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Floppy Geranium!

maz776maz776 North WestPosts: 9
in Plants
I had a Geranium macrorrhizum growing in a pot quite nicely since last year, it filled the whole large pot. I decided to plant it in one of the beds at the place I volunteer. As soon as I removed it from the pot it started to get floppy and the nice upright mound it had been...wasn't anymore!  I've attached a photo of it in my bike trailer when it was in a pot this morning, then straight after planting next to the Heuchera looking a bit sad. You can see into the middle of the plant and it doesn't look so great.

So does anyone know what I should do as I wanted this area to look pretty decent in the next few weeks? ( I am going to be putting in other new plants). Would I be able to stake it a bit, or would it be less straggly when it establishes? I've heard you can give them a severe chop to perk them up but don't want to have to wait weeks for it to look better right there at the front of the border. Moving it is another option.  What do people think?

Posts

  • K67K67 Leicestershire Posts: 2,507
    If you have watered it in it might perk up. 


  • maz776maz776 North WestPosts: 9
    K67 said:
    If you have watered it in it might perk up. 


    Yes hopefully. It just surprised me that literally the second it was out of the pot it flopped, as if the pot was supporting it somehow! I'll see how it is in a few days.
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,149
    They're pretty tough plants.....it takes a lot to upset one so it should be okay.
  • TopbirdTopbird Mid SuffolkPosts: 7,588
    It probably just resents being moved from a nice warm pot to a cold flower bed. So long as it's watered (not too wet mind - they don't like that) it'll perk up before too long. Certainly wouldn't cut it back just now unless it looks absolutely dreadful - you'll lose this year's flowers and I'm not sure they flower a 2nd time after cutting back (some geraniums do but I'm not sure about maccies). 

    If it looks really tatty then do cut it back. It will produce lots of nice fresh springy foliage - but you might not get any flowers this year.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • maz776maz776 North WestPosts: 9
    Topbird said:
    It probably just resents being moved from a nice warm pot to a cold flower bed. So long as it's watered (not too wet mind - they don't like that) it'll perk up before too long. Certainly wouldn't cut it back just now unless it looks absolutely dreadful - you'll lose this year's flowers and I'm not sure they flower a 2nd time after cutting back (some geraniums do but I'm not sure about maccies). 

    If it looks really tatty then do cut it back. It will produce lots of nice fresh springy foliage - but you might not get any flowers this year.
    Thanks!
  • didywdidyw East SuffolkPosts: 2,586
    I had something similar that I wanted to move from one place to another.  I dug it up, divided it and just chucked it in some old large flowerpots until I was ready to replant it.  It wilted like yours but soon recovered when I replanted it.  Tougher than you think!
  • maz776maz776 North WestPosts: 9
    didyw said:
    I had something similar that I wanted to move from one place to another.  I dug it up, divided it and just chucked it in some old large flowerpots until I was ready to replant it.  It wilted like yours but soon recovered when I replanted it.  Tougher than you think!
    Thanks, that's good to know that it will probably perk up.
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