When it comes to pot plants, whether for indoor or outdoor use, I have a very special love affair with Pelargoniums whose distinctive earthy aroma conjures up abundant garden images and memories.

I still remember a certain terrace garden in Karachi’s Defence Phase 2, where rank upon rank of potted pelargonium in full winter bloom, softened the marble splendour with their bright pinks, soft apricots, cheerful cherry-red and magenta hues. And who can forget the pure white, double-flowered specimen in direct competition with the moon riding high above Darakshan villas a basket of overflowing with soft pink ones on a rosy Murree morning in June?

A little tricky to care for in our increasingly fickle climate, especially in coastal regions and the plains, pelargoniums are, somewhat confusingly, commonly known and sold as geraniums and countless seed-sellers label them as geraniums too. An understandable error on the part of sellers — the botanical name Geranium belongs to a separate plant genus bearing the common name ‘cranesbill’.

The ins and outs of growing the perfect Pelargonium flowers

WHEN TO PLANT

Back to pelargoniums now and to the pleasures of growing them in pots.

Thriving in full sun and/or very light shade, pelargoniums adore a dryish rather than the humid atmosphere that engulfs coastal and plains areas here for most of the summer months yet, strangely enough, they do exceptionally well in the damp summer drizzle of the hills and mountains in the north. A bit of a conundrum but there it is!

There is though, a simple way around this problem: follow the ‘normal’ growing habits of pelargoniums if you reside in the hills/mountains and completely reverse it in coastal regions and the plains.

‘Normal’ cultivation of ‘pelargoniums’ is to start them off from seeds or from healthy cuttings in early spring, from which, all going well, they will begin flowering in early summer and continue on into late autumn/early winter. Then cut them back — reserving healthy cuttings to pot up and grow on in a frost-free place — and store, in a frost-free place, without watering them at all until early spring. With the onset of spring, check the plants for damage, and cut out any damaged/diseased parts before re-potting, and resume watering so that the growing cycle is continued. The cuttings, taken at the time of inducing the parent plants to have a winter break, should be lightly watered throughout the winter months as they will not, obviously, have an existing root system containing enough nourishment to see them through until the first days of spring.

Coastal and plains dwellers (aside from gardeners in Quetta and adjoining localities) need to reverse the timings, switching, for example, seed sowing to early autumn, flowering to early winter until late spring and the rest period to the summer months when humidity is at its height.

Giving pelargoniums an annual rest period of roughly 10-12 weeks is surprisingly good for the plants and they will reward you, in season, with stunning flowers galore.

Pelargoniums can continue flowering for quite a few years but, from personal experience in our climate, it may be best to retire them from active duty when they reach the ripe old age of three or four years, replacing them with younger ones grown from cuttings.

OTHER TIPS AND TRICKS

Top quality soil/compost with excellent drainage is essential for these plants, as is a nitrogenous, preferably seaweed based and organic, liquid feed if they are to flourish and bloom to their full potential: a feed every two or three weeks throughout their growing season is highly beneficial.

It is also recommended that you pinch out the growing tips of young plants to encourage them to bush out and thus produce more flowers than uncontrolled, tall plants are liable to do.

The main reason for failure with pelargoniums — as well as many other potted plants — is over-watering; they dislike this intensely and react by shedding both leaves and flower buds. In overly wet soil/compost they are prone to root rot and various other fungal diseases.

The main insect pests affecting pelargoniums in our climate tend to be the white fly, green fly and spider mites, all of which are easily controlled by spraying with warm, soapy water or by spraying garlic spray or chilli-based ‘hellfire’ spray.

Pelargoniums come in many hues including white, cream, rose, bright pink, brilliant red, dark red, crimson, purple, magenta, lavender and bi-coloured. Flowers may be single or double or even resemble butterflies!

They may also have upright or trailing growth habits and some, such as rose or lemon geraniums, have highly-fragrant leaves that are much prized for use in herbal teas.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. It is important to include your location. The writer does not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Published in Dawn, EOS, June 18th, 2017