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.
where to grow geraniums
Geraniums don’t care too much about soil types, preferring it to be moist and well-drained like other plants, but once established, they may live in the rain shadow of buildings, shrubs, or trees.
when to plant geraniums
Geraniums can be planted in the spring, from March to May, to establish themselves before the heat of the summer and provide you with blooms all season. In order to give them time to create a strong root system and begin blooming for you in the spring, you may also plant in the autumn between September and October when the soil is still warm.
When may I plant my geraniums outside?
Up until mid-May, balcony beauties like geraniums, fuchsias, or angel’s trumpet should also be covered. You can, however, now begin preparing them for their summer environment. You can remove weakly growing, diseased, and dead shoots. A cutback is now also possible at this time.
When ought I should plant my geraniums outside?
Because they are not cold hardy below US Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 9 (San Diego Geranium Society), zonal, regal, and ivy geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum, Iowa State University) are planted as annual garden flowers in many parts of the U.S. However, some gardeners in colder climates overwinter geraniums indoors and then replant them outside in the spring. When cared for in this manner, the common Pelargonium geranium varieties can live for many years.
When can geraniums be planted in pots outside?
Your geraniums should be potted six to eight weeks before the final average frost date in your region. Clean up the plants by removing any extra-long roots and trimming the stems back to healthy green growth, as shown in the inset. Take the geraniums out of the bag or box they have been sitting in for the past several months. By the time it was cleaned up, this one was only a little over 4 inches long.
Then, put potting soil in a container that has already been wet, and tuck the stem down so that two leaf nodes are below the soil—this is where new roots will grow.
Can geraniums now be sown?
In the summer, give geraniums plenty of water and deadhead to promote a second rush of blooms.
Annual geraniums are frequently grown, and at the conclusion of the summer, they are composted. Keeping them over the winter is worth considering if you have space and a spot that doesn’t get frosty.
Lift plants that are in garden soil or big pots and place them in a smaller container to overwinter geraniums. Ideally, you should do this before the first frost. Damaged leaves and wilted blooms should be removed. Plants should be pruned back by about a third and placed in a bright, frost-free area. Because the plants won’t completely hibernate, water sparingly all winter long. Apply a general liquid feed in the spring and increase watering. Plant just until all threat of frost has passed, typically starting in late May.
Geraniums can continue to bloom throughout the fall or even into the winter if grown as indoor plants. Indoor geraniums should not be placed near open flames or radiators.
Here, Monty Don demonstrates how to give wintering geraniums a new lease of life by severely pruning them before they begin to grow:
How to propagate geraniums
In the spring, trim fresh growth from plants that overwintered. If you’d like, cuttings can be taken in the late summer.
Cut above the third joint below the developing tip to eliminate cutting material. Pinch out any buds that are producing flowers. Remove all leaves except for the top two with a clean knife. Recut the cutting’s base at the lowest joint.
Compost that has been cut up should be placed in a plastic garden container and compacted. Water the cuttings, then place them about one centimeter into the compost. Place the pots in a well-lit area that is warm but not hot. If you’ve obtained cuttings from many different types, remember to name the pot.
In our No Fuss Guide, Rosie Yeomans demonstrates how to propagate pelargoniums.
Growing geraniums: problem solving
Pelargonium rust can harm zonal geraniums. This is a fungal disease that frequently gets worse in humid summers or after plants have been grown in an area with inadequate ventilation. Brown patches on the underside of leaves are a sure sign of rust. Plants with brown patches should be destroyed.
In this Quick Tips video, we explain if you should water geraniums over the winter:
Geraniums can withstand frost.
Knowing how to overwinter geraniums is very useful for gardeners since it can help them save money and extend the life of particular varieties they enjoy.
Pelargoniums, sometimes known as geraniums, are mainstays of the summer garden. Geraniums are ideal for adding cheer and long-lasting color to hanging baskets, containers, and borders since they come in a variety of colors and flower continually as long as they are deadheaded.
However, when making your job list, you might consider including them as one of your winter garden ideas.
When growing frost-sensitive plants, planning a winter garden is crucial. Geraniums are perennial plants that put on a long display, but they are frost tender, which means they won’t survive harsh winters. If you are interested in cultivating geraniums, you must learn how to overwinter them.
Geraniums are South African natives that thrive in the heat and can withstand periods of drought with little water.
Pelargoniums, sometimes known as geraniums, may live in USDA zones 7 to temperatures of -12oF (0oC) if they are sheltered. They are hardy in climates between 20oF and 50oF in zones 9 through 12. They need to be sheltered in these conditions because, while they can withstand brief frosts (temperatures slightly below freezing), they cannot withstand prolonged exposure.
The Pelargonium genus contains a wide range of cultivars, all of which are categorized as delicate perennials. According to David Taylor, vice chairman of the UK Pelargonium and Geranium Society, “this means that they are not cold hardy as the majority of the founding species come from the warmer climbs of the Southern Hemisphere.
Perennial plants are able to flourish for a number of years, however in the UK this would mean that they would also need to be sheltered from winter wet and damp in addition to frost.
Geraniums can be cared for like annuals by being dug out in the fall, composted, and then replaced with fresh plants the following year. The appropriate care and attention, however, will enable you to winterize geraniums, keeping them alive throughout the winter so they can bloom once more the following year.
According to David Taylor, vice chairman of the UK Pelargonium and Geranium Society, “Keen enthusiasts keep their pelargoniums in growth during the winter and continue to feed and water but a few key points can be undertaken by anyone to keep your pelargoniums (geraniums) alive throughout the winter” (opens in new tab).
Pelargoniums are known as geraniums, but these plants are not the same as hardy geraniums or cranesbill, which are a different kind of plant and don’t need to be overwintered.
When is it too chilly to leave geraniums outside?
Grow geraniums as indoor houseplants or annuals outside their hardiness area. Geraniums can endure cooler temperatures and even light frosts, but when temperatures dip below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, they are subject to harsh lethal freezes, which can cause freeze damage and even lead to plant death. The minimum temperature for geraniums in Celsius is -7 degrees.
Is it too soon for my plants to go outside?
Most indoor plants can be placed outside from May through September. Wait until two to four weeks after the last frost if you want to be safe because timing varies across the nation and from year to year. You could also decide to hold off a little longer if your garden is open to the elements.
Hardening off
Before removing your plants for the summer, gently acclimate them to the chilly temperatures and increasing light intensity outside. For the first one or two weeks, place the plants in a shaded area outside during the day and bring them inside at night.
Where to put them
When house plants are outdoors, they run the risk of scorching, so gradually increase their exposure to light. For shade and pest prevention, you can hang air plants, bromeliads, Christmas cactus, and orchids from a tree.
Summer care
House plants will need regular watering because they dry out quickly outside, so keep an eye on the compost. Watch out for pests like aphids, slugs, snails, and caterpillars as well. When watering, it’s also beneficial to provide a home plant fertilizer on a regular basis.
Returning indoors
Before the first frost, bring your houseplants back inside. Check them first for pests, such as slugs that may be hiding under the pot. Remove any damaged or burned foliage as well as any faded blossoms. Put your plants in a bowl of warm water if they are dry.
When can annuals be planted outside?
Rudbeckia and violas can be planted outdoors in the garden one to two weeks before the last frost since they are more hardy. Conversely, perennial hibiscus must wait a minimum of two weeks after the frost-free date.
Delphinium, dianthus, and daisies can be planted outdoors 1-2 weeks prior to the last day of frost if they are started 10–12 weeks in advance.
Asclepias, foxglove, heliopsis, and phlox require 10 to 12 weeks but can’t be transplanted until after the last frost.
Annual Flowers
Annuals are plants that only live for one season and go through the entire life cycle in that season. The plant dies in the winter and relies on its numerous seeds to reappear the following spring. As a result, most annual flowers are simple to grow from seed and reach a size that allows for transplantation in around 6 to 8 weeks, though there are always exceptions to the rule. Slower-growing annual plants will need to be started earlier because certain seeds may just take longer to germinate. (Read the backs of your seed packets to get advice unique to each plant and type!)
You must wait until after the last spring frost date to transplant most annuals into your garden since they are frost sensitive. A table with a list of popular annuals and information on when to start their seeds indoors and when to put them outside can be found below. Before putting plants outside, don’t forget to harden them off!