- 1). Remove vegetation and debris from the ground. Plan to plant the root divisions in a sunny, well-draining area. Incorporate 2 to 3 inches of manure into the ground. Dig holes knowing you might have to adjust the depth later. Root clumps need to be planted as deep as they are as a single shrub. Perform these tasks before lifting the hibiscus out of the ground to expose the roots to air as little as possible to prevent drying.
- 2). Measure 6 inches from the base of the hibiscus. Dig at that point, going in a circle around the plant. Creating this distance keeps your spade from severing too much of the root system.
- 3). Lift the plant out of the hole when the spade's blade reaches deeper than the root system. Set the hibiscus on the soil surface in the shade.
- 4). Insert the sharp blade of a knife, saw or spade into the woody root crown. Push it down to separate the root ball into two sections. Repeat this step with each of the two halves. You now have four new hibiscus plant starters.
- 5). Measure how deep the plant was in the ground. Adjust the depth of the holes you dug in step 1, if necessary.
- 6). Plant the root divisions in the center of the holes. Refill them with topsoil. Water the hibiscuses to the depth of their roots.
previous post