Bay, Cardamon, Geraniums Suffered in Shipping
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Joy Morrison
Posted on: June 2, 1998

I was very pleased to have received my plant order a few weeks ago . The packaging is amazing! I was happy with most plants however some are not really coming around as I expected. The geraniums Cinnamon, Coconut and Peacock scented varieties were quite affected by the transport. The leaves were quite yellow and brown and they were dried out. I have them in pots now of course but they do not look well at all. Could you please advise.

Geraniums are high light plants and don’t do well if kept in a dark box for too long. However they are also very tough plants. As long as the stems are still green, they will regrow the roots that got damaged in transit and continue to grow replacement leaves after a while. Please be patient and the plants will reward you be recovering. Just make sure that you do not let the pots dry out. Keep in a shady spot until new leaves have started to emerge.

Also my Cardamom plant and Bay have a whitish residue on the leaves???? I have been fertilizing with 5-15-5 and have been gentle with it!

The white residue is most likely just a calcium deposit left there when our hard water dried on the leaves. Leaving the plants outside for the summer will probably get rid of it, because rain water is very soft and also a bit acid in most areas. Water with a shot of milk in it can also be used to gently rub off the deposit and leave shiny leaves.

Fertilizing with the high phosphate fertilizer might convince the cardamon to flower! Keep it up!

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