Redfoot and Stars w/Hibiscus

[Redfoot NERD]

Looking from the gate.. the Brazilian enclosure is 12'x24' and has 12 Rose of Sharon growing in it. About half are
4'-5' and the tallest is now 6' tall! They will all grow to 8'-10'.
Upper left is 'dandelion-garden' with 3 Rose of Sharon.

Pan left to the Northern enclosure.. 18'x24' with enclosed "L-shaped" 'dandelion-garden' upper right. Northern enclosure also has 12 Rose of Sharon! Lower left is part of the Star enclosure.

From the South side.. grapevines growing on the fence in the foreground.. a total of 8 will cover fence eventually.. leaves are great food source.

Pan left.. upper left is Star enclosure with lone Rose of Sharon.. both Redfoot hides can be seen on each end.. and outside fence are four 5 gallon potted Tropical hibiscus.. which I take in during temps below 40. Blooms and leaves are food source until "all" of the Rose of Sharon begin to bloom in mid-July thru October..

.. then as the blooms fall.. it will be a beautiful automatic feeding system!

nerd

 

[Josh]

wow terry, that setup looks incredible! do you have many predators to worry about in your area?

 

[jasso2]

nice solid pad

 

[Isa]

Really nice enclosure, it is a tort paradise

Isa

 

[Jacqui]

Question on your Rose of Sharon, you said they bloom from July to October. Do you mean that with the different varieties you have they take that long to all bloom? Or do yours keep blooming? Wondering because here we just have the one bloom time.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Question on your Rose of Sharon, you said they bloom from July to October. Do you mean that with the different varieties you have they take that long to all bloom? Or do yours keep blooming? Wondering because here we just have the one bloom time.

Jacqui there are basically 3 "kinds" of hibiscus:

Tropical - which 'mainly' come from FL. and will bloom all year 'round with temps above 50(?) and plenty of light when inside. I've never had any problems feeding the blooms and leaves to all ages of redfoots and the stars like the blooms. I transplant them from the containers they come in.. into larger pots forever.

Tropicals have been "crossed" to produce some outrageous colors!!! They grow 4'+ and are "bushes"!

Perennial/Hardy - that can handle temps below zero. They go dormant at freezing temps.. and then need to be pruned to the ground after the last frost in the spring. In the early spring they actually look like they are dead.. and are the last to show any 'new' growth out of the ground.

Hardy's have the largest blooms.. some 8"-9" and many colors. Some grow to 5' and quite "bushy"!

Rose of Sharon - are the most hardy care-free hibiscus of them all. Can tolerate -20F! The first to 'leaf' in the spring. Mine from last year are now showing "bloom-buds". The ones that are blooming now are new plants this year from nurseries in FL and SC. And there are others from those nurseries that are loaded with "buds". There are now a nice variety of colors.. some with 'double' blooms.

I have seen 10' - 12' Rose of Sharon "shrubs/trees"!

We have been above 50 since late-March.. [ night-time ].

So yes.. once the Hardy/Rose of Sharon start blooming they have the longest 'bloom-time' of most any other perennial out there!

Hope this helps.. did we learn anything?

nerd

 

[Jacqui]

I knew about the different kinds and I have some of all of them. My question was only about the Rose of Sharon, here our plants just do the one bloom set, so you only get the blooms for maybe a week, two tops a year. Are you saying that there, they keep blooming for months?

 

[Yvonne G]

I knew about the different kinds and I have some of all of them. My question was only about the Rose of Sharon, here our plants just do the one bloom set, so you only get the blooms for maybe a week, two tops a year. Are you saying that there, they keep blooming for months?

Here in Central Calif. my Rose of Sharon trees bloom from about May 15th until they start dropping leaves in the fall.

Yvonne

 

[Redfoot NERD]

I knew about the different kinds and I have some of all of them. My question was only about the Rose of Sharon, here our plants just do the one bloom set, so you only get the blooms for maybe a week, two tops a year. Are you saying that there, they keep blooming for months?

Actually Jacqui.. I tend to believe that in the 'warmer' climates the Rose of Sharon will bloom as long as it was above freezing.. within reason that is.

I've not known them to NOT bloom [ for months ] until fall.. the October date was based on an 'early' fall.. which we didn't have last year. The 8' one in my M-I-L's yard [ in the direct sun ] bloomed until the first frost.. in mid-November.

nerd

 

[Jacqui]

Hmmm and the case for moving gets stronger and stronger...lol. It's pretty bad, when you think about moving just to live where it's more conducive weather for your torts and their food, then weather you kinda sorta like.

 

[Tortobox]

Awesome...very nice...I love all your redfoot collection too...they are gorgeous...can ship to Indonesia?

 

[terryo]

Beautiful enclosures Terry!
Here in NY the Rose of "Sharon" blooms all summer until the frost. Mine is still small..about 5'. In my neighborhood, people use them as hedges and they are all over 8'.

 

[Crazy1]

Terry, thank you for the intro to the different types of hybiscus, informative and nicely done. And your pens are wonderful. What is the material you used to divide the pens? it almost looks like siding?

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Terry, thank you for the intro to the different types of hybiscus, informative and nicely done. And your pens are wonderful. What is the material you used to divide the pens? it almost looks like siding?

Thank you Robyn,

Actually it IS vinyl siding.. so easy to work with. Easy to drill and screw in place. Can be a little tuff.. to cut!

nerd

 

[fordohio]

Redfoot NERD and others....I have seen alot of people put some kind of fencing around their plants. I was wondering what the reason was for doing this?

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Redfoot NERD and others....I have seen alot of people put some kind of fencing around their plants. I was wondering what the reason was for doing this?

Note her right front foot..

Terry K

 

[Crazy1]

Torts will trample and/or eat a plant until nothing is left. Fencing around plants that are in enclosures gives the plant a fighting chance. They are not trampled down and the leaves can still be reached in moderation, those that grow out thru the fencing. Some plants are used in enclosures for shade as well as food. Once established some plants are large enough to stand without fencing. Example: and 8 foot Hibiscus plant would fair fine in a pen but a 1 foot hibiscus would be eaten down to oblivion in a short time. That is why I fence in some of my plants at least.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Torts will trample and/or eat a plant until nothing is left. Fencing around plants that are in enclosures gives the plant a fighting chance. They are not trampled down and the leaves can still be reached in moderation, those that grow out thru the fencing. Some plants are used in enclosures for shade as well as food. Once established some plants are large enough to stand without fencing. Example: and 8 foot Hibiscus plant would fair fine in a pen but a 1 foot hibiscus would be eaten down to oblivion in a short time. That is why I fence in some of my plants at least.

Ever seen one 'climb' a fence to get a bloom?

"I know I can reach it"!

"Finally.. yummy rose of sharon bloom"!

That's 2x3 fencing. Count the 'gaps'.. that bloom was upwards of 12" from the ground - that male was around 11" SCL.. he was stretching!

NERD

 

[Jacqui]

Where there is a tortoise, there is always a way. Glad he got his bloom.

 

[fordohio]

Ok thanks all. That is what I figured you would say. Just wanted to make sure there wasn't another reason.

My leopard is still pretty small. So maybe the plants will grow at a similar rate and we won't have to fence them in.