What Food Does the Hibiscus Like?

Feeding Hibiscus

• Hibiscus require frequent fertilizer, whether kept in the house or outdoors. Select a fertilizer with medium levels of nitrogen, small amounts of phosphorus and high levels of potassium. Watch hibiscus for nitrogen burn, which appears as brown leaf edges. Cut fertilizer levels in half and slowly increase them if this symptom appears. An ideal fertilizer is 17-5-24. If that can't be found, try 9-3-13, 10-4-12 or 12-4-18.

Damaging Elements

• Hibiscus need phosphorus in their environment, but a little bit goes a long way. Many fertilizers will claim to be "bloom boosters," which indicates that they contain large amounts of phosphorus. In a very short time, phosphorus will damage and kill hibiscus. Check fertilizer for chloride forms of trace minerals — chloride causes long-term damage to hibiscus.

Deficiencies

• Trace minerals are vital to hibiscus success. Hibiscus sometimes suffer from a few deficiencies, such as boron, magnesium and molybdenum. Boron deficiency causes cupping or puckering of new leaves. Magnesium deficiencies cause yellowing of leaves, sometimes so extreme that leaves are yellow with green veins. Molybdenum deficiency is somewhat more difficult to detect — older, bottom leaves slowly yellow while newer leaves are light green.

How to Fertilize Hibiscus

• After watering your potted hibiscus thoroughly, fertilize it with a liquid fertilizer mixed according to the package directions. Water potted hibiscus plants with enough fertilized water that the solution runs out the bottom of the pot about once every two weeks. Watering the plant before applying the fertilizer may seen counter-intuitive, but this method helps protect roots from nitrogen burn. Decrease fertilizer as the weather gets cooler. Completely withhold fertilizer during the coldest two months of the year for your location.