Grow Geraniums in Pots
Colorful geraniums make a wonderful addition to container gardens. The blooms, which usually appear in pink, purple, white, or red flower clusters last from mid-spring to early fall when cared for properly.
Contents
Steps
Preparation
- Choose a pot with holes in the bottom. Geranium roots will rot if they sit in water for an extended period of time, so adequate drainage is essential.
- Select a pot that fits the size of the plant. Many varieties can fill a 10-inch (25.4-cm) pot, but some smaller varieties can thrive in a 6- to 8-inch (15- to 20-cm) pot. These flowers do well when the roots don't have the option of spreading too far, but they must still have adequate room to develop.
- Pick a pot made with a material that suits your needs. If you plan on moving the plant around, avoid heavier clay pots and stick to plastic.
- Clean the pot. Dirty pots may contain bacteria or insect eggs that are too small for the naked eye to see. These hidden dangers could prevent your flowers from reaching their full potential.
- Decide what method you want to use to start your flowers. Using cuttings from mother plants or purchasing seedlings at a garden store are the easiest methods of starting a potted geranium, but you can also use seed.
- Choose a good quality soil. A cheap soil may retain too much moisture, which will lead to root rot once you plant your geraniums. These flowers thrive best in soil that drains well, especially if it contains traces of organic material.
Planting from Seed
- Start geraniums from seed indoors. Early to mid-April is usually standard. Once the seeds start to sprout, you can move them outdoors. Just make sure that the last frost of the season has already passed.
- Fill the pot with soil. Allow the soil to remain fairly loose, as tightly packed soil can suffocate the plant.
- Spot the top of the soil with seeds. Space seeds a few inches apart from one another. This space is necessary to ensure that the flowers will have room to grow without suffocating another's roots.
- Cover the seeds with soil. Only apply a light layer of soil, as too much soil may prevent the seeds from germinating.
Planting from Cuttings or Seedlings
- Plant seedlings or cuttings after the last frost passes. They can be kept either indoors or outdoors.
- Fill your chosen pot with soil. Leave the soil loose so the plant's roots have room to breathe.
- Dig a shallow hole in the soil. It should be just large enough to rest the seedling's root system in. The general rule of thumb is that the seedling should be as deep in your soil as it was in the original container. Do not plant the seedling any deeper, since stems can actually begin to rot and decay if covered by soil.
- Pack the soil around the geranium to hold it in place. Do so carefully to avoid breaking or tearing the stem of the plant, since a damaged stem weakens the integrity of the plan and provides an opening for diseases to enter in.
Care
- Place the pot in full sun. Geraniums require six to eight hours of direct sunlight to thrive, but some varieties prefer a bit of shade in the afternoon.
- Allow the soil get dry in between each watering. Test the soil by poking your finger into the top inch. If the soil is dry all the way through the top inch, provide the flowers with enough water to dampen the soil without soaking it.
- Fertilize your geraniums once a month using a liquid fertilizer. An abundance of fertilizer will cause your geraniums to produce many strong, healthy leaves, but it will also prevent blooms from developing and may lead to a plant with minimal flowering.
- You can also use a slow-release, granular fertilizer. Only apply this fertilizer once, during the spring.
- Remove dying flowers regularly. You can usually tell when a flower is dying because the color fades and the blossom begins to wilt. The removal of dead flower heads will encourage the plant to continue blooming.
- Remove brown leaves and faded stalks to minimize the risk of fungal disease. Decomposed leaves and stalks are likely to cause "Botrytis" or other fungi to form.
Tips
- Over-winter the flowers by cutting them back at the first frost and storing them in a cool location, such as a basement. Only water them if they show signs of wilting. When winter ends, add fertilizer and place them in indirect light to reawaken them.
- Mix your geraniums with other flowers to create a miniature garden in a pot. Choose plants that require growing conditions similar to those required by geraniums: full sun and well-drained soil.
Warnings
- High summer heat can severely harm geraniums. Many varieties stop blooming when the temperature is too high, but the flowers will return with the cooler weather.
- Bacterial blight can destroy your geraniums, causing them to wilt for no apparent reason. There is no spray that can cure this disease, and infected plants should be removed from the area to avoid contamination of other plants.
Things You'll Need
- Small- to medium-sized pot
- Soil
- Geranium seeds
- Geranium seedlings or cuttings
- Balanced liquid fertilizer
- Slow-release granular fertilizer
