can anybody recommend varieties that will do well in our area and will come back each year?
geranium for Houston area
Are you talking about geranium geraniums (http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/5269/), or zonal geraniums (pelargoniums, what we see most around here - http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/2636/)?
maggie, pelargoniums.
Actually, I have several, bought at Home Depot and nurseries, never paid attention to what type- just the flower color. :-) They all come back (sometimes never go away) just fine. After a couple of years of over watering them I discovered they seem to like it on the dry side a bit. When I mulch them for protection in the winter, I try to keep it "light" so they don't rot (we often have wet winters) and I admit my backyard is somewhat protected. Mine are all in containers, just never thought about growing them in the ground. Isn't that funny? I've always loved pictures- photos, watercolors, etc- of geraniums in pots, never thought of them as bedding plants. Are yours planted in the ground?
I was just readiing about Pelargoniums in hot Texas weather. They don't like full sun during the hot summer months. The advise is to start them off in full sun inearly spring to get maximum growth and flowers. As the temperature goes up, slowly move them into partial afternoon shade. In the fall as the temperatures come down, bring them back out into the full sun again. Through trial and error, I've pretty much come to the same conclusion. I overwinter mine in a greenhouse because I have no protective niches.
Yeah, I forgot how I almost burned mine up. It the first year that I had sunshine, I figured everything that said "full sun" wanted full sun, right? Not necessarily so in TX, as you know. I do have mine where they get sun until about 2:30, then they are in bright shade. They (we) seem to finally be happy. :-)
I don't have any, I gave up on them because they fried by jul/aug, but I have a new bed that is full shade and was wondering if they would make it. I've never seen any inground, but that is what I want to do. I think I might experiment with one and see what happens. thanks for the input
Funny, when I was driving home today, I noticed for the very first time a garden one street over that has one planted in the ground. The yard faces North, but does get a lot of exposure to the sun. It appears to be mostly bright shade though. I'll start watching to see. After "talking" about this with you today, that plant just jumped out at me!
maggie, you be my "eyes" in Conroeland. LOL
vossner, mine are in containers and stay in the greenhouse in the winter. Then, I move them into an area that receives full sun until the leaves come out on my pistache tree which is happening right now. They receive a little sun in the morning and filtered shade during the afternoon during the summer and perform very well. My brother has several which he planted in the ground last year in filtered bright shade under oak trees. They performed beautifully last year and are absolutely magnificent this year having quadrupled in size with huge and numerous blooms. His look a lot better than mine which are just now putting on new leaves, but have been bloomimg all winter. A friend has some in the ground also which planted in an area that receives some morning sun, filtered shade from an oak tree and just a little afternoon sun. Hers are magnificent right now too. Neither my brother nor my friend protected them from the freezes we had this year. If the bed receives bright filtered shadeor if it receives morning sun and afternoon shade, they may do well. If it is in total dark shade, they may not receive enough light and become leggy with few or small blooms.
htop that is SSOOOO wonderful to hear. I was re-thumbing thru the logee's catalog (15th time now?) and they have the prettiest ones! I wanted to start with one from the local nursery, but with your comments I might go for broke and get a fancy one. oh, this is gonna be great! DH and I just created a new bed with is under 3 oaks, filtered sun is what they'll be getting. will keep everybody posted. thanks a bunch.
vossner, I sure hope that they do well for you.
htop,
What zone does your brother live in? I didn't think an oak tree could provide that much protection. Maybe I could get mine to survive if I mulched this year..
bettydee, he lives about 3 minutes from me in Zone 8b. We are located on the northwest side of San Antonio which is usually about 3 degrees colder than downtown SA. The flowerbed he has the geraniums in is in a corner where his privacy fences meet on the northwest side of his yard. He did mulch some around them, but the leaves didn't have any damage and he did not provide them with any other protection. My friend lives on the northside of San Antonio, but she covered hers with large pots during the freezes. I was shocked when I saw the plants because I thought that they would have a least frozen back or had stem and leaf burn. I have always grown mine in containers so I could move them inside during freezing weather. We did have a mild winter though with temperatures never falling into the middle 20s.
Vossner,
I have several geraniums I keep.One is about 3 years old now.
It is the classic red zonal geranium. It over winters on the back porch in extreme cold, but for the most part does fine on it's own year round.
The hardest part I have with them is keeping them moist but not wet. The constant drying out and rewetting process stress them badly and they drop leaves or the leaves yellow.Most of mine are in containers just because most of my garden is "portable- it goes where ever I go ". All of mine were purchased at Lowe's or Home Depot,WalMart had a nice healthy variety at very reasonbale prices, too.
They are fairly easy to root cuttings of also.
During out rainy season coming up you may have trouble with them in ground so you might want to add a little sand to the soil mix.Or you can try to cover them if we get our usual monsoon rains. I have the same issues with some of my begonias, too. I hang most of them in baskets under the eaves of my house.They get plenty of sunshine cooler breezes and stay a little drier during the rainy season.
It's hard to do but at the beginning of spring I always cut mine back by half, when you see it starting to put the first new buds on pinch em out...you won't be sorry as they will be huge and full after that.
Hope the info helps some. Good luck and let us know what you find to work for you.
MsC
thanks MsC. My neighbor has them potted and doesn't give them the best attention yet they are absolutely gorgeous (and pretty decent looking in winter). I might put them inground pot and all, whenever I get them. thanks for the info.
All Variety of Geraniums will flourish in our area...and to plant into the garden means that you must cover them up if a freeze or if a coldspell comes..I have them in my Gardens as well as in pots at my front door..Here are my 3 year old ones at the front door...Jeanne
And in my Gardens...
oohhhh, i wanna, i wanna! very beautiful jeanne tx
I have been quite successful with my EverDead Geraniums. They start out alive, but then the next thing I know, they are Dead, and I have tried to keep at least one around to remind me not to try again, but alas every few years, I find a really pretty one and have to try them again.
I found the pictured one, called Geranium - Ragtime. I couldn't resist, oh poor plant, it is doomed, but as you can see, still alive on April 30, 2005. I've never seen one like it. If you know about these and have been successful, can you give me some information and tips, I fell in love with the foliage. Haven't a clue what color the bloom will be. But it would be fun to have one live. Flourish would be too much to ask, but live would be a nice start....Any Help, suggestions, etc would be appreciated.
Susan (Buns)
JeanneTx, thanks for sharing the photos of your beautiful geraniums.
Buns, mine used to not survive either. I have found in my yard that the trick is to find a place where they will receive some morning sun and afternoon shade or fitered shade. Mine do well in full sun only in the cool spring and fall weather. When the heat arrives, in full sun, mine have burned up. Also, I used to water them too much to try to keep them alive in the sun and they would develop a fungus and die. I gave up on them for years and then, like you, I couldn't resist a few. I grew them in containers, found spots where they were happy (moving them if they were in too much sun) and now they are happy campers. The foliage on the one you posted is magnificent. I have never seen one like it. I hope it does not become an EverDead Geranium. :o)
Thanks Htop..granted that Geraniums are easy to flourish in ones garden once they figure out what they like and don't like..more people kill them with kindness by giving them too much water..they are more drought tolerant plants than people realize and another thing to make them bloom more..once the bloom has faded go down the stem the bloom was on to the plant and cut off..this is a good thing to do with any plant as it takes alot of energy from the plant letting them die on the plant...Jeanne
Here is another one of my favorite Ivy Geraniums called "Piccaso"..
JeanneTX, that 'Picasso' is a beauty for sure. The photo is really good. Thanks for sharing it.
Well, folks I bought a bicolor purple and have signed up in the heuchera coop for 1 Midnight Reiter. My last purchase will be something that looks like Geranium Ragtime posted by Buns above and featured in the Logee's catalog. All three will be together in full shade, maybe that will provide some relief from the 100 degree weather we'll have in late summer.
I bought this pretty little thing last year and it had a near-death experience during the summer. I dug up the remains (I had planted it in the ground) and re-potted it. A few scraggly branches remained and survived the winter and now it's loaded with new growth and leaves. So far, it has chosen not to bloom, but I keep encouraging it and maybe it will happen. I think it's called a Martha Washington.
oh I love that one! it would be absolutely perfect in my geranium area. I'll hunt it down.
Beautiful pics.
Vossner, the Home Depot at Nasa Rd 1 had some just yesterday! They were inside with the small tropicals.
MsC
thanks, i'll check the ones near me tomorrow
Vossner......"and have signed up in the heuchera coop for 1 Midnight Reiter"
vossner,
On Friday, I received the Pelargonium 'Georgia Peach' that I purchased from Logee's. It was in excellent condition. I like the Martha Washington varieties especially if they don't have any blotches. I used to have a clear, bright, solid pink variety. The bush looked like an Azalea. The flower form was just like the 'Georgia Peach' photo in Logee's catalog, but it was pink instead of peach. Foolishly, I didn't take any cuttings one year and lost all my Pelargoniums that year. I've never been able to find that particular variety. This is the closest I've come.
I have one Martha Washington 'Maiden Rose Pink' and just love the blooms as well as the foliage. I found it to be more persnickity than my other geraniums (it had a near death experience too) and I have had to keep it in an area that has less light than the others geraniums. During the winter, I kept it in the greenhouse. It is presently in a container in a location sheltered by a large fig tree.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/83952/index.html
definitely in love with the Martha Washingtons.
I find that the Martha Washingtons don't take kindly to pruning so I don't. If I can keep them alive, I let them ramble on and take cuttings when they get out of hand. That is when I remember.
Betty, how do you root the cuttings? I've heard that geraniums are supposed to be sooo easy to root, but.... Well, let's just say that I am propagation challenged. It was a miracle I had anything to take to the CTRU!
I can tell you how I root mine until betydee comes along.
One way is to cut your tips and remove the flowers, add rooting hormone powder and place in a wet florist foam until you see roots.
Another way I've had luck with is to take the tip cutting aadd rooting powder and stick in peat moss with some perlite. Keep it just moist and warm.
I don't mist mine because we have plenty of humidity so there's no need for asking for fungus or rot here. If your climate is drier then maybe you would need to do so????
The biggest problem in getting them to root, is keeping them too wet. But I have actually rooted them in water before so go figure...lol
Good luck!!
MsC
We have plenty of humidity in Conroe, we're considered part of the Gulf coast (the humidity reaches it's damp fingers all the way up here!) I think that I did keep them too wet - they definitely rotted. So, when you rooted them in water, was it like you root coleus? Just stick it in a glass of water and wait? (Now theres a plant I can propagate!)
Haha... humidity in Texas is everywhere except the very northern parts I guess.
I usually use perlite and water or those pretty colored stones with mine.I kept my cuttings just touching the water barely and I did add some rooting powder to it ,also. After a few roots sprouted I then added a touch of potting soil to the mix just to help it form "dirt roots". Sometimes it just depends on the cutting you take & the type of geranium.
I think some folks suggest adding a drop of hydrogen peroxide too. What could it hurt?
There are sooo many ways to root plants it's amazing the prices they charge for them...ah but that's a pauper's tale:)
Give it a try and see how it goes.
MsC
Thanks! Will do!
Maggie, I take cuttings about 4-6 inches long, pinch off any flowers & buds, take bottom leaves off, let cut end seal and air dry for about 1/2 hour (helps prevent rot). I like to use Dip N Grow. I use potting mix in small pots. I moisten the soil and cover the pot with one of those vegetable grocery bags secured with a rubber band. I'm going to try a rooting gel I just bought.