Since planting geraniums in several half baskets and only 3 to a basket, they have hardly moved and certainly no signs of flowers! No disease that I can see other than a few yellowing leaves. Should I give up on them as it's getting late into the flowering season or be a little more patient?
Hi Gardenqueen
I have noticed that most of my geraniums kept from last year and cuttings that I took from them have just sat still but then again a lot of stuff on the allotment seems to have done the same. I have put it down to the weather earlier this year-didn't we have more than our fair share of rain- and hope that July might force them into action. Don't give up on them we may have a very late display when all other plants have died. Live in hope :happy11:
Just as a point of interest!
The subject of plants not performing as one would expect has arisen already this year and I have a theory that the pH of the compost is suspect!
I think it is slightly acidic which I put down to what ever the compost producers are adding to the mix in lieu of peat.
I see similarities with the occasions when I have used home made compost from my 'Dalek' compost bins which can sometimes be a bit acidic.
I have noticed this year that my plants have taken longer than usual to develop after planting out in commercial compost!
I get the feeling that the plants do not start growing properly until after they outgrow the rootball they formed in the pot, in other words not until they get into soil that is of a more suitable pH.
I have tried an experiment with my second batch of brassicas where I have added some lime into the compost prior to pricking out and it seems to have improved the situation.
OK this is only an experiment, and I have no way of checking it out short of sending samples of both mixes to a soil mechanic for testing to see if my theory is correct.
Has anyone else any thoughts on my theory?
Tg
Isn't peat itself acidic?
QuoteIsn't peat itself acidic?
True!
But I think in the past the producers had the pH issue well under control as peat was generally of a consistent pH whereas I think the additives they are using today could well be more variable.
If this is the case then more testing will be required to maintain a consistent pH which will add to the production costs.
Meaning some producers might be cutting corners in the interest of profit/ losses.
Personally I don't think the producers have got their recipes quite right yet.
Thanks for your input to the issue...Tg
My Geraniums are exactly the same, hardly grown at all. Thought it was because I had bought them from Tesco, and thought I mustn't buy anymore plants from there again. Maybe not Tesco's fault at all then.
Quote from: Tee Gee on July 06, 2014, 12:59:06
QuoteIsn't peat itself acidic?
True!
But I think in the past the producers had the pH issue well under control as peat was generally of a consistent pH whereas I think the additives they are using today could well be more variable.
If this is the case then more testing will be required to maintain a consistent pH which will add to the production costs.
Meaning some producers might be cutting corners in the interest of profit/ losses.
Personally I don't think the producers have got their recipes quite right yet.
Thanks for your input to the issue...Tg
Okay, that makes sense.
I haven't noticed anything weird myself because I've been using peat-free compost for years. Plus my soil's acidic anyway, which I of course only found out after I'd bought ericacious compost for a blueberry... ;)
QuoteMy Geraniums are exactly the same, hardly grown at all. Thought it was because I had bought them from Tesco, and thought I mustn't buy anymore plants from there again. Maybe not Tesco's fault at all then.
That reminds me of some geraniums I bought in a " Pound Shop"
I happened to call into one of these shops a couple of weeks ago and saw eight plants that were more or less covered in dried leaves, the compost had shrunk in the pots, all in all they were a very sad lot!
I had a squint between the dried leaves and saw that there was signs of life on a few of them and absolutely no signs on others.
I called over a shop assistant and said I would offer £1 for the eight of them ( I am one of the last of the big spenders) and they said they couldn't because they can only give discounts in increments of 25% meaning they wanted £2 for the eight plants!
So I looked through the plants again and chose four of them so I got the four plants for my pound, and the shop assistant was over the moon because she had sold products that were otherwise destined for the bin!
Now the point of my reply........all four plants are now covered in new leaves and are growing on brilliantly and coincidently they are growing on in my modified compost.
Strange this should come up when you consider there is another thread on the go in the forum on coincidences!
My guess with your Tesco plants was........they had been kept too wet whereas my lot had been allowed to dry out before watering which is accepted practice when growing Geraniums, but the shop assistant wasn't aware of that!
So I now have four lovely zonal ivy leafed geraniums for 25 p each
As I said.........I am one of your proverbial " big spenders" :glasses9:
Tee Gee, I think you may well be right about the condition of the soil! I have some geraniums in round baskets which I had to change the soil in and these plants are now twice the size of the ones in my half baskets. The reason being is that I was mean with the soil in half baskets as I chose to put them straight in the soil that had daffodilos in previously! So I will be carefully lifting the poorly grown plants out, refilling the baskets with fresh soil, replanting, and hope that does the trick! Will keep you up to date,
My new geranium baskets & pots are also being very slow to do anything whereas last years rescued geraniums re-potted in the last of last years compost are thriving & a glorious display.