Not familiar with the yellow flowering type...mine are red with variegated leaves.
Mine look like Hades as well! LOL!
They did last year too, though until rainy season came.
With the ban on watering, I haven't been watering mine, but this rain will surely help.
After our drought lessens, try pruning them back.
Last year, mine looked lovely after a good pruning, feeding and watering.
Mine are mulched and if I'm not mistaken, you can mulch anytime of the year.

Welcome!

You can definitely do the newspaper and mulch thing now. Anytime in the year is OK to start that. It is a good way to make any bed look fresher and nicer. If you wet the newspaper before you put the mulch down, you'll find its easier to keep it in place.

My hibiscus were pretty sad looking a couple years ago and I cut them way back. Only left about 3 feet. Then fed them and watched them take off. They filled in and started to look much better within a season. I'm not the hibiscus expert but i think this would be a good time of year to do that, right before the rains start.

Kate

I would definitely give them a hard pruning if they are looking straggly. They will fill in nicely and thrive in the rainy season.

DEfinitely a hard pruning is in order. Then water and fertilize with a fertiliser for acid-loving plants, water regularly then sit back and watch them grow,

I cut mine to ground level with a chain saw just about every yr no matter the time of yr. Within months they were back to the top of the house and very full and bushy.

Tony ~ you are brutal! That probably scares them into growing!
Kat

Thanks for the tips! I'll try pruning them a bit as well, and add some mulch and newspapers to the bottom...

Good to hear they'll fill out and get bushy-- hopefully this rain will help, too...

The rain will definitely help.
And a little fertilizer.

I have a yellow hibisvus that is about 6' high. It came with the house. It was very full, but bloomed poorly. It was blown over and nearly uprooted by Wilma. Propped it up and it finally grew again. Early this spring I pruned heavily. I left the original height, but severery opened it up, pruned all old growth, dead branches and branches that crossed. I cut all the tips to promote branching. The poor thing looked pretty bare. It is now leafing out, growing new branches and blooming quite nicely. I did the same to the weeping pink hibiscul and it really helped rejuvenate it. Hibiscus is not afraid of the clippers LOL.

Jo

I have been saving the cut off branches from the hibiscus and sticking them in the ground.They have rooted to form new bushes. Can even try doing it between the old bushes to make them fuller.

Wow, I really like that idea of saving the cut off branches and sticking them in the ground! I'll give that a try too.