Growing a Rose of Sharon

Hi, I'm Stan DeFreitas, Mr. Green Thumb for On Gardening. A plant that I like is the Rose of Sharon. Now this plant will grow in an area like a hibiscus, probably needs a little bit more of a cool temperature for it to really come out with a nice flower. We've got a beautiful looking plant, it's usually grown in near pure peat because it likes that slightly acid soil and it really likes to hold the moisture. Now you can see that it looks like a Hibiscus, why? Because it's a second cousin of the Hibiscus, so it's got a flower that's very similar. We've got the petals that are a nice kind of pink and purple and then we've got a flower and leaf that is very similar to the Hibiscus only it's about maybe one quarter of the size of a Hibiscus looking leaf. Now this needs also about six hours of bright sun a day just like a Hibiscus would to get the kind of flowers that you're looking for. Also use a good fertilizer about every two to three months during the growing season. If it goes dormant during the wintertime well obviously cut back the fertilizer and wait till spring. But remember good fertilization in the fall helps pay dividends in the spring. For On Gardening I'm Stan DeFreitas, Mr. Green Thumb