Cutting back Geraniums

Cutting back Geraniums

After several people mentioning to me that their geraniums have made it through the winter I thought I would share a few tips on getting a nice plant for the coming spring/summer. Although geraniums are often treated as annuals they are strictly speaking perennials they are just generally to tender to withstand a winter. With the winter being so mild in lots of the UK this year many have survived and with a little bit of care they can go on to make great plants.

If you managed to get around to cutting yours back in the autumn then they should go on to make great bushy plants. If not then follow these few steps to cutting them back.

Its possible that your plant looks a little like this one, if so pull of any dead foliage just leaving green plant. Often an over wintered plant will be a little out of shape and although will probably grow just fine it may not turn out to be the most pleasing of shapes.

I tend to advocate being quiet aggressive when cutting back plants (when appropriate) by this I mean I normally lean towards cutting a plant back harder (or closer to its base) than others might. This comes from years of experience and also a general preference. I always prefer the look of fresh growth and often it will encourage a better more vigorous plant. This is obvious only when you are pruning a plant correctly. If you are unsure then remember once you cut something off, it is off for good.
The picture below is what we refer to as a break or node what you are looking to do is cut the plant just above the break. This will encourage the growth from the break and the plant will bush out from this point

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Then simply work your way around the plant always remembering to cut above the break and with the finish shape you are looking to achieve in the back of your mind. Once you have finished the plant should look a little like this.

Now you have finished cutting back its time to turn your attention to the soil. In many cases this will be the same soil that the plant has been in for almost a year. And as with most soil it may be tired and very low in feed. You could push some feed tablets in the soil and this will certainly give the plant a boost. However my preferred approach would be to replace as much soil as possible. First lift the the plant, soil and all out of its existing pot and whilst holding the stem at the base brush as much soil off the root ball as you can. Be as careful as you can to not damage to many roots but you will certainly damage some and this will not do much damage. Once you are down to a root ball similar to the picture below you are ready to pot the plant up with a bit of fresh soil.
A multi purpose soil with some long term feed would be ideal or a john inners 2 would be fine for this job. The plant can either go back into the same pot, although it may be better to choose a pot a inch or so wider in diameter.

Place the plant in the pot just to size it up. Then put a bit of soil in the base,  place the plant in the centre of the pot and fill in the sides with soil. Once the pot is full a gentle tap on the  table will settle the soil in and bring to light any gaps. Now you are all potted up. Water the plant in well but slowly trying not to wash the soil out of the pot.
The finish job should look a little like this.

Now place the geranium in a frost free place and in the coming months you should start seeing it bush out and growing into a great plant. I would expect to start seeing some buds in 6 weeks to 2 months depending on the weather.
Role on the spring

I hope this has been of help to you, I would love to hear about you experiences and any suggestions that you may have for other tip or instructions for anything garden related.

There is a instruction video on our you tube site. Please pay it a visit


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Are you Chitting?

Are you Chitting??

It’s that time of year again and I would guess you are either going to get your seed potatoes or awaiting their arrival. With the milder weather the tubers have arrived in garden centres around 2 weeks earlier than last year (in the southeast at least) Its always nice to see the same faces every year who buy their potatoes and we get to have a chat about how good or bad last years harvest was.

If you are new to growing potatoes there is always one word, a phrase that seems to trip people up. Chitting, its not the most flattering of names but its here to stay I am afraid. The way I describe it to first time potato grows is really you are giving them a bit of a head start. Now if you are anything like me over the years you may have left the odd potato which was brought from a shop in the bottom of the cupboard. Maybe you left it there for a month or two only to find upon uncovering it the potato had decided of it own accord to try and escape from your cupboard and make a break for it. Without even knowing it you where chitting.

I always suggest that people start chitting around the beginning of February although very cold years you may want to hold back a bit. This should be around about 5-7 weeks before you are looking to plant them.

Seed potatoes all have at least one eye it looks a little bit like a very small spot that you may or may not have suffered from in your teenage years. This is where the shoot will sprout from, find a contained such as an egg carton (these are perfect for chitting) and place the potato in with the eye pointing to the sky. Now place the trays in an area that has natural light but is away from any frosts. You should start seeing signs of shoots fairly quickly. Once the shoots have reached around about 2cm or just under an inch they are ready to plant out.

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Eyes on a seed potato