How to Plant and Grow Geraniums—Annual or Perennial

The authoritative geranium industrial plant thrives in bottom , border , and containers in showy blooms or a trailing wont .

A classic garden industrial plant , geraniums have been a nurseryman ’s favourite for over a one C . The onetime - fashioned standard for beds , borders , and containers , geranium are still among the most pop plants today . This garden staple fibre has a little secret : The plant we know as the coarse annual geranium is actually aPelargonium . A completely unlike group of plant hasGeraniumas its genus name .

No matter which geraniums you prefer for yourcontainersor flower beds , even deadheading will keep them blooming attractively . And do n’t forget to feed them !

pink geranium bloom

Credit:Andrew Drake

Andrew Drake

Where to Plant Geraniums

Geraniums shine in bed and borders . Traditional bedding types love hot weather condition and hold up well in dry conditions . They are also focal flowers in container pigeonholing and standouts in window box . With their wide range of coloration , shape , and size of blooms , it ’s toilsome not to find a intellect to use geraniums everywhere .

Although most geranium are grown as annual , they areperennials in Zones 10 - 11 . convey themindoors to winter , if you like , and then replant them outdoors in spring , or they can bloom indoors all yr long if they get enough brightness .

How and When to Plant Geraniums

Wait until the lastfrost engagement in springhas passed to plant sun - enjoy annual and perennial geraniums . you may also plant perennial geraniums in early fall when the weather cool down slightly . Choose an surface area with well - draining ground ; geraniums do n’t wish crocked feet . practice a rake to loosen the soil down 12 inches and add compost . Give each works place to arise . Depending on the mixture , the spacing could be as little as 6 in or as much as 2 feet . Dig a hole twice as wide as the nursery container . cautiously transfer the plant from the container and position it with the top of the root testicle at filth level , keep the soil away from the plant stem . Water carefully so as not to wash the grease off any of the roots .

If you are constitute a geranium in a container , take a container that has drainage holes and fill it with potting grease . Position the plant so the top of the rootball is tied with the land line . Place the container in a sunny locating and out of the idle words .

Geranium Care Tips

Light

Most yearly geraniums do best ina full - sun location . Ivy geraniums are an exclusion ; they opt some light shade .

Soil and Water

Loamy , well - enfeeble soilis best for growing geranium . If your soil is heavy , unified compost , peat , or perlite into it . If you are planting geranium in container , use commercial-grade surface soil and mix in sand and a little peat moss for the best drainage . Good drainage is essential .

Wait until the top inch of grime is dry to irrigate the geranium plants . Watering once or twice a week , depending on the season and weather , is usually sufficient .

Fertilizer

When the soil warms in the saltation , apply a 1–2 column inch layer of mulch to keep the grunge nerveless , prevent crusting , improve aeration , and reduce green goddess .

Crusting is the formation of a hard , dense layer on the grease surface that resists water penetration and can hinder seedling emergence .

Pests and Problems

Some geraniums , peculiarly the ivy diversity , hurt from a stipulation called hydrops on the bottom of the leaves . When land temperature are warm and wet and air temperature is cool and humid , flora take up more water than they can keep back , which causes the leafage cadre to stretch along and become damaged with rat that turn brown and bumpy . This is n’t contagious , and damage parting can be removed .

How to Propagate Geraniums

Stem cuttings are the best means to propagate geraniums . Totake a stem cutting , cut the stem just above a knob ( which boost raw growth on the parent industrial plant ) . On your cut , turn up another node several inch away from the original cut and cut beneath it . Ideally , the cut should be 4 to 6 in long . off the leaves except for any at the top . Press the cutting off into warm , moist planting medium . Then , piss and place in collateral light . Within a couple of weeks , the plant life will start sending out ascendant .

Here ’s another method acting to try out in fall . Store geraniums over wintertime by placing them upside down in a chocolate-brown newspaper bag after shake off spare grease . Keep the bag closed in a cool , black place , ensuring it does n’t freeze down . Mist monthly to prevent drying . In former bounce , pot , trim , and irrigate them to encourage new growth .

Types of Geranium

yearly geraniums amount in different types : zonal , Hedera helix , and regal . The most common of the annual variety , zonal geraniums , is the most recognizable geranium ; it gets its name from the broad band of darker coloring on its leaves . In some , this " zone " is more marked than in others . If you do n’t see this banding on the folio but the flower look like a zonal geranium , it could be a assortment for which this color is not present or a seed geranium ( the latter of which is a more inexpensive variant of its zonary counterpart ) .

Zonal geraniumsaregrown from cuttingsonly and have been bred for traits like bigger and longer - lasting flush , antisepsis ( so that the works do n’t waste energy on making seeds ) , and overall energy and disease resistance . Zonal geranium also thrive in the heat and sun of the summertime and bloom all time of year if you slay previous blooms .

Ivy geraniumsare another pop diverseness , and as the name imply , these plant life have more of a trailing riding habit with segmented leaf like common ivy . Overall , flush of the ivy type are similar to the zonals but with smaller bloom clusters and abstruse purple flowers . Ivy geraniums take heat well but not quite as well as their zonary counterparts . If it is exceptionally hot , ivy geraniums will thank you for a slight good afternoon shade .

allure pink picotee geranium

Credit: Justin Hancock

royal geraniums , another popular plant life variety , are grow for their big , extremely showy heyday . These fancy flowers come in many colors and have beautiful patterns you do n’t see in other type of geraniums . Regal type are probably some of the pickiest geraniums . They prefer a cooler rise time of year and will stop blooming in high summer heat . ensure they have well - drained dirt and keep them cool when the steaming temps arrive .

‘Allure Pink Picotee’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Allure Pink Picotee ' bring on huge , hydrangea - similar clustersof pallid pink bloom edged in darker pink . It produce 18 inch tall .

‘Aurora’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Aurora ' is a heat - bang multifariousness with with child head of bright magenta - pinkish flowers on 12 - inch - tall plants .

‘Caliente Hot Coral’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Caliente Hot Coral ' produces bold coral - pink bloom with exceptional warmth permissiveness . It has an upright piano , mounding habit , and you do n’t need todeadhead the flowers . It grow 12 inches improbable .

‘Calliope Dark Red’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Calliope Dark Red ' is a loan-blend between ivy - lead and zonal geraniums . It gestate copious , dark reddish flowers and has a mounding / track habit . It mature 12 inches improbable .

‘Candy Cherry’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Candy Cherry ' offers lots of hopeful cherry red - pink flowers over rich , moody - unripe foliage . It grows 14 inches marvelous .

‘Candy Fantasy Kiss’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Candy Fantasy Kiss ' shows off plentiful pink flowers with a lovely indulgent pinkish edge . It has dark green foliage and grows 14 inches marvelous .

‘Daredevil Claret’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Daredevil Claret ' is a vigorous pick with dark crimson heyday all summer . It grows 24 in tall and 14 column inch extensive .

‘Daredevil Orchid’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Daredevil Orchid ' shows off brilliantly colored cluster of lavender flush all summer long . It grows 24 inches grandiloquent and 14 column inch wide .

‘Elegance Burgundy’ Regal Geranium

Pelargonium’Elegance Burgundy ' is a coolheaded - time of year variety that bloom in springtime with rich burgundy bloom that look like they ’re made from crepe theme . It grows 12 inches tall .

‘Elegance Imperial’ Regal Geranium

Pelargonium’Elegance Imperial ' is a spring bloomer offering productive burgundy - purple flowers boldly edged in white . It grows 12 in tall .

‘Elegance Royalty White’ Regal Geranium

Pelargonium’Elegance Royalty White ' is a cool - time of year variety displaying white flowers brushed with vivid pink . It arise 12 inch tall .

‘Global Merlot’ Ivy Geranium

Pelargonium’Global Merlot ' bears rich wine - crimson flowers on a warmth - screw plant that train to 14 in .

‘Graffiti White’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Graffiti White ' is a heat - get it on choice with spidery snowy flowers on a works that grow 14 inch tall .

‘Indian Dunes’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Indian Dunes ' offers attractive chartreuse leafage with a large bronze - purple splotch in the shopping center of each leaf . It produces orange - red flowers and grow 10 inches tall .

‘Maestro Rose Pink’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Maestro Rose Pink ' offers large soft pinkish bloom touched with rise on a intermediate - sized plant with good heat tolerance . It grows 12 column inch improbable .

‘Maiden Iced Wine’ Regal Geranium

Pelargonium’Maiden Iced Wine ' is a cool - time of year variety with a compact drug abuse and coloured cherry prime exquisitely edged in whitened . It grows 10 inch magniloquent .

‘Mini Karmine’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Mini Karmine ' looks its best in hanging baskets or window box where you may enjoy it as the plant shack over the edges . It sport bright magenta flowers and finely cut leafage .

‘Moonlight Cranberry Blush’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Moonlight Cranberry Blush ' feature of speech intensely pink flowers with a compact habit and lot of blooms throughout the summer . It grows 12 inches grandiloquent .

‘Patriot Lavender Blue’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Patriot Lavender Blue ' is a quick - grow variety show with large lavender - pink flower . It grows 16 inches tall .

‘Royal Candy Pink’ Ivy Geranium

Pelargonium’Royal Candy Pink ' is a trailing , estrus - resistant geranium with an abundance of rich pink flowers . It trails to 14 inch .

‘Royal Lavender’ Ivy Geranium

Pelargonium’Royal Lavender ' is a tracking , heat - broad geranium with piano , lavender - pinkish flowers all summertime . It trails to 14 inch .

‘Wilhelm Langguth’ Geranium

Pelargonium’Wilhelm Langguth ' shows off attractive ashen - edged foliage and bright red peak . It turn 2 feet tall .

Geranium Companion Plants

Nicotiana

Many types of nicotiana are terrifically fragrant ( especially at Nox ) and are marvelous inattracting hummingbirdsand hummingbird moths . There are several type of nicotiana , also calledflowering tobacco , because it ’s a cousin of the familiar tobacco plant life . seek the shorter , more colorful types in container or the front of beds or delimitation . The taller , livid - only types , which can reach 5 feet , are dramatic in the back of borders . These industrial plant do advantageously in full sun and moist , well - enfeeble soil , and they may reseed .

implant these in night garden because they ’re ordinarily most fragrant at crepuscule .

Pentas

Pentas is one of thebest butterfly stroke - attracting plantsaround . It blooms all summer long , even during the hot weather , with big clusters of starry blooms that draw in butterflies by the dozens as well as hummingbirds . The plant maturate well in containers and in the ground — and it can even make a ripe houseplant if you have enough light . It does good in full sun and moist , well - drained soil . Pentas is grown as an annualin most part of the country , but it ’s hardy in Zones 10 - 11 . Plant it outdoors after all danger of hoar has passed .

Fountaingrass

Like so many grasses , fountaingrass is spectacularwhen backlit by the rise or setting sun . Named for its refined spray of leafage , fountaingrass sends out beautiful , fuzzy efflorescence plumes in late summertime . The lily-white , pink , or red plumes ( count on variety ) continue into fall and bring a at large , cozy look to planting . This plant self - seeds freely , sometimes to the point of becoming invasive .

Garden Plan for Geranium

Tropical-Look Garden Plan

Make a bluff garden statement with dramatic flowers and leaf .

Frequently Asked Questions

Annual geraniums bloom from spring until fall in optimum condition . Deadheading spent bloomsby snipping off the dying bloom and its bow is essential for encouraging additional blooms . A plant that blooms only gently may not be have sufficient light ; relocating it might aid .

If you live in Zone 9 or colder , dig up the plants before the first hoarfrost . Place them in containers or composition board boxes and bring them inside . Treat them as houseplant throughout the cold months , locate them near sunny windowsills . Then , move them back outdoors after the last frost in spring .

Sprik , Dorothy . “Master gardener parcel tips on caring for geranium . ”University of Minnesota Extension .

pelargonium aurora geranium