Hardy Geraniums

[Deleted]

Hi,

I have read that you can cut back hardy geraniums "hard" so that they flower again.

How hard is hard? back to ground level or back to leaves?

Thanks

Sara

[nightowl]

I always hack them right back to the ground, and they seem to love it! Gives other things a chance for a while as they do tend to take over. Beautiful thugs. ;D

[Dutchy]

Not all like being hacked back though.
Usually the early flowering ones do not mind nor the strong rhizome ones and the really proliffic ones neither but little ones like Ballerina should not be hacked back unles they are covered in mould and it is a last resort.

[dirtyboots]

I have just given some of mine a haircut today, I cut off all the spent flowers but didn't hack into the leaves much.

D ::)B

[grannyjanny]

I have some G Pheums. Can they be cut back hard as well.
Janet.

[Chuckles]

I cut back the flowering stems on the taller varieties to promote a possible second flush of flowers and some of the leaves if they get a bit leggy or start to tale over. The smaller varieties I leave, only have one small one a pretty pink, don't know the variety

[Dutchy]

grannyjanny said:

I have some G Pheums. Can they be cut back hard as well.
Janet.

I cut them back to the ground (leaving the fibrous growth just above the ground complete) after flowering and they come back in about two/three weeks. Bear in mind that my soil is moist and very fertile so they have all they need to grow again.

[nightowl]

These are the ones I mostly have but I don't know what the variety is. They go to 3ft + and are a slightly darker pink than the photo shows, with faint veining. They self-seed like crazy. I should really cut them back now cos they're mugging everything, but I just can't do it.

[beanie]

good morning nightowl,
does the name Claridge Druce ring any bells, your geranium is very similar to one of mine. same growth habit it seeds all over the place. Ive just bough a very pretty small one called Dusky Crug it is flower now and is supposed to carry on till november

[nightowl]

The name doesn't ring any bells beanie, cos it wasn't bought, it just arrived on its own!

[beanie]

I wish some more of mine would arrive like that, what a saving ;D

[Plocket]

I cut the finished flower heads off mine, rather than cutting back the whole plant. Better safe than sorry in my book because I can't remember which of mine like being cut back and which object!!!

[jean]

They do need chopping back and will regrow, they look a bit bare for a while but soon get going again - otherwise they just get leggier and leggier and swamp everything.

[magrich]

I am almost certain i saw AT take a pair of garden shears to hardy geraniums and hack them back by about half their height. I do this and they seem to like it !! I usually get a second flush of flowers.

[4pygmies]

I regularly shear mine right to the ground - done it twice already this year with my Geranium phaeum in the front border. It grows like stink so as soon as it's flowered I hack it back. It's very dry and sunny there (normally) but it very quickly grows back. It's lovely but it quickly takes over...

[Deleted]

nightowl i think the variety you have got is called Geranium endresii wargrave pink,

Hope this has been of some help.

[weedorcas]

Hello everyone, the pink geranium in the photo is Gearanium endressii which self-seeds, so can arrive in the garden as a freebie. I cut all my hardy geraniums back if they are becoming very untidy with few flowers. smaller ones like 'ballerina' are usually no problem, so can be left. geranium phaem can certainly be cut back.

Be brave!

[weedorcas]

Despite the weather, the hardy geraniums have stood up well. Here are photos of two of mine.


The first is Geranium 'Rozanne' and the second is Geranium psilostemon.