Making New Geraniums From Old Articles | Gardening

By: Keith Markensen

Though chrysanthemums and dahlias are making a brave showing, this month is really the windup of the gardening year in the West. It is evident that summer's wear and tear have taken their toll.

Planting for winter color - Where the weather is mild enough, the coastal areas from Seattle south to San Diego, set out lots of bedding plants to insure color in December and the first few months of next year.

For this planting pansies rate head and shoulders above all others; violas are a close second, and fairy primroses (Primula malacoides) come third. After these three come Iceland poppies, calendulas, nemesias, winter stocks and snapdragons.

It is still possible to grow some of these plants from seed, but it would be safer to depend upon nursery-grown plants, which will have sixty days to get established before the days get shorter and the soil turns cooler. Space the bedding plants far enough apart so that tulips, daffodils and hyacinths can be planted among them next month.

Sowing vegetables for winter eating - September planted vegetable gardens literally take care of themselves once fall rain starts. Some dependable crops you can put in are radishes, turnips, Swiss chard, carrots, onions, endive, parsley, winter peas, spinach, broccoli and other members of the cabbage family.

Making new geraniums from old- Most big commercial growers start new geraniums from cuttings taken in September. Non-flowering shoots which are thick, stocky and short jointed are best for cuttings. Old woody, lanky stems will not produce strong plants. The cuttings should be about 3 inches long. Dip them in hormone powder to hasten rooting and start them in pots or flats of moist, coarse river sand.

Cuttings of carnation, coleus, penstemon and zonale geranium can be taken now.

Sowing sweet peas - Plant seeds of one of the giant multiflora strains, so that you can enjoy the improved race of giant sweet peas. With only average culture, they will produce as many as five or six huge blooms on 18-inch stems.

Winter sweet peas will succeed where the soil drains well and stays warm, even during the rainy months. Treat the seeds with captan or a similar seed protectant as a precaution against fungus diseases and you can also put [http://www.plant-care.com/patio-bug-zappers.html]bug zappers to protect your plants.

Caring for the lawn - Attach a grass catcher to the lawnmower to pick up the clippings and also weed seeds. A light fertilizer application plus deep watering will help put your lawn in good condition for the winter.

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