Cascades are a single flowering ivy series with incredible flower power. Their petals are slightly smaller than Blizzard ivies. Early Florel sprays are key to making well-branched, quality plants. Use low-rate Bonzi drenches only on vigorous varieties. A pinch can be given on very vigorous varieties. Watch for both aphids and thrips on ivies. Keep the media pH below 6.0 to avoid iron deficiency (tip yellowing). Correct with iron chelate drenches if needed.
Description
Ivy Geraniums take their common name from their trailing habit and ivy-like foliage. They display colorful clusters of blooms all season long, upping their value as a garden and container plant. Where not hardy, they can be grown as houseplants through the winter months.
Additional Info
The top choice in ivies for extreme heat tolerance.
Vigorous trailing habits make Cascade ideal for big baskets and window boxes.
Pair with Calliope for the ultimate heat loving geranium combination.
New plantings should be watered daily for a couple of weeks. After that, depending on the weather and soil type, watering can be adjusted to every two or three days. Clay soils hold moisture longer than sandy soils, so expect to water more frequently in sandy settings.
Different plants have different water needs. Some plants prefer staying on the dry side, others like to be consistently moist. Refer to the plant label to check a plant’s specific requirements.
Ideally water should only be applied to the root zone - an area roughly 6-12” (15-30cm) from the base of the plant, not the entire plant. A soaker hose is a great investment for keeping plants healthy and reducing water lost through evaporation. Hand watering using a watering wand with a sprinkler head attached is also a good way to control watering. If the garden area is large, and a sprinkler is necessary, try to water in the morning so that plant foliage has time to dry through the day. Moist foliage encourages disease and mold that can weaken or damage plants.
To check for soil moisture use your finger or a small trowel to dig in and examine the soil. If the first 2-4” (5-10cm) of soil is dry, it is time to water.
Pruning
Prune plants freely to maintain the desired size and shape. Pinching plants back stimulates dense, bushy new growth and encourages more flowers.
Remove old flowers to keep plant looking healthy and prevent seed production that drains the plant’s energy at the expense of forming new flowers.
Some plants are grown only for their attractive foliage (such as coleus, dusty miller and flowering kale). Their flowers are not very showy and any buds should be pinched off to keep the foliage looking its best.
