If you wait until the late summer, the stems will be more mature and woody, and they might take longer to root.
It’s okay to take cuttings from stems that are slightly brown or darker green, but they must be rooted in topsoil to be successful.
Avoid taking too many cuttings from one plant, as this can cause the parent plant to look bare or stop growing altogether. Aim to take no more than 5-6 cuttings at one time. After taking the cuttings, wipe the pruning shears with a clean, damp cloth to remove any bacteria and prevent rusting.
If the remaining leaves are very large, cut them in half horizontally to avoid wilting. You should never pull leaves off of the cuttings, as this can cause damage to the fibers in the stem, making growth more difficult.
If possible, make the cut through an area where a leaf was growing from the stem. These spots, called “eyes” contain natural growth hormones.
Try to avoid touching the end of the cutting with your hands, as they can transfer oils onto the stem that prevent the rooting hormone from working.
Remember to change the water out once per week. Simply remove the cutting from the water, pour out the water, and replace it with new water to prevent microbes from forming. Using this method, you’ll be able to monitor the growth of the plant. After about a week, you will see white bumps, and after about 4 weeks, you should see roots forming. You can use tap water as long as you don’t have a water softener. Softened water has too much sodium for hibiscus to propagate successfully.
Don’t push the stems into the soil without making a hole first because the grittiness of the dirt can damage the stem and remove the rooting hormone.
After the cuttings are in the box, water them again to prevent them from drying out too quickly.
Leave the plastic slightly open at the bottom or cut vents into the top to allow for airflow over the cuttings as they grow.
If you notice that the soil is wet, remove the plastic bag and reduce watering to every other day. Overwatering can cause root rot. If the soil dries out quickly, give the cuttings more water during the day. If the problem persists, move the container to an area that is slightly cooler or receives less sunlight.
For cuttings in water, wait to transplant until the roots change color from white to light tan.
If you can’t find specialty hibiscus soil, you can use any high-quality topsoil. Mix the topsoil with 4 parts soil to 1 part sand or peat moss to make it slightly less rich.
When in doubt, make the hole slightly larger than necessary and fill it in will more soil later.
If your leaves are touching the soil, they can begin to rot. Depending on the size of the cutting, you may need to add a small amount of soil to the bottom of the hole to ensure that the plant isn’t buried too deep.
Hibiscus plants love the sun, so once the roots are established, leave the plant in the sun, rotating it every few months to get even sunlight.
In the winter, water the hibiscus with warm water around 95 °F (35 °C) to encourage growth.
