Pelargonium × hortorum
Geranium
Common names: Pelargonium, Garden Geranium, Standing Geranium
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 2 °C
- Water need
- Medium
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This description was machine-translated.
Description
The Pelargonium × hortorum, commonly known as geranium, is a hardy perennial ideal for balconies and terraces. From May to October it displays dense flower spikes in shades of red, pink, salmon, and white atop aromatic, rounded foliage. It tolerates heat and brief dry spells remarkably well, making it one of the most low‑maintenance summer bloomers.
Care instructions
Plant after the last frost in mid‑May in nutrient‑rich soil at a sunny, warm spot, this plant is not winter hardy. Water in the morning at the soil surface, avoiding the flowers, and allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings, as it does not tolerate waterlogged conditions. Fertilize weekly and remove spent flowers and stems to keep the plant healthy and encourage further blooming. For overwintering, prune in October, then place the plant in a bright, cool location at about 8 °C (45 °F) and frost‑free.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingFeb–Mar
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 15 °C, ideally 22 °C
- Days to sprout
- 7 to 21 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, nutrient-rich
Zonal geraniums need nutrient-rich, loose, humus-rich and free-draining soil without waterlogging. In the bed, a loamy, humus-rich soil works well; in a container, a structurally stable potting compost with a coarse component (sand or expanded clay). They like it slightly acidic to neutral (about pH 5.5 to 6.8); strongly acidic soils below 5.5 block phosphorus and magnesium, while markedly lime-rich soils above 7 make iron less available and can lead to paler leaves.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Mar–Oct
When planting in spring, work ripe compost and a little horn shavings shallowly into the top layer of soil; this covers basic supply while the plants establish. As heavy feeders, geraniums want a continuous supply during the long flowering season from about April to September: in a container, feed regularly with a liquid organic fertiliser in the water; in the bed, a further dose of compost in summer is enough. At peak flowering in high summer, an organic feed rich in potassium (such as a potassium-rich plant liquid feed) helps; it promotes flowers and firms up the shoots. Stop feeding from October, as the plant goes into dormancy.
Overwintering
Geraniums are not hardy. Bring them indoors before the first frost (by the end of October at the latest) and cut the shoots back to about 10 cm. Then overwinter them in a bright, cool place at 5 to 10 °C and water only sparingly, or store the bare-root plants cool and dark in a frost-free cellar; from February/March, pot them up in fresh compost and move them into the light.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- From seed
Cuttings (preferred method): In late summer (August/September) or early spring (February/March), cut non-flowering tip shoots 8 to 12 cm long just below a leaf node. Remove the lower leaves and all buds, so that only 1 to 2 leaves remain at the top. Leave the cut end to dry for a few hours or overnight in a shady, airy place so that it callouses slightly. This protects against rot. Then insert the cutting about 2 cm deep into moist, low-nutrient seed compost and press it in firmly. Place it in a bright spot, but not in full sun, at about 18 to 22 °C. Pelargoniums are prone to rot: keep only the compost moist and do not spray the leaves. If you use a plastic cover, ventilate daily. After 3 to 5 weeks, new foliage indicates successful rooting; a gentle tug test confirms it.
Sowing (for new breeds and varieties grown from seed): Sow from late January to mid-February so that the young plants flower by May. Geraniums need light to germinate: press the seeds only lightly onto moist, lean seed compost and cover them with no more than a wafer-thin layer of compost or vermiculite. At 20 to 22 °C and even moisture the seeds germinate after 10 to 20 days; ventilate daily to avoid mould. As soon as 2 pairs of leaves are visible, prick out the seedlings individually. Note: propagating by cuttings keeps cultivars true to type. With sowing (especially from your own seed of F1 hybrids), deviations from the parent plant often appear.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
For your garden
Grow Geranium yourself
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