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Hillside Greenhouse |
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GeraniumsThe garden geranium is not a geranium at all. It actually belongs to a group of plants called a pelargonium, but gardeners just refer to it as a geranium. Geraniums are sun loving plants and need at least six hours of good sunlight during the day. They do not tolerate wet soils. They do best if you allow the soil to dry somewhat between waterings -- especially after they are established in the garden bed.There are two main types of geranium, the zonal geranium and the ivy leafed geranium. Zonal geraniums are the standard type that have been grown in pots and gardens for years. They tend to grow from 10 to 16 inches tall, although there are some very vigours types that can get much taller. Ivy leafed geraniums, sometimes called vining geraniums are great for baskets and pots. They have a waxy leaf that reduces their need for water. The ivy leafed types do best with at least some shade during the day, preferably in the afternoon. Geraniums come in many colors mostly in the hues of bright red to to pink to white. Geraniums can be grown from cuttings or from seed. All cutting types first started out from a seed but were then propagated as cuttings because they were recognized as having some desirable characteristic. Cutting geraniums often have an extra set of petals. The petals are usually smaller than the main petals but provide a more double look to the flower. Seed propagated types are almost always single flowers, but are often larger. When it comes to seed propagated or cuting propagated, there is no best type. Most people find both to be beautiful. These are perennial plants that act as an annual in our climate. Some people try to over winter the plants in the house. There are two ways to do it. The first is to put the plant in a sunny, warm place and keep it growing through the winter. The other way is to let the plant dry out in a cool place and let it stay in a near dormant condition. This requires an area that stays no warmer than about 55 degrees but also never freezes. Not many homes can maintain these conditions. If you can successfully winter the plants, cut them back and put them out to grow as soon as the danger of frost is past. They will be slower to develop and bloom than greenhoues grown plants, but by mid summer will have caught up.
All sizes are approximate.
Oct, 2005 geranium.htm |