I bought two small pelargoniums last week end, and potted them for
display around my front porch. They looked ok when I bought them -
though it was a lightning shopping expedition, and I can't be
absolutely sure the symptoms weren't already somewhat there.
Anyway, as of now, all the flower-bud bearing stems, big and small,
have turned brown. Some of the outer leaves are yellowing a little,
and those flower stems which when I bought them were starting to show a
little white/fuschia coloured petal, are now gone brown and dead
looking.
I have googled a little, but the only thing I find though without pic
is black leg or black stem.
Is that it? Or have you any other ideas?
Most of all, what can I do to correct this, or should I simply dump
those plants?
If it can help, I will be able to upload a link to a pic this week end.
TIA
Cat(h)

Cat(h) wrote:
I bought two small pelargoniums last week end
(snip)

Those little pelargoniums look great in their pot of peat and moist
compost, grown with pesticides and herbicides etc, protected in their
cozy snug environment. Suddenly they spend ages on shelves, get cold,
damp, dry, get pot bound, travel and then get repoted ... Sometimes the
outside of the root ball can seem to be damp and nice but the middle is
dry and dusty. Also sometimes they look great because they've just been
watered and are moist but perhaps also have been overwatered on display
hours before being bought!!

Did you look at the roots and did you loosen them a bit before
repotting? I would remove all the dead heads and the damaged stem. It
is still early in the season so plenty of time for them to grow and
flower again! (I've just put mine back outside last week end and I've
got all sorts from mint and lemon smell to furry leaves and pink and
white).

Don't throw them away yet. Nurse them a bit in a corner and see ;o)