Why are the flower buds on my Hibiscus falling off before they bloom?

I bought a Hibiscus plant last year and this happened constantly. The new buds would form but before they would open (flower) the buds would fall off the stem. It was in a clay pot and even when I would get flowers they would fall off very quickly. I ended up transferring the plant to the ground and am waiting to see what happens. So far, so good, and I have one bloom about to open.





This year I bought 2 new Hibiscus plants and the same thing is happening. The buds just fall off the end of the stem before I see a flower. When I bought the plants they had at least 1 to 2 open flowers on each plant.





They are planted in large clay pots w/ potting soil, get watered every 2-3 days, get full sun in morning and part of the afternoon and get fertilizer as required.





Are the pots too small, not enough soil? (I have put them in larger pots and than they came in when purchased), Wrong fertilizer? (It says for flowering plants like Hibiscus), Too much/not enough water? Wrong type of soil?

Why are the flower buds on my Hibiscus falling off before they bloom?
From Houston Chronicle, August 2004 (first link below):





"Hibiscus note


Too much or too little fertilizer or water and excess temperatures can cause hibiscus buds to drop. This can be worse in some seasons than in others and among some varieties more than others. Double types may be more prone than others.





But more recently, we reported hibiscus experts Roz and Pat Merritt's advice on dealing with the gall midge, another cause of bud drop. The midge lays its eggs in buds, causing them to yellow and fall off the plant. If you cut a bud open, you may see the larvae.





Pick up all fallen buds and pick off all yellow buds, seal them in a plastic bag and dispose of the bag.





You could spray the plant with a product containing imidicloprid. Treat the ground/pot soil with a granular product that will target the stage that pupates in the ground. Spray three times at three-day intervals to get all stages. Cold weather should set the pests back. "





From Klahanie Greehouses (2nd link, more info)





"All Hibiscus rosa-sinensis need good, regular feeding and the soil must be kept MOIST (not wet) at all times. Failure to do so will cause the buds to fall off. "





Also, check out the third link for several other FAQ's about hibiscus and their answers.





Hope this helps your problem! Good luck.
Reply:Premature flower drop sometimes has to do with culivar selection! Sometimes it is insects living in the plant. Environmental conditions can even cause the buds to drop.





Here is a great article on hibiscus:


http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG020





Sounds like you are supplying them with the proper light, water and fertilizer requirements. How big are the pots you put them in compared to the root mass? They may be in pots too big for their root mass, and the water you may be giving them may not be enough, or too much depending on how long it takes for the pot to dry out. I know some plants do not like to be potted up, and it is possible that they are in a pot that is too big. (You could put two plants in a pot, depending on how big the plants and pots are!)





If you do choose to spray an insecticide, imidacloprid would work, but the insects must feed on it for it to work (it is not a contact insecticide). Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide. It is taken up by the plant, so when an insect feeds on it, they eat the poison and die. You could spray a contact insecticide that will work on caterpillars and other pests. Something like a pyrethroid will work. These are sold in any home/garden store.





A word of caution... hibiscus are very sensitive to chemicals, so be careful when applying anything so you don't hurt them!





Try to figure out if it is the environment causing the problem before you spray something that you may not need to spray!





Hope this helps!