Re: [gardeners] Pruning Althea
Matt Trahan (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 19 Dec 1998 02:10:50 -0500
>Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 08:05:01 -0600
>From: George Shirley <gshirley@laol.net>
>Subject: Re: [gardeners] Pruning Althea
>
>It seems that they bloom year around down here in Zone 9b. We have several
little
>ones potted up and they're blooming now and had bloomed earlier in the
year. Maybe
>they bloom at different times in different zones?
>
>George
>
>Whigmaster@aol.com wrote:
>
>> My Rose of Sharon does not bloom until August and I prune around cut
back hard
>> around November. It comes back every year just as strong. I take off all
the
>> shoots that come off around the lower part of the trunk. Are there
>> different cultivars that bloom at different times?
>>
>> Janice
Rose of Sharon(Althea, Hardy Hibiscus)is a heat lover. We don't see blooms
on our hedge until June. They continue until early October. By October our
temps are down to around 70-80.
In our climate you can whack the heck out of them any time during the
growing season, but early to mid spring might be best. You can prune them
to just about any shape - single trunk lollypop, low hedge, "Lombardy
Poplar", whatever.
I keep ours at about 7 feet tall. If I have time in early winter, I prune
off the last six inches or so of a lot of the branches, to remove most of
the old seed heads. It gives it a less ratty look for 5 months.
Hope this helps,
Matt Trahan <matttrahan@ecsu.campus.mci.net> or <garden@juno.com>
USDA zone 8, AHS heat zone 7, Sunset zone 31, northeastern N.C.