What's wrong with my Geraniums?

[Melrosgirl]

I don't have a green thumb by any means, but I can keep flowers alive usually, lol.

Well I've never had geraniums until this year. I have them in pots. Do they go in cycles? In other words, do they die off and come back normally? That's what mine have been doing.

They look really great (lots of blooms) and then they all wrinkle up and get dried out. I pluck those off and in a week, new ones come back.

I'm giving them plenty of water (not too much) and they for the most part are getting at least 8 hours of sun, depending on weather.

Is this normal? Should I not have to pluck the "dead" ones off? Am I doing something wrong?

thanks!

 

[olena]

I don't know about plucking off blooms. I think the summer heat shuts down the blooming. When the weather cools off, they will bloom again til a frost. That's what I read about a particular type. I would love to hear from someone who knows, since a friend has been asking about hers.

 

[gina2000]

It's their normal bloom cycle....not constant bloom but rebloom after one set of flowers has died off. Snap the flower stems off after they bloom down at the base of the plant. They look tidier and rebloom faster without all those excess sticks!

 

[Melrosgirl]

thank you! I am off to snap them off now, lol.

 

[Tulirose]

Okay, while we are on the subject - Why do my geranium leaves always turn yellow??? Am I not giving them enough water? I thought I was. It makes me crazy!!!!

 

[Mamu]

They say everyone can grow geraniums, and most can. How to grow them successfully. I have no read answers but a few tips.

Geraniums like rich well drained soil and full sun. They also like to be feed with a water soluble fertilizer every 2 weeks.

Don't wait until the old flowers have turned to brown sticks, remove the old flower and it's stem at the stock as soon as it starts to fade. This will help to keep the plant producing more flowers.

I find plants that are planted in pots and are in direct sun or even some plants in the ground, sometimes needs watering 2 a day, morning and late afternoon. If the soil is allowed to dry out too much the leaves get stressed and turn yellow.

Also loosen up the soil in the pots a little on the top. I do this with a old kitchen fork. Plants do not like hard crusty soil.

 

[gina2000]

Tuli, yellow leaves usually mean too much water. Though on a geranium it can be indicative of an unhealthy, diseased plant.

I'm betting on the water.