Rose and lemon varieties are best suited for containers. Peppermint does well in the shade with supports that it can climb, and coconut is happy creeping along the ground.
By Ellen Brown
I am having a terrible time growing geraniums. My leaves start wilting and turn yellow. Am I watering too much or not enough? How much should I fertilize?
Hardiness Zone: 7b
Peg from Springboro, OH
By gurth
03/15/2007
I am having the same problem with two geraniums I received from a friend. I have had a previous geranium die at my hands! Everyone knows I do better with lawyers and weeds than with plants and ministers of religion--- Any help will be appreciated.
I have 5 planter boxes in a row that contain petunias and geraniums. They sit within 5 feet of each other surrounding my pool, getting the same water, fertilizer, and sun. The boxes are starting to rust. This year I gave them new soil, (Miracle Grow Moisture Control). Three of the boxes are doing fabulously, but 2 are spindly, not maturing, and the flowers are smaller in size than when I bought them. I keep looking for bugs, something to key me in as to what is wrong. Any thoughts?
By Nancy
By frugalsunnie
07/06/2011
Hi Nancy! Since three of the five are doing nicely, I'm going to assume that you aren't overwatering and that you've already checked that those two containers have adequate drainage, common causes of the 'uglies' on geraniums and petunias
The two containers that aren't doing well may be getting dosed with pool water-are they in the 'splash zone'? The containers may be getting pool water dripped into them, too, if they are placed in an area where swimmer congregate to dry off, queue for the diving board, etc. Or the containers could be getting something dripped into them from an overhanging tree, roof, or other landscape/hardscape feature.
If you can't find the explanation for the failure to thrive in those two containers from the above, the only other thing I can think of is that something in the container is causing the plants to suffer-even if you bought the containers at the same time and all five are identical, it's possible that those two containers came from a different manufacturing lot (or even manufacturer), and something in the coating or materials is not right for plants.
OR it could be the plants themselves-even though petunias and geraniums are considered perennials in most areas, they do have a 'shelf life'. Are the plants in those two containers older than the others? They may simply be running down to the end of their flowering lives.
Do you need to cut your geraniums back in the spring, or just leave them alone? This is the first year I have tried to regrow the same pot.
By Bonnie
By gardendreamer
03/19/2012
If you live where the temps get below freezing in the winter, you can bring them inside and do either of these:
(1) Bring the pot inside and put in a window with good light and continue to water them and they will bloom all winter; you can cut them back to 4" but I don't.
(2) You can cut them down to about 3-4" and leave them in a pot and put the pot inside where it is above freezing, do not water. they sort of dry out but will revive when it gets warm and will start to leaf out and then you start watering them.
(3) You can remove them from the soil, cut them to about 4" and put them in a paper bag and store in above freezing temps until spring when they will start to leaf out, and you then repot them and continue to care for them as usual.
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Growing Geraniums as Perennials