The Martha Washington geranium is a cool-season geranium that will broaden your geranium horizons (Pelargonium x domesticum). These geraniums, also referred to as regal geraniums, have vibrant flowers with petals that resemble velvet and are noted for their regal appearance. The exquisite ruffled look on the petals adds to the rich appearance of the plants.
The lavender, pink, burgundy, and purple hues of Martha Washington geranium blossoms fall under the reddish-purple color spectrum. Along with a variety of beautifully painted bicolor blooms, white can also be found in the mixture of blossoms. White centers or solid petals with white edges are two prevalent motifs.
The leaves of Martha Washington geraniums are bright green and slightly ruffled. When crushed, the leaves give off a citrus scent and the edges are frequently serrated. The height and width of Martha Washington geraniums range from 12 to 18 inches overall. A Martha Washington geranium frequently appears to be overflowing with flowers due to the flowers’ clustered appearance, which is similar to zonal geraniums but with stems that are typically shorter.
When the air is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, these lovely bloomers thrive. When the nighttime temperature falls between 50 and 60 degrees, Martha Washington geraniums begin to set their bloom buds. As a result, they are well-liked as springtime plants and are frequently purchased as gifts for springtime occasions like Mother’s Day and Easter. Plants typically stop blossoming once summer temperatures approach. Plan to remove plants from pots or planting beds as the heat builds and replace them with classic garden or zonal geraniums if you like the way Martha Washington geraniums look and live somewhere where summers can get a little hot.
Fertile, well-drained soil is preferred by Martha Washington geraniums. Before planting, enrich the soil in landscape beds with a lot of organic matter. Use a commercial soilless mix made for planters in containers. These mixtures offer the proper drainage for containerized plants to flourish. Because Martha Washington geraniums are prone to root rot, don’t overwater them or place them in planting beds with lots of clay soil.
Put your Martha Washington geraniums in a location with direct sunlight, but keep them away from the hottest afternoon sun in all areas. Plants produce fewer flowers when they receive less sunlight. Remove spent blossoms to promote the development of new flowers. This reduces the growth of fungus on decaying flowers. Remove and kill the affected plant sections if you notice any indications of fuzzy mold-like growth (botrytis) on Martha Washington geraniums or orange or brown stains on leaves.
On Martha Washington geraniums, stay away from high-nitrogen fertilizers. Choose a fertilizer that helps promote blossom production, such as a bloom booster. It also works well to use a high-potassium fertilizer intended for veggies. The first number, which shows the nitrogen content, should not be more than half of the other two numbers on the fertilizer bag. For instance, using fertilizer with the label 10-10-10 is incorrect. Use a product with a label like 4-8-10, which is often a fertilizer for flowers and/or vegetables, or 2-4-1, which is typically a fish-based plant food.
Is it necessary to deadhead Martha Washington geraniums?
The care of Martha Washington geraniums differs slightly from that of other geraniums. Because they thrive in healthy, well-draining soil, these geraniums need to be checked frequently and kept fairly moist. Make sure they don’t remain wet or sit on drip trays with standing water, though.
Weekly applications of a water-soluble fertilizer with a higher phosphorus content should be given to Martha Washington geraniums. The middle number in the fertilizer number sequence is phosphorus. Such combinations include 15-30-15. Avoid even numbers, such as 20-20-20, which has a little more nitrogen (the first number) and will encourage more green foliage growth than blooming.
Getting rid of Martha Washington Geraniums can be kept actively blooming by pruning old flower heads or geraniums. Pinching or pruning the plants could prevent them from blossoming.
How hardy are Martha Washington geraniums?
Gardeners love Martha Washington geraniums (Pelargonium domesticum) for its eye-catching foliage and vibrant blooms. These stunning plants thrive in warm climates with chilly evenings, but they may be grown successfully in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 10. The plants can be used to make a lovely arrangement along borders, in patio planters, or in hanging baskets.
Do Martha Washington geraniums survive the winter?
Burpee’s 2014 geranium release, “Angel’s Perfume,” has a pleasant, zesty lemon aroma to it. Backing the crimson flowers are wavy, cool-green foliage. What’s more, this geranium can tolerate both shade and direct sunlight. The plants’ height and width increase by 12 to 14 inches.
Thanks to their hardy nature, wintering geraniums are not difficult to master. You can get a head start on the garden season the following spring and save some money by keeping these plants dormant or treating them like houseplants. Find out how to care for geraniums over the winter.
For overwintering, pick geraniums from the Pelargonium genus. In addition to ivy, scented, or seed geraniums, this also applies to zonal or cutting geraniums. Although they belong to this category, Regal or Martha Washington geraniums typically don’t overwinter well. When the flowering season on these popular cool-season plants comes to an end, treat them as real annuals and compost them.
How are Martha Washington geraniums prepared for the winter?
Early in the spring, Martha Washington geraniums (Pelargonium domesticum) bloom with big, beautiful blooms in hues of pink, white, purple, red, and yellow. The Martha Washington variety of geraniums is the most challenging to grow and frequently stops blooming after the first impressive show, especially if summer evening temperatures rise beyond 60 degrees Fahrenheit. They function best as an indoor plant because of this. They are also referred to as “woman geranium” or “regal geranium” and are native to South Africa.
Put the Martha Washington geranium in a light-colored area. The optimal location is a few feet from a window that is well-lit or close to a window that has a sheer curtain covering it. A hot, direct sun will fade the petals, so stay out of it. Place the plant where it will be exposed to brilliant morning sun while shaded from hot afternoon sun if you’re trying to grow plants outside.
- Early in the spring, Martha Washington geraniums (Pelargonium domesticum) bloom with big, beautiful blooms in hues of pink, white, purple, red, and yellow.
- The Martha Washington variety of geraniums is the most challenging to grow and frequently stops blooming after the first impressive show, especially if summer evening temperatures rise beyond 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Maintain a comfortable temperature for the geraniums. The ideal range for daytime temperatures is between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. No more than 55 degrees Fahrenheit should be allowed at night.
When the soil’s surface feels a little dry to the touch, water Martha Washington geraniums. Avoid overwatering as this can cause root rot, especially if the weather is too warm. Avoid drenching the foliage by sparingly watering the plant’s base.
During the spring and summer, fertilize once a month with a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer. Feed your Martha Washington geraniums a water-soluble fertilizer for blooming plants if they are being cultivated outside. Fertilize during the fall and winter every other month.
- Maintain a comfortable temperature for the geraniums.
- During the spring and summer, fertilize once a month with a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer.
In the late fall, trim back to 4 to 5 inches above the ground. Dig up the geranium if it is in the ground and store it in a container for the winter. Keep the plant in a cool, well-lit area that won’t get below freezing. To keep the soil from being too dry, water from time to time. Resuming regular therapy in February.
Repot the plant in the early spring when it is showing vigorous development. Kitchen shears should be used to trim the roots of the plant after removing it from its container. Long or soft or brown roots should be cut off. Transfer the plant to a bigger container using potting soil from the store. Make sure there is a drainage hole in the container. When the threat of frost has gone, transplant it in the flower bed if it was cultivated outside.
- In the late fall, trim back to 4 to 5 inches above the ground.
- When the threat of frost has gone, transplant it in the flower bed if it was cultivated outside.
What is the lifespan of Martha Washington geraniums?
The majority of geraniums used in florist arrangements are Martha Washington geraniums (Pelargonium x domesticum), which are stunning but difficult to grow plants with bright green, serrated leaves and impressive blooms in shades of pink, purple, red, white, or yellow, frequently with contrasting markings in the center of the flower. When the blooming ceases, Martha Washington geraniums are typically discarded, but given the appropriate conditions, they can last up to three years. Plant hardiness zones 9 through 10 of the United States Department of Agriculture allow for the perennial growth of Martha Washington geraniums.
Are your geraniums deadheaded?
Without deadheading, the blooms will soon stop blooming and have a propensity to grow sparse. Additionally, this method stops the plant from producing new seeds. When your geranium blooms start to look weak or brown, you should deadhead them.
If you want to deadhead your geraniums, you need to go a bit further into the plant and snap the stem below the node or junction, where new growth starts. You have the option of using shears or only your hands. Healthy, well-watered plants have stems that are simpler to snap.
Deadheading will foster the growth of fresh, full blooms in place of any that appear weak or less full. Work your way through your plant, doing this in all of its parts. Within a few days, new, fresh blossoms will start to appear. The entire procedure just takes a few minutes, but it can extend the life of your plants by many weeks or even months. You can either pick a few stems each day while taking care of your plants, or you can do this every couple of weeks if you have the time.
How can leggy geraniums be prevented?
The majority of geraniums’ lanky growth is the result of inconsistent maintenance pruning. Although geraniums are naturally lanky, woody plants in the wild, we prefer them to be compact and bushy in our homes. A geranium needs to be pruned severely at least once a year to keep it compact and bushy and to keep it from becoming lanky. The better a geranium can maintain an attractive shape, the more frequently you prune it.
Poor lighting conditions can also cause spindly geraniums. In addition to pruning, increasing plant spacing and placing them in full sun can frequently solve the issue.
Leggy geraniums can also be caused by too much moisture. Geraniums should only be watered when the soil feels dry to the touch and should be planted in well-draining soil. Geraniums can become stunted, sickly, and spindly if they are overwatered.
Can geraniums be kept in pots during the winter?
Geraniums can be overwintered inside in three different ways: as a houseplant, as a dormant bare root, or as cuttings. Your decision will be influenced by the amount of room you have indoors and the range of temperatures you can tolerate. Here is a closer examination of each method.
Overwintering geraniums as houseplants
If you want to keep the entire potted plant and have lots of room close to a window that gets bright, direct light, go with this option. A drafty west-facing window would be the ideal place for your potted geranium to spend the winter because geraniums prefer it chilly (55 to 65 F is optimum).
Wash the foliage well with your hose and repot the plant in new potting soil to prevent bringing unwanted pests from outside. You might also use insecticidal soap, which is sold in most garden centers and hardware stores as well as online. Avoid taking the plant indoors if it shows any signs of pests or illness. Only strong plants have a chance of successfully overwintering indoors.
During the winter, keep the soil wet but not damp. No more humidity is required. If the stems begin to sag, pinch them back to keep the plant compact throughout the winter. When springtime comes around, you may start fertilizing once more and transfer the plant back outside as soon as the temperature reliably rises above 50 F.
Overwintering geraniums as dormant bare root plants
This is the most typical way to overwinter geraniums, but it won’t work unless you have a dark, dry place that stays around 50 degrees throughout the winter.
First, dig up your geranium before it freezes and shake the dirt off the roots. To stop mold from forming, let the plant sit and dry for a few days before storage. Before moving onto the following phase, the roots must be completely dry.
The roots should be kept in a dark, dry place that doesn’t get colder than 45 degrees throughout the winter. Geranium roots should be kept at a temperature of 50 F. You can keep them by doing:
- It has been customary for generations to hang the plants upside-down from the rafters;
- Wrapping them in newspaper or a paper bag and putting them on a shelf;
- they were put in a cardboard box.
Step 3: Every month or so, look for mold, black leaves, or limp stems at the roots. Remove any plant or root components that are harmful. Most of the stems should endure the winter in good shape. Before re-storing them if they become too wilted, give them a good bath in water and let them air dry.
Step 4: Reviving your geraniums involves cleaning them up, pruning the stems back to healthy green growth, and replanting them in new potting soil about six weeks before your final frost date. Where the new roots will grow, bury the stems two nodes deep. When you notice fresh growth in one to two weeks, keep the plants somewhat dry; after that, keep the soil moist until the plants are big enough to replant outside.
Overwintering geraniums as cuttings
If your light windowsill area is limited or you are concerned that bringing in your entire potted plant would also attract unwanted bugs, this is a nice technique to try. Additionally, it’s a fantastic way to multiply your existing geraniums.
To trim plants, you’ll need:
- a cutting edge.
- Most hardware stores and garden centers sell rooting hormone, which is sold online.
- Use little terracotta or plastic pots, or recycle a clear takeaway container for roasted chicken.
- If you don’t eat chicken, use clear plastic bags to cover the pans.