Geranium Care?

I have noticed holes in my geranium leaves - my father says it's from (large, green) worms. What can I do to deter these worms? Also, what is the best way to care for geraniums (indoors) during the winter months?

Geranium Care?
There is a lot of good information on caring for geraniums available on the internet. A Yahoo search for "geranium care" (include the quotation marks in the search box) yields 1,050 results. If you do the same search, and are willing to spend a little time exploring, I'm sure that you will quickly find lots of interesting information.





Good luck with your search.
Reply:For the worms, you can spray them with some insecticidal plant spray. I always use an inexpensive house plant aphid spray for my potted outdoor plants (when needed). Are you sure it isn't grasshoppers eating those holes, I have never seen worms on my geraniums, just hoppers.





As far as wintering them, its a very simple ordeal. It all depends on what zone you live in, if you are in a warmer climate, (rarely below freezing in winter) you can store them in a shed or the garage, if they have a window so some filtered sunlight can reach them. If not, a basement (with a window or grow light) will work well. You can put a light on a timer to only be on for a few hours a day. Trim them way down before you bring them in, to avoid all the fall out during their hybernation. I generally cut them down to just 3-4 inches from the dirt, leaving only larger stalks. Once they are in, on;y water them about once a week, or less. They will look nasty, and then start growing spindley shoots and leaves...just let them be. In march, (or when above freezing daytime temps) hit, start taking them out again on nice days to harden them up. Start watering more frequently as they get more sun light. As soon as night temps stay above freezing, leave them out. It will take about 2 weeks before they look decent next spring. I have 2 Giant Geraniums that are both over 10 years old. Right now they are just beautiful. I have many cutting from these 2 and also many new hybreds. I keep mine in an old Chicken house/shed in the winter, (but I live in a climate where it on;y gets below freezing a few days a month over the winter.
Reply:Cut the geraniums right back to just above a bud with small leaves then create a microclimate by tying a plastic bag over them.


When you do this the worms will be on the cut off leaves-throw the lot into the compost and they will all make lovely fertilizer for next spring.
Reply:The key to success with 'cutting' or 'bedding' geraniums (not hardy geraniums) is knowing that they want to dry out between waterings, and get alot of sun.





That being said... treat the catipilliar with a BT product. BT (I don't know the latin name) is a bacterial disease that affects most catepilliars, killing them. It is concidered an organic control. It will not affect other insects in your yard.





Move the plants to a shady spot in your yard about 2-3 weeks before you want to bring them indoors. Treat them with a systemic insecticide to keep the bugs outside, and not coming in with your plants.





Once they've acclimated to this amount of sun, bring them in, and put them in a sunny window. Glass refracts (hmmm, right word?) the "good" colors from the sunlight, and diminishes its intensity. So even your sunny window, is the equivilent to a shady spot in the yard. Now just maintain it as a normal houseplant. It's going to get spindly, and drop alot of leaves. Resist the urge to water it heavily. Allow the soil to dry between waterings.





In the spring take it outside, in a sheltered area by day, and inside by night... and acclimate it again to the brighter sunlight. Give it a cutting back, and begin to fertilize it regularly. Resist the urge to water it heavily again.





I hope that this helps


Good luck -