Geraniums are profuse bloomers that require little maintenance and provide colorful flowers from spring till fall. In most zones, geranium plants are planted as annuals, however in zones 10 and 11, they are regarded as evergreen perennials. This well-known potted plant, which is native to South Africa and is frequently called a geranium, is actually a pelargonium. (For further information on the variations between geraniums and pelargoniums, see below.)
Can geraniums bloom year-round?
Pelargoniums, also referred to as “geraniums,” are decorative perennial plants that bloom for months on end with a profusion of vibrantly colored flowers. Some plants begin to bloom in the spring, but most do so from early June until the first hard frosts of the fall. They can bloom all year long if they are grown inside.
Because pelargoniums are not cold and frost hardy, they shouldn’t be confused with perennial plants that are cultivated outside all year round, such as cranesbill or the closely related true hardy geranium.
In addition to inside, in conservatories, and in greenhouses, pelargoniums are utilized to create vibrant displays in beds and borders, hanging baskets, and various containers. Pelargoniums have their own national society because of their widespread popularity. Local organizations like The Pelargonium & Geranium Society are also mentioned.
Cultivation
Pelargoniums should be taken indoors into a sheltered habitat in the fall because while they can usually withstand heat, drought, and strong frosts, they cannot. If kept at a temperature of at least 10-13C (50-55F), they can bloom all year.
The great majority of pelargoniums require full sun, or at the absolute least, excellent light.
While zonal pelargoniums may take some light shade, regal pelargoniums prefer light shade.
They require a healthy, moist, yet well-drained soil in order to flower extensively. Use an excellent multipurpose compost or one with extra John Innes for growing in pots.
Pelargonium varieties
Pelargoniums come in six basic types, with additional subtypes for some of them:
- Zonal pelargoniums: These are the bushy, upright ‘bedding’ pelargoniums that are cultivated outdoors in pots or in beds and borders and have enormous, single or double flowers. The term “Zonal” describes the leaf markings, many of which are very elegant and ornamental.
- Pelargoniums with ivy leaves: These are the trailing types, with fleshy leaves and single or double flowers in a variety of colors, used in hanging baskets or as container edges.
- Regal pelargoniums: These grow taller, bushier plants with single, infrequently double, flowers that are typically pink, purple, or white. Typically, they are raised outside in pots or for interior displays.
- Angel pelargoniums are smaller, more compact, and bushier than regal pelargoniums.
- Pelargoniums with scented leaves: As their name suggests, these plants are mostly planted for their intensely fragrant leaves, however they also produce pretty little solitary flowers. The leaves could also be distinctively lobed or toothed, variegated, or both.
- All additional pelargoniums that don’t fit into any other category are considered unique pelargoniums.
Pelargoniums are a specialty of various nurseries. Visit their websites to view the extensive selection, which includes photographs to assist you in deciding which ones to purchase:
Do geraniums flower throughout the winter?
I DON’T WANT TO BE BURDENED WITH TIRED, OLD, MONSTER-SIZE PLANTS WHEN IT COMES TO OVERWINTERING GERANIUMS. Fresh, young, eager-to-grow geraniums that are manageable in size for the window garden’s ornamental purposes are what I’m after. Do you share my desire? Then allow me to precisely demonstrate how to prepare these common summer plants for interior winter splendor.
A suitable time to restore and propagate zonal and scented-leaved geraniums is in the middle of August or at least six weeks before the first anticipated frost. This provides the plants plenty of time to heal from root stress and for cut stems to develop roots before the major shift from the outside to the inside.
I’ve never had a problem with the restoration and propagation techniques listed below:
Cut the plant back to within an inch of its life, or to the point where the lowest leaves may be discovered, when working with a zonal geranium that has grown all summer (like “Puritan White” above). Be harsh here.
Your plant should resemble this once virtually all of the top growth has been removed.
Pull the geranium out of its pot next. Place one hand over the plant’s top, where it may support the soil and top growth, to do this in a “professional manner”. Invert the pot next, and while keeping the base in place with your other hand, strike the rim of the pot against a hard surface.
It’s likely that you’ll find the plant to be extremely root-bound. We’ll take care of this.
Slice the roots in thirds using a sharp knife. You should cut away roots in direct proportion to the amount of foliage that has vanished.
After that, cut vertically to cut through the dirt and roots as shown above. The objective is to be able to center the plant in its previous pot with a one-half to one-inch space between the dirt now present and the pot’s walls.
Now carefully examine your geranium. Do you notice any rotten or dead stems? Cut off these. Only three or four stems that exhibit signs of vitality are required.
Then fill the pot with additional potting soil until it reaches about halfway up the edges.
Put the plant in the pot’s center now. If centering appears to be unattainable, then remove more soil and roots to produce a rounded form.
Afterwards, secure it with a paintbrush, a Popsicle stick, or a plant label (as above).
When planted correctly, there should be a one-inch space for watering between the soil’s surface and the pot’s top.
Thoroughly soak the plant until extra moisture drains out of the drainage hole. Remove any soil that is adhering to the leaves by rinsing them.
That’s all, then! You now possess a freshly restored geranium that will bring you joy during the rest of the winter.
What should we deal with all the stems that we cut now? All right, each of these can develop into a new plant.
The stems should then be left alone for a few hours (or perhaps a few days) to allow the cut end to “callus,” or dry out. It is unlikely that a callused cut will decay.
Stipules, or the little flaps along the stem, should also be removed. These could decay in soggy ground.
There isn’t a picture for the following three steps because I don’t believe you need it: Take a 4-inch clay pot, and cover the drainage hole with a piece of shattered pottery. Then add a new mixture to the saucepan.
To a depth that roughly corresponds to the length of your cutting, press a pencil into the earth in the center.
And then, use your thumbs to firmly press the earth down. Or “thumb,” if you are working while holding a camera.
Just add a little more mixture and adjust the stem if, after pressing down, the soil level lowers more than an inch below the top of the pot.
Give the plant plenty of water (until excess drips through the drainage hole). Simply spray the leaves once or twice daily until roots grow if wilting symptoms appear. When new growth is visible, your cuttings will have taken root.
Place the plant outside in a well-lit but dim area. After the young plants have developed roots, you can move them to a location that gets half-day sun (or full-day sun in a window garden).
By the way, perfumed leafed geraniums can be propagated and restored using the same techniques. Unfortunately, they are becoming rarer by the day, therefore the only way to ensure that you will have them from year to year is to propagate them. My rose-scented “Lady Plymouth” is shown above. This variety’s leaves can be crushed and added to your bathwater. You can also prepare scented icing for cakes and cupcakes by steeping the leaves in full-fat milk.
You can view images of the scented-leaved and large-flowered geraniums I’ve used in my many winter window gardens throughout the years by visiting the houseplants category on this website. The lavender-pink “Americana” made a lovely sight in my music room window in December 2011.
America appears beautiful in my herb garden as well. It recently drew a hummingbird moth here.
Indoor Culture: Give your geraniums as much direct sunlight as an east or south window will allow for indoor success. While plants grown from cuttings often don’t set buds until the days become longer in February or March, restored plants can bloom as early as December. In February 2008, I grew zonal, scented-leaved, and fancy-leaved geraniums in the window of my library/den.
You don’t have an east or south window? Put the plants in front of some fluorescent lights. I can tell you that zonal geraniums will bloom in January virtually as well as they do in summer if they are illuminated for 16 hours each day.
Once the plants are established, I use a high-phosphorus, low-nitrogen plant food to promote flowering. One and a quarter teaspoons of formula per gallon of water are fed to the window garden test subjects. Due to their prolonged exposure to light, I raise the food for the window garden plants to one and a half teaspoons.
Well. I sincerely hope that this tutorial was at least somewhat helpful to you. Maybe you’ll tell me by posting a remark. Your words are the light of my life as always.
Hardy Geraniums vs. Pelargoniums
Pelargoniums should not be confused with hardy geraniums. You might be wondering what makes a geranium different from a pelargonium. Similar to some siblings, they are both members of the same plant family, but they could not be more unlike.
Pelargoniums cannot withstand frost, while hardy geraniums can. Pelargoniums are usually treated as annuals and replanted each year, but true hardy geraniums are perennials that grow back every year. Pelargoniums die in the winter.
Prune your Hardy Geraniums
Your sturdy geraniums will look their best and promote new growth if you prune them properly. By correctly pruning your hardy geraniums after the blooming season, you can encourage repeat blooming. The majority of geraniums can be cut back twice in a single season, which allows them to bloom at least three times.
When to Prune
Your hardy geraniums should be pruned in accordance with the season you are in. Rozanne will require various cuts in the spring, summer, and fall. To maintain your blooms rich and healthy, mark your calendar and adhere to our seasonal trimming recommendations.
What tools you need
Your geraniums may be pruned fairly easily. All you’ll need is the ability to prune, a pair of sharp pruners, your favorite mulch, and your favorite gardening gloves. Watch this video to learn more about pruning strategies in detail.
How to prune
You shouldn’t be concerned that pruning your flower’s back will harm her. The majority of hardy geraniums require trimming to promote new growth and prevent them from encroaching upon other plants.
Trim the plant back to within a few inches of the ground or to about an inch above the main stem once the flowering is completed or you find old growth. Remove any brown stems or yellow leaves after that by going inside.
Soon after trimming, more leaves will start to appear. Some resilient geraniums even have the ability to blossom again. Maintaining correct pruning on your plants encourages new development and keeps them from spilling out throughout your landscape.
What pruning advice do you prefer? Share them with us in a comment on our Facebook page!
Do geraniums survive the cold outside?
- Make sure you thoroughly inspect your geranium plants before bringing them inside for the winter. Look for symptoms of pests and illnesses like rust and remove any dead leaves or wilting blossoms. Only zonal pelargoniums are impacted by this, but it is becoming more widespread. It arrived in the nation for the first time in 1968, and it does best in the moist summer or fall months. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to spread to the plants quickly and is simple to treat, so merely plucking the afflicted leaves is an effective management. You might also consider using the fungicide Dithane 945 as a spray.
- Placing your overwintering plants somewhere bright and sunny will help them retain their need for light throughout the winter. Your plants will receive 50% less light if they are placed more than three feet from a window!
- Because your plants continue to thrive throughout the winter, keep the roots moist. While geraniums frequently survive droughts, they rarely flourish. Show plant growers take special care to keep the roots of their plants damp but never soggy during the winter.
- Ventilate as frequently as you can to maintain a dry environment surrounding your plants. Your plants will turn into a moldy, rotting heap if you don’t allow the air to circulate. The greatest electric fan heaters are those that operate automatically since they circulate air while simultaneously raising air temperature.
- Geraniums are fairly inexpensive to overwinter in the greenhouse because they only need to be kept frost-free. To keep temperatures above freezing, however, we do advise utilizing a heater. Set the thermostat on your heater to 5C, which is 41F. The plant will not survive if the stems become frosty! The winter months are a great time to store your delicate pelargoniums in porches, sunrooms, or conservatories.
We hope that we have provided you with enough of tips so that you can continue to enjoy your geraniums year after year. Visit our geraniums hub page, which is brimming with useful resources, for additional details on how to cultivate and take care of these well-liked plants. And do get in touch with us through our social media outlets to share your personal favorites; we’d love to hear from you.
How should geraniums be cared for over the winter?
Geraniums are incredibly simple to store for the winter—just place them in a cardboard box or a paper bag and secure the top. The following advice will help them survive:
- Maintain geraniums in a cool, dry area with a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees F.
- Once a month or so, remove dried leaves from the bag or box and check for mold.
- Check the stems quickly at the same time; they should be stiff. Throw away any dried-out, shriveled stems you uncover.
- If you see that the plants are becoming really dry and crispy, give them a brief soak in water.
- Plants with stems that appear to be blackened or mildewed should be disposed away.
Geraniums are typically kept in a sack upside down. Although the exact cause is unknown, one idea holds that it does so by pushing moisture into the stems. Whatever the cause, storing them in this manner is neither harmful nor necessarily harmful.