Do My Hardy Hibiscus Cuttings Need Special Light Before I Can Plant Them Next Spring?

Shade to Semi-Shade

• Place your cuttings outdoors in a well-shaded location, such as a porch or under an evergreen tree, as soon as temperatures are consistently above 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and not below 50 degrees at night. After two days in shade, move your plants into a semi-shady location for two days, where they will get used to a little sunlight. They shouldn't burn in these shady locations if you have had them in a brightly-lit window indoors. This is mainly to get them acclimated to the warmer temperatures.

Full Morning Sun

• Move your plants from semi-shade to a spot with full morning sun for two days and watch carefully for burning since this is their first time in full sunlight. Now they are beginning to acclimate to being in the sun all day and the higher temperatures that entails.

Afternoon Sun

• After a couple of days in full morning sun, it's time to start moving your hardy hibiscus cuttings into the afternoon sun. This must be done gradually, moving the plants out at noon for an hour and watching for burning. If there is no burning, increase the length of time by 30 minutes a day until they are in full sun up to 3 p.m. daily. They are now fully acclimated.

Care

• Do not fertilize your hardy hibiscus cuttings before or while you are hardening them off as new growth may burn more easily. Once they are acclimated to full sun, you can pot them or plant them in the desired place in the garden and begin to fertilize weekly with a balanced liquid fertilizer or use a timed-release type.

Considerations

• If you live in a more southern location with stronger sunlight, you may need to adjust the times somewhat and watch more closely for burning. If you live in a more northerly location, be careful not to let the cuttings fall victim to an unexpected cold snap.