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dazed77

Just geraniums

dazed77
18 years ago

I bought 3 geraniums sometime back. I think they are the regular kind. (it was labelled geranium) 2 with red flowers and one with pink. I noticed that in the springtime when I bought it, they did pretty ok, but soon I noticed that the branches kept rotting and I had to keep cutting them back and some black stuff would come out when i do. I planted them in full sun, but I planted them under my mini rose plant which gives them some shade. I would have liked to post a pic but since I had so much problem with rot they got cut back to almost nothing. Also I noticed that the reds did worse than the pink one. Can anyone identify this problem and what I could do about it? Thanks

Comments (5)

  • cantstopgardening
    18 years ago

    Hi Dazed!
    just a friedly clarification- you have pelargoniums, but they get commonly called geraniums. (Mix-up back when Linnaeus was going about naming things. The incorrect name stuck.)

    OK, you have some type of rot, which pelargoniums are susceptible to. Sterilize your tools with a one part bleach to nine parts water solution when going from one plant to another, or from one cut to another on the same plant. Or, run the tools through the dishwasher. I use a small animal toe-nail scissors that I pop into my dishwasher every time I use it. (The toe-nail scissors didn't work well on our rabbits nails, but it works great for cutting plant stems!) A pair of kid's Fiscars school scissors can take dishwashing as well. That way I don't have to deal with the bleach each time. (Most garden pruners can not take dishwashing- they will get rusty.)

    Cut back on watering, pelargoniums can take quite dry conditions, and rot likes wet conditions. When pelargoniums look wilty, it's usually from heat not dry conditions, by the way. If you have been having a wet spring, that's where your troubles are coming from, the pellies will perform better in a drier year. If you can grow your pelargoniums in a somewhat sandy mixture, that seems to work well at discouraging the rot. I have 32 potted up in a mixture of potting soil and tube sand ( the stuff sold to weight rear-wheel drive trucks down in the winter.) A few pellies were looking like they might possibly have a bit of rot, but since potting up into the sand/potting soil mixture, they have straightened out.

    Best of luck. Hope I didn't confuse you.

  • dazed77
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thank you cantstopgardening! My 'pelargoniums' have taken a turn for the worse since I posted this message. Please take a look at them...Is there any hope for the first one? Or should I should pull them out and learn from the mistake?

    Thanks!

  • cantstopgardening
    18 years ago

    Pot that first one up in to a clay pot, with a bit of sand in the mix. You want very good drainage. No mulch, pellies need to get a bit dry. Put the pot where it will get a bit of shade during the heat of the day. You can save number one. Two and three are toast. (Or mush.)

    Although, I have had some come back from that state (that number two and three are in,) when I brought them out of winter dormancy (the bag in the basement thing.) But, one way or another, those pellies need to get a bit drier.

    Pelargoniums come from Africa, where they can go through quite a bit of drought, and are considered succulents, so treat them as you would a jade plant or other succulent. Oddly enough, they don't like real hot temps, performing best if they are in the 80s. They will appreciate afternoon shade when temps get hotter than that.

    If you don't do anything else, pull that mulch away from them. They need to dry out if they have any chance. Trim off the rotted parts, cleaning tools between each cut. (That's why I like to use those kid's scissors. I have about six or seven scissors, and can make one cut with each scissors,then toss the scissors in the dishwasher. (Make sure the scissors is 'open' when it goes for it's ride in the dishwasher. You want to get all the nasties from between the blades.) Good luck!! :-)

  • dazed77
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks Cantstopgardening..appreciate your help. I don't have much luck in reviving dying plants, but I will keep in mind for next time to avoid having them get to much water. They really were very pretty initially. Bright and colorful. I will try again with new plants.

  • dazed77
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Hi again, My pelargoniums are completely finished by now. However a few months back, i actually collected seed from the dried flowers. Can they be grown from seed. I did sow a few but its been 2 months and they haven't germinated, so either I did something wrong or they are difficult to come from seed..

    Thanks.

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