GEUM care and end of season cut-back

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by nightofjoy, May 15, 2019.

  1. nightofjoy

    nightofjoy Gardener

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    Hi.

    We bought a large Geum plant a few weeks ago, and where we've put it, it's really taken off and looks great, so this afternoon we went and got another two.

    I'm just wondering if there are any regular Guem growers out there who can tell me how far down to deadhead the spent flowers, later in the summer when some start to fade? All our other flowers are quite small and can be pinched off, but the Geum is super-leggy.

    And then how far to cut it back altogether, end season, ready for winter.

    Thanks.
     
  2. Verdun

    Verdun Passionate gardener

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    Can you tell us the variety ?
    Always, if you can, deadhead flowers but no need to cut foliage down.
    You can lift and divide after flowering.....no need to buy more of the same variety:)
     
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    • nightofjoy

      nightofjoy Gardener

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      Hi.

      Yep, we have Tangerine, Lady Stratheden, and what I suspect is Mrs Bradshaw.

      So deadhead them right back to the shoot? 2 - 3 feet in some cases.

      I could only find one article about cutting back and it said take it right down to the ground in the autumn.
       
    • Verdun

      Verdun Passionate gardener

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      Totally Tangerine, the best of the geums I think, is evergreen here and semi evergreen in many places.
      Regular dead heading....eventually cutting the entire flower stalks down during the summer...will encourage further flowering.
      I have several large geums now from one original plant......if you divide geums in late summer and pot them up, or plant out, you will have good size plants the following year. :)
       
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      • nightofjoy

        nightofjoy Gardener

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        so at the moment i'm deadheading by taking the flowering stalks back to their intersection with the heavier central storks. at the end of the season, when flowering has stopped, i can divide the root systems and pot up the separate new plants, and then cut them down to where? if i've been cutting back the flower stalks as part of deadheading, i guess all that's left would be to take down the central stalks? thanks.

        apologies for lack of capitalisation... my caps button has died.
         
      • Jack Sparrow

        Jack Sparrow Total Gardener

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        I bought a geum totally tangerine in the Autumn of 2017. I cut it in half and potted them up because at that time there was still some landscaping work that needed doing.

        This was May 2018
        20180501_171531.jpg

        And this was taken about a fortnight ago.
        20190506_132830.jpg

        The other half of plant I cut into 4 and gave to a local charity.

        I just snip off the flower heads as they die down. I didn't touch it over winter. The only thing I did was to trim off the outside shoots to maintain its neat shape.

        I also I have a Mrs Bradshaw which underwent the same treatment. That has only recently been planted out. Its early days but the signs are good.
        20190519_100101.jpg
        Please forgive the weeds. I tend to take the pictures when the light is right. I have weeded since.

        G.
         
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        • Verdun

          Verdun Passionate gardener

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          Excellent Gary
           
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          • nightofjoy

            nightofjoy Gardener

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            the tangerine one looks great. nice work. we have three massive pots now, each bought this year, so when i split them at the end of the season there will potentially be nine, and i might cut one right back as an experiment just to see what it does to the regrowth shape...
             
          • BellaBlue

            BellaBlue Gardener

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            8B556AA7-22C4-42DE-A5A8-4309D953B402.jpeg @Jack Sparrow ’s Totally Tangerine looks fab. I got mine last year and love it.
             
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            • Verdun

              Verdun Passionate gardener

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              B19A6E70-BEFD-49B2-B6FD-F046357C9831.jpeg Geum Totally Tamgerine.....one of several around the garden :)
               
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              • BellaBlue

                BellaBlue Gardener

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                Awesome @Verdun !

                Mine will be that big one day :spinning:
                 
              • Verdun

                Verdun Passionate gardener

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                Certainly will BellaBlue :)
                 
              • HarryS

                HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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                I stumbled upon Geums two years ago. You never seem to here them mentioned, or maybe that's just me. The Geum Mrs Bradshaw has just flowered for the second year it's quite big with lots of flowers. The Geum Rivale is about to flower, very pretty with drooping flower heads. The Geum Koi is being overgrown by my Jacobs ladder - I need to sort that out when the ladder finishes flowering :blue thumb:
                 
              • BellaBlue

                BellaBlue Gardener

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                Geums are everywhere at the Chelsea Flower Show this year apparently. I’ll be there on Thursday. Whoop!!!

                I found this nursery that specialises in Geums and I want a pink one (Stacy Proud or Spellbound) ... East Of Eden Nursery – Home of the Geum
                 
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                • Mike Allen

                  Mike Allen Total Gardener

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                  Deadheading.
                  How this brings back memories. Back to the garden on Monday. The lord and master and Mrs have been in the garden. Good morning Mike if the lady of the house was speaking. If it was the General etc, then it was Good morning Mr Allen. We had guest over the week end, and thought we'd lend a hand and do some dead heading.

                  Oh no! To most folk. Dead-heading seems to imply, pulling the dead flower head off the stem. So you are left with a respectible looking plant but, OH DEAR ME, what are all thos stalks? When dead -heading any plant. Trace the flower stem/stalk downto wher it joins a leaf joint, now cut. This maintanes the general appearance and avoids unsightly dead ends.
                   
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