| I purchased Biovolo Geraniums last year and planted them in window boxes. How do I care for my plants to make them strive and more presentable (to flower)? Currently, they look stringy and probably no chance of flowering this year as well. |
| Unfortunately I am not aware of a plant named Biovolo. There is a hardy garden perennial called Geranium x Biokovo so I suspect this may be the plant you have. It typically blooms from spring to early summer and then may rebloom later in the season if it is cut back after the first flowering and kept well fed and watered. It would be winter hardy outdoors in New York when planted in the ground and turns a nice red in the fall. In spring, trim away winter damaged foliage and top dress with a good quality compost. You could also fertilize with a slow release granular fertilizer. Water as needed to keep the soil slightly moist, but not wet. After it blooms, trim it back to remove the faded flowers and stems. If you have a pelargonium (the botanical name for what most people would call a geranium) then you would need to trim it back quite hard, repot into fresh soil mix, and move to the sunniest possible location. Top dress with compost, use a slow release granular fertilizer, and water as needed to keep the soil evenly moist but not sopping wet. Pinch the new growth tips occasionally to encourage denser growth. Remove each flower when it fades to encourage additional blooms. It should bloom continuously all summer until frost, can be overwintered indoors on the sunny window sill as a house plant. |
