Care tips for your pelargoniums
Make sure plants don’t get too hot in the heat of summer
The heatwave last month took its toll on my pelargonium show plants in the greenhouse. I’ve never seen so many yellow leaves with the high fluctuation in temperatures. It hasn’t been an easy year actually, as the early spell of heat before Easter seemed to convince some plants that they wanted to flower and set bud far too early.
Even outside, the plants in hanging pots and baskets were not happy. I had to move the ones that had been getting the full impact of the sun at the hottest time of the day somewhere shadier. You have to be careful if a plant is flagging and seems to be dry. Always check before watering, as heat will do that to plants, even if they’re not necessarily thirsty. You don’t want to overwater pelargoniums. To keep plants in tubs and baskets flowering, deadhead regularly and also remove seed heads, unless you’re like me and have an ivy leaf that comes more or less true from seed. I leave a few to ripen, then sow them, as they germinate quickly in the heat of summer. I then grow the seedlings through the winter to have an early start for the following year. My outdoor plants get plenty of feed this time of the year and I must admit to using the one that is fed to my tomato plants. It’s made by Doff and has seaweed and magnesium included, which helps to keep the foliage looking healthy.