Pelargonium 'Lord Bute' (Pelargonium 'Lord Bute')

Regal Pelargoniums growing and propagating

Comment from CD

Regal Pelargoniums, info from www.swanlandnurseries.co.uk

Regal Pelargoniums do not require as much cutting back and require a slightly higher winter temperature. They prefer a clay pot, and like plenty of calcium, so hard water is ideal for watering rather than rain water which will be softer. Never allow the plant to dry out completely as the roots will seal and blackleg will creep up the stem and the plant will die. Remove dead flowers frequently and feed regularly with high potash so that they will perform as well as your Zonals.

Other info on pelargoniums in general (not just regal ones):
Some growers just take cuttings and do not house the old plants over winter but second year grown plants make better displays. When the mother plant has finished flowering in October, shake the soil from the roots and cram into a much smaller pot. On a bright day, I wash the root system and then put the plant into a small pot. The top growth is pruned hard and all old foliage removed to expose bare stems. Within two weeks new young shoots will be seen on the old stems. As the new leaf develops I sometimes remove them as they make a canopy and prevent more light reaching the stems. This way I get more shoots forming and soon have plant which will bear many branches and be short jointed. Compare this plant with a young plant and you will see how the exhibition winners get their plants to such perfection. A good reason for reducing the pot size in autumn is that there will be less risk of over-watering during the dormant part of the year. More Pelargoniums are lost because of over watering, over enthusiasm of the TLC (Tender Loving Care). Only water on bright days so that excess will soon evaporate. During the winter months, water in the morning, this reduces botrytis. If low temperatures are maintained then probably once a month will suffice, but if we get a lot of sunny weather, the temperature of the glasshouse will rise considerably and plants may dry our before you know it