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| Pelargonium |
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Regal & Zonal pelargoniums are frequently known as geraniums and should not be confused with the genus geranium.(cranesbill)
The types usually grown in the UK are tender evergreen plants suitable for greenhouse cultivation, house plants and summer bedding as seen here;
They are easy to propagate, easy to care for, and can thrive in the richest or poorest of soils, and do not seem to mind excessive wet or severe drought.
They flower continuously from late May to the first frost
Cultural notes;
On receipt of your plants, pot the plants singly in 100mm (4") pots using a good proprietary potting compost or John Innes No 2.
Grow on indoors at a temperature of 7º-1 0°C (45º-50°F), shading the plants from direct sunlight.
When the plants are about 150mm (6”) tall, pinch out the growing tip to encourage bushy growth.
Keep the plants just moist until they start to grow, then water more freely, giving a weak liquid feed every 10-14 days from May to September.
Remove dead flower heads to promote further flowering shoots to grow.
Week 1; Check foliage, remove any that is discoloured and collect up any leaves that may have fallen from the plants.
Week 4; Sow seed in trays/pots of seed compost and germinate them at 21°-24°C (70°-75°F).
It is advisable at this time to drench the seed compost with a fungicide to reduce the risk of disease.
Germination should take 5-7 days
Week 10; Prick out the seedlings if they are large enough to handle into 75mm (3”) pots of potting compost.
Grow on at a temperature of 15°C (60°F)
Provide adequate moisture during this period, but be careful not to over water as this might cause botrytis to form.
It is preferable to water early in the day so that the plants have a chance to dry out a bit before nightfall.
Pinch out the tips of plants grown as bushes when about 150mm (6”) high.
Week 10-14; Prune established plants by cutting them back by a third to a half, and re-potting them into fresh moist potting compost.
Week 23-35; Take tip cuttings
Select healthy tips of stems, and trim to just below a leaf joint to leave a cutting of about 70-100mm (3”-4”) long
Leave cuttings on bench to dry for 24-48 hours.
Insert round the rim of a pot filled with a well-drained compost.
n.b. The use of a hormone rooting powder/gel at this stage is optional.
Place in a propagator or a clear plastic bag indoors to root.
When rooted pot the cuttings on as necessary.
Week 43>; Pelargoniums are quite tender and need protection during the winter months.
Lift plants from bedding schemes, and pot them down into 150mm (6") pots.
Cut back growth to 100mm (4”), and remove old or damaged leaves.
Store them in a frost free greenhouse/shed/garage.
Keep plants dry or they may start to rot off, especially if temperatures are low.
Periodically check plants over for signs of rot, and remove affected parts as necessary.
Newly rooted cuttings should be overwintered on a windowsill or in a heated glasshouse.
Similarly fetch containerised plants indoors for winter protection.
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