Hello Everyone,

I bought 3 Geraniums 'Rozanne' and one Bloody Cranesbill (G. Sanguineum) this week, and planted 2 of the Rozannes and the sanguineum on Saturday.

One Rozanne started wilting almost immediately after I planted it. The other began wilting within 1-2 hours. I misted both (did not water, since I had watered the hole as I was planting) and the second Rozanne perked right up. The second one was still limp, but started to look a little better. Sunday morning, the 2nd plant still looked good, but the 1st was still wilted. I misted just the 1st, not the 2nd. Around 10 am (which, come to think of it, is right around the time geranium 2 would be getting full sun), the 2nd (good) geranium, started wilting. I watered both. 2nd Geranium perked right up and was good all day, 1st Geranium showed some promise, but never came back. I misted again at around 7 pm. This morning, 2nd plant looked good and 1st plant looked like it was coming back. One branch of leaves was actually open and erect. Didn't water b/c we have heavy clay soil and I was afraid of overwatering. Now, it is 2 pm and both plants are wilted.

Sanguineum is and has been doing fine.

I need help because I think the 2nd geranium will come back, but if I am going to save the 1st, I feel like I should do something today. (This will be the 3rd day of wilting). I am not sure if the issue is with underwatering, or if the plants are in stress from the planting? If watering is the issue, I am tempted to take geranium 1 out of the soil today and re-plant it in our back, where the soil is much better quality. If the plant is in shock and might come back, I don't want to move it again.

About the watering: We have heavy clay soil that I amended it as best I could before planting, but am not sure if I did it right. Worked 20%cotton burr compost into the hole, but the soil was still very heavy when I planted the plants, especially as I watered the holes as I was planting (maybe this was a mistake). As heavy as the soil is, I am afraid to keep watering geranium 1, because I find it hard to believe that the soil underneath is dry. That said, after I broke up the soil as best I could, there were still grape size clumps of clay in there, which may actually be causing the water to drain through the soil, rather than retaining it.

Question 2: if even the second "good" geranium is wilting where it is placed, maybe this is not a good spot? Location is southern exposure, full sun for about 10 hours. We are in northern Illinois, near Lake Michigan.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!