scented geranium question

11 years ago

I've grown scented geraniums (pelargonium species)for years with great success. This includes Michigan including overwintering, 99 degree summers of PA and indoors in the winter and 100 degree summers in Missouri.

Never thought I would have difficulty here in Florida, in fact they were one of the first things i bought when I moved down here this spring, 6 various species. The three pine-scented types did not make it at all. The three other types; a rose, peppermint and a nutmeg type are surviving, but not thriving.

I did put them in the ground, and wondering if i woudl have been better with them in pots. I have a hard time thinking heat is an issue, and they did not rot, so I don't think humidity was a problem.

Thoughts?

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Comments (6)

amberroses
11 years ago
I have three kinds. They do pretty well for me in ground and in pots. They struggle a little more in the summer. Don't put them in the full sun.

In the midwest sometime it gets hot for a few days or even weeks. Sometimes it gets much hotter than it gets here, but it cools down at night and the heat doesn't last for the months and months straight that it does here. It takes a toll on plants.

Pinetree scented geranium sounds neat. All mine are rose scented types.
muscledbear
Original Author
11 years ago
OK. Its been mentioned to me before for other plants, but I am used to come plants being "full sun" and need to readjust my thinking down here, or figure out the plants that can tolerate "Florida full sun". All were planted in full sun and just before it started to get hot, so they were not established yet.

After the tropical storm passes, I'll move the two that are struggling the most into partially shaded area. Its good to know they do grow ok down here. I'll play around with the conditions until they seem happy.

Unfortunately, my yard gets more direct full sun in the summer than it does in the winter, backwards of what its looking like i want it to bed.
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Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
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Oops, I'm making the same mistake, sun almost all day, glad I read this. Couldn't hardly have enough sun for these in OH and the plant I got (citronella scented) a couple months ago is growing new leaves but losing the old ones at about the same pace. Is morning or afternoon best?

Trying to let it get very dry, maybe too dry? (Maybe a moot question for the immediate future if Isaac comes up here.) I think these are a Pelargonium? I've never had one of these (the scented of flowering type) thrive for me, oh unrequited love...
jason83
11 years ago
It took me years to figure out that full sun really means half/part sun down here in Florida. I'm accustomed to gardening in a Virginia climate, which sure it can get extremely hot. But it only lasts a few weeks. Here it'll last several months. It's not so much the strength of the heat, but the length of it. A lot of plants can't handle it. If the plant is stressed or severely weakened, its then vulnerable to a host of all kinds of insect and disease problems, and they'll slowly croak.

This is the first year I've actually experienced this pandemonium of sorts... trees I've planted in groupings where one or two get part shade are twice the size of the ones in full sun. Many plants die or perform poorly in the full sun but if they get a bit of shade they thrive.

I have a few of the mosquito (shoo? citral?) geraniums. I planted them along with some irises (bearded and siberian), english roses and annuals in a 2ft by 15ft row. Half the row gets shade by 1-2pm during our long summer, and that side of the bed is thriving. The side that's in full sun looks very stressed, and even one of the roses kicked the bucket.

Hopefully you've got enough partial shade in your yard, but if not, you can always plant small trees and foundation shrubs that can take the heat and sun, and then you're free to plant just about anything you want underneath of them, provided they're shaded by around 1-2pm. Not only will it be beautiful, but then everything will thrive and be much lower maintenance. :)

Good luck!
katkin_gw
11 years ago
There is also nematodes in the soil here and they infect the roots. If when you pull a plant out the roots have balls shapes to them, you have a nematode problem.
kayjones
11 years ago
I think your problem is probably spider mites, which thrive down here - my scented Geraniums are doing the same thing - hate those damned spider mites!!!