Hardy Geraniums look forlorn !

avstar

Hi all

I'm a very novice gardener (and also very skint). I had a plant in my garden when I moved in which I think is a hardy geranium (cranesbill?) - it's a wonderful little plant and flowers away all summer long with lovely pink flowers. I've split it up a couple of times and replanted the pieces around the garden...filling my flower beds for free. :j


But this year some of the plants have got yellowing leaves and seem to be covered in v small white insects/aphids?
Does anyone know whats wrong with it - how I can cure it or stop it spreading to the rest of my plants ?

Thanks for any help

olly300

You can have some fun with this tool.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/advice/pests_and_diseases/

BTW They are probably white fly. You can spray them with bug killer.

avstar

Thanks olly - thats a faantastic little diagnostic thingamyjig - it def sounds like aphids cos there're lots of white 'skins' on the leaves.....urgh

Does spraying the plant with washing up liquid work ? - sure I heard that somewhere - I'd rather not resort to chemical sprays (mainly due to the cost !:eek: )

Jnelhams

Yes Washing up liquid does work, but Aphids are not normally a problem on Hardy Geraniums, so this is a little surprising, I have more than 20 different species of Cranesbills and have grown these for many years. I would suggest you spray with the Washing up liquid, but also make sure you give them a feed with Miracle Gro/Phostrogen and trim back after flowering to keep them tidy. Look for nearby Ant nests, as these move aphids onto plants to feed on honeydew produced by the aphids. If you brush against the plants, and loads of little flies appear, then you have white fly and not aphids, and regular spraying and watering will give some control, but it is just a seasonal problem caused by the weather and another year they will not be a problem.