Growing Geraniums
Geraniums are one of the most sought after plants during spring gardening because growing geraniums is easy for even the most inexperienced gardeners. They can be started from seed inside in the winter but most people buy plants in pots at a nursery or gardening store. They are very low cost, especially in the spring.
Wait until there is absolutely no danger of frost before replanting your geraniums outside. In many northern areas, this will be in late May. Growing geraniums that will continually blossom all season means planting them in well-drained soil in a part of the garden where they will receive at least six hours of sunlight every day. If you have clay-type soil you will need to add lots of organic matter such as manure or peat moss.
The biggest problem growing geraniums is that people water them too much. They should be dry to the touch before watering. This is a plant that can even survive through drought conditions. If it gets too wet, your geranium plants will start to get fungal diseases and root rot. Water well after you first plant and add fertilizers. Then leave the plants alone unless they feel dry to the touch.
Some people begin growing geraniums with seed and others start them from cuttings from their own or a friend’s plants. If you choose to plant cuttings, it is best to make them three to four inches long, though smaller ones will also survive. Take off any lower leaves that might be on the cutting and place it in a pot with a perlite growing mix. Water well. If you keep the temperature in the seventies, you should have growth in about a month. When they get one to two leaves, transplant the geraniums into pots that are at least four inches wide. At that time you can add a synthetic fertilizer, such as 15-30-15 or 20-20-20. You should begin to fertilize the young plant with only half of the amount recommended on the label.
One of the great things about geraniums and part of what makes them so popular is that they require very little attention and care. All you have to do is remove the flowers when they die and the plant will keep blooming again and again through spring, summer and into the fall. Geraniums are not bothered by pests and are incredibly disease-resistant.
It is possible with geraniums to take cuttings in late summer and root them to grow inside in the winter. They will need to be placed where they get a lot of light. Some people dig up their geraniums and hang them in a basement or garage for the winter. If you choose to preserve your geraniums this way you will need to have temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees and very high humidity in the 85 - 90% range.