These vigorous plants make this the best geranium for using in landscaping. This series is easy to grow and uniform to bloom.
This series is easy to grow and uniform to bloom. Each large 5-6 in/12.7-15.2 cm flower head has many small blooms, and will be one of the longest blooms in your garden. It's distinct foliage is very showy. Coated seed.
GERANIUM: Annual
CULTURE: For may 10th blooms in 4 in/10 cm pots, seed by Dec. 20th. Use sterilized soil or a commercial seedling mix, plus low nutritional fertilizer. Cover seeds with 1/4 in/6 mm of fine soil. Ideal soil temperature of 72 - 76°F/22 - 24°C must be maintained for 4 or 5 days. Use bottom heat if you have it - if you don't, this means that your air temperature will have to be a constant 85°F/29°C to maintain about 75?F/24?C soil temperature. Cover seed flats with plastic after soaking with warm water. The plastic should be removed in 4 or 5 days. On sunny days, remove plastic, or seed will cook!. Lower night air temperature at this point to about 60°F/16°C to keep seedlings nice and short.
TRANSPLANTING should be started as soon as the cotyledons have expanded (about 15 - 17 days after a Dec. 20th sowing. Transplant directly into 4 in/10 cm pots using 1/2 soil and 1/2 seedling mix. Pots would be put on benches or pallets to keep them off the cold ground. Maintain a night air temperature of 72°F/22°C for about 2 weeks to promote rooting. Reduce the temperature gradually over a period of 6 - 8 weeks after potting until a night temperature of 62°F/17°C has been reached. Low temperatures (under 55°F/17°C) will not allow the buds to open. Sunny day temperatures should reach 68 - 72°F/20 - 22°C. Growth retardants should be applied to early sowings when seedlings reach the 4 leaf stage. Apply 2 applications of Cycocel 12 days apart. Maintain air temperatures at 60 - 65°F/16 - 18°C. NOTE: Geranium breeders say that there is recent evidence to prove that excessive soil temperatures of 85°F/29°C or more will prevent germination.
Difficulty: Easy
Suitable for Containers: Yes
Suitable for Small Pots: Yes
