PelargoniumNurseryTips
Imagine the effect of two pelargoniums, trained into theshape of pillars, standing on either side of a patio dooror an arbor decorated with hanging baskets ofpelargoniums. The possibilities for using these versatile plants for decoration are endless.
Pelargoniums on patios and balconies
Pelargoniums are very versatileants – they will even grow down-ward – and they get along well withother plants. These features makepossible a wide range of ornamen-tal uses. Hanging baskets can be planted with hanging pelargoniums. Vigorously growing varieties can betrained into standards or grown onedestals within a relatively short time, and pelargoniums can also be:orporated into the most magnificent color combinations-en planted together with othercolorful summer flowers.
Pelargoniums in hangingbaskets
Around your house there may be potruding eaves, a roofed-over area or an arbor where you can put up hanging baskets.
When choosing such sites. however. do not forget that hanging=sleets must be within easy reach for watering and general care.
Suitable plants
Use hanging pelargoniums forplanting in baskets, preferablyplants of the “cascade” varieties.which come in shades of wine red, brick red, lilac, and pink. They are specially suitable forbaskets, for three reasons:
•They can cope in unfavorable positions, such as shady or draftycorners.
√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√Ǭ¢They are “self-tidying,” whichmeans that the small petals roll upas they wither so that they arescarcely visible any longer. This is adefinite advantage for baskets thathang high up and/or are difficult toreach.
•They flower very abundantly.The hanging varieties known asmini-cascades are unrivalled in thequantities of flowers produced.
If you have a basket thatyou want to fill with plants, whenyou buy your hanging pelargoniums,check to what length they are likelyto grow. Mini-cascades will grow to20 in (50 cm) at the most. Othercascade varieties can grow to alength of 5 ft (1.5 m).
Combination with other flowering plants
If you do not wish to confine your-self to shades of red only for yourhanging baskets, you may createsymphonies of color by using otherplants too. Hanging varieties ofblue lobelia are popular basketplants, as are calceolaria – yellow;marguerite daisies – white andyellow; hanging verbena – pink:and brachycomes – sky blue.
Method
Plant containers: Plastic basketswith a removable dish underneath(obtainable at garden centers, etc.in all sizes) are very practical. Theydo not weigh much when empty
and are easy to clean. Rememberthat the baskets will increase inweight as the plants grow and willneed a device for hanging them upthat can cope with the strain.Planting: Plant no more than threehanging pelargoniums in a basketwith a diameter of 10 in (25 cm). Make sure a water-ing space of at least 3A in (2 cm) isleft at the top when planting, sothat soil is not washed out everytime you water the plants.
Tips on care
Care for pelargoniums in hangingbaskets in the same way as forthose in pots or flower boxes.Watering: Mini-cascades tend toreact rather sensitively to over-watering and cool temperaturesduring the first few weeks and willbe inclined to develop root rotrather quickly. For this reason,make sure that no waterloggingoccurs in the dish underneath, oreven remove the dish if the positionallows this. Sometimes pelargoni-ums in baskets are neglected whenit comes to watering, because oftheir elevated position.
Do not forget them and rememberthat, even in heavy rain, basketplants will receive hardly any waterif they are sheltered or under cover.Feeding: Basket pelargoniumsneed feeding . The cas-
cade varieties, in particular, shouldreceive regular weekly doses ofcompound fertilizer in their water.Cutting back: If the pelargoniumsgrow too long, you may cut themback at any time, using
a sharp knife to cut to the desiredlength.
Overwintering
The overwintering of pelargoniumsin baskets is the same as for pelargoniums in pots or boxes.
Standards
Training a standard is not as diffi-cult as many people think and willtake exactly a year. If you begin thegrowing of rooted cuttings in thespring, with consistent care you should be able to brightenup your balcony or patio with a fullygrown standard by the followingyear. The best way is to start withseveral cuttings. of which only one,the strongest, will end up beingtrained as a standard.
Suitable pelargoniums
Zonal pelargoniums and hangingpelargoniums can be trained asstandards. Zonal hybrids are easierto train.
Decorative underplanting
Low-growing annuals, such asalyssum, brachycomes, or Sanvitalia procumbens, are very suitable forplanting under standards. Theybloom all summer long but willhave to be renewed every year.
How to train standards
Start in early spring with a fewrobust cuttings that you have takerfrom overwintered plants and haverooted, or buy ready-
rooted cuttings in a garden center.Planting: As soon as the cuttingshave rooted well, each individualcutting should be planted in a plas-tic or clay pot with a diameter of4 in (11 cm).
Soil: Standard potting compost c-a commercial potting compostwhich you should mix with basicfertilizer.
Regular feeding: Three weeksafter planting, it will be time to ai.eyour plants some liquid compour:fertilizer in water.
Encouraging upward growth: Asthe plant grows, the main stemform side shoots and buds whichyou should pinch off immediatelywith your fingers
so that all the growing energy goesinto the height of the plant.
Final choices: During this growthphase, you will be able to decidewhich plant is especially suited tofurther cultivation. Plants should bechosen as standards if their mastem is specially straight, strong.and tall. Pelargoniums withcrooked main stems are unsuitace.as are pelargoniums which obvi-ously lag behind the others in thengrowth.
Repotting: In late spring the ma–stern should be about 20 in (50 :√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√¢‚Ǩ¬ùtall.
Plant the pelargonium in a pot with a diameter of 7 in (Soil: standard potting compostfertilized potting compost.
Tying to a support: After repotting, drive a 4-ft (1.2-m) long stick in beside the stem as a support for the plant and loosely tie the stem to it with raffia or twine. The tie is-:ended to give the stem supportNithout constricting it.
Further care: Three weeks after-spotting, start putting liquid com-pound fertilizer into the water oncea week and continue to pinch outlaterals and flower buds.
At a height of 30 in (75 cm): Carryon pinching out laterals and flowerbuds until the stem has reachedthis height (measured from theedge of the pot) but leave lateralsand leaves above that height asthey will form the head later on.The flower buds, however, shouldstill be removed.
At a height of 40 in (1 m): At thes-d of the first month of summera-d the beginning of the second√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√¢‚Ǩ¬ùonth, the pelargonium should-a√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√Ǭ¢ze attained a height of about 40 in (1 m). Now cut off the top of the main stem. Of the laterals that’,ave grown out to over 30 in (75:-1), leave the topmost five or sixas they will form branches for the
head. If possible, theseaterals should be distributeds.enly around the stem.
Repotting: When the laterals havegrown a little larger (about 2 in/
5 cm), transfer the standard into itsfinal pot, preferably a heavy claypot, as this will give the pelargoni-um the required stability.
Soil: standard potting compost ora fertilized commercial pottingcompost.
This repotting procedure will prob-ably require two people:
•Place the standard next to thenew clay pot.
•Fill the new pot with soil up toabout a level of 2 in (5 cm).
•At this point, you will need ahelper to support the standardplant during the whole operation ofrepotting, so that it does not break.
•In order to extract the standardfrom its old pot unharmed, it willhave to be laid on the ground. Todo this, tip the pot slowly, withouttearing off any roots or sections ofroots. The support stick should beleft in its position in the soil.
•Lift the standard upright by encir-cling the rootstock with both handsand then place it in the new pot.
•With your helper still supportingthe standard, fill the pot with extrasoil all around the rootstock. Thesoil should be pressed down firmlyso that the plant stands up straight.but not so hard that it seems as if ithad been cemented in!
Pinching tips out of laterals: whenthe laterals have grown to a lengthof about 10 in (25 cm), pinch outtheir shoot tips, so that they
will branch out again. Soon a com-pact head will form with some firstflowers which should no longer bepinched out.
Care during the first year
The standard has now reached its -final shape. The following proce-dures should be carried out untiloverwintering begins:
Feeding: Put liquid compound fer-tilizer in the water once a week until
the end of the summer. During thefirst month of fall feed only onceevery fortnight, then stop wateringaltogether so that the plant canenter its dormant phase.
Tidying: Continue to remove leavesand flower buds which form on thestem.
Support stick: Occasionally checkthe places where the stem hasbeen tied to the support stick tomake sure there is no constriction.
Overwintering
Before the first frosts appear, takethe standard inside and place it in abright, cool room. It should beoverwintered like all other pelargo-niums that have been outside.
When the pelargonium standardstarts putting out shoots the follow-ing spring, you should pinch outthe tips once more, by the secondmonth of spring at the latest,
in order to obtain a compacthead. From the middle of the lastmonth of spring onward, thepelargonium will bloom in fullsplendor. If you leave pinching outthe shoot tips until later, you willdelay flowering.
Tips on care during the second year
General care: Pelargonium stan-dards should be cared for all yearround just like all other pelargoni-ums on patios and balconies.
Cutting back: Long, protrudingshoots which grow out of the headshape, should be cut off.
Support stick: During the secondyear. replace the support stick. Thenew one should be thicker (with adiameter of about 3/: in/2 cm) andextend right into the center of thestandard head, so that the
plant is given plenty of support as itgrows.
which the arrangement is set;
•colors of flowers that go welltogether;
•large and small flowers to bal-ance the arrangement;
√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√Ǭ¢different kinds of leaves (color,.i-ape, and size) which may_–;once the general effect;
√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√Ǭ¢plants that go together withspect to their growth and shape’or flower boxes, for example, it is:-eferable to plant hanging plantsat the front and upright plants athe back).
Suitable plants
Choose sun-loving annuals that willcloom all summer long and will notgrow too tall for a balcony boxarrangement. They come in many:eautiful shades, with large flowerscetunias, for example), delicatedowers (lobelia), hanging flowers(hanging verbena), or very uprightflowers.
Tips on care
Mixed plantings containing pelargo-niums should be cared for in thesame way as pelargoniums inflower boxes or pots.
Cutting back accompanyingplants: In wet years some summer::.,vers may outstrip the pelargoni-_-ns in their growth. Petunias andarge daisies can become so largeand overpowering that some out-ing back will be needed.
Petunias can stand rigorous pruning. With marguerite daisies, how-.er, do not cut back to the woody
Overwintering
Before overwintering begins,-wove the summer annuals fromlie flower box as they will not sur-Ave the winter. Take this opportu-Ity to move the pelargoniums tooividual pots which, in turn, will stimiulate more compact growth thei owing year.
Indoor Pelargoniums
Pelargoniums kept indoors – theregal, fancy-leafed, and scented-leafed varieties – will not offer thesame wide range of uses as thezonal or hanging hybrids on bal-conies and patios. Some varieties,however, can be trained intostandards.
Suitable plants
Regal pelargoniums are quite suit-able for training into standards.Among the scented-leafed and wildpelargoniums, to date only a fewvarieties are known to be suitable,these being the large-floweringpelargonium (Pelargonium grandi-florum), the cultivar “PrincessAnne,’ and all scented-leafedhybrids.
Method
Indoor pelargoniums should betrained as standards in exactly thesame way as zonal or hanginghybrids. However, you must also take into considerationthe care requirements of the vari-ous species.
Geraniums on the garden
Shrub geraniums cannot be trainedinto special shapes. They do, how-ever, blend well into arrangementsof plants incorporating other shrubs. They come in colors that range through blue, white, and vio-let, as well as many shades of pinkand red. They are grown as tallshrubs and also in the form ofcushions.
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