Scented geranium wilting - Ask Extension
Hi there - I have been growing a scented geranium plant for the last 10 or so months. It has seemed mostly healthy, but at times the leaves lower on t...
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Scented geranium wilting #676585
Asked October 22, 2020, 9:40 AM EDT
Hi there - I have been growing a scented geranium plant for the last 10 or so months. It has seemed mostly healthy, but at times the leaves lower on the stalk wilt, and some turn yellow and fall off. It has grown relatively tall and straight up in the air. I had been watering every three days, but the plant is now in a window with much more direct sun and the soil tends to dry out quickly, so I've been watering every other day. There is a lot of new growth near the base, and I have pinched off most of the leaves that were wilting or looked unhealthy. What might explain the wilting issues? How much water and light should this plant get? Should I be pruning it more? Why is it growing so weirdly?
Kings County New York
Expert Response
While there are some smaller cultivars, most scented geraniums naturally want to be exceedingly tall, as in 3+ feet.
That doesn't mean that it can't do well in your home for the winter though.
You can either leave it as is, or prune it back. Prune above a set of leaves.
They need less water in the winter period than in summer. During this winter rest, water only enough to keep the potting mixture from completely drying out.
Christine
Thanks! Do you have a hypothesis for the leaf drooping / wilting?
On Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 1:00 PM Ask Extension <personal data hidden>> wrote:
It is normal for older,lower leaves to wilt and dry before they drop off. We'd expect you would also see more of this as the plant adjusts to being moved into a new location.
Christine
