UK gardening - Pelargonium just wont grow!

Author

Pelargonium just wont grow!

redband

2008-03-27, 1:25 pm

Hello all,

I have a variety of pelargonium (zonal) called Mrs JJ Knight. I've been
trying to get it to grow for a while now and had many cuttings of the
plant bought from a nursery that no longer appears to sell it.

The problem is that they are always so thin and leggy, they never seem
to bush out and develop like many of the popular varieties. I wonder if
that's why it doesn't seem to be sold elsewhere...that being said I
think a lot of it is due to my management.

What can I do to encourage the plants to fill out and develop well? Can
I put them back into the greenhouse (I brought them in when the heater
failed and frost hit them)? They are in a John Innes number 2 with sand
mixed in at the moment. Is there a better mix I could use? When should I
feed them? As they are so leggy at the moment, should I cut them back
and take cuttings? Or is it too early in the year?

I'm keen to make this variety grow this time as it doesn't seem easy to
get hold of and the flowers are gorgeous

--
redband

Bob Hobden

2008-03-27, 1:25 pm

"redband" wrote
> I have a variety of pelargonium (zonal) called Mrs JJ Knight. I've been
> trying to get it to grow for a while now and had many cuttings of the
> plant bought from a nursery that no longer appears to sell it.
>
> The problem is that they are always so thin and leggy, they never seem
> to bush out and develop like many of the popular varieties. I wonder if
> that's why it doesn't seem to be sold elsewhere...that being said I
> think a lot of it is due to my management.
>
> What can I do to encourage the plants to fill out and develop well? Can
> I put them back into the greenhouse (I brought them in when the heater
> failed and frost hit them)? They are in a John Innes number 2 with sand
> mixed in at the moment. Is there a better mix I could use? When should I
> feed them? As they are so leggy at the moment, should I cut them back
> and take cuttings? Or is it too early in the year?
>
> I'm keen to make this variety grow this time as it doesn't seem easy to
> get hold of and the flowers are gorgeous

>
>
Some of the old varieties can be leggy, I grow Doris Moore because of it's
fantastic colour, and it's a constant battle to get them to bush out even
slightly. Keep pinching out the top growth to make it produce side shoots
and then when they are a couple of inches long pinch them out too etc, etc.
Does mean you won't get any flowers until your plant has bushed out to your
satisfaction.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Charlie Pridham

2008-03-27, 5:25 pm

In article <redband.2616737@gardenbanter.co.uk>,
redband.2616737@gardenbanter.co.uk says...
>
> Hello all,
>
> I have a variety of pelargonium (zonal) called Mrs JJ Knight. I've been
> trying to get it to grow for a while now and had many cuttings of the
> plant bought from a nursery that no longer appears to sell it.
>
> The problem is that they are always so thin and leggy, they never seem
> to bush out and develop like many of the popular varieties. I wonder if
> that's why it doesn't seem to be sold elsewhere...that being said I
> think a lot of it is due to my management.
>
> What can I do to encourage the plants to fill out and develop well? Can
> I put them back into the greenhouse (I brought them in when the heater
> failed and frost hit them)? They are in a John Innes number 2 with sand
> mixed in at the moment. Is there a better mix I could use? When should I
> feed them? As they are so leggy at the moment, should I cut them back
> and take cuttings? Or is it too early in the year?
>
> I'm keen to make this variety grow this time as it doesn't seem easy to
> get hold of and the flowers are gorgeous

>
>
>
>
> --
> redband
>
Try keeping it outside as much as you can (frost permitting), and when
inside maximum light, but some pelargoniums are just tall and there is
not much that can be done except grow them as climbers against the
conservatory wall!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

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