A vigorous, wide spreading Geranium

This cultivar must be given quite a lot of space as it has sprawling stems that can reach over 3ft, and be quite a bully to its small neighbors if they are too close!

General information
Prefers sun to part-shade and moist, well-drained soil. Geraniums are easy-to-grow, trouble free plants.

Planting
G. 'Jolly Bee' should ideally be planted by early autumn at the latest, so the plant can establish well in the ground before winter. A slow release fertilizer can be added at planting. If you have heavy soil that gets waterlogged easily, then this is a good time to improve it by adding some sharp grit or sand to the soil to improve drainage.

G. 'Jolly Bee' has a thick taproot, typical of the G. wallichianum species. This enables it to tolerate rather dry periods, but it has to get established first. The soil should not be allowed to dry out at least during first couple of weeks after planting.

G. ‘Jolly Bee’ flourishes in cool and moist, alkaline soil, but Geraniums in general are quite easy to grow in the garden and this is no exception. Once established, they are adaptable to a wide range of conditions.

Sun
G. ‘Jolly Bee’ flourishes best in a partial sunny or sunny spot; in heavy shade the number of flowers will be reduced. In a very hot spot the flowers may appear a little more purple and less blue. If you want you can try to reduce this by keeping the soil moist or by giving the plant some shade.

Diseases
The diseases that occur in cranesbill type Geraniums, such as downy and powdery mildews and rust, will not seriously infect this cultivar. At the end of the season some downy mildew or a few rust spots may be noticed, but not at levels to cause concern. After winter dormancy, G. ‘Jolly Bee’ will regenerate with healthy leaves.

If you notice the green leaves suddenly wilting, and the soil has not gone dry, then vine weevil larvae may have found the roots of your Geranium. This can totally destroy your plants. Deal with this by carefully digging your plant out and inspecting the roots for white larvae. These must be removed and killed, and to be on the safe side, you can also dip the roots in a liquid insecticide. Remove some leaves before replanting to prevent the plant from drying out, which can happen when roots are damaged as they can not supply enough water.


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