CASCADING GERANIUMS by Jeff Jones

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CONTENTS Planters

page

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Background

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Streetscapes

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Pelargonium Peltatum

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Vandals

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Propagating

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Soparcos

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Watering

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Fertilising

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Insect Control

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Orientation

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Impact

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Tall Pots

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Drums

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Potting Mix

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Ode to Geraniums

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DRUM PLANTERS Natural partners with Cascading Geraniums

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TALL POTS As Cascading Geraniums growth habit is to hang down, as the name implies, low conventional pots are not suitable, much taller pots are.

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HANGING BASKETS Traditional method for growing and displaying the popular Cascading Geranium family

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PLANTERS I approached the Committee of Boulder Promotions and Development, of which I was a member, with a proposal to grow Cascading Geraniums in the old strip shopping precinct of Burt Street in Boulder, and they agreed to support my plan. Conventional planters are used in streetscapes to grow a great variety of annual and perennial plants. However these planters are generally too low to show the cascading geraniums to best advantage so I decided our planters should be a minimum height of 80 – 100 cm.

I settled on recycled 200 litre chemical drums as they are 6

readily available, made of strong non-corrosive material, and not expensive. When full of soil they are very heavy which would make them unlikely to be stolen. Another advantage is that because of the depth of soil in the drums, there would be plenty of room for the roots to grow and the plants would not dry out quickly. Planters are on show 24/7 365 days of the year, and these tall planters which are 100 cm tall, would put the plants in people’s faces and give plenty of room for the plant to cascade. This booklet is about placing these drum planters in a streetscape setting. There is an alternative to the recycled plastic drums as planters and these are purpose built and made locally but much more expensive.

THE BURT STREET PLANTERS

were

jointly designed by Scott Walker and myself and are proving to be both attractive and practical. The City Council of Kalgoorlie-Boulder have committed the funds for the construction and installation of fifty five of these planters. At the time of writing two thirds are already in the street. They are powder coated of steel construction and dyna bolted to the pavement. The colours of grey and burgundy match the other street furniture. 7

The first of the new planters went in some twelve months ago and has not been damaged in any way. Once they are all installed and with a good head of geraniums in flower they will be a great feature for the old town of Boulder.

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BACKGROUND Seventeen years ago I started to grow upright Zonal Geraniums in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. I was managing a caravan park for my family at the time, and decided to grow plants around the caravans and against the fences to bring colour to soften the harsh lines of the dry red soil. The hardy geraniums with their bright flowers quickly achieved the desired result. In time I retired and specialised in Ivy Geraniums, Pelargonium Peltatum. Within this large plant family are a few cultivars that cascade freely. This booklet is about cascading geraniums. I will use their common name throughout. Cascading Geraniums are a unique plant that has masses of small single flowers over long periods. They prosper over a wide climatic range from the inland of Australia to the window boxes in Switzerland. They are easy to grow and do not require dead heading, making them self cleaning. I have grown them in streetscapes, the race course, cemeteries and other non-domestic 9

situations, and have been fortunate in being able to grow large numbers in some difficult situations with the support of the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. This booklet is primarily about streetscapes. This is a subject I have gathered some expertise of, both from my own hands-on experience, and also from having seen them magnificently displayed in the streets and market places of Europe. The experience I have gained I feel should be committed to paper.

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STREETSCAPES Streetscapes involve many components, principally the buildings and their use. Retail Centres fall into two main categories (1) Supermarkets surrounded by large areas of bitumen paving for car parks and (2) Strip Shops, that have been passed by time in favour of the big centres. Many of the Strip Shopping Precincts are struggling – however some are staging a comeback, due to considerably lower rents. They have become home to second 11

hand bookshops, antique shops, coffee shops, specialty shops and so on. These Strip Shops are interested in Planters and Street Furniture for Alfresco Dining etc. The place of plants is important as they can improve the ambience and give the precinct character in a way that a Supermarket cannot. Hence my interest in cascading geraniums in these situations. This is not a new concept, many places in the world already have well developed streetscapes with flowering plants. Putting plants into these precincts is frought with problems, they are on show 24/7 365 days a year and not many plants can put on a show and play in that league – Cascading Geraniums can. Shopkeepers love flowering plants outside their shops. Customers like environment.

shopping

in

a

floral

Street side cafes and coffee shops do vastly better with their tables and footpaths. Alfresco dining is huge in places like Paris and you can see why. Flowering plants give a carnival atmosphere. A happy street is a win win situation.

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Pelargonium Peltatum & Heat Tolerance There are some five hundred different cultivars of Ivy Geraniums that have been hybridised over the last 150 years. In this family of plants is a small group of long flowering plants with single flowers that cascade freely. These plants do not become dormant with the onset of hot weather, they flower throughout summer, daily temperatures out to 44 degrees centigrade don’t concern them. Their flowers stand up like soldiers and don’t wilt. This year 2013 we had a day or two at 47 degrees – they didn’t handle that well. In some cases 25% of the plants facing west were severely burnt. The normal European bred zonal or ivy in Kalgoorlie will stop flowering in mid-November and not start again until May. Cascade Geraniums have been extensively used in Europe, in window boxes on balconies and in hanging baskets. Unfortunately they cannot survive below freezing winters and are either taken under cover or replaced each year.

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Pelargonium Peltatum, the original species originated in South Africa which has a similar climate to large parts of inland Australia. Where we live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia, we have some plants twelve to fourteen years old (as above), because we don’t have the problem of freezing winters. For simplicity I will use the common name of Cascade Geranium as that is how they are widely known. I will give a brief description of the cultivars I have grown and had most success with.

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Ville de Paris With its glowing orange/red flowers, in group plantings is a memorable sight. This high performance cultivar can flower for nine to ten months year after year. This plant has few equals and creates a powerful colourful image.

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Decora Rose. This cultivar is an old favourite: in France it’s displayed in urns at the Palace of Versailles, the Chateaus along the Loire Valley, and elsewhere. The flowers when they first open are a dark pink, fading to a light pink as they age. The two tone effect of complementary colours in Drum Planters is a pretty addition to any streetscape

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Lilac Cascade. As the name implies the flowers are lilac in colour, that is a pale mauve/blue, a universal favourite with the fairer sex. Lilac is a restful colour in a streetscape, we have grown them in pale blue painted Drum Planters and these have attracted many complimentary comments. Long flowering, tough, no vices, what more can you ask? 17

Ville de Dresden Heaps of white flowers, a vigorous plant that will stand, and needs, pruning. Ville de Dresden can be planted with other cultivars, however it tends to take over. Flower Power Ville de Dresden can be a strong addition to a streetscape, and provide variety.

There are another six or seven Cascading Geraniums that I don’t have at this time. Most have been hybridised in the big German Nurseries. 18

VANDALISM Some Strip Shopping Precincts that have Hotels, TAB’s, Fish and Chip Shops, Video Shops, Convenience Stores etc., all open after dark, and are places where young people ‘hang out’, present a serious problem of vandalism. If vandalism is a problem for street plants the easy solution is ‘Don’t put plants there’. However as the character of these places can be considerably improved with the addition of flowering plants, I have found that it’s worth the effort and expense, and the end result is a plus for the community. Vandalism of plants is WAR between the Vandals and the Gardeners. I have developed some strategies and solutions, as I have been exposed to this situation.

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The main planter we have used is the 200 litre recycled chemical drum. The main problem we have had with these is that Vandals can push them over, and they do. One terrible day we had ten pushed over and lying on their side in the gutter.

As the City’s Senior Horticulturist said, “If you are going to stress over these attacks you will end up bitter and twisted. It goes with the territory. Simply repair damage ASAP and don’t let the vandals win.” We have solved that push over problem, one at a time is manageable. When preparing the drums for the street, we open them, undercoat paint, put holes in the bottom for drainage, and at the ground level we cut a slit on both sides with an angle grinder, and pass a 70 cm length of 75 x 3 mm flat steel through, protruding 70 mm each side, 20

then drill a hole in the steel each side and insert a Dyna Bolt. When bolted down, the keenest and toughest Vandal is unable to push them over as they are now ‘un-pushoverable’. (see photo)

The purpose built Planters come with lugs for Dyna Bolting. Vandals come in many shapes and sizes, if I seem preoccupied with them you are right, I 21

am. Out of the 100 drums over the first 2 year period I replaced approximately 400 plants. Drums that have small young plants were vulnerable as, after dark, some people simply took them home to their place, probably less than 20%. Once the plants were well established they were too big to steal, then the really serious vandals took over. This group pulled the plants out and threw them on the ground or pushed the drums over. We tried replanting them but they didn’t prosper, so we replaced them with fresh plants the next day.

Cascading Geraniums are long lived but slow growers. Sometimes, if I was short of plants I would replace them with Petunias, they grow 22

quickly, have plenty of colour and a small root system. I would plant them in conjunction with young cascading geraniums, once the geraniums were sufficiently well established the petunias were consigned to the bin. Initially the drums were full of soil but if it was necessary to replace a drum, they were very heavy (300 kg with wet soil). I used a small Hyab on my little water truck Furphy, for this task (photos).

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Faced with these problems I successfully experimented with 50 litre big plastic pots (see photo) and called them ‘implants’. I grew sixty or so in the nursery and when established dug half the soil out of the damaged drum and put an implant in.

The implants were a major break through, they can be easily interchanged by two men, they are heavy enough not to be stolen, and they can be rotated if the plants under a shop 24

awning are growing one way and out of balance. Full drums in high damage areas, were then history and simply became planters to provide height for the geraniums to cascade and at that height, nearly a meter, the plants were shown to their best. Next problem, steal or pull out and drop.

I set out to provide the plants with some sort of protection. Cars have seatbelts, boats have life jackets, bike riders have helmets, yet I am putting plants ‘out there’ without protection.

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I devised a method to anchor the plant in the implant, to the other two plants in the implant, and to the soil in the implant.

I make a round tube out of 50 x 50 mm garden mesh 250 mm in diameter and 350 mm high, I call this tube a ‘core’. Into the empty implant I stand the core and slowly add potting mix then plant three plants in the core at the top. As these three plants grow their roots penetrate the mesh on all sides, effectively binding the lot together. After three months they are

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ready to put in the street and the plants are relatively secure. I call these minimised’.

plantings

being

‘damage

I did a trial planting of 38 implants and by early November of 2009 I had most of those 38 implants in the street.

Diary entry 1.11.09 “Another rampaging Friday night, ended up with some damage to some of the drums. However damage to the ones with damage reduction was manageable. Those few plants won’t need replacing as

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the crown and roots held. I am now sure that damage minimising does work.” Diary extract 6.3.2011 “Walked Burt Street today and checked the drums that had damage minimised planting. Found 37. I only had 38 to start with. Some in poor condition, most reasonable. I can certainly highlight this experiment.” In the intervening 17 months the plants have suffered a dramatic change in management, a heat wave, and a severe earthquake. Plants were not a high priority. Why is damage minimising so successful? Apparently when vandals try to pull the plants out all that happens is that some branches snap off – and they don’t get a big kick out of that. The damaged plant still has roots and crown unaffected. If the implant is severely damaged it’s easily swapped with another implant, it’s on the interchange bench for 2 – 3 months, had some TLC, a quick drink of Thrive, then back at the coal face. I have been frustrated by damage to plants and it makes you wonder what motivates these people, but I consider myself lucky to have had some of these problems and have 28

been able to solve them. Most gardeners would not get an opportunity like that, and I now know I can put plants into streetscapes and I know the positive impact they will have.

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Propagation Cascade Geraniums strike readily from cuttings, which is a cheap and convenient way to reproduce plants. I generally take cuttings in March/April, and I have not found the need for hormones. I prefer tip cuttings 100 mm long approximately, cut just below a node. I remove leaves from the bottom of the stem and leave 2 or 3 on top, to provide the cutting with some nutrients as it strikes. The propagating mix I use is red sand collected from the bottom of a winter creek, mixed 50/50 with Pearlite. I put the cutting in 50 mm round pots 50 mm tall in Masrac trays which take 24 at a time. I water from the bottom by filling the tray with water as needed.

Two a little are potted

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months pot out, showing, on. (see

later I lift if roots they are photos).

Soparcos Ivy Geraniums are difficult to handle in a nursery as their long branches become hopelessly intertwined. The French have solved this problem, and produce a plastic basket that fits over a 120 mm pot (see fig.) called a Soparco. However it’s only available in one size, so when the plant has outgrown the 120 mm pot, it’s time for its permanent position.

Soparcos have a very important role in my little nursery.

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Watering Watering plants in a streetscape presents its own problems. I have had shop keepers offer to do it – time has shown that with the best of intentions, they are unreliable, I suggest – don’t go down that track. Initially I watered from 2 x 200 litre drums in the well of my ute, at that time there were only 25 drums in place for a six month trial. This was possible using buckets. The trial was successful, approval was given to put another 75 pots into Burt Street, making a total of 100, so I purchased a utility with a water tank and pump specifically to water them.

100 drums required about 1500 litres twice a week in summer.

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The water truck needed to be in the street by 6am before there was too much traffic or parked cars. Testing to see how much water is needed involves putting the hand into the implant. If it’s moist it’s missed, if it’s dry it gets a good drink, it’s easy to overwater geraniums.

Fertilising As plants in a streetscape are on display 365 days a year they need to be at their best all the time. Cascading Geraniums are high performance plants who will respond to regular feeding with hot fertilisers. I use Thrive General Purpose in the water tank at recommended rates once a month for two months, the third month I use Thrive Flower and Fruit which is high in Potash and stimulates flowering. 33

Insect Control The two insects that cause problems for Cascading Geraniums are White Fly and Mealy Bug. I used to spray them when I saw an outbreak, probably not quickly enough, as once they are established they are hard to get rid of, and we didn’t think that the spraying was all that effective once the plant had a big head of foliage. Reg, one of my associates, came up with a solution that works. As soon as a plant is showing signs of insect attack, we respond immediately. We carry the gear on the water truck at all times. The method – 6 drops of Confidor Concentrate Insecticide in a little 1 ½ litre watering can, and douse the plant with the 1 ½ litres – maybe a second treatment in a couple of days and no further sign of insects.

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Orientation Plants in streetscapes are effected by shadows from buildings and verandahs – a problem for Cascading Geraniums as they require a minimum of six hours sunshine a day to flower. They will grow with less, but not flower. Burt Street runs due East to West, so the plants on the South side have plenty of sun, the North side under verandas is a problem except where there is a break in the verandas and some sun can sneak through. The trajectory of the sun must be understood when siting plants. In Burt Street at the Summer Solstice 21st December, the sun does not rise 90 degrees due east but 122 degrees and sets at 58 degrees, so plants on the north side get morning sun and afternoon sun. However from 21st March Equinox to 21st September the exact opposite happens and they receive no sun at all.

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Impact It is remarkable the difference in the ambience of a street these plants can make, as they are such a powerful visual feature. A few drums widely spaced do not have the same impact as plants positioned 10 – 15 metres apart. The use of Planters of Cascading Geraniums is brilliant in Municipal and Commercial situations, but out of place for domestic use.

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Tall Pots As more people live in high rise apartments and people use balconies and patios much more, gardens change and plants for these areas are increasingly important. I have been experimenting with Tall Pots. The traditional use of Ivy Geraniums has been Hanging Baskets on balconies where their branches can cascade. To use this plant’s attractive features we have planted them in tall pots 35 cm x 80 cm. They are showing promise. This will add to their flexibility as they can hang down, which is really an extension of our Drums/Planter, and they can add colour to these areas over long periods.

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SOURCE OF DRUMS Re-cycled drums are readily available in Perth for $22 - $25. In the Yellow Pages is a list of suppliers under: ‘DRUM MFRs DEALERS’.

RECONDITIONERS

AND/OR

PAINTING THE DRUMS I experimented with different external paints, and have settled on an undercoat of White Knight Grip-Lock Primer, followed by two coats of White Knight Paving Paint (acrylic). It has proved to be a hard wearing paint, and there are about sixty colours on their chart, so a colour can be selected to suit most situations. Drums are easily opened with a jigsaw. FILLING THE DRUMS Firstly holes are drilled in the base for drainage. Then some broken brick or coarse road base is put in the bottom for drainage (150 mm). Then some free draining soil for 2/3 of the drum, topped up with a bag or two of good potting mix. Best filled in position as they are heavy to move around when filled, planted and watered. 40

POTTING MIX I have a concrete mixer and blend my own soils. I go bush and bring back a ute load of Red Loam dug up around stands of native wattle (acacias). The loam is heavy and sets very hard but has good moisture retention properties. As the Red Loam has little organic material, I purchase Soil Improver from a local supplier. My mix is two shovels of Red Loam, one shovel of Soil Improver 2 or 3 litres of water and half a cup of Scott’s Osmocote slow release fertiliser, all purpose landscape formula. End result a ph. of 6.5 – 7. The geraniums appear very happy with this mix.

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ODE TO GERANIUMS The lowliest member Of the Plant Kingdom Is the humble Geranium. Why is it so? Bright flowers Through the seasons Hardy as hell Break a piece off Give to a friend Put that piece In the Ground And shortly They’ll have a clone Spread a bit of sunshine about People identify with plants They have propagated themselves It’s so easy It’s a miracle.

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This Booklet was written and published by Jeff Jones 281 Dugan Street Kalgoorlie Western Australia 6430 Phone 08 90215633 Mobile 0438215632 Email [email protected] 16th April 2013

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