Published Apr 17, 2025 • Last updated Apr 17, 2025 • 3 minute read
Geraniums are seen on the front porch of a home in London, Ont. in this file photo. Photo by Mike Hensen /Postmedia fileQ: I have watered with fertilizer my geraniums that are showing new green growth. The plants are four to five years old and heavily root-bound. I stored them after re-potting into small pots for winter. Is it advisable to use a fine knife to split the root in half, and then plant them in the flower bed directly? How do you split the roots into 2 plants?
A: The short answer is no, it is not advisable to split annual geranium (Pelargonium) roots. The most successful method is taking cuttings. I addressed this method in a recent column.
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Q: I covered all perennials, including many roses, with a mulch of peat moss and dried leaves. The roses are up against the house on the south side and are showing signs of growth. When should I remove this covering? Last year, I took it off too soon, and the new growth froze, but I also do not want to limit the growth of the plants.
Also, I need to amend one of my large perennial flower beds as the soil is quite hard, and it is difficult to work around the flowers during the summer. What should I add to the soil to make it more workable? I enjoy your column very much.
A: I have struggled in the past with when to remove mulches as well. Recently, while doing some reading, I ran across a great idea that I plan on using myself and would like to pass on to my readers. The article mentioned monitoring native trees and when they showed signs of budding out this was the sign to remove the mulch. Truly, this makes a great deal of sense as the trees will only bud out when the ambient and ground temperatures are right. Of course, Mother Nature can still throw a curve weather-wise, but this is a good way to know when to remove the mulch.
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As for what to add to your soil, compost is the best organic matter to add to recondition soil. Add compost to a depth of five cm and work in around the plants. Take care when cultivating very close to plants so as not to damage roots.
Q: I have a question about the cucumbers that I grew in my garden. I fertilized the cukes with 10-60-10 fertilizer once a week for two weeks last summer. If it did not rain, I watered the cukes every second day. 80 percent or more of the cukes were healthy, but a few of the fruits were yellow. Also, some of the leaves are wilted and brown. Could this be because I have overfertilized?
A: 10-60-10 is a ‘transplant’ fertilizer. This means that it is usually applied once during planting and that is it. The symptoms you describe could very well be from overfertilizing. The wilting leaves and the yellowing of the fruit are signs of this problem. In the future, I would fertilize once at planting with the 10-60-10 and then use a balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20 every 2 weeks.
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Every week, Growing Things Outdoors runs online at edmontonjournal.com or, if you prefer an epaper format, epaper.edmontonjournal.com
Learn more by emailing your questions to filipskigerald@gmail.com, reading past columns or my book Just Ask Jerry. You can also follow me on X (Twitter) @justaskjerry01.
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