EEEK! Geranium fungus!

[Judy G. Russell]

So it's nasty and humid and wet wet wet... with the entire upcoming week promising more of the same. My geraniums do not like it one bit. They've developed a moldy fungus. Can I save them by cutting off the affected blooms and using a fungicide or have I lost these plants this year???

[MollyM/CA]

How about if you cut off the moldy parts and also took some cuttings to start, to put out when the weather changes? Do you overwinter your geraniums or just buy new ones --surely they're not winter-hardy there, are they?

If I could get into the Garden forum I'd ask Daryl, but dear Prospero's bouncing my log-in around in circles and then telling me 'internal error' again. I think she'd say cut and hope.

You're normally supposed to cut the blossoms off cuttings you're rooting, but I've left them on geraniums and had them root just fine. Take the cutting at a leaf node, trim it close below the natural break in the stem. snip off the leaves at that node close to the stem with scissors, and stick the stem in a glass of water --when you see rooty bumps starting, plant the cutting. All of which I'm sure you already know. I have better luck rooting geraniums in water than in potting soil --I'm sure you already know all the above.

[Judy G. Russell]

This is my first year with geraniums, and I was pretty much planning on getting new ones (they're not likely to be winter-hardy here in Zone 6). But I sure was hoping to have them last through the summer!!!

[Lindsey]

They've developed a moldy fungus.
Woolly gray by any chance? It could be Botrytis. I've never seen that in the geraniums around here, but maybe it's because it gets so hot so early here.

The basics (from http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r280111511.html):

Gray mold (Botrytis cinerea)

Symptoms: Brown water-soaked decay of flowers occurs. Woolly gray fungal spores form on rotted tissues. When infected flower parts fall on leaves, they
also rot. Disease may affect stems.

Survival of pathogen and effect of environment: In plant debris, especially flowers. Favored by cool wet conditions and water on plant.

Comments on control: Protect plants with chlorothalonil, iprodione, or fenhexamid. Where practical, remove old blossoms and dead parts. Avoid overhead irrigation. [Note: The "further information" page says that fungicides need to be applied before the infection sets in.]

Full discussion at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r280100511.html

If you think this is what it is, definitely pull off the affected blooms; you might even just take off all of the blooms (so the plant doesn't have to put energy into supporting them). If the plant recovers, it will generate more blooms. Be careful how you dispose of what you take off -- directly to the garbage bag, don't throw it on the ground to pick up when you're through.

Or: it might really be easiest just to pitch the infected plants (and the soil they are planted in, if you've got them in pots) and start over.

--Lindsey

[lensue]

>My geraniums do not like it one bit<

Judy, wow, I don't blame them. We have alot of geraniums and they have never developed such a problem--they are some of our strongest plants! Do you know what variety you have? BTW you're talking about the perennial geraniums, right? Regards, Len

[lensue]

>If I could get into the Garden forum I'd ask Daryl<

Molly, what's the problem--I've seen you there several times within the last few weeks--or am I going crazy! Regards, Len

[Judy G. Russell]

If you think this is what it is, definitely pull off the affected blooms; you might even just take off all of the blooms (so the plant doesn't have to put energy into supporting them). If the plant recovers, it will generate more blooms. Be careful how you dispose of what you take off -- directly to the garbage bag, don't throw it on the ground to pick up when you're through. Or: it might really be easiest just to pitch the infected plants (and the soil they are planted in, if you've got them in pots) and start over.Yeah, I do think that's what it is -- all the sites I read say it really hits with humid conditions, and a week of very high humidity and rain (with another week on the way) sure sounds like perfect conditions...

[Judy G. Russell]

I think it's because this is their first year, they're not really settled in yet, and BOY has it just been lousy rotten humid and rainy...

[earler]

Your geraniums got too much water. You should use the kind of pots that allow full drainage. These are called rivieras here in france. You add the water to the bottom of the container and the geraniums draw on it as required.

-er

[Judy G. Russell]

I know they got too much water -- the whole east coast of the United States has gotten too much water and we're likely to continue to get too much water for the next few days still. The question is whether the plants can be saved or not.

[Lindsey]

I think it's because this is their first year, they're not really settled in yet, and BOY has it just been lousy rotten humid and rainy...
I've never bothered with trying to overwinter geraniums; we've always just used them as annuals.

--Lindsey

[Lindsey]

the whole east coast of the United States has gotten too much water and we're likely to continue to get too much water for the next few days still.
Indeed (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/26/AR2006062600234.html) so (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/26/AR2006062600664.html). We actually hadn't seen all that much rain here until just a few minutes ago, but now the radio is full of flood warnings. Stalled tropical storm front stretching from New York to Florida, the radio says -- and to expect rain for the rest of the week. I think we'll all be mildewed by the time the weekend rolls around!

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

I think we'll all be mildewed by the time the weekend rolls around!I'm already there, I think. I can't even get the air in the house dried out with the window air conditioners. Not enough of them! And every time I touch something wood in the house, my hand sticks to it. Bleah...

[Judy G. Russell]

I've never bothered with trying to overwinter geraniums; we've always just used them as annuals.I have serious doubts about doing the overwintering bit myself. It's much easier to just go out and buy new ones. They're cheap enough!

[lensue]

>I think it's because this is their first year<

Judy so you have the perennial geraniums then--what variety? Regards, Len

[lensue]

>we've always just used them as annuals<

Judy, oops, so you were talking about the annuals--I misunderstood in other messages. Regards, Len

[Judy G. Russell]

so you have the perennial geraniums then--what variety? I know I should have kept the tag that said exactly what variety, but the truth is... I don't know. They look like this (or did, before the rains came!):

http://www.pbase.com/jgr/image/60106666/medium.jpg (http://www.pbase.com/jgr/image/60106666)

[Lindsey]

They look like this (or did, before the rains came!):
Oh, what lovely flowers! It would be tempting to try to save those, unless you can easily get more of the same variety.

But that's definitely a Pelargonium (annual, at least in temperate climates) as opposed to a true Geranium (perennial), which I'm sure is the one Len is talking about. Pelargoniums are what people commonly call geraniums, but, well, officially they are not. The plants that are actually of the geranium species are very different-looking sorts of plants. (http://www.mooseyscountrygarden.com/perennial-plants/perennial-geranium.html).

But normally when people talk about planting geraniums, particularly when they are putting them in pots, they are referring to pelargoniums.

--Lindsey

[Nick Parkin]

So it's nasty and humid and wet wet wet... with the entire upcoming week promising more of the same. My geraniums do not like it one bit. They've developed a moldy fungus. Can I save them by cutting off the affected blooms and using a fungicide or have I lost these plants this year???

I presume from what I've read that these plants are outside? I've only ever come across this in plants being overwintered in a greenhouse which is insufficiently ventilated. In your shoes I would cut off all traces of mould affected material & then some, then leave the plants & see what happens. Geraniums are so cheap that new plants are cheaper than treatments.

[lensue]

>They look like this <

Judy, we have 6 of those growing in our back area which is mostly perennials--we put in the annual geraniums which these definitely are for some extra color--we got ours at Home Depot--I do believe they will come back after all this rain--give them some Miracle Grow and the sun will make them look fine IMO. Regards, Len

[Judy G. Russell]

I'm reasonably sure this needs to be brought indoors to overwinter and so is not truly an annual (at least not in zone 6)!

[Judy G. Russell]

the sun will make them look fineThe sun? The sun? What's that? Surely nothing we've seen lately nor are likely to see any time soon! (Even the 10-day forecast doesn't call for a single sunny day. Bleah!)

[Judy G. Russell]

I would cut off all traces of mould affected material & then some, then leave the plants & see what happens.Thanks, Nick. That's basically what I'm doing. I just wish this weather system that's stalled off the east coast would get going so we'd have a chance at drying out sometime!

[lensue]

>The sun? The sun? What's that? <

Judy, LOL! I wanna get out there and mow but the rain keeps coming on in--a few minutes ago we had another downpour--mean time about an hour ago we actually saw the sun for about one minute! Regards, Len

[lensue]

>so is not truly an annual <

Judy, that's just what makes it an annual. Regards, Len

[Judy G. Russell]

Oooops. I meant "not truly a perennial."

[Judy G. Russell]

I am soooooo tired of this weather. This is the kind of weather that makes me want to go live in the desert with 360 days a year of sunshine. Either we get some sunshine soon or I'm gonna need drugs...

[Lindsey]

I am soooooo tired of this weather. This is the kind of weather that makes me want to go live in the desert with 360 days a year of sunshine. Either we get some sunshine soon or I'm gonna need drugs...
We've been lucky; we haven't head anywhere near the amount of rain that you guys have had north of here, though even here there's been enough to cause problems. And yes, too many days in a row of rain will really eat into your psyche, but I was just thinking today (the first really rainy day we've had in some time) how a good steady summer rain had a very comforting quality to it. On bright sunny days, everything has a hard edge to it, and the sun brings out ugliness -- makes things like weeds, and chips in sidewalks, and a host of other flaws highly visible. A rainy day softens the hard edges and a misty gray in the air makes even weeds look sort of nice.

But all that is assuming that the rain isn't coming down by the bucketful, and that it only lasts for a day.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

We've been lucky; we haven't head anywhere near the amount of rain that you guys have had north of here, though even here there's been enough to cause problems.I saw some interesting photos today of the Roanoke River near Salem (close to Blacksburg, where my sister lives) and of all kinds of problems in the DC area, Maryland and Delaware! So it sure is hitting hard, everywhere on the middle east coast!

[lensue]

>Oooops.<

Judy, btw last night between midnight and 7AM we got 2 and 1/2 inches of rain! Still I was out there mowing by 9AM and now we have sun and humidity--they're predicting more rain for tomorrow--unbelievable! Regards, Len

[Judy G. Russell]

btw last night between midnight and 7AM we got 2 and 1/2 inches of rain! Still I was out there mowing by 9AM and now we have sun and humidity--they're predicting more rain for tomorrow--unbelievable!They're saying we may (may, mind you) see the sun on Friday and Saturday. Woohoooo! Two whole days in a row!

[lensue]

>Delaware<

Judy, tomorrow the Delaware River is supposed to crest and they're predicting trouble for the town that is closest for me when we go to that river--Easton. Regards, Len

[Lindsey]

I saw some interesting photos today of the Roanoke River near Salem (close to Blacksburg, where my sister lives) and of all kinds of problems in the DC area, Maryland and Delaware! So it sure is hitting hard, everywhere on the middle east coast!
Here in Richmond, we've had some minor flooding, and I think they were telling folks living near the river to expect to see some water in their driveways when the river crests, but so far, nothing any worse than that. Certainly not anything like what was happening in DC. And I also heard about an earthen dam in Montgomery County, MD, that they're concerned about.

The sun has been out today, but I think they said something about the possibility of more rain tonight. At the moment, I don't see anything in the sky to suggest that, though.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

We've had a little bit of occasional sun today... and a forecast of thundershowers and rain for tonight.