Why grow geraniums
Although it is commonly called Geranium, the actual botanical name of this plant is Pelargonium. In fact Geranium is the name of another plant variety, which is also popular by the name Cranesbill. To go to the Cranesbill flower page, click here.
Geraniums are the perfect starter plant for flower lovers. If you never managed to keep alive the flowers your friends gave you as a present but you still wanted to grow plants (as was my case), go for a geranium. Or better - go for lots of them. They come in different sorts, and colors, and are extremely attractive in pots or hanging baskets at patios, balconies and back yards. There is nothing more beautiful than a windowsill with geranium pots. To me it is one of the symbols of the Southern European charm - Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, France, Spain. And what’s best about them is that they have a very long blooming period - from mid spring until late fall.
Although it is commonly called Geranium, the actual botanical name of this plant is Pelargonium. In fact Geranium is the name of another plant variety, which is also popular by the name Cranesbill. To go to the Cranesbill flower page, click here.
Geraniums are the perfect starter plant for flower lovers. If you never managed to keep alive the flowers your friends gave you as a present but you still wanted to grow plants (as was my case), go for a geranium. Or better - go for lots of them. They come in different sorts, and colors, and are extremely attractive in pots or hanging baskets at patios, balconies and back yards. There is nothing more beautiful than a windowsill with geranium pots. To me it is one of the symbols of the Southern European charm - Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, France, Spain. And what’s best about them is that they have a very long blooming period - from mid spring until late fall.
How to grow geraniums
Geraniums are very tolerant to various types of soil, shady and full sun areas, and can be generous to rookie gardener mistakes in growth care. If you want to ensure the perfect conditions for your geranium however, place them in a sunny area, and water when soil becomes slightly dry. Generally geraniums will produce more blossoms if they are bathing in the sun but there are particular geranium sorts, which are specifically modified to endure shady areas, and feel perfectly fine and bloom a lot in full shade. In temperate climates during the hottest months July and August, when the night temperatures stay steadily above 50°-60°F (10°-15°C) the plant may reduce or stop blooming, but once temperatures are bearable again, it will start blooming.
Regardless of where the geraniums are placed, do not overwater them and neither let their soil dry out completely. Plant geraniums in rich well-drained soil, and fertilize during the warm months once every two weeks or according to the instructions of the specific fertilizer that you have. Keep them fresh as you remove the old blossoms, and leaves. This will help the plant concentrate its energy on producing new blossoms.
Once temperatures drop significantly and there is danger of frost, bring the plants inside. You may place them near a window, or to indirect light, as long as they are not in a completely dark place. The brighter the place, the higher its chances to continue blooming, and if you brought it inside before the drastic temperature drops, you will definitely have a blooming winter flower. My shade tolerant geranium (in the pic) has been blooming throughout whole winter, and although I currently live in California where temperatures never drop below 31°F (0°C), I've had blooming geraniums during winter over the past years when I lived in a temperate climate with hot summers > 100°F (38°C), and winters below 15°F (-10°C). The important thing is to protect the plant from the sudden temperature drops in late fall and early winter, and to keep it in as bright spot as possible.
After the cold months pass, there is no longer danger of frost, and daily temperatures stay steadily above 50°-60°F (10°-15°C), take your geraniums outside. If temperatures drop again, bring the plants inside, and wait until the cold nights are gone for sure. Once taken outside your geraniums may start losing some of their leaves, or turn white. Don’t panic - during the winter when the plants are inside they usually get slightly spoiled, and they develop many and long leaves due to the lack of light but those leaves are not very enduring at the outside temperatures. Once taken outside it is good to cut some of the old stems and leaves to stimulate the development of new ones and to shape the geranium in the way you want it for the new season. Make sure you keep several healthy firm leaves on the plant though.
It is good to renew the plant every 2 years, although it will live and bloom for you much longer if you keep taking good care of it.
Geraniums are very tolerant to various types of soil, shady and full sun areas, and can be generous to rookie gardener mistakes in growth care. If you want to ensure the perfect conditions for your geranium however, place them in a sunny area, and water when soil becomes slightly dry. Generally geraniums will produce more blossoms if they are bathing in the sun but there are particular geranium sorts, which are specifically modified to endure shady areas, and feel perfectly fine and bloom a lot in full shade. In temperate climates during the hottest months July and August, when the night temperatures stay steadily above 50°-60°F (10°-15°C) the plant may reduce or stop blooming, but once temperatures are bearable again, it will start blooming.
Regardless of where the geraniums are placed, do not overwater them and neither let their soil dry out completely. Plant geraniums in rich well-drained soil, and fertilize during the warm months once every two weeks or according to the instructions of the specific fertilizer that you have. Keep them fresh as you remove the old blossoms, and leaves. This will help the plant concentrate its energy on producing new blossoms.
Once temperatures drop significantly and there is danger of frost, bring the plants inside. You may place them near a window, or to indirect light, as long as they are not in a completely dark place. The brighter the place, the higher its chances to continue blooming, and if you brought it inside before the drastic temperature drops, you will definitely have a blooming winter flower. My shade tolerant geranium (in the pic) has been blooming throughout whole winter, and although I currently live in California where temperatures never drop below 31°F (0°C), I've had blooming geraniums during winter over the past years when I lived in a temperate climate with hot summers > 100°F (38°C), and winters below 15°F (-10°C). The important thing is to protect the plant from the sudden temperature drops in late fall and early winter, and to keep it in as bright spot as possible.
After the cold months pass, there is no longer danger of frost, and daily temperatures stay steadily above 50°-60°F (10°-15°C), take your geraniums outside. If temperatures drop again, bring the plants inside, and wait until the cold nights are gone for sure. Once taken outside your geraniums may start losing some of their leaves, or turn white. Don’t panic - during the winter when the plants are inside they usually get slightly spoiled, and they develop many and long leaves due to the lack of light but those leaves are not very enduring at the outside temperatures. Once taken outside it is good to cut some of the old stems and leaves to stimulate the development of new ones and to shape the geranium in the way you want it for the new season. Make sure you keep several healthy firm leaves on the plant though.
It is good to renew the plant every 2 years, although it will live and bloom for you much longer if you keep taking good care of it.
When and how to pot
Geraniums can be potted at any time of the year as long as you don’t place them outside to the cold temperatures. Use well-drained soil mix (equal parts of soil, sand, and turf). You can buy your geranium directly from the nursery, or raise your own plant from cutting. They can also be raised from seeds, but raising from cuttings is so super easy, that I don’t intend to try the seeds method any time soon.
For propagation from cutting, you need a 3-4 inch section of a stem with leaves on it from a grown healthy geranium. You can get cuttings from your mom, grandmother, friends, or after kindly asking your neighbors. You will get it from your own geranium in case you want to renew your plant, or to just add several new plants to your collection (think about those windowsills :)). After you have the cutting, remove the bottom leaves, keeping at least 2-3 leaves on the top, and let it dry out for a couple of hours on a piece of paper (remove its flowers if any). Then you need to root the cutting. This can be done in several ways - in water, in perlite/sand/vermiculite, or directly into the potting soil.
- rooting in water - place the bottom of the cutting in a cup of water, covering part of the stem with the leaves above the water. You can leave it like this as long as you like but add fresh water or completely change it if it starts turning green to prevent the cutting from rotting. If the temperature in your room is around 70°F (21°C) your geranium cutting will produce roots within maximum 2 weeks. If temperatures are lower, then it will take more time, so it is important to change the water in the cup regularly. After the roots emerge, leave them to develop for at least 2 more weeks. Then pot the plant in the soil mix.
- rooting in sand/perlite/vermiculite - prepare a 3-4 inches deep container and fill it with moist but not watery sand/perlite/vermiculite (do not use saltwater sand, either use river sand, or best buy it from a nursery). Place the cutting 1-1.5 inches deep into the soil. You may cover with a plastic bag to prevent wilting, moisture loss, and to stimulate faster rooting. Open up the bag occasionally to prevent overheating or pierce several small holes into it. Check weekly if the mixture is still moist - if the sand is properly watered initially, it will take 3-4 weeks before it needs more water which is also the approximate time it will need to start rooting. To check if the rooting has started, gently pull up the cutting, and if it resists, it means the roots have already reached an inch. If the roots are too short leave it in the sand for a 1 more week and then pot the plant into well-drained soil.
- rooting directly into the potting soil - just put the cutting into the soil and water as much as to keep the soil moist to slightly dry, but never soggy. Follow the general instructions for growth care, with a slightly higher requirement for the outside temperatures as the plant is very young and unstable. Do not expose to direct light also. You can move it to fully sunny area once new leaves start to emerge.
Geraniums can be potted at any time of the year as long as you don’t place them outside to the cold temperatures. Use well-drained soil mix (equal parts of soil, sand, and turf). You can buy your geranium directly from the nursery, or raise your own plant from cutting. They can also be raised from seeds, but raising from cuttings is so super easy, that I don’t intend to try the seeds method any time soon.
For propagation from cutting, you need a 3-4 inch section of a stem with leaves on it from a grown healthy geranium. You can get cuttings from your mom, grandmother, friends, or after kindly asking your neighbors. You will get it from your own geranium in case you want to renew your plant, or to just add several new plants to your collection (think about those windowsills :)). After you have the cutting, remove the bottom leaves, keeping at least 2-3 leaves on the top, and let it dry out for a couple of hours on a piece of paper (remove its flowers if any). Then you need to root the cutting. This can be done in several ways - in water, in perlite/sand/vermiculite, or directly into the potting soil.
- rooting in water - place the bottom of the cutting in a cup of water, covering part of the stem with the leaves above the water. You can leave it like this as long as you like but add fresh water or completely change it if it starts turning green to prevent the cutting from rotting. If the temperature in your room is around 70°F (21°C) your geranium cutting will produce roots within maximum 2 weeks. If temperatures are lower, then it will take more time, so it is important to change the water in the cup regularly. After the roots emerge, leave them to develop for at least 2 more weeks. Then pot the plant in the soil mix.
- rooting in sand/perlite/vermiculite - prepare a 3-4 inches deep container and fill it with moist but not watery sand/perlite/vermiculite (do not use saltwater sand, either use river sand, or best buy it from a nursery). Place the cutting 1-1.5 inches deep into the soil. You may cover with a plastic bag to prevent wilting, moisture loss, and to stimulate faster rooting. Open up the bag occasionally to prevent overheating or pierce several small holes into it. Check weekly if the mixture is still moist - if the sand is properly watered initially, it will take 3-4 weeks before it needs more water which is also the approximate time it will need to start rooting. To check if the rooting has started, gently pull up the cutting, and if it resists, it means the roots have already reached an inch. If the roots are too short leave it in the sand for a 1 more week and then pot the plant into well-drained soil.
- rooting directly into the potting soil - just put the cutting into the soil and water as much as to keep the soil moist to slightly dry, but never soggy. Follow the general instructions for growth care, with a slightly higher requirement for the outside temperatures as the plant is very young and unstable. Do not expose to direct light also. You can move it to fully sunny area once new leaves start to emerge.
How are these methods different?
With the water method cuttings produce roots in almost 100% of the cases, and the roots emerge and develop very quickly. However professional gardeners do not recommend this method, because as they say the roots developed this way are more gentle and if harmed during the potting, the plant will not live. Also if you have left the cutting in water for too long or if you haven't changed the water regularly the cuttings may rot. With the sand method cuttings produce roots slightly slower than in water, but the chances for rooting are close to 100% as well. With this method, the roots developed are stronger - there is less probability of harming them at the time of potting, and most importantly the new plant starts developing faster after it is potted. With the last method roots are again very strong, but there is a higher chance that your cutting will not root as it is more difficult to keep the right moisture level.
With the water method cuttings produce roots in almost 100% of the cases, and the roots emerge and develop very quickly. However professional gardeners do not recommend this method, because as they say the roots developed this way are more gentle and if harmed during the potting, the plant will not live. Also if you have left the cutting in water for too long or if you haven't changed the water regularly the cuttings may rot. With the sand method cuttings produce roots slightly slower than in water, but the chances for rooting are close to 100% as well. With this method, the roots developed are stronger - there is less probability of harming them at the time of potting, and most importantly the new plant starts developing faster after it is potted. With the last method roots are again very strong, but there is a higher chance that your cutting will not root as it is more difficult to keep the right moisture level.
Now professional gardeners recommend the sand method because of the strength of the roots, and of the high chances for rooting. This is what professionals are looking for - strong plants with minimum losses. However for me the water method has always worked fine with no cases of breaking the gentle water-grown roots during potting and no rotted cuttings (and I have kept them in water for more than 3-4 months). My plants have always grown like wild after I have potted them. And the best part is that this method requires zero preparations and almost no attention.
So it not only works great for non-professional growers, but it is many many times easier with the water method -
1) you don't have to prepare containers,
2) you don't have to buy sand, perlite, or any other additional soil,
3) you don't have to check up the moisture of the soil and hence
4) you can't mess up on the watering,
5) you know exactly when the roots emerge, and how long they are, because you can see them through the water.
So for beginner or non-professional growers rooting in water is a completely safe and satisfactory way for rooting - just check up the cutting once a week to see if you need to add more water, or the water needs to be changed.
Go back to quick guide:
Geranium, Pelargonium - Quick Guide
So it not only works great for non-professional growers, but it is many many times easier with the water method -
1) you don't have to prepare containers,
2) you don't have to buy sand, perlite, or any other additional soil,
3) you don't have to check up the moisture of the soil and hence
4) you can't mess up on the watering,
5) you know exactly when the roots emerge, and how long they are, because you can see them through the water.
So for beginner or non-professional growers rooting in water is a completely safe and satisfactory way for rooting - just check up the cutting once a week to see if you need to add more water, or the water needs to be changed.
Go back to quick guide:
Geranium, Pelargonium - Quick Guide
