geraniums ( not hardy ) looking peaky ,should I feed ?

[gingeroots]

I have a very large pot in a sheltered position near my front door . It has had geraniums in it for about 3 years . They retained some flowers over winter .

They are still going strong but some leaves are yellowing at the edges and developing blackish splotches .

Anyone know why or how I can help them ? Could they need feeding ? If so what ? I have Baby Bio and Tomato Feed .

[gingeroots]

Anyone ?Shall I go with tomato food ?

[bilbodog]

Have you ever repotted them? If not you could take them out, get rid of th e old compost and replace with fresh. Then feed regularly whilst they are flowering. Take off the yellow leaves.

[gingeroots]

thanks ,I repotted last autumn and I remove any leaves that look yellow .

what would be the most approriate feed ?

[bilbodog]

I would use the tomato feed.

[gingeroots]

That's great ,thank you so much .

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

They love tomato feed.

[GeorgeTheThird]

Is it possible they have just reached the end of their lifespan and it's time to buy new ones? Aldi have big individual ones this week - red, white or pink.

[gingeroots]

They might be getting that way .They were my mum's ,so I'm a bit sentimental .

[QuartzUcan]

I sympathise gingeroots - this year my Dad's geraniums have failed and I assume come to the end of their life 3 years after he has gone - I kept them for sentimental reasons and they thrived until this year - so I understand your sentiment about not wanting to simply replace.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

Get some cuttings, geraniums grow like weed, you'll have new plants in a couple of weeks.

[gingeroots]

Thanks Quartz ,that's kind of you .

That's a good idea Chardonnay .I'd not thought of it as I'm not experienced and have never taken a cutting .

I'll have a google and a go . Nothing to loose !

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

Easy.
Break of the end bit of a branch with a few leaves and stick in a pot.

That's it.

[gingeroots]

Really ? Wow !

[GeorgeTheThird]

Don't you suspend it in a glass of water for a bit until it grows roots, then stick it in a pot?

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

No, no need.

I do it with hardy geraniums too, esp macrorhizum.

[GeorgeTheThird]

Hardy geraniums are brilliant. I have pulled them out like weeds, then potted them up and they've grown. I don't think this is recommended though!

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

I love them, grow everywhere, easy to propagate.

I stuck 6 cuttings in the borders on Saturday. I'll let you know how many have survived next week.

[GeorgeTheThird]

Please do. Had you potted them up for a few weeks first?

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

No, I had a big plant with lots of runners, so it's very much like root cuttings.

Stuck them in the borders, they look quite perky.

[ppeatfruit]

But are they pelargoniums or geraniums? If they're pelargoniums they won't be too happy in the garden.

[TheRoadToRuin]

I understand the sentimental attachment. Not Geraniums, but I have Christmas Cacti that are the great great grandcacti of the ones belonging to my lovely late FIL who died 25 years ago .

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

The ones in the borders are Geranium Maccrorhizum. Bees adore them.

The ones in the pots are pelargonium.

Same procedure, break off a bit and stick it in.

[ppeatfruit]

The border ones are hardy and the potted ones need bringing in during the winter.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

I know, I have nowhere to bring them in though, so they stay in their pots huddled together somewhere sheltered.

[ppeatfruit]

Yes that works for me too, I put some fleece round them and or raise them up out of the frost, if it gets really cold! Better than completely inside!