Buy Perennial When I buy a geranium how can I tell if it is from seedlings or a cutting?
How can I tell if it is an annual or a perennial geranium?
You can't. Unless you have some way of determining the genetic provenance there is no difference in plants growth rate or form to tell a plant grown from tissue culture, a cutting, or a seedling.
Many plants clone themselves naturally to reproduce. They send a small shoot-like structure called a runner, along the soil. The runner grows into a new separate plant, which is genetically identical to the original plant - a clone. In taking cuttings we make use of this ability of a plant to regenerate itself. Vegetative propagation or cloning just produces more plants with specific qualities, like height, flower colour and quality than seed propagation since it is less likely to show variation.
Even if you had the parent plant you might not see much difference from them to their offspring. Most garden cultivars have been selected for their traits to breed true. Especially a plant like a bedding geranium. Only when hybridizing between species do you find easily traceable traits diverging between the first or F1 generation and the seed's haploid donors.
The perennial cranesbill (Geranium) vs. the annual we commonly call geranium (Pelargonium or Pellies) belong to two genera.
The first South African Pelargonium seed capsules were misidentified as geranium as a consequence they were called South African geraniums.
Cranesbills usually like moist cool or temperate not Mediterranean climates. This result is they have very different uses and culture requirements.
Geraniums have five equal-sized petals. Pelargoniums have two upper and three lower petals. However there are many double pelargoniums cultivars with more than five petals.
Annual geraniums are Pelargoniums x hortorum.
Cranesbills are
Gateway Garden Center's Perennial of the Week July 22,2010
Perennials the Shining Stars of Your Kitchen Garden
Perennials are the shining stars in a full bloom garden. Every year I look forward to planning and planting perennial flowers. It's probably my favorite garden experience. Because they blossom only three to six weeks you want to insure you always have plants in bloom. So just like annuals, you need to be aware of your plants specific growing needs. Be aware of their climate zones.
Perennials are a little fussier than annuals to temperature requirements. We generally buy our flowers from our garden center in order to take advantage of the short bloom seasons of these plants. The majority of perennials require well-drained soil conditions. If you have low lying areas in your garden it would be wise to not plant perennials there because standing water and soggy soil can damage the roots and very likely kill your plants.
If your garden annuals and other assorted plants require a richer soil than most perennials like you can find some perennials that also prefer those conditions. This goes back to knowing the plants requirements and if you can provide the optimum growing conditions for them. Talk to other gardeners that may be able to provide tips on your particle planting needs.
Perennials need less watering than your vegetables. My suggestion is to just keep an eye on them. If you notice they are beginning to wilt you know they are thirsty. Water the plants when they are young, or during unusually dry conditions. Make sure to water deeply or skip watering all together.
Keep in mind when your design your garden flowers to keep the shorter plants up front so as not to be hidden by the taller plants. When we plant our flowers we try to plant contrasting foliages next to each. This is our favorite method because the foliage contrast can be as appealing as your flowers. Water your perennials after you transplant them. After digging the hole fill it with water and let it drain before placing your plant in the hole. Water the plants deeply.
I hope you enjoy planning and planting your perennials as much as we do!
About the Author
Nancy Merkle is an long time amateur gardener from the Chicago area. She enjoys sharing some of her tips she has accumulated through the years with anyone that would like to visit her website.
