Re: Geraniums
- To: <perennials>
- Subject: Re: Geraniums
- From: "* T* <m*@clark.net>
- Date: Tue, 4 Nov 1997 22:29:12 -0500
I've had a few for a number of years, now. They live in pots year 'round.
Outside in partial shade all summer and inside in my pseudo greenhouse in
winter.
The pseudo greenhouse is a plastic 'A' frame attached to a basement garage
door. Orientation is east and there is no artificial light unless I forget
to turn off the garage overhead fluorescents. It is cool to cold, but not
freezing. Varies from around 60F to 40F. Supplemental heat is provided by
a section of hot water baseboard in the garage. If the weather is really
bitter, I leave the door between the garage and the basement open....much
to my NGP's chagrin.
The geraniums (Pelargoniums, actually) seem to like it a lot. They don't
stop flowering all winter. I get the usual amount of leaf yellowing and
drop with new leaves coming on, but not at the same rate as during summer.
Being lazy and curious, I haven't cut mine back (other than the odd trim
of wayward stems) for years and one is now about 4' tall -- needs to be
staked, I might add, to stand up straight, but it's a fairly nifty plant
when blooming its head off.
When I used to try to winter them over in the house, I'd end up with
massive white fly attacks. Don't have this problem in the pseudo
greenhouse. The "greenhouse" floor is gravel on earth, which, I think
helps to keep the atmosphere more humid....believe this is one of the major
problems with plants in dry house conditions.
Point of all this is that I think they prefer bright light and cool temps
and if you give them that, you don't actually have to cut them back. Of
course, if you want to keep them small and bushy, you will have to cut
back. I think it would depend on what conditions you want to keep them in
as to when you did the cutting. I've noticed that pruning when they aren't
in active growth leads to dead stumps instead of new growth.
Of course, I may be nuts, but these are my observations FWIW.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: Susan Terrillion <susan@us.net>
> To: perennials@mallorn.com
> Subject: Re: Geraniums
> Date: Tuesday, November 04, 1997 3:49 PM
>
> Hi!
>
> Speaking of geraniums, is it necessary to cut them back after you bring
> them in to keep them alive all winter? I've had mine in for the past few
> weeks and they've only lost a few leaves here and there.
>
> Just wondering...
>
> ----------
> > From: Peggydwd@aol.com
> > To: perennials@mallorn.com
> > Subject: Re: Geraniums
> > Date: Tuesday, November 04, 1997 3:07 PM
> >
> > Hi:
> >
> > I have been doing that very thing with my geraniums for many years. I
> have
> > kept the same one going.
> >
> > Peggy in MASS.
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