Friday, March 24, 2017

My Geraniums Think it's Spring!



The weather outside is frightful....
Does that sound familiar?
Spring is here - according to the calendar- but someone forgot to tell the weather man (or Mother Nature) because its cold, raining (with a risk of freezing rain and snow pellets) and just miserable.
However, my geraniums think it's spring, and they are blooming, blooming, and blooming!!

I over -winter my geraniums (and my neighbour's) in my basement under growing lights.  In the fall, after pulling them out of the flower beds or planters, I repot them using fresh soil, and cut the plant down to the soil line. This part I find extremely painful because the plant is full of flowers and they look absolutely gorgeous!  To prevent transplant shock, I water them with a mixture of water and transplant fertilizer and put them in my basement under the lights.  A timer monitors the length of time for light/darkness.

Over the winter I water only once a month!  After March 1st I increase the frequency of the watering to every other week.

I can't believe how well they are doing!  They certainly know its spring and are as anxious as I am
to get out into the garden.

Aren't the colors gorgeous?

And the size of the blooms? I was quite astounded  to find, upon measuring, that the largest bloom is 5" in diameter.

The other geraniums (red, coral, white, etc) are blooming as well, but this plant is performing the best.

Believe it or not, some of my geraniums are 20 years old - and counting.




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