Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 24, 1993 TAG: 9301250345
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: B JOHN ARBOGAST
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
THE PANSY DOESN'T LIKE IT HOT
The National Garden Bureau has designated 1993 "The Year of the Pansy."This delicate-looking flower - often with a "face" - is quite durable. In our area, pansies are grown in gardens and public landscapes from fall through the mild parts of winter and then again in the spring. They don't seem to do well during our hot summer weather, even though some varieties like the 1990 All-AmericaSelections winner "Jolly Joker" may claim that they perform well in hot Northern summers if given afternoon shade. Of course, major cold temperatures are not to any pansy's liking.
In our area, pansies as a spring annual flower should be planted outside mid- to late March. Plan to set out pansy bedding plants rather than sow seeds outdoors so that the flowers can be enjoyed from early spring until the weather turns hot in mid- to late May.
Buy pansy bedding plants in March or start your own plants from seeds now. Seeds should be sown about six to eight weeks prior to planting.
Gardeners can choose pansy varieties based on the size of bloom and color combination. The size of a bloom will fall into three categories: large - 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches; medium - 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches; and multiflora - 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches.
The National Garden Bureau has created a list of pansy cultivars (cultivated varieties) according to their expected flower size. Within each group, the cultivars are listed by the name of their series, which includes cultivar members with similar plant qualities but in different colors.
Large blooms - Accord series, Lyric series, Majestic Giant series, Medallion series and Swiss Giants.
Medium blooms - Crown series, Imperial series (includes the 1975 All-America Selections Winner "Imperial Blue"), Joker series (includes 1990 AAS Winner "Jolly Joker"), Roc series and Springtime series.
Multiflora blooms - Crystal Bowl series, Maxim series (includes 1991 AAS Bedding Plant Winner "Maxim Marina"), Pansy "Padparadja" (1991 AAS Winner) and Universal series.
Q: Please tell me how to root ivy geraniums. I've done a lot of plant work over time, but I've had problems getting the ivy type geranium to root. C.W., Troutville
A: I couldn't find anything that recommends a different rooting technique for ivy geraniums over the procedure for regular geraniums. So, I talked to Dr. Kevin Grueber, extension specialist for Commercial Floriculture at Virginia Tech. Here's what I learned:
Ivy geraniums can be rooted from cuttings using the same method used for regular geraniums, but the ivy geraniums take longer to root. Cuttings of ivy geraniums should be short, about 3 inches long with three or four leaves and at least two nodes. Strip extra leaves off the cutting if necessary and insert each into the rooting media so that the bottom node is below ground but about two-thirds of the cutting is above ground.
Commercial growers take ivy geranium cuttings in mid-winter, although cuttings should root at other times of year as well - like at the end of summer if you have ivy geranium outside in a hanging basket.
There is no need to let cuttings dry for a day before inserting into the media, as used to be the case with regular geraniums. It may be helpful to lightly treat the bottom of each cutting with a low-strength root stimulating hormone. The propagation media can be any loose mix, such as Sunshine Mix or Pro Mix used by commercial growers, or a mixture made at home from spaghnum peat and coarse sand.
If you've done all this and still have had no success, consider what might have gone wrong. Grueber said that for successful results the ivy geraniums from which the cuttings are taken must be vigorous. The rooting percentage goes down as an ivy geranium used for cuttings gets older.
Also, he mentioned that ivy geraniums are sensitive to changes in humidity and other environmental stresses, which makes rooting difficult. Ivy geranium cuttings need good air circulation to avoid disease in the propagation pot or bed. Commercial growers may treat ivy geranium plants with a fungicide for botrytis fungus about one week before cuttings are taken. This may not be possible for home gardeners, of course.
Readers. This column is more interesting if you write. So, got a question about your plants, lawn, garden, or insects? Write to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.
Gardener's checklist
Jobs for late January or early February:
Gardeners who want to have tuberous begonias for summerlong flowering in pots, beds or hanging baskets in shady spots outside should sprout the tubers indoors now.
Cut, pull, and remove honeysuckle and other weedy vines from deciduous plants while the plants are still leafless. No chemicals are available for this job.
Take soil tests as soon as the ground is workable from gardens and flower beds. Two to three weeks should be allowed to get results back so that the proper fertilizer and lime, if needed, can be worked into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil before early spring planting. The soil-testing lab at Virginia Tech charges a fee to cover the costs of running the tests.
John Arbogast is the agriculture extension agent for Roanoke