Hibiscus trees drought disaster- last minute life support

[jeffpas]

Well these trees have been grown from seed- something I've never been successful at doing (has taken about 4 months altogether).

Unfortunately for me, we have had a freak drought this year and roasting oven temperatures in the mid 90s.

Its been absolutely bizarre, the heat seems to suck the soil bone dry in less than 24 hours. The yard is brown and even fully grown trees are starting to yellow, something I have never seen this time of year. Although as you can see here, the ground ivy seems OK.

 

Back to the baby hibiscus trees.

They were both doing quite well, up to about 12" tall, and I've been giving each a bucket of water when they droop, which brought them back within a few hours. Seems simple enough. Evidently, they needed water.

 

But then inevitably this happened and that, a few baking days and watering missed... and severe wilt and droop set in. First one, then the other. Watering does not seem to bring them back.

I'm now absolutely lost as to whether I am overwatering, or underwatering as the regular rules don't seem to apply anymore.

 

Here are the pics. The sticks are to keep the dogs and yard creatures from stomping over the trees, yes its happened in the past but they luckily recovered. You may notice one of them appears to have new leaves coming in, but again not sure what to do.

 

There are water bugs around the roots, and maybe a bit of a rot smell, but then when I dug down a bit it near the tree root it seems the soil is dry.

Immediate action is obviously needed at this desparate last stage, but what action???

Lost......

Edited June 30, 2016 by jeffpas

[jeffpas]

Not sure why the pictures loaded in sideways. They are right side up when I open them. Well, you'll have to turn your head unfortunately, lol.

[easy-lift guy]

Hmm. We have Hibiscus in Florida and I have never seen a hibiscus that looks like that.

It may be possible that you over watered the plant, however surrounded by a choking type of Ivey is surely not helping the surrival rate. I would attempt to dig it out and repot it until it recovers. Just make sure to keep it planted in a bed by its self so it not competing for food and water.

easy-lift guy

[jeffpas]

When you say surrounded, you think the ivy is sucking up all the water when it is watered?

I'm wondering if digging them up at this stage and changing things will traumatize them when they are already on death's door.

 

They're completely unrecognizeable at this point. They used to have rather large leaves somewhat rounded.

Repot, and leave them outside? They were grown from seed indoors under a lamp.

[easy-lift guy]

Yes, the ivy is taking up food, water. At this point the plant may also have a fungus as well due to over watering. I would start from scratch, keep this type of material in a pot in the future.

easy-lift guy

[jeffpas]

But I don't want to give up... and these are full sized trees I can't grow them in pots.....

[easy-lift guy]

You could if you moved them up to larger pots over a period of time. Your not giving up your just learning how to grow and plant your material more effectively and efficiently.

easy-lift guy

[Pinkfoot]

Roots may have rotted . But if not , pot them with a piece of hose pipe in the pot ,Bury the pot so it doesn't dry out so fast and water through the pipe .

[jeffpas]

Both dead I didn't want to risk the trauma of uprooting them, but seems my gamble went bad. Well, ceste la vie.

[jeffpas]

@Pinkfoot, if I had taken those plants and potted them, buried the pots in the ground and watered them with a hose pipe, the water would go right down and pool at the roots and drown them. The sides of the pot would keep them from getting oxygen and rot them further.

And then even if it lived, the tree would be cramped in a pot.

Why would I want to do that? I'm not understanding.

 

Also, what is the advantage of slowly moving into bigger pots? Tree seedlings sprout outside wild all the time in the wide open ground and don't need pot exchanges.

One would think a seedling of practically any size could go direct into a yard and go from there.

[muttley9050]

But do hibiscus trees self seed and grow in your yard?