up until May, so don't think that your plant has expired - keep it well-watered and it will burst into life when ready!

Pruning Advice for Hibiscus Ultramarine:

• There is no real need to prune for the first two years then prune to the shape and size you want. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter to control size.
• Prune established trees in summer using good quality secateurs, removing weak shoots, and cutting out those that cross over each other, to create an evenly spaced bowl shape.
• Prune back two or three buds in the late winter months or early spring to encourage larger flowers the following summer - if the shrub is left unpruned, it will continue to produce numerous blooms, but they will often be smaller in diameter.
• Hibiscus flower on the current season's growth, so pruning encourages them to flower prolifically.