Expert: Long Island Gardener - 3/21/2008

Question
I have two flower boxes of geraniums.  I live in Paris France  - its been a wet
winter.  I do not get much direct sun - but have strong reflected light almost
all day long.  In one flower box, the geraniums were almost dead - but do
seem to be recovering.  There are new blooms although the plant size and
leaf size are very small.  In the other box, the geraniums thrived when I
planted them last summer.  Through this winter they seemed to do well -
keeping large green leaves.  In the last few weeks, the plants have become
very leggy and are loosing leaves.  The leaves are turning a reddish color.  
There are no new blooms.  I have not been overwatering.  Is this a soil
problem? I put clay balls at the bottom of the box for drainage - could this be
affecting the plants?
Thank you in advance.

Answer
Wet Winter?  Don't you get Snow in Paris?

Seems your climate is similar to San Francisco, at least thru Winter.  Geraniums are hardy down to about 26 degrees if hardened off as temps dip.  If the stems freeze -- and you can tell this because they would be soft and pliable now, instead of firm -- the plant is doomed and you can toss it in the compost pile.  If not, watch for signs of new growth as temps rise, then slice off at the lowest budding leaves the rest of the stalks.  This will give you a stockier plant with new growth all around.

If there is active growth on these, you'll have to stop watering them and shield them from further moisture -- without the Sun to evaporate every drop, the H2O becomes a pool of germinating Fungus spores and Bacteria; that's a devastating prognosis for a Geranium.  You may not be overwatering, but you did say it was a wet Winter.  1 plus 1 = 2.

I am not sure what you mean by 'Clay Balls' -- are these Terra Cotta?  Regardless, anything for drainage is a good thing, especially for Geraniums.  You ask too much in March for plants designed for mid-Summer spectacles.

Red leaves generally indicate stress -- the plant stops making Chlorophyll, usually due to cold temps.  While they do not bloom anyway when it gets cold, Geraniums that have spent an entire Season outdoors in the elements have every reason to be stressed.  When Summer comes, they will no longer be stressed, and if you give them adequate light, I have every reason to believe they will bloom as lavishly as they did last Summer.  Viva les Geraniums,

L.I.G.