Potted the Hibiscus today,in what I hope will be his semi-permanent home, going forward. This marks the 6th repot this year, including root pruning for this specimen. I am very pleased with how root reduction has progressed, for this plant; the gnarly, woody, tangled mass of old root structure is 80% gone, replaced with new, white, feeder-roots, well distributed around the perimeter.excerpt from Hibiscus (Rosa sinensis) Photo/History where you can access the full history of this plant.
Now it's time to grow a new canopy & time for me to see what I can do with it. The Hibiscus has taken everything I've thrown at it & come back, seemingly, unfazed & ready for more. He readily started back-budding, as you can see from the photos, after the "chop"..I have been pruning the new growth until I see where he's going & to encourage more back-budding & foliage over letting shoots become too long & leggy.
I've chosen 3 shoots which could become the major lower branches & seem to follow the contours of the older branches that have been removed. It will tax my beginner skills to choose what stays & what goes, but part of the learning curve, I guess.
But for right now, this specimen deserves some time to acclimate to his new home & resume his long, strange trip.