Growing ivy-leaved geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) in pots is a challenging art because they like to sprawl or hang down and not stand upright.
Yet, when an ivy geranium vine is pinched back, and growth processes are delayed, the plant is forced to branch and become bushy, a mass of glorious color in full bloom.
Pinching Potted Ivy Geraniums
Pinching ivy geraniums planted in pots is a little-known art few gardeners attempt. So to learn more about it myself, I decided to practice on some 40 varieties.
My purpose was to give the lowly ivy geranium the same careful attention bestowed on other more widely grown geranium types. For this experiment, I grew my plants in pots of all sizes.
Many methods were tried, but the conclusion indicated that early nipping of the ends of young plants and continuous nipping as the vines started over the edge of the pot produced bushier specimens.
Three rooted cuttings were planted in an 8-inch pot at equal distances apart along the edge, so the vines would cover the soil in the pot.
Fertilizer Application
At first, ordinary fertilizers were used, but later I realized that additional nitrogen was needed during early growth.
When the plants became established, the extra nitrogen was eliminated, while superphosphate was increased when the buds started to form.
The amount of potash was not varied. This method of feeding grew sturdy plants that did not break easily. As for watering, remember that a well-established geranium prefers to be kept on the dry side.
Pinching is acquired by experience because some varieties branch easier and more readily than others.
After the first nipping of a rooted cutting, allow the branches to grow over the pot’s edge so that the entire pot is eventually hidden by the foliage.
Keep in mind that the more leaves the plant has, the more cells there will be to produce blooms.
Growth Speed Varies
It was soon established that all 40 varieties did not grow with the same speed, nor were their leaves all placed the same distance apart on the stem, no matter how they were fertilized and watered.
Therefore, they were placed in compact, medium, and trailing groups based on whether the leaves were spaced close together on the stem, fairly close, or far apart.
The compact types are best for pot-growing, the medium for hanging baskets, and the trailing or loosely knit best for porch boxes or ground cover use.
Perhaps the best ivy geraniums for use as pot plants are Lavender Gem, Nutmeg Lavender, and L’Elegante, called Madame Margot in the west and Sunset Ivy in the west.
L’Elegante
L’Elegante has a shield-shaped leaf with a white edge that turns pink or magenta under adverse conditions.
It can take lots of sun, although, at times, it seems to tolerate some shade. Keep all wholly green leaves picked off. Otherwise, the plant will revert.
L’Elegante makes a good pot plant because it withstands vigorous pinching and blooms profusely, producing light lavender-white flowers all season long.
It will also live in a pot for years though do not overwater or overfeed it with nitrogen.
Start to pinch it back early to encourage it to throw many branches. In the shade, watering must be watched carefully.
Sunset Ivy
Another variegated leaf of ivy geranium is called Sunset Ivy, but its true name is Duke of Edinburgh.
Not a good pot subject, its two-toned green leaves, edged in white, tend to become gold, while plants sometimes throw a complete branch of albino leaves.
Good Performer Ivy Geraniums
Some of the compact ivy geraniums that are good performers are The Duchess and Colonel Baden Powell, both white and Cliff House, and Hemet and Bridesmaid, light pinks. Desirable dark or rose pinks are Jester, Cayucas, and Rose Enchantress.
If you want only one variety, select Jester because it is free-flowering and has attractive blooms, with petals heavily penciled with darker pink. The old standby, Joseph Warren, is still the best purple.
Some Dark Reds
Three good dark reds include Charles Monselet, Willy with an orange cast, and Fred Bode. The latter is new and scarce, but it will make a place in the geranium world.
Yet others are Admiral Byrd, a semi-double reddish orchid, Estelle Doheny, and Salmon Enchantress, both salmons.
Three that require special mention are Enchantress (also called Princess Victoria), Neon, and Santa Paula.
Enchantress requires a little more attention since it mutates readily. Sports or mutations of Enchantress are Salmon Enchantress and Rose Enchantress.
Because it is unstable, Enchantress tends to revert to one or the other or both. Normally its semi-double flowers are white to light pink, irregularly penciled with rose pink, and sometimes edged with pink.
It is distinguished from others by its cup-shaped foliage. As a pot plant, it thrives both indoors and out if given full sun.
Other Varieties
Neon, a fully double cerise, is another ivy geranium adaptable to pot culture and so closely knit that it fully covers the pot, often without pinching.
Santa Paula has fully double lavender-blue blooms, so floriferous that the leaves can scarcely be seen.
Like Lavender Gems, plants form a mound of foliage and bloom, whether in a pot or on the ground. Nutmeg Lavender is a scented ivy geranium.
Ivy Geraniums for Pots
Among the best ivy geraniums for pots is the variety Sybil Holmes, listed by most growers as Medium Knit.
Under the California sun, it looks like a tight rosebud for 10 days to two weeks before opening out flat, like a rose, for another two weeks.
Growers in Maine and New York report that Sybil Holmes blooms last 45 to 60 days.
Two other ivy geraniums, the double white, Snowdrift, and the double pink, The Blush, are highly recommended.
On both kinds, blooms appear waxed. Foliage and flowers are both small for ivy geraniums.
Among the medium growers suitable for hanging baskets are:
- Galilee, a double light clear pink
- Charles Turner, a bright rose-pink double
- Carlos Uhden, a bright red double
- Old Mexico, a semi-double, light cerise-purple
- Apricot Queen, a small salmon pink
- Judy, a dark cerise
Image/s (Page 26)
The shape of the leaves gives ivy-geraniums their common name.
44659 by Thomas L. Hosmer