photo credit: graibeard

I always liked this flowering shrub because of the color variety and the time it flowered, later than most bushes thus adding more color to the yard.

I was offered seeds in a seed swap so decided to look the shrub up and see its advantages and disadvantages and see if it would be a welcome addition to my landscape. It saw no red flags that indicated it would be a nuisance plant and made a deal.

I was lucky, seed planting instructions were included and over several tries I have added a few tips on my own. Below is a rough guide that will work with most perennial shrub seeds. When you get a shrub seed check online, at your local extension office or your local library for seed planting tips.

• Check to see if your seed needs a clod treatment. (Time in the freezer or refrigerator to encourage the seed to wake up and start to grow when it warms up)
• Either soak or nick the seed to help with germination
• Prepare individual seed pots for the seeds and make sure there will be proper drainage. I always sit the pots on a tray of pebbles. This helps with drainage and adds humidity around the seedlings.
• Water carefully from below and make sure the top of the soil does not get soggy.
• After the seedling break the ground I will mist from the top and water from the bottom.

TIP: This was not mentioned in my Rose of Sharon growing instruction but it worked well with my seedling. I sat them on top of the television so they would have heat from beneath the soil. This will also work on top of the refrigerator or by using a waterbed heating mattress pad. By using heat beneath the soil my seedling germinated in less than a week.

Shrubs will grow slowly so I often plant them in decorative pots the first year and place outside on a patio or porch area.

In the fall you can either bring the shrub in for the winter months if you feel its so small to survive or plant outdoors. Often small shrubs like this I will place in a garden area I call the holding garden. It’s a place where small vulnerable plants can have more care and protection.

I planted most of my Rose of Sharon in a holding garden for two years then placed them in the backyard. They have grown well and have added beauty to the landscape.

I also gave a few bushes away or traded for other plants I wanted. And one other use for the Rose of Sharon bushes were bonsais. These shrubs make a very pretty bonsai.

I will be starting a new crop of Rose of Sharon after the holidays and will have a photo journal of their progress, which I will post. I will also be starting several other varieties of shrubs, trees and perennials for next years gardening projects in the next few weeks.