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.
Flowering
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.
Botrytis on geranium florets
Water
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 Outdoors
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.
My geranuim had beautiful pink flowers and now they are a green color. What do I need to do to get them back to pink? I have it in the shade on my porch and water it about once a week. I live in southwest Arkansas and right now it is HOT here. Can you help me out?
I have zonals in large pots on my deck. They are new plants in fresh potting soil. Full sun for most of the afternoon. I use Miracle Grow liquid usually once every 2 weeks. Initially, the blossoms were large and full and the foliage was lush and green. Now the blossoms are beginning to be much smaller and tighter. I still get a lot of blossom buds, but the actual individual flowers in each blossom are very small and very tightly packed. The overall blossom is no longer large. I suspect it could be I am over fertilizing, or the stint of hot weather we had here in Seattle for the past month is partly to blame. I had the same problem with a few plants last year, more so this year. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
I’ve always had a vigorous ivy geraniums every year on my back deck. By August it was 2.5 feet long. Flowers were the size of tennis balls and the leaves were bright dark green the size of a silver dollar. This year it is barely a foot long with sparse leaves about the size of dimes to quarters. The blooms are sparse and small. My care habits have not changed. There seems to be no blemishes on the leaves nor can I find any signs of pests.
Thank you for your advice.
Sam
Every year for Memorial Day I like to plant red geraniums in the flower bed at the cemetary, and every year something is snipping them off completely at the ground base within a week or two. Frustrating and costly! No one at my garden center seems to know what it is. Please help! We are in eastern PA.
deer eat the flower tops. I live in Chicago and we used to do the same, but do not any more because of that reason. Deer will not eat dusty miller, firecrackers (salvia), spikes, asparagus ferns.
Sharon, I know your post is old but I wanted to respond bc the same thing was happening to almost all of my seedlings last Spring. Being cut at ground level, it could be cut worms (moths). They feed at night so look for them around your plants at dusk. Try sprinkling some diatomaceous earth around the base of your tender new plants. Be careful where and how much you use since it kills all caterpillars indiscriminately (death by a thousand cuts) including the ones that become butterflies!
i was given a red geranium for mothers day. It’s a small plant and the flowers are beautiful and bright, but I’ve noticed that the edges of the petals on the flowers are now purple and also seem to fall off the flowers pretty fast. Other than than they still look healthy and beautiful. Am i doing something wrong with them?
The top of the flower blooms and has buds underneath it. As the top wilts should I clip it and leave the buds directly below it?
I bought new plant of geranium n planted with petunias .the plant was flowering very well but suddenly I don’t know what happens the flowers are started drying n even the plant become dull . I have planted them in a pot n kept it in a sunny position n watering it very well .
Growing last years geraniums
I kept my geraniums alive in the house over the winter, and now that the temps are in the 60’s I just hung them outside in the front of the house where they were last summer, and the leaves went pale overnight. 🙁 The same thing happened to me last year with some other plants that are now gone. These plants were new from the garden store last year, and they were thriving in the house, and were very green when I put them out yesterday. It has been sunny and warm. They were just watered when I put them outside, so they are not dried out. Please let me know what I can do about this… I think I need to cut them back to the stalks, but want to know if that is the right thing to do, or should I just wait to see if they adjust to being outdoors and wait to cut them back?
I bought a geranium a few weeks ago that had 3-4 open flowers and a lot of buds. Since then, the flowers have died (and I cut them off), but the buds will not open. They begin to open (you can see a hint of color), but then they die. The plant appears to be very healthy. Is it possible that there are too many buds?? Should I remove some of them?? Does it need fertilizer?? Help!!
The leaves on my white geraniums have grayish transparent spots on them. Is this some kind of fungus?
I grow pelargoniums indoor here in England. Recently I bought a pelgardini “Vancouver Centennial”. It has beautiful red and green leaves. It is still lovely and bushy, but the mature leaves are now loosing the red, the new young leaves are still the original green and red. Do they need more or less light? Or something else altogether?
I have ivy geranium in an hanging basket and it was very healthy until recently when the leaves started curling down. Why is this happening all of a sudden and what can I do to help it?
I Live in Jacksonville North Florida and I am getting Purple eggs laid on the leaves of my Geraniums, What is doing this and how can I cure it. What ever it is also seem to eat the buds before they can flower, Other than this they are good healthy plants.
They are on the Top of the leaves and on the Buds. I think they be some kind of Catterpiller, They are quite large. I am using Fungicide 3 Spray on them with no effect.
Geranium Budworm
Hi Dave
A fungicide will not work on a caterpillar, it is designed for fungal disease. If it is a caterpillar from a butterfly, try BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) a biological pesticide.
A common pest of geraniums is the geranium budworm also known as tobacco budworm. The caterpillar can get up to 1 1/2″ long. It is a larval stage of a moth (Heliothis virescens) that lays eggs on the leaves and flowers. When it emerges, the caterpillar feeds on the flower buds and petals.The purple “eggs” on the leaves are frass (poop).
BT is not effective on budworms in geraniums. Usually handpicking the caterpillar is suggested. Best time to find them is in the evening when they are active. A insecticide containing pyrethoid can be effective in controlling the insect.
Why do white geraniums bloom less than white. My colored geraniums I have 8 pots are doing great. White nor hasn’t had a full flower yet. They get brownish on the bloom and then just don’t grow anymore
Lovely site. thanks. I want to grow scented geraniums, rose particularly, for making infused oil, so am only looking to do the leaves, not flowers. I live in northern California, and get some freezes. What would you recommend?
I think I have the opposite prob. than most. My geraniums are in large pots outside. They bloom very well but the leaves are barely there. I use plant food once a month. Does it need more nitrogen?
Hi there
I have a couple of geranium plants in medium size pot plants on my balcony. They’ve stopped flowering and also one of them gets these creamy colour spots on the leaves which then turn into holes. Can you please tell me what the problem is and if and how it can be solved? thanks
White leaves
recently my orchid colored ivy geranium’s new leaf growth has been white and small. there has been a heat wave-90+ temps for at least a week now ,but the plant is covered with buds.any ideas what could be causing this?
Too hot to bloom
I live in northeast Oklahoma and have some geraniums in hanging baskets that have been beautiful until we got hot weather and they pretty much stopped blooming. We are still having really hot weather. Should I keep them in the shade as long as the temp is upper 90’s? I’m just wondering if they should have some full sun for at least part of each day?
Mealy bugs
My geraniums and pelaragoniums are attacked each year by what I think is mealy bug – starts as white streaks, develops into cotton wool type balls and ends up like a conical white bug! We live in a hot humid climate and I am wondering if overwatering is the problem? I spray with Prevado but this does not resolve the problem and about this time of year, I have to cut geraniums hard back and clear out the debris. They do recover, but I would prefer not to have the problem – any suggestions?
Incidentally, I notice my magnificent cycad is also showing first signs of attack! Help!
Is it to hot in Arizona to leave my geraniums outside the summer.
Animal repellents
Chipmunks or red squirrels are snipping off the whole flower from my geraniums. What will deter them?
My pink geraniums are turning yellow on the leaves. They are planted in moisture control soil that I purchased this spring when I got them. They were in the front garden facing the south, fun sun, growing beautifully. Then about the first of June with temperatures hot in Texas I moved them to the back garden facing north with partial sun because the leaves yellowed and some were crisp brown. They lost all blooms. I try to check them with my plant tester and try not to over water. They are getting smaller and smaller and loosing leaves. What should I do?
Too hot to bloom
We live in the Texas Panhandle, we have had no rain with temp. in the 100 for most of June. My geraniums, will start to bloom, then the little heads seem to die off, some will bloom, but not all of them. Is it the heat? Tell me what to do to make my plants bloom full heads again. Please
TWO MONTHS AGO BOUGHT A GERANIUM, AT THE TIME IT HAD LARGE LEAVES AND BLOOMED BEAUTIFULLY, NOW THE LEAVES ARE SMALL AND INSN’T BLOOMING AS MUCH
WHAT IS WRONG?
I WATER EVERY OTHER DAY AND FERTILIZE A FEW TIMES A SUMMER.
All of my geraniums are getting yellow leaves. The whole leaf isn’t yellowing, just around the edge. I have them planted in two different locations and both sets are doing the same thing. They get watered properly and are in partial shade for some of the day and they are still blooming. Any help would be appreciated.
Hello,
I recently bought a few potted zonal geraniums. They look healthy other then some of the leaves
turning yellow. The yellowing leaves also have small black dots. The growing directions said
to water every day but I am watering when they start to dry, about every fourth day. Thanks for
your help. Linda
My geraniums are in window boxes on my back porch and only get 2 to 3 hours of morning filtered sunlight.
Is that enough?
Thank you for feedback!
Thanks for replying-they are in the ground. I would say it’s been a pretty cold spring here in central IL. We’ve had some 80 degree days but not many of them. In fact for the past two days the low has been dropping into the 50’s and maybe even into the 40’s. I am having the same problem with Coreposis and Verbena too-they all seem to have a growth problem. This being the first year for all these plants, maybe this is all normal. Maybe I need to be more patient? I am curious about fertilizing them though. Thanks for your time!
Hello-I planted bare root Geraniums over a month ago. They have sprouted but only have grown about 2 or 3 inches tall and their growth seems to be at a stand still. It seems like they have been this tiny size for about 3 weeks now. Obviously there are no flowers yet. My question is, should I fertilize now? Will that help kickstart the growth or is the plant to young and small to fertilize? They get lots of sun and lately, lots of rain. I appreciate your time. Thanks!
Hi Claire
Are the geraniums in a container or planted in the ground? Did you have a warm or cold spring?
Botrytis
Hi! We’ve had four straight days of rain here on Long Island and I recently planted my geraniums. My white heads have turned brown and there’s a gooky brown film coating the red geranium blooms. What can I do?
Brown leaves
I live in Southern California and planted a bunch of geraniums in a flower bed in front of a row of boxwood bushes. It is a south exposure, so they get full sun all day. They get watered every other day with the automatic sprinklers, set at 5 minutes, so yes, the blooms and petals do get wet. At first they seemed to be doing fantastic, vigorous growth, lots of blossoms for several weeks, but now leaves on about half of them are turning brown and they seem to be dying. Too much water? Too hot? Too much sun? Not enough water? Help!
Re-blooming Martha Washington geraniums
I bought Martha Washington geraniums in full bloom last spring. After two blooms they were in shade, and haven’t bloomed since (it’s winter now) but the green is growing like crazy. they are in pots, and I’m wondering if I should prune them? If so, how do I prune them?
I have been overwintering geraniums for many years. I have lost very few over the years, but this year, something is going on I have never seen. The leaves are wilting and dropping and some of the stems are looking pinched. Kind of like damping off, but I have never had this problem before. I have thrown out 4 so far, and a few more don’t look very good.
I keep them in the basement under lights with a pretty steady temp of 60º and the humidity around 40. They were repotted into fresh potting soil, cut back, both roots and tops. I don’t water them until they are nearly dry. I don’t fertilize until about February.
Hi Phyllis
Are the leaves turning colors? yellow? Are they getting enough moisture? Enough light? Are the stems pinched/discolored at the soil line?
I didn’t know that geraniums can’t take cold (<40 degrees F)& left my potted geraniums on my deck through 2 snow storms & some below freezing days. The plants are now a fairly uniform pinkish brown color. Is there anything I can do to save them? Thanx!
Geraniums from cuttings
I would like to know about starting geranium plants from cuttings. I have tried putting them in water and the stems just rot in time. Is there some way that it can be done? I heard there was some kind of white powder you should dip them in before putting them in water and they would start roots. Do you know what that is or have any suggestions?
Root/stem rot
I have lost most of my geraniums this summer (never had this problem before) and would love some help. Most plants will produce only a few leaves that progress from green then yellow and die. Never more than three or four leaves per stalk. Eventually the stock will die turning soft and filled with a black liquid. I was initially told they were getting too hot. The ivy geranium planted in the same pots has thrived. I have tried taking cuttings in new soil with no luck. Any suggestions? I live along the coast line south of Houston. I don’t want to suffer the same loss with the next series of geraniums.
I live in San Francisco. My geraniums are planted in the ground. They do get sun whenever the sun is shining. I have cut the dead flowers. The leaves are now yellow and sparse. They look kind of leggy.
Should I cut them back? Fertilize? What is the next step.
CURLY LEAVES
I have some bright red BEAUTIFUL geraniums including bright green leaves. The plant looks healthy and no known bugs or anything, but the leaves are bright green and curling inward like a little bowl. Is something wrong?
I am caring for a friend’s potted geraniums which sit in a wall of hot windows in his art studio (AZ) with no climate control. (I opened one window well away from plants and a transom for some relief from the new hotter weather.) I drench their soil and then water them days later when they’ve been bone dry for a bit. I fertilized with a 24-12-17 (and “SuperThrive”, a vitamin/hormone solution) but SOME plants then began to throw mostly WHITE leaves. Much later I fed again with a 15-30-15, but no improvement. A few leaves are getting a little yellow, too. Any recommendations?
I have a question. My once erect geraniums were pruned and now they are turning “leggy” and not blooming well. How can I correct this? I have had these flowers for 3 years. Please reply. Thanks, Hertha Maas
Have you been fertilizing? Are they getting enough sun? water?
Mealy bugs
I have ivy geraniums in pots outside. Noticed today that the stalks of the blossoms have white, sticky stuff on them…found a couple of whitish bugs that top/fly on them. Do you know what they are and how to treat my plants?
Botrytis
The flowers all seem to be rotting on both ivy leaved and the normal geraniums,is this over watering?Should I cut them back?
Seedpod spikes
Hi, I have grown geraniums successfully for several years and I have always had the same problem towards the end of summer here in August, ( Pacific Northwest). The flower heads grow hugh, but spikey! About 2 inch spikes instead of petals, what is with that? I don’t see anyone else’s geraniums with this problem so it must be something that I am doing. I use a multi purpose long term fertizer and water the 6 ft wide flower boxes about once a week. Help! The flowers would be gorgeous if they didn’t turn out like alien balls!
I have two huge geranium plants that I’ve kept alive for the past two years, and I have overwintered them without pruning them. The plants are potted together in a pot that is 10 1/2″ in diameter and 9 1/2″ tall. I recently moved the pot outside (I live in NYC) and it’s been getting 1/2 sun 1/2 shade every day. I water it only when the soil feels dry to the touch. There is currently one single bloom of (gorgeous pink) flowers, but the rest of the plant is just leaves. Many of the leaves are bright green but some are brownish or whitish, which I have trimmed down. The stalks of the plant are abundant and sturdy – almost like tree branches – and brownish in color. These stalks cause the plant to overflow from the pot and droop. I am a very amateur gardener but I think I might need to trim this plant down significantly or re-pot it. Help!
Red leaves on geranium
HI, I have a wonderful climbing geranium that is about 4ft high. It was great last year, loads of pink flowers etc. but this year it has flowered OK but the leaves are turning red at the edges then go brown then die, the flowers have also now started to droop. It’s in a trough in my south facing conservatory, other geraniums are fine in here so I don’t think it’s the sun. It’s planted in with a flowering Jasmine and that is OK. Any ideas??
Animals eating flowers
I have geraniums in pots on top of a railing. They were beautiful last night, but now look like something just pinched off the flowers and left the stalks. Any idea what it might be? I was thinking either cats or squirrels.
I bought a pot with many geraniums plants in it. It has blossomed beautifully all summer. I live in northern Florida as it cooled here during the fall, I moved it to a screened porch with plenty of southern light still. Now it’s getting cooler, under 50 – 40 so I moved it inside. Since early fall thru now the leaves have grown small and light green. I try to water when dry and fertilize about once a month. I remove the light green leaves thinking it’s hard on the plant giving it’s energy to those leaves. What caused this for future. Also how do I store for winter?
Hi, i don’t know what kind of geranium I have. When it bloomed, when I bought it, it had purple and white flowers. It is about two years old, originally. This plant is from the spring. I killed the original plant, but managed to get a start off of it rooted. It was a beautiful plant. Now it has blotchy yellow and green leaves. The ones on the bottom are dying. It is in a pot in a southern facing window. I am assuming from the comments I have read that it is a watering problem. I also don’t fertilize much, so will try that too. The plant is still kind of small with two stems, when should I take off some to make it bushier and try to get more plants started from it? I am also interested in trying to get it to bloom again when it is healthy. Which from what I am reading, I assume it will bloom when healthy and fertilized? Thanks in advance.
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.
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
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
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?
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
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
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.
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!
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.
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 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
Thanks again, I appreciate and will try your suggestions!
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 🙁
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.
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!
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
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?
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!
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?
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?
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
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?
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
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.
Healthy leaves, No flowers
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
Red leavesHello
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
The Leaves of my Geraniums more yellow than green, what can I do?