SCRAMBLING GERANIUMS

Jeff Jones

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INTRODUCTION

Most gardeners have experienced a plant that has some memorable characteristics that appeals to them, not something they are actually seeking, it just happens – and that’s what happened to me with Ivy Geraniums.

I live in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, a hot dry climate and have grown Zonal Geraniums for years. They are a tough long lived long flowering perennial.

Some twenty years ago I planted an 80 metre front fence of Ivy Geraniums on a caravan park. They were tied to that fence as a trellis. Spectacular results for a couple of years, however they were planted in the ground and watering in summer encouraged summer weeds. They were invaded mainly by Bermuda Couch. Eventually the whole lot, fence and all was rolled up and taken to the tip. I continued to grow Zonal Geraniums in pots, and still do without couch problems.

After my initial involvement with Ivy Geraniums I became interested in the Ivy Geranium Pelargonium Peltatum as cascading plants, and their cultivation.

Through out this booklet I will refer to their common name of Ivy Geraniums. They derive from Pelargonium Peltatum. In Australia the term Pelargonium is commonly related to Regal Geraniums or in the USA as Martha Washingtons.

Front cover photograph is an Ivy Geranium Ville de Dresden scrambling over our front gate post.

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CHAPTER 1

The Ivy Geranium is a high performance plant that has a trailing growth habit. It does not have a trunk, and lacks the woody thickening of their stems that upright growing Geraniums do have.

Ivy Geraniums are successfully grown attached to trellises, in hanging baskets, on rockeries or in tall pots where their structural weakness is put to good effect.

In all of these situations they thrive due to their vigour and long dense flowering periods.

There are many cultivars as they have been extensively hybridized over the years.

On doing research into this plant, I found that in their native state in South Africa, the Ivy Geranium Pelargonium Peltatum was described as a prostrate plant, that grew as a ground cover over rocks or scrambled over low growing shrubs. So in March 2015 I decided to conduct an experiment in growing them as self scrambling plants – not tied to trellises.

For the experiment I chose four Cultivars that have performed well for me and I had young plants in my nursery. The four Cultivars were Ville de Paris, Lilac Cascade, Decora Rose and Acapulco – all singles.

AcapulcoDecora Rose Lilac Cascade

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I prepared 5 x 50 litre pots and filled with my own potting mix of 50% red loam and 50% cheap potting mix (to break up the red loam that sets like cement), and a couple of small cups of Osmocote.

In 4 of those 5 pots I planted two each of the afore mentioned cultivars and in each of those four pots I erected a Whites Tomato Cage 1.5m. high enclosed with Whites Garden Mesh 100 x 100mm.

In each of these 4 pots I placed a lightly branched bush shrub for the plant to get support from. Little did I realise at this stage how important those dead shrubs were.

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In the 5th pot the same treatment but without the shrub. The 5th pot was planted to another 2 Decora Roses.

The rising Ivies experiment was started on the 3rd March 2015 and the little plants will be grown without intervention from me.

The aim of the experiment was to see if Ivy Geraniums can be grown another way and the purpose of this booklet is to add a little to the story of Ivy Geraniums.

CHAPTER 2

As I now have planted the first 5 pots for this experiment, in the following chapters I will track this project as it unfolds and evolves with notes taken from my

diaries.

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Ivy Geraniums are slow growing but long lived perennials.

I write this story not as a professional researcher, nor do I hold a degree in horticulture, but as a practical gardener. Most people I know are gardeners, so I am sure they will understand and relate to this project if they appreciate this Prince of Plants, the Ivy Geranium.

March – June ‘15

After the initial planting, and before I had results, I became quite enthusiastic about the project, and started adding additional plants. The first were 2 concrete planters in which I planted a La France and a Royal Purple, both had the tomato cage – wire mesh and a light dead shrub treatment.

Then I converted a further 3 well established Ivy Geraniums growing in recycled PVC pipes 70 – 90cms tall and 300mm in diameter, that had been part of a successful experiment I conducted over the past two years. These tall pots allowed cascading geraniums to cascade – and the conclusion I reached was that the 70 – 90cm works well. To convert these established plants to grow up, if they would, I cut them off level with the top of the pot and gave them the same treatment – tomato cage, garden wire and dead shrub etc.

By the end of April I had 10 pots in the experiment. I then converted 2 superb specimen glazed pots, probably 100L. Tomato cages with additional uprights to cater for the size of the plants plus wire and shrubs. Cut off level with the top of the pot. There were 3 plants in each pot, one contained White Blizzard, the other White Stemmed Lila.

I planted 2 Ville de Dresden scramblers in tall pots, one either side of our front gate. A further 2 in 50L plastic tubs - American Beauty and Pink Pacific. By the

end of June some 16 plants in the experiment, all growing well.

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CHAPTER 3

July –

September ’15. A definite pattern is

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emerging with the initial 5 plants. The 4 with the shrubs have about 90 – 95% of their plants growing up and are about 35 – 40cm high. They each have a few shoots that grow outside the cage. I have tried poking them back inside the cage, and as they are very brittle and the squares in the garden mesh are only 100 x 100mm most break off.

The big positive story at this stage is that the plants appear to be aware that with support they can and do prefer to grow up.

The 5th pot in the original line up WITHOUT THE SHRUBS is probably half the height, very bushy, with more than half their shoots outside the cage.

The initial 5 plants are growing in 50L terracotta pots. Expensive and heavy, and as this appears to be working I then set out to produce a smaller cheaper version, that would be practical for home gardeners. It’s another way to grow this spectacular plant themselves.

I set up a group of 7 in a budget experiment.

30L plastic tub $ 8

30L good potting mix $10

1.5m tomato cage $ 8

1.1m garden mesh $ 4

1 ivy geranium plant $10

dead twigs 0

total $40

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In subsequent chapters I will report on this experiment.

From my diary Sunday August 2nd – bought 5 pots, 2 blue glazed about 40L and 3 big mothers terracotta at a garage sale.

The biggest I presume is about 150L, the other 2 are big but smaller. These have become a story in themselves.

A friend gave me a hand to load and unload the big pots that are attention grabbers now situated on the edge of my driveway.

Later in the year when they have been planted to scrambling ivy geraniums, they will make a real statement.

Bought half a cubic meter of Garden Blend from a local nursery and a bag of Rooster Booster (pelletized fowl manure), gave a generous helping and filled those 3 big pots – see later.

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Planted the 3 big pots 2/3 garden blend in the bottom topped up with good quality potting mix. The biggest one planted to 5 Fire Blizzards, the second to 3 Blue Blizzards and the third to Dark Red Blizzards. To create a much larger core in the cages I combined extra tomato cages.

It’s interesting to see the growth of different cultivars, of which I now have quite a few different ones. Some have a much higher vertical growth rate than others and it now clear that there is quite a difference in their optimum heights (more on this later).

Continuing with the budget line in 30L tubs. I moved away from the White’s Tomato Cage with its triangular core, and cost and trialled 4 bamboo stakes and a much larger round core with the wire mesh surrounding the inside circumference of the tub.

The conical pots are unsuitable for stakes, straight sided tubs are essential for a spacious core.

After a few months we abandoned the 30L tubs, with a head of plant up 1 meter, as they catch the wind and can blow over. Plus if a plant is going to be in there for 10 years 30L of soil is inadequate.

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CHAPTER 4

During this period of Spring 2015 I experimented with a different method of propagating Ivy Geraniums.

The conventional method with cuttings which I and others use, is a little 50mm pot in a 24 cell tray watered from that tray by capillary action (propagating mix 50% perlite 50% creek sand), taken early Autumn before it gets too cold or early Spring before its too hot.

In approximately 8 weeks you have a rooted cutting, which you then pot on. The theory as I understand it is that the mix, is without nutrients, as a cutting cannot take up nutrients until it has roots.

People say Geraniums are easy to grow – break a piece off, put it in the garden and it strikes and grows – I considered this and thought perhaps there is another way short of tissue culture. I also thought if I could strike cuttings in a larger pot that I could then sell, without having to pot on, would have 2 advantages.

1. No set back when moving from say a 50mm pot to a 125mm.and 2. If I propagated into a pot that didn’t need that second stage of potting on, I could produce a product that could be sold earlier and cheaper.

The basis of the experiment was - can the cuttings take up nutrients?

The experiment consisted of 6 areas:

1. Propagating mix2. Size of cutting3. Size of pot4. Marketing5. Result6. Market research and sales experience.

Propagating Mix – (Really Potting Mix) 1/3 Perlite, 1/3 Osmocote Seed Raising Mix, 1/3 Red Loam & Slow Release Fertiliser (Osmocote)

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Cuttings – I increased the size of my cuttings by 1 or 2 nodes and left additional leaves to provide the cutting (young plant) with Glucose.

Pot Size. I decided to trial the 75 x 105 mm pot of approx.. 1/3L capacity, four times bigger than the little 50 x 70mm thumb pot.

The 75mm is a good sized pot to sell if it has an established plant and root system.

Marketing. The 75mm pot fits into the 6 pack (see photo) that is easily picked up in a market situation and carried by a cable tie handle. These 6 packs have an added advantage as the pots are individuals. Buyers are able to swap plants around to give a colour mix. Not one colour as propagated.

Results. After 12 months very successful. In 2 ½ - 3 months, a well established plant. I believe that Geraniums can and do take up nutrients at an early stage.

Sales - I sell 6 packs for $20. People buy – everyone is happy.

Down Side - As buyers mix colour and cultivars – some are left unsold and as they are growing quickly I have found that the remnants, for want of a better word, need to be potted on and sold separately – some buyers prefer a more established plant and I can charge $8 for these in a 130mm pot.

Conclusion – 6 Packs work well.

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Potted Cuttings in Six Packs

Back to Scramblers – the subject of this booklet.

I now have a row of 30 scramblers after adding another 3 – an American Beauty, a double red with veined leaves (name unknown by me), and a White

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Blizzard. All cultivars have been photographed and can be identified in this booklet.

I am very pleased with the project as Patio Plants, and they will be stunning, and something different, as I have not seen Ivy Geraniums grown like this in any publication anywhere.

Potted up 2 red seedling plants in a conical terracotta pot. These plants purchased from Bunnings as part of the Connoisseur range are vigorous and scramble up quickly.

I cut back some of the side shoots on all the scramblers and they look tidier. I am happy to have some poking through as they cover the ugliness of the tomato cage and garden mesh.

9 months growth

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CHAPTER 5

Jan, Feb, March ’16.

After our experience with the 30L tubs I have moved our trials up to 43L tubs minimum. A decent sized tub of soil for a Geranium as it is the engine room for the plant.

I now call the steadily rising Scrambling Geraniums ‘Talls’ in AFL language.

In hot summers plants are watered regularly by hand. The fertilizer I use is Yates Thrive General Purpose at recommended rate and Thrive Flower and Fruit every alternate fortnight, about 3L for younger plants in smaller tubs up to 7L for the established plants in bigger containers.

January 18th a friend of mine offered a 13ft. caravan he had converted to a workshop with double doors at the back and ramp, licensed – new tyres $300. I said YES YES as I could see a time when I needed to transport these tall tubs.

One thing to produce these plants, its another thing to move them around.

The original 4 plants in the trial are very near to the top of the 1.2m above the top of the pot Tomato Cage – they have been slower than expected. It’s nearly a year since we started.

Some of the other cultivars in subsequent plantings are not going to reach 1.2m above the top of the pot so I have reduced their optimum height to 90 cm to 1m and cut the top off.

I don’t see this as a problem. I quite like the shorter plant. It appears in balance and the original 1.2m was only set because the Tomato Cages were 1.5m with about 30cm in the tub.

I also find with the shorter target for some cultivars I am encouraging bushiness to mask the unattractive structure of the cage.

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The Little Van

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With the original 4 reaching their target height, two things are worth commenting on.

(a) Patience is needed, I now know the time frame and(b) I am rewarded with a column of flowers.

March, a long hot summer is drawing to an end, the object is to get my plants through in as good a condition as possible, as the weather cools down, off they go again.

March 17. Tim Beaver, CEO of the Kalgoorlie Boulder Racing Club contacted me. They have a garden problem. Their full time gardener has been off work with a carpal tunnel problem. Their first meeting this year is 2nd April, ‘Can you help us with some plants’?

The racing season runs from April to September, culminating in “The Round – a week of racing and parties –thousands attend.

I grasped the opportunity to get my scramblers out there on display as I planned to write this little booklet. I could see the racecourse was a far better venue for photographs, than my back yard.

I agreed to supply them with 3 terracotta planters, 6 glazed pots of zonal geraniums and 22 scramblers at no cost to them.

We delivered the plants with my recently purchased van. The plants were big, heavy, tall and awkward to move – but once in place they made a huge difference to the venue.

Kalgoorlie Boulder Race Club was an absolute win as I had some outstanding plants at home and now somewhere outstanding to display them.

I water the plants at the race course from 2 x 200L tanks in the back of my ute. I water the plants I supplied, and also other plants I have given them over the years. Each of the scramblers were given approximately 9L of water a week by bucket, all water had plant food Thrive General Purpose and Thrive Flower and Fruit at recommended rates.

These plants will be dripping with flowers come “The Round”.

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Ville de Paris 1.6mDecora Rose 1.65m

Blue Blizzard 1.45mWhite Blizzard 1.2m

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CHAPTER 6

Time passes, it’s now over a year since the experiment began. I have tried new ideas as part of the evolution process and the trial was expanded with additional Scramblers.

The Ivy Geranium is a colourful, long flowering, and long lived plant (we have had some for 14 years). In the early part of this experiment I didn’t give sufficient attention to the longevity. In light of the foregoing I examined each of the components: tub, and superstructure, in detail.

The tub is going to be on someone’s patio for 10 years plus, so a 50L terracotta or glazed ceramic pot would be more aesthetically pleasing than a black plastic. There is a down side to this, the terracotta and the glazed ceramic pots are much more expensive and considerably heavier. Taking this into consideration, some of the new plantings were in ceramic pots and some a more budget line in plastic.

The superstructure comprises uprights, wire mesh and shrub.

The tomato cage had the disadvantage that the triangular core became congested with shrubs and plant. I decided to use bamboo uprights, they were cheaper and 4 could be placed so that the garden mesh could follow the circumference of the pot.

Next the wire mesh. I have used White’s Garden Mesh with 100 x 100mm spaces. Mesh is an important component as it holds and supports the plant as sit grows vertically. Time showed me the 100 x 100mm openings were too small. If I tried to ease shoots back inside the core, the 5% plus that were growing outside, were too brittle and broke off.

Wire with larger spaces would be better. The only wire mesh that came near what I wanted is Roof Mesh 150 x 300. It sounds extreme but works very well.

Fairly expensive at $90 for 50m.

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The other day my wife said if I ever gave up growing geraniums our local hardware retailer would have to put off a staff member. Wives exaggerate.

The shrub. A most important component, I haven’t changed from the first 4 pots. I am now more selective with many little branches down low for the little plant to get it support. Cost nil. Finding the scrub or shrub or tea tree what ever takes time but worth it. Particularly as I have not once tied a plant to a stake.

I now see the superstructure in a different light, the uprights and the wire are simply the framework, the supports the dead shrubbery – I am creating an artificial shrub for a scrambler.

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CHAPTER 7

The 5 Robinson Pots (came from Bill Robinson’s Estate) were planted, the 2 shorter ones were the last with bamboo stakes. I had moved another unrelated pot, that had a bamboo stake that had been in the soil for less than 2 years, and it as rotted through at ground level. Bamboo clearly is not going the distance with Ivy Geraniums who have a 10 year life span.

With the 3 remaining Robinson Pots, I reconsidered the stakes to use, that would have that life span.

That was the start of using Whip Stick Mallees.

In the Goldfields there are patches of Mallees. They are a big family of low growing Eucalypts. There are some patches where a dense thicket of them will seed and grow – most will die as they compete for water in our dry climate.

I knew of such a patch and collected quite a few, they will last 10 years so I replaced the Tomato Cage and the bamboo with them and will use Whipstick Mallees from now on.

I see the limited life of bamboo stakes as a major problem as I have 10 plants with them in the trial already. A problem to be addressed down the track.

16th May 2016. Big day with the 3 big Robinson pots – more evolving, uprights Whip Stick Mallee – not bamboo. A builder friend gave me half a roll of roof mesh with 300 x 150 mm spaces. Now I am getting somewhere.

With the shrub I put in its clear that the role of the uprights and the mesh is to hold and support the shrub in position for the ivy to climb on. As I write some 6 months later the plants are going ‘gang busters’. (see photo)

22nd May. Strong wind gusts to 114 km. 2 Ivies knocked over at the Racecourse with the 30L tubs. A heavier and bigger capacity tub would help and with a lower super structure would also. Tall ones are vulnerable if they are in exposed positions.

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The patch of Whip Stick Mallee

Robinson Pots with whip stick mallee uprights

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More plantings with

Whip Stick Mallee

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CHAPTER 8

Since May 16 I have added some 22 plants with whip stick uprights to the trial. They are good strong and long lasting.

One weakness, is that as I am writing up this experiment in a way that a practical gardener can follow, the use of whip stick uprights is unreasonable, as the average Suburban Gardener hardly has access to whip stick mallees.

A rethink of the uprights was necessary – the obvious answer is steel.

For the 43L plastic tub I decided on 12mm Reo Rod (Concrete reinforcing rod) relatively cheap and strong.

I am using it, it’s not as obvious as the whip stick and I am very satisfied with it.

For the larger tubs with a big head of foliage, I have tried star pickets with success. Very strong and a good hold on the soil in the tub. I have spray painted the reo rods and star pickets dark green. More aesthetically pleasing than black.

Below – Star Pickets with Blue Blizzard in a 60L tub.

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CHAPTER 9

August. Purchased 10 coloured 43L tubs, 5 yellow and 5 red. A great leap forward for displaying plants on patios etc over the old black plastic. Not expensive. Recommended, worth hunting around to find a supplier.

Nearing completion of the experiment where am I at?

(a) The Ivy Geranium prefers to grow up if there is support available.(b) The support, I call superstructure has steel uprights, roof mesh and

an artificial shrub, the uprights and the mesh hold the shrub in position.

It’s said that a picture is as good as a thousand words.

Reo Rod Uprights Planted to Dark Red Blizzard.

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Conversion – bamboo to steel and reduced height.

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CHAPTER 10

Just when I was thinking this project was ending with most of the bugs ironed out, along came something that I believe is worthy of note.

As I have already mentioned I had 10 tubs with 1.5m bamboo uprights, and as I realized the bamboo would fail, I then decided to replace the bamboo with 12mm reo rod, at the same time I was leaning toward a shorter plant. As these plants were only 5 months old I decided on 10 of them to replace the 1.5m bamboos with 1 m. reo rod and cut back the mesh.

The conversion looks good, I presume that once the Ivy Geranium reaches about 70cm above the tub it will branch out, an effect I like as well.

Artists have a formula when composing a picture. It’s called thirds – we have this with these lower plants – 1/3 tub 2/3 plant.

I am pleased I stumbled onto these ‘Mids’. Anyone can grow them.

Conclusion

I now have over 60 of these scrambling ivy geraniums in various stages. I know what to expect and how long it takes to get to different vertical heights, also I have a better idea how the different cultivars perform.

I have not tested the market. It’s a product that is better grown in situ.

I have described how and any competent gardener can grow this remarkable plant themselves and have a stunning specimen plant.

I have found the project rewarding, and as an 80 year old, its been great to have something positive like this to do as a hobby.

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The Publisher my wife Faye

with Blue Blizzard 1.7m high

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American Beauty 1.7m high

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Pink Pacific ? 1.7m high

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Decora Rose – only 1.1m high

Is this the end result? A most appealing product

(see page 26) Maybe they are the future.

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This Booklet was written by

Jeff Jones

281 Dugan Street Kalgoorlie 6430

Western Australia

Ph. 08 90215633

Mobile 0438 215632

Email fj_jones@bigpond.com

9th December 2016

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