G. farreri ewwwwwwwwwww

[maggiepie]

Have been wondering why my seedling was just sitting and not getting any new growth.
Decided to dig it up and look at the roots .
This is what I found.

I have washed the plant and am going to stick it in a pot.
Not sure if aphids lay eggs inside roots, does anyone know?
Would really hate to destroy the plant, I still have never seen a G. farreri flower in person.

[Maggi Young]

That is one sorry looking geranium.  Yuck indeed.
I don't think they lay eggs IN the roots, but among the roots - probably.

Must have a look and see  what the G. macrowotsit that I got from Kevock for you is doing.... if I can remember where it is. Ive been hoping for a seed set.... but  if I can't findthe plant, that could be tricky,  even if it is flowering! 

[Lori S.]

Are there aphids among the roots too?  Those are the stems in the photo, no?  Looks like the aphids are being tended by ants, not uncommonly.  With regular aphids (having never experienced or seen root aphids), I find that manually crushing them (which is somewhat satisfying too) or washing them off with a spray of water can do the trick.
I hope you combat this successfully, Helen... I'm hoping to beg seeds from you someday!   
 

[fleurbleue]

Hi Helen, I have had the same problem few days ago with a Geranium palmatum with ants and aphids on the ground level. I sprayed with a domestic anti-ants (Tetrametrhine and Cypermethrine) and now there are new leaves and no more creepy crawlers 

[maggiepie]

Maggi, the G. magniflorum?
Hope you find the plant complete with seeds 

Lori, there were a few aphids on the top part of the root near the crown.
I am plagued by ants and have seen disgusting root aphids on dandlion roots, first noticed them last year.
Have seen them on something else too but can't remember what the plant was.
If I ever manage to get some seeds I will remember you.

Nicole, I have some ant powder, I wonder if that would work.

[Maggi Young]

G. magniflorum -that was it - no sign of the blasted thing so far. Mind you we only just re-found an arisaema (that our pal Sam S, gave us) the other day when it  flowered. 

[mark smyth]

Maggi I doubt if G. magniflorum can survive in Bonnie Scotland winters

[Maggi Young]

Lori's got it growing for her..... see  the geranium thread - which iswhy I tried it, to get it for Helen. Can't find it.... think it may be gone, so whether it was cold or wet I don't know....

[mark smyth]

Lucky Lori. Lori did it survive the winter?

[maggiepie]

Mark, I had magniflorum survive 3 winters here.
Two of them in fact but I made a mistake of trying to get bits to root by layering with one and it didn't take kindly to being covered with soil.
After that I got paranoid about losing the second one and dug it up and brought in to winter, it didn't take kindly to that and carked it.

I suspect that growing from seed makes them more adaptable.

[Maggi Young]

Lucky Lori. Lori did it survive the winter?

See here : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=3141.msg83525#msg83525

 and here : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=4171.msg109539#msg109539

[Lori S.]

Yes, I did have Geranium magniflorum survive "a few years" outdoors here (sorry, my records aren't complete enough to say how many).  It was a plant I bought of the cultivar/selection 'La Veta Lace', and I eventually lost it when I moved it clumsily after it started getting overtaken by other taller plants.

Edit:  I meant to add that I found seeds of it in the most recent seedex ( ), had good germination with scarification, and now have several seedlings planted around the yard for another try.  Now, if only I can come across G. farreri again... sigh.

[Lesley Cox]

Gosh Maggie, you had me worried there for a few minutes but I've been out to look and my 3 (one promised elsewhere) are all fine, just little hard knobs about a cm below the surface of their pots, they having died down some week ago. All well so far.

[maggiepie]

Lesley, glad to hear yours are doing fine.

What sort of medium do you use in the pots?
Do you fertilize them and if so what do you use?
I don't normally fertilize geraniums.

[Lesley Cox]

Just my usual potting mix which is based on about 70% crushed and composted pine bark fines nowadays. There's a small proportion (maybe 10%) of loam and the rest is our local product "superdirt" which has all sorts in it including some rotted animal manure, more pine bark and crushed lignite coal. Used to have composted stuff from a rolled oats plant but not now. The manufactures went off shore to Australia. I add about 20% grit to this mix and a sprinkling of a slow release fertilizer, for potting. Use the same for seeds and everything.