Geraniums are very easy to grow and they can be grown both as potted plants and in garden beds. They provide a touch of color and fragrance all summer long, making them a long-time gardener's favorite. Find out everything about geranium care at home and what you should do to ensure lush blooms.
Geranium care: how to care for it properly to enjoy lush flowering?
This popular plant is actually not a true geranium, but a pelargonium that blooms in many gardens and in flower boxes on window sills, balconies and terraces. It looks spectacular when grown with the right planting partners. There are over 200 varieties of geraniums, but the care for them is always the same.
Simple care tips for a magnificent geranium
Geraniums are so low-maintenance and easy to grow that even beginner gardeners will be successful.Just follow these care tipsand enjoy lush blooms.
- Pots:These plants thrive in containers of all shapes and sizes as long as they have drainage holes.
- Earth:These plants should be grown in well-drained potting soil. If you grow them outdoors, they also require moist, well-drained soil.
- Water:Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings and then water the plant thoroughly. It requires a lot of water in the summer and much less in the winter, but never let the roots dry out completely during the cold months. Water plants from below to keep water away from the leaves and protect them from disease. If your geraniums are planted in pots or window boxes, you should water them regularly. The drainage holes help prevent root rot. Never let your geraniums dry out completely.
- Licht:Place your geraniums in a location with at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight.
- Fertilize:Geraniums are heavy feeders and should be grown in spring and summerbe fertilized every few weeks. Use a balanced fertilizer until the end of summer.
How to propagate geraniums?
Geraniums are easily propagated by cuttings in spring, late summer or early fall. Best when there is a lull in flowering. Once the new shoots are healthy and strong, cut the cuttings with sharp scissors. Remove all but the top two bottom leaves and insert the cuttings about 1cm deep into warm, moist potting soil or compost. Water them thoroughly and place them in a bright spot, but avoiding direct sunlight. They can be moved outside in the spring after all danger of frost has passed.
Don't forget to label the containers if you have planted cuttings from many different varieties.
Ensure lush blooms
To encourage your geraniums to bloom and enjoy them all summer long, remove the spent flowers by removing the entire flower stalk, right down to where it meets the main stem.
To keep your plant lush, cut 1cm off the end of each stem. This will cause the plant to form two new stems and produce a fuller appearance and more flowers.
Geraniums thrive best when they are somewhat root bound. Therefore, you should only repot them when necessary, using a container that is just one size larger.
Geranium care: When are pelargoniums allowed outside?
Continue your normal spring watering schedule and move your geraniums outside for a few hours each day. You'll want to harden them off for about a week by placing them in a partially shaded spot so that the leaves slowly acclimate to the sun without burning. However, make sure that there are no cold drafts as this can be harmful to the plant.
Also read:Harden off potted plants in just 3 weeks: This is how it works!
When warm weather returns and the threat of frost has passed (around mid-May), move the plants outdoors and transplant them into pots or beds as desired. They need cool temperatures to begin bud formation, but night temperatures should be above 10°C.
Common Pests and Diseases
Geraniums are very hardy plants and most insects and pests avoid them, but you might run into some problems.
If you notice a spider mite infestation, separate the affected geraniums from the rest of your plants and treat them with neem oil.
Aphids are a bigger problem because they can spread very quickly.It is best to use natural remediesto combat them by spraying the whole plant, especially under the leaves and the soil.
If you see brown spots on the back of the leaves of your geraniums, this is edema, a physiological disease caused by irregular watering.
Botrytis, also known as gray mold, is a disease in which the damaged leaves and flowers begin to rot. Use a fungicide to control and remove all damaged parts of the plant.
