Originally published Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Comments (0)
E-mail article
Print view
Plant Talk
Plant Talk Q&A | How to overwinter geraniums indoors
Plant Talk Q&A: Columnar apple trees, overwintering geraniums indoors, IPE wood.
Special to The Seattle Times
Q: I planted a Scarlet Sentinel columnar apple tree last year and got quite a few small apples, but several of them had brown spots inside. Perhaps this was due to apple maggot? I called the nursery where I bought the tree, and the person I spoke to said that, in his experience, columnar apple trees have more problems than regular ones.
A: It sounds as if the brown spots on your apples are probably a fungal disease. To find out for sure, and learn how to prevent this problem in the future, you can take a piece of the problematic fruit to a Master Gardener clinic so they can take a look and advise. Call 206-296-3440 to find a clinic that's convenient for you. In my own limited experience, and from what I can find in the literature, columnar apples don't seem to be any more disease-prone than other kinds of apple trees.
Q: As my garden is starting to wind down this fall, I'm hoping I can save my beautiful summer geraniums. They are common Pelargonium zonals (not true geraniums) and therefore not frost-hardy. Unfortunately, I don't have a greenhouse, but I do have a covered porch that is mostly out of the wind. Should I pot up my plants from the garden and keep them on my porch? If so, when? Or should I leave them in place, cover them during frost alerts and hope they survive?
A: Your fancy-leafed geraniums (which botanically are pelargoniums) won't survive winter outdoors, even if you cover them during frosts. You need to bring the plants inside before the first hard frost. This could be any day now, as Nov. 11 is the average kill date.
There are a couple of ways to overwinter geraniums indoors. You can pot them up, cut them back by half and bring them inside and keep them in a bright room. If your covered porch isn't fully enclosed, I doubt it'd be warm enough, especially if we have a cold winter. Water sparingly and check frequently for white fly infestation. If they stay healthy through the winter, you can plant them outside again in early May.
Or you can lift the plants out of the garden, shake the soil from their roots and stick them in a paper bag to store in a frost-free shed or the garage. Once a month during the winter, soak the roots of each plant for a couple of hours. In March, prune each plant way back and remove dead leaves (which will be most of them). Then pot up the plants, water thoroughly and keep them in a sunny window, and they should be growing fresh new leaves in time to move outdoors in early May.
Overwintering may be worthwhile if you want to grow lots of geraniums next summer. If you need only a few geraniums for pots or front-of-the-border, it may well be easier to buy them fresh every year, as the larger nurseries have a bountiful supply of plump, healthy plants in April and May.
Q: We're having a new deck built off the back of our house. My husband wants to use pressure-treated lumber, but I have my heart set on IPE wood. Would you recommend it?
A: IPE (pronounced E-pay) wood is beautiful, sustainable and durable. It naturally resists rot, insects, decay and mold. I've seen it used extensively as decks and to side houses, so it must have proved itself in our climate. Check out the Web site www.ipe-wood.com for more.
Valerie Easton also writes about Plant Life in Sunday's Pacific Northwest Magazine. Write to her at P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111 or e-mail planttalk@seattletimes.com with your questions. Sorry, no personal replies.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
More Home & Garden headlines...
E-mail article
Print view Share:
Digg
Newsvine
![]()
Ready, set, knit: Quick projects for holiday gifts
Rules to dine by when eating in restaurants with kids
Washington businesses break ties to industrial-food chain
This holiday gift list lets your conscience be your guide
Northwest Living: On Whidbey, a unified home from multiple recycled parts

New Beginnings Christian Fellowship
Coming in this Sunday's Pacific Northwest Magazine: Pastor Braxton's mission is to preach a message that appeals to everyone.
nwautos
Local riders say they've seen a surge in scooter interest in recent years, mostly from people wanting another commuting option. Seattle now ranks as o...
Post a comment
nwjobs
Post a comment
Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
Do you suffer from "sitting disease"?
Post a comment
- Two men in Everett shoot each other early today
- Steve Kelley | Next Seahawks GM should be Mike Holmgren
- Mariners Blog | Jose Lopez appears to be on his way out
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Amazon, Wal-Mart escalate Web price war
- As glam as he wants to be: Adam Lambert's real debut
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Bellevue Blog | Bellevue residents blast new bikini espresso stand
- Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
- Husky Men's Basketball Blog | An interview with Enes Kanter's coach
- Bellevue residents blast new bikini espresso stand
250 - Jose Lopez appears to be on his way out
234 - Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
205 - Next Seahawks GM should be Mike Holmgren
151 - Washington State coach Paul Wulff says he's excited about Cougars' future
138 - Hate crimes against gays, religious groups up, FBI says
88 - Some fans at Fort Bragg see themselves in Sarah Palin
82 - Man shoots self at Westlake Center
76 - Teen pimp found guilty of human trafficking
58 - Civil-rights suit against officer, city settled for $87,500
57
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- Nicole Brodeur | Homeless woman bent on giving
- Portland cafe's specialty: medical-marijuana tokes
- Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
- Hutch gets $10M from Bezos family for immunotherapy research
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'








