How to save my Hibiscus plant?

[judy63]

Advanced hibiscus plant had black leaves most of top and cleaned off and pruned top first time this as happened I have had this plant for a long time obviously frost this year. 

No leaves are appearing at top of branches is there anything I can do to save this plant.

 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @judy63,

Your plant looks to have been quite badly damaged, and a significant number of those branches appear to have died back. The top 20cm of most of them looks quite crispy and dead. Take your fingernail and scratch the bark back in tiny sections starting from the tip and down the branches. If it's green underneath, then the branch is still alive, and if it's brown, the branch has died back. It can be cut back if you haven't seen any new buds on this dead material. You could add some Seasol to the plant to encourage re-growth.

Apart from damage from frost, how's the drainage in this area? Does the soil dry out in between watering, or does it stay wet?

Let me mention @Noelle to see if she has any advice.

Mitchell

[Noelle]

Hi @judy63 

Very sound advice from @MitchellMc  Removal of all dead wood, cutting back into green wood just above a node (bud joint on stem) may be the only thing you can do. It will ether shoot, or not.

A seaweed only tonic (one that does not include any added fertiliser) may assist.