Geranium care
Geranium, belongs to the Pelargonium family and unlike its distant cousin (a true geranium and hardy version) is a tender plant grown as an annual in cooler climates and a perennial in zone 10.
Geranium (P. x hortorum) or commonly known as zonal or garden geranium is a favorite for container plantings and flower beds because of its long blooming season and brilliant colors. It bears rounded clusters of individual flowers which are either single or double on a stem which rises above the rounded scalloped leaves. The fuzzy leaves may have zonal markings and emit a “fragrance” when touched.
Care: Geranium requires little care as long as it gets full sun and well-drained, moist soil. In northern climates, they will tolerate light shade but if grown in shade will produce a leggy plant and little flowers. In southern climates, it is best to grow them in partial-sun with afternoon shade. Prolonged hot temperatures will trigger them to stop blooming.
For optimal bloom, feed the plant lightly with a well balanced fertilizer ( 10-10-10) once a month during the active growing season. Container plants may need to be fed more often (2x month) because the nutrients can leach out from the bottom of the pot when watering. They bloom best when slightly pot bound.
Geraniums need at least 1 inch of water per week. When watering, avoid getting the leaves and flowers wet, which can encourage fungal (Botrytis -gray mold) and bacterial disease. Container plants may need to be watered more often but should be allowed to dry slightly between watering. Take care not to overwater as it can cause root rot.
Plant your seedlings outdoors, when night temperatures are above 40F or after the last frost date. Setting the plants out too early can cause the leaves to turn red from cool night temperatures.
Maintenance: Remove spent flower stalks and yellowing leaves. Pinching back or trimming some of the stems will encourage more branching and eventually more flowers.
Another Pelargonium worth mentioning is P.x peltatum know as ivy geranium. It has smooth leaves and grows in a trailing manner making it ideal for hanging baskets.
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The Leaves of my Geraniums more yellow than green, what can I do?
I have wave petunias in large containers that did great all summer. Within last 2 weeks flowers have fallen off, shriveled, torned white ( normal color is purple) and the vines and leaves are turning brown. They get a lot of water, especially with lots of rain lately. This didn;t happen last summer – they stayed healthy well into the fall. Help.
I live in tropical Darwin Australia and would like some tips on growing geraniums, especially through the wet monsoonal season.
..Yve – 30/05/2007
I have a Geranium in a pot. I water with 3/4 cup of water every day when the sun is right on the east side of my house. Will sugar water make my plant flourish?
I have many geraniums and I was wondering is there any way I can leave them out over winter…..it would make it much easier due to indoor storage.
Hi my plant has a black spot on the leaves and then thay go brown and fall off can you tell me what it is and how to fix it please.
Hello
Parts of the leaves on my plants are turning red. It is no different for the plants in the flower beds or in the pots.
I have large healthy geranium plants in pots. The leaves are robust and flourishing. Problem: Suddenly there are no blossoms, just more beautiful leaves. What might cause a geranium plant to no longer produce flowers? If over feeding is the problem do I need to replant my GERANIUMS in fresh less fertile soil?
Thanks, Bruce
My geraniums look great, but when the bloom appears, there is no flower. It looks like something is eating only the bloom. What do I do? Thanks.
My geranium has turned into one long stalk. How do get it to turn back to a regular plant? It is over a foot at this time.
Many thanks,
Susan
I live on the desert outside Phoenix. We have to grow geraniums in pots due to the extremes in temperature. What are the optimum high and low temps that they will tolerate?
Hi I planted a couple of Geraniums a few years back in a window box. Each year they grow 3 or 4 leaves these turn brown and die back. Then 3 or 4 new leaves grow and again turn brown. This cycle repeats 3 or 4 times. The plants seems to be ‘trying’ but just can’t grow more than a couple of leaves. The window box is filled with compost but not very deep – is this the problem – not enough soil / compost ? Thanks
Thanks for the reply. I originally planted the geraniums in fresh compost and a ‘tablet’ of slow fertilizer. Sounds like I didn’t plant with enough compost. Now I know it’s not some disease or pest I’ll re-plant. Thanks
Green caterpillar
I live in Northern Calif. and I have several geranium plants in deck pots. I have noticed several green worms eating the new buds, what do you recommend to get rid if these worms?
I grow geraniums fairly successfully deadheading and removing yellowing leaves. I feed them regularly with a diluted 20/20/20 fertilizer every time they are slightly dry and need watering. They produce lots of buds, but I can’t seem to get all the buds to open at the same time (as seen on those straight from the growers). Instead, mine open one or two buds at a time so I don’t get a fully open flower head and therefore less of a show. How do I achieve getting all the buds on a single stem to open at the same time?
I bought very nice and expensive Geraniums (Ivy) in April and they looked great until the end of May. I water every other day because the soil looked dry and I didn’t buy the plate under the pots to keep the moisture . Should I have? the Blooms I am getting now are developed but wilted and they are almost all turned under. Did I overwater? They are in direct sunlight and looked SO nice for 2 months…I fertilize once every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer. and I live in Northern France..Help!
My geranium plants do not bloom. Seemingly healthy buds turn brown. Their stalk seems “pinched” at the top. Is there some remedial action I can do?
to answer your questions…they are often watered with a garden hose set on spray (I think from reading other responses that this is not recommended). Yes, the flowers are in the rain and we have had days of heavy rainfall lately. Yes, the flower buds are turning brown.
see botrytis blight below comment
Botrytis blight
I live in norther california and have long growing geraniums in a southern-facing sunny spot with shade in the hot afternoon. Most of the plants have been there more than ten years. They did very well until last year and this. The plants look healthy, but when they flower the individual flowers start to dry and die off before the whole “bloom” set of petals finishes, so I can never “pick” a flower that looks good,,, sometimes there will be only two or three of the whole bloom that will open and they already die off before the rest of the buds open. Sometimes the buds die before they open even if some of that bloom opened already. What do my plants need more or less of? Thanks!
Thank you for the information, I very much appreciate it! It does sound like what I’m experiencing with the flowers, although I have never seen the nastier sounding symptoms. The idea of it being caused by humidity is amusing – it hasn’t rained here in months and people here complain that it’s “muggy” when it gets ‘up’ to 30% humidity! I already do only water from the bottom, so I think trimming all flowers, and a fungicide is my only potential remedy. I will look closer for other symptoms on the leaves. The site said “an appropriate fungicide,” can you suggest one? If I cut all the affected flowers off, should I still spray the leaves and stems if I don’t see any ‘rot’ or grey stuff? I am supposing so, since it occured last year and this, and inbetween all the flowers were gone. They are in the ground, on a protected southern wall and just live there all year with no particular care from me except watering in summer and feeding now and then. They have been great for this lazy ‘gardener’! Thanks again for your help.
I started my geraniums from seed early this year and they did very well under green house lights in the house. I put them out yesterday, as it is finally time to plant, and all of the previously vigorous green leaves have turned white and gone limp. Any one know what happened here? Can they be saved? Thanks in advance.
No, I did not. I just brought them outside. Am I going to have to buy new geraniums? Ugh … all those months of nurturing those little seedlings
Thanks again, I appreciate and will try your suggestions!
I HAVE SOME WHITE GERANIUMS IN THE ORIGINAL POTS THEY CAME IN AND THEN I JUST SIT THEM INTO ANOTHER POT BIGGER IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN POTTED.WHAT CAUSES THE BLOOMS SHEDDING SO MUCH ITS LIKE IF YOU JUST BRUSH UP AGAINST IT THEY JUST SHED LIKE SNOW FALLING THEY ARE IN SHADE 7-12 SUN 12-530,6PM.ALSO I HAVE RED GERANIUMS THAT AREN’T GIVING ME ALOT OF BLOOMS AND I WOULD LIKE JUST A FEW.I PUT THAT JACKSON FERTLIZER ON THE SOIL AND NOT THE LEAVES OR BLOOMS I THINK ITS 10-10-10 .HELPP
I noticed I am the only question that does not have an answer. Can you tell me what I must do to get your response. Tks.
I am new to the website, great info. I have potted red geraniums/zonal and one that i don’t know the name of, it appears trailing and appears healthy with many buds that often don’t actually bloom but dry up in the bud pod. When blooms occur they are a beutiful magenta but not as showy as the zonal.It’s in a fairly large pot with another odd geranium (I don’t know who gave them to me and don’t know their name). I am in Tucson AZ. not a dilligent waterer but try not to let them dry out too much. They are fertilized every 3 weeks or so. Should I try to let them dry out completely? Don’t notice any mold or critters. Thanks for the info.
I have ivy geranium baskets. They have been doing well until the last few weeks I have noticed spots on the leaves and some of them are turning brown. the blooms are constantly dropping petals. Help. I spent a lot of money on them.
Thank you for your response to my question . It’s been a month and my geraniums are now looking FABULOUS!! Thank you for the advice!
I”m glad to hear that!
Can you suggest a pesticide spray (preferably organic) that I can spray on my ivy geraniums. They have brown spots and stunted growth…I have picked some of the bad leaves off – and have found evidence of some type of aphid (bright green)… Any suggestions will be helpful.
Hi
I have 2 long boxes on my balcony,facing west,sun from 11am to sunset all summer. I have 3 crimson geraniums in each,surrounded by sunbini,lobelia,bocopa and a green vine. They started off great but then developed flowers turning darker and dying prematurely. Now they’ve stopped blooming completely. It’s been a very hot summer here in BC. I water these wooden boxes every day and feed them Miracle-Gro 15-30-15 once weekly. What is their problem?
Thanks, Shirley
Hi
Thanks very much for answering my email. I will stop fertilising the geraniums until the weather cools down.The strange thing is that all my other geraniums on the balcony are doing great.I think I may have overcrowded the ones in the boxes and they’re not getting enough air.I’ll let you know what happens!
Shirley
i have two pots of large geraniums that have done well for 3 years now. this summer has been especially hot and dry…temps around 100 every day. i have the pots in partial shade, but in the past couple weeks, all of the flowers and leaves have died and fallen off the plant. will they recover when it gets a little cooler or do i need to buy new plants?
Holes in leaves
Hi
I have red geraniums that have recently become infected by a catepillar or worm that is eating the leaves. I tried to remove most of them, but believe there may be more hiding in the leaves or soil. What are these pests and how can I get rid of them? I’ve had this geranium for over a year and this is the first time I’ve ever experienced a leaf eating problem.
Thanks!
Lindsay
Geranium budworm
I have red geraniums that have recently become infected by a catepillar or worm that is eating the leaves. I tried to remove most of them, but believe there may be more hiding in the leaves or soil. What are these pests and how can I get rid of them? I’ve had this geranium for over a year and this is the first time I’ve ever experienced a leaf eating problem.
Thanks!
Lindsay
My daughter planted three large pots ful of bright red pelargonium outside my window for Mother’s Day /80th Birthday gift. SUmmer of 2008 they were gorgeous but when we had the deck refinished the drip system was detached and they nearly died of thirst. My neighbor reconnected the system and at the same time the parched leaves crumbled, massive amounts of new foliage emerged and the plants look strong and healthy. Only problem is that now although many buds are set, mostly they don’t mature and seem to have dried up. Now there is a sooty black stuff sprinkled on the leaves and today i found a green caterpillar on a flower bud. I have only fed these plants twice in 18 mos. (fish emulsion) but they are very sturdy and large and making a great effort to set flowers. Weatherwise, they are in shade til noon, then bright sun for a few hours. We have been having a drought in N. Calif. with only a couple of good rains lately. Temperatures mild always. I love these plants and want them to flourish. What should I do? Thanks for all your good advice.
I’m in zone nine/ten, in San Diego. It hasn’t rained yet this year. I have been dusting for caterpillars and need to wash the dust off so I have been wetting the leaves.
I have white spots on several of my geranium leaves that turn a beige or rust color. The entire leaf doesn’t die but they look terrible.
Two of my Martha Washingtons have light green leaves with dark veins and no flowers.
Something I am very confused about. The leaves shouldn’t get wet, but the BT spray-on is mixed with water and the BT dust needs to be washed off. How do I treat caterpillars and not get the leaves wet.
I see geraniums on the side of the freeways and roads, giant plants that grow practically wild and they look fine. I grow mine in pots. Is that the problem, too much attendance and the restriction of a pot?