Geraniums’ cheery pinks, reds, and oranges enliven gardens around the country. However, pelargoniums and geraniums are two distinct species that are frequently referred to as “geraniums.” While true geraniums have divided leaves and smaller, less noticeable blossoms, pelargoniums have broad, rounded leaves with colorful flowers. In reality, garden centers sell pelargoniums under the names Martha Washington, ivy, zonal, and scented geraniums. Any variety of geranium, hardy in Sunset Climate Zones 8, 9, and 12 through 24, thrives in summer gardens. Geraniums can be easily moved from 4-inch grower’s pots into larger flowerpots for your patio when grown as quickly-growing annuals.
In a bucket, combine perlite, compost, and potting soil in equal parts. The potting media has to be moist, so add water and mix. Fill an 8- to 12-inch flower pot to within 4 inches of the top with the damp potting soil.
Take the geranium out of the previous flowerpot. Slide the geranium with the root ball out of the pot by gently tipping the container onto its side. To fit into the new flowerpot, unwind any encircling roots and, if required, cut them.
As you fill the space around the roots with the leftover potting soil, plant the geranium in the new flowerpot while holding it in place. Till the root ball is completely covered, add potting soil. Gently tamp the ground close to the roots.
Water the flowerpot thoroughly until water is dripping from the bottom. When the top of the soil feels dry to the touch, keep watering at regular intervals. In hot or windy conditions, you might need to water the geranium every day if you planted it in a hanging basket.
Pull the mulch back 3 inches from the geranium’s stem and add 2 inches to the flowerpot’s top. On warm or windy days, mulch helps keep the moisture level in a flowerpot steady and reduces excessive evaporation.
Fill the saucer of the flowerpot with one inch of gravel. On top of the gravel, place the flower pot. The geranium should be placed in a protected area with six to eight hours of daily sunlight.
When should a geranium be repotted?
These Pelargoniums are the most popular flowering plants for pots because of their simple geranium care and large, vibrant clusters of stunning blooms.
Pelargonium hybrids offer the most vitality and bloom whether you’re growing geraniums indoors or outside on your sunny porch or patio.
Several flowerheads supported on succulent stems should cover the plant all summer long. The blooms come in a variety of hues of pink, salmon, red, purple, or white and can be single, semidouble, or double in size.
Fancy Leaf Geraniums
Many P. x hortorum variants are distinguished by their scalloped leaf edges and a brown, circular ring known as a zone. Considering the zone-like leaf patterns, these hybrids are frequently referred to as zonal geraniums.
Some zonal cultivars are cultivated solely for their vivid foliage. The ‘Robert Fish’ plant has tiny, unimpressive flowers, but it has stunning red, yellow, brown, and green foliage. Another fancy-leafed geranium with colors of gold, scarlet, bronze, and green is called “Henry Cox.”
Caring for Geraniums Year-Round
Allow the sun to shine. Lack of light causes plants to not blossom. Spring through fall, give your geranium as much light as you can, including direct sun. Put the plant in a sunny window if you’re growing geraniums inside.
Flower deadheading for geraniums To keep your plant looking tidy and to encourage fresh blooms, remove wasted blossoms.
Prune and pinch. Geraniums can be pruned to promote new growth and more blossoms. Avoid damaging the stems by using sharp pruners and making 45-degree cuts to prevent the spread of illness. To keep the plant compact, severely prune the stems in the spring. Cutting the developing tips off will promote branching.
In the spring, repot. It is better for geraniums to be slightly pot-bound. Put your plant in a pot that is one to two inches bigger, or leave it in the same container but give it some new soil.
Geranium winterization. A chilly winter rest is necessary to keep geraniums alive from year to year. These perennials are delicate and won’t withstand a hard cold. Geraniums may survive the winter in a cold garage or basement with a minimum temperature of 50F/10C. Water sparingly, but don’t let the soil get completely dry during this period of rest. Allow the foliage to wither, and then in the spring, severely prune the stems.
Green Thumb Tip
Eliminate the damaged stems and leaves. Use a fungicide containing sulfur as its main ingredient to treat the rust disease on your plant, if necessary.
Your plant will bloom every year if you give it proper geranium care. Geraniums may be propagated from seeds or easily rooted stem cuttings, so you can simply expand your collection of these lovely flowering plants.
How well do geraniums transplant?
Geraniums (Pelargonium spp.) transplant readily as long as they have plenty of moisture and light after their move, regardless of whether they are nursery plants relocated to a garden or especially colorful plants protected from winter freezes by being taken indoors.
What kind of potting soil is ideal for geraniums?
Wish your life had a little more carefree beauty? Plant some geraniums, maybe. Geraniums are beautiful and low-maintenance plants that belong in planters, planting beds, and perennial borders.
Geraniums can be divided into two major groups. Zonal, fancy-leaf, ivy, perfumed, and Martha Washington (or regal) varieties of annual geraniums (Pelargonium species), which often only live for a year, are some examples. Perennial geraniums (Geranium species), which bloom continually from spring to summer, combine striking foliage with attractive blooms that emerge intermittently or continuously.
Where to Plant Geraniums
You must be aware of the type of geraniums you have in order to select the ideal planting location. With the exception of the ivy geranium, which thrives in mild shade, most annual geraniums require a location in full sun. On the other hand, depending on the variety, perennial geraniums can grow in either sunlight or shade. In the country’s southern and western regions, both types profit from shielding from the sun during the warmest time of the day.
What Kind of Soil to Use for Geraniums
Geraniums grow best in healthy, well-draining soil, which is ideal for both perennial and annual geraniums. Improve soil drainage and quality when growing geraniums in planting beds by adding 3 inches of Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Flowers to the top 6 to 8 inches of native soil. When growing geraniums in pots, Miracle-Gro Potting Mix should be used because it is light and fluffy. For the ideal planting medium, combine garden soil and potting soil in equal portions, or fill raised beds with Miracle-Gro Raised Bed Soil.
How to Plant Geraniums
Starting with young plants, such as the premium geraniums from the Miracle-Gro Brilliant Blooms collection*, is ideal (and simplest). Geraniums, both annual and perennial, benefit from warmth, so postpone planting in the spring until all risk of frost has passed. Once the summer heat subsides in the fall, you can also plant perennial geraniums. Try planting perennial geraniums from late fall to early spring in areas with mild winters.
Geraniums range in height from 4 to 48 inches tall and 6 to 36 inches wide, depending on the variety. For information on the recommended spacing for your type of geranium, consult plant tags. Use a pot that is at least 10 inches across for annual geraniums or at least 12 inches across for perennial geraniums when planting geraniums in pots.
Geraniums should be watered thoroughly after planting, giving the root ball and surrounding soil time to absorb the water.
How to Water Geraniums
Check the soil once a week for annual geraniums, and water when the top inch is dry. During their initial growth season, keep newly planted perennial geraniums in continuously moist soil. With the exception of periods of extreme drought, perennial geraniums can typically thrive on rainfall after they are established.
How to Mulch Geraniums
After planting geraniums, cover the area with a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch to help keep the soil moist and to prevent weed growth and sun exposure. Use Scotts bagged mulch, chopped leaves, pine straw, or another material that is easily obtainable in your area.
How to Feed Geraniums
Your plants receive an excellent starting dosage of nutrients when you start with rich, nutrient-rich soil. However, you should also feed them frequently all season long for maximum results. Apply Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Rose & Bloom Plant Food to your geraniums a month after planting to give them the extra boost of nutrition they require for magnificent blooms. Make sure you adhere to label directions.
How to Grow Perennial Geraniums
Even in the coldest climates, perennial geraniums don’t require particular care to survive the winter. After the initial flower flush, cutting perennial geraniums back by around one-third can encourage more blooms. Cut stems back as necessary if hardy geraniums like “Rozanne” or “Pink Penny” spread out too quickly and widely. These vining geraniums can have up to two-thirds of their length removed, and the plants will still grow back. To encourage new growth and prevent wilted leaves, prune cranesbill geraniums to 2 to 4 inches height after flowering.
How to Use Geraniums
Annual geraniums are excellent at stealing the show in planters and flowerbeds. Regal geraniums can resist cool weather and form lovely hanging basket plants, making them an obvious choice for planting in the early spring. Ivy geraniums are very stunning. Geraniums with aromatic leaves are strong in containers and form a lovely patio display where the leaves may be stroked and enjoyed.
In gardens with some shade, perennial geraniums add much-needed color and can thrive next to mature trees. While mid-size perennial geraniums go well with lanky shrubs, shorter perennial kinds create beautiful ground covers.
Are you prepared to begin cultivating geraniums? To learn more about a product, to buy it online, or to locate a retailer near you, click on any of the product links above.
After the winter, when should I repot my geraniums?
It’s difficult to see all your lovely plants and labor go to waste after enjoying your geraniums outdoors all summer and fall! Here are 4 strategies for surviving the winter:
- Bring your geraniums indoors, and maintain them in a place with plenty of sunlight.
- Allow your potted geraniums to go dormant before storing them in the same pot.
- Your geraniums should be dug out and stored bare-root.
- Take cuttings and continue to grow them over the winter.
Let’s go over each choice in more depth. Bring your plants inside before frost, no matter the method. Whenever possible, I try to bring mine inside before the low temperature drops to 40°F (4.4C).
KEEP YOUR GERANIUMS GROWING INDOORS
Geraniums can be brought indoors and kept growing under grow lights or in a sunny window if you don’t want to let your plants go dormant.
The following are some crucial advice before bringing them back inside:
- Get rid of any dead flower stems, brown leaves, and any petals that may have fallen on the leaves.
- Check your plants for insects, and whether or not you find any, spray them with insecticidal soap (link to Amazon) as a preventative measure before bringing them inside.
- Dig your plants up, shake off any loose soil, and plant them into a pot if you need to move them from the ground to a container. Garden soil is too heavy to be used as a filler in the pot. Use a high-quality all-purpose potting mix; a suitable ratio is 3 parts Miracle Gro to 1 part perlite.
- You might want to cut your geranium back to around half of what it was.
- Give your plants the brightest window you can when you bring them home, or put them under a nice grow light.
- Increase light exposure if you notice that growth is sluggish during the winter. You can also pinch the growing ends off to promote branching and bushier growth.
LET YOUR POTTED GERANIUMS GO DORMANT AND STORE OVER WINTER
Since the majority of my geraniums are grown in pots, I always utilize this technique.
I simply move my geraniums to a cool, dark place for the winter whenever the temperatures drop.
They can be kept there until springtime temperatures start to warm up in a cool, dark basement or even a garage. Darkness and low temperatures are essential for dormancy. The optimal range is 7-13C/45-55F. If you can, keep it at or below 60°F.
You should cease watering the plant and let the foliage wither. Not to worry; your plant won’t perish. Simply put, you’re letting it to go dormant.
Geranium plants can endure dry spells because to their sturdy, succulent stems.
Clean up your plants after the foliage starts to fade and turn yellow. Your plants might even start to bloom. Cut them off even though it may be tempting to leave them in order to prevent squandering your plant’s energy.
You might need to water your pots twice or three times during the course of the winter to prevent the canes from dying and shriveling up, depending on your storage circumstances.
Your canes should remain lovely and firm, so keep an eye on them and water them as necessary to maintain the firmness of the stems.
When Should I Bring Geraniums Out of Dormancy?
I’ll restart my geraniums’ growth when the outside temperature is consistently over 40F.
Here are a few potted geraniums that had begun to thrive while they were dormant. This is commonplace.
I now removed the decaying leaves and blossoms (you could also choose to do it earlier).
I like to set the plants in a protected spot outside after cleaning them up (again, make sure that temperatures are consistently above 40F).
If your plant need a larger pot at this stage, repotting is an excellent idea. At this time, I also like to incorporate some Osmocote fertilizer (link to Amazon) into the soil.
If you’re keeping your plant in the same container that it was growing in the previous year, fertilizing now is extremely crucial. The majority of the nutrients will have been used up by the plant, therefore it’s critical to supplement with a quality container fertilizer like Osmocote.
Since the plants were recently taken out of storage, you can see in the shot above that the new growth is a lighter tint. Because the new growth is so delicate, avoid placing your geraniums in direct sunlight just yet to prevent leaf burn.
For a few days in total shadow outdoors, the new growth must harden off before gradually increasing its sun exposure.
DIG UP YOUR GERANIUMS AND STORE BARE-ROOT
Geraniums can also be stored by being dug up from the ground or even out of a pot and kept bare-root, without any soil at all.
If your geraniums were growing in the ground, this procedure is extremely helpful. Here are a few simple steps:
- Shake much or all of the soil off your plant after digging it up.
- Remove any weak or unhealthy canes, along with any brown leaves and all blossoms.
- For two to three days, let your plant air dry in a protected area.
- You currently have a few choices. As instructed in the previous techniques, put your plant in a brown paper bag, clip the top shut, and set it in a cold, dark spot. The plants can also just be hung upside down.
- Soak the roots in water for 1-2 hours a few times over the winter. At this point, remove any soft stems if you find any. At this point, remove any dead leaves as well.
- Put your plants back in pots in late March or early April so they can start growing again.
One year, I actually pulled several geranium plants out of the ground, shook off the soil, and placed some of them in a sizable pot before storing them in the garage for the winter. Many of them survived despite the fact that I completely neglected them until the spring.
TAKE CUTTINGS AND KEEP GERANIUMS GROWING
Finally, you may just take some cuttings from your outdoor plants and grow them indoors on a sunny windowsill if you don’t want to pursue any of the aforementioned approaches.
This is undoubtedly the most compact approach and is excellent if you simply lack the capacity to overwinter larger plants.
Just take the following actions:
- Use a sterile, sharp knife or pruning shears to prune the tips off of your geranium plants. Your cuttings should be approximately 3 to 4 inches long. Avoid making drastic cuts because there is a higher chance of failing.
- Eliminate all lower leaves (make sure the tip of your cuttings still have at least a couple leaves).
- You have two options at this point: dip the cutting in rooting hormone and plant it directly in the ground, or place it in water to root.
If you choose water propagation, you can pot up your cuttings once they develop roots that are approximately an inch tall and put them in a sunny window or under a grow light.
When using a cutting for soil propagation, first dip the cut end of the cutting into rooting hormone as shown in the picture below.
After that, plant them in a tiny pot with potting soil and perlite (I like to use a half and half mixture for rooting cuttings).
While the soil is undergoing rooted, keep it moist. To hasten the rooting process, you could also lay your rooting cuttings on top of a seedling heating pad. The bottom heat is fantastic!