Here's my original question thread over in Perennials:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/515624/
Thanks!
MKJ
Hello, Herb'ers! Getting scented's geraniums to bloom?
Ah, heck, I can't stand it when I don't edit myself first...........scented geraniums. Ugh. ;-)
When do you prune?
Spring pruning will impact flowers.
My Skeleton Rose usually blooms April/May/June. I discovered by experience, if I prune it too late in the winter/spring, it won't bloom very well.
Do you overwinter in a greenhouse?
Erik
You won't get blooms to set unless it's below 50 degrees at night, they need cold nights to set blooms, doesn't matter if you cut them back unless you cut them back in jan , feb, some of mine are still blooming, but we're still getting cool nights too. I know cutting them back makes mine grow more vigorous. and of course more bushy.
they need sunlight too, ifyour having cold nights, and not getting blooms, perhaps your plant is still too small?, not enough sunlight, try some blooming fertilizer also. My geraniums do great in the greenhouse, though it's shaded some, and that does affect the coloring of some scenteds. making the leaves not the true color. etc...
kathy_ann
Did anyone see that geranium Logees was selling a few years ago - if my memory is working right now, this geranium was said to be a cross between an ivy geranium and a scented geranium, possibly nutmeg. It was said to be a scented, lavender-flowered cascader.
I guess that it probably needs cool nights, too - but who knows? Maybe those ivy geranium genes give it a higher tolerance for warmer nights?
Sorry I can't remember more - if you find anything more about this and any other crosses between these two types of geranium, I hope you will post the results of your hunt.
I'm not so sure about those 50 degree nights. I live here in south Florida where night temps are in about the 70's now and most all of my scented geraniums are currently blooming. I think they're pretty adaptable, much more so than the regular, unscented geraniums...Though my job has hundreds of those in mass plantings and they're all blooming like gangbusters, too.
WEll, Lilla If you have scented geraniums you need to be in the scented geranium swap LOL
I guess you are right about them being adaptible, if they weren't southerners would never have blooms. I t might just be the regal geraniums that have to have 50 degree nights.
Yes, Liila, come play with us! http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/518115/
My new coconut geranium just put up one tiny bloom (yea!), and it's been pretty hot here. Most of the ones I've had seem to bloom intermittantly throughout the summer but rarely while they're overwintering inside.
Ok, the pressure is on........."Look, Snowflake Rose, the people at DG SAID.....!" =)
MKJ
LOL! Yes, I've been lecturing some of my plants like that too!