Geraniums (Pelargonium spp.) are perennial plants grown as annuals in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 1 through 11. Because they will survive light frosts but not freezing, geraniums are grown as annuals in many hardiness zones and grown as perennials only in plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. Whether they are grown as perennials or annuals, geranium blossoms can be pink, white, red, orange or purple and liven up planting beds as well as hanging baskets or containers. These plants are easy to care for and easy to propagate if desired.
Propagate geraniums by taking a stem cutting, cutting a piece of stem 3 to 4 inches long. Use disinfected pruning shears to make your cuts.
Remove any leaves from the stem cutting and plant it 1 inch deep in a mixture of equal parts sharp sand and sphagnum peat moss. Use a container that drains. Water thoroughly.
Place the planted cuttings where they will receive large amounts of sunlight and maintain a soil temperature between 72 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wait three to four weeks for the cuttings to root, watering them sparingly. Replant cuttings that have rooted in 4-inch pots.
Fertilize your young geraniums with a 20-20-20 or 15-30-15 fertilizer at half strength once a month until they are planted outside. Apply liquid fertilizer to the soil around the geranium and wash off any fertilizer that accidentally drops onto the plant’s leaves.
Choose a planting location with well-drained soil where the geranium will be in direct sunlight or light shade. Amend the soil in the planting bed if needed. Geraniums will grow in almost any soil so long as it is well-drained and aerated. Add compost or sphagnum peat moss to clay soils to improve drainage and sawdust to very alkaline soils.
Plant your young geraniums after the danger of frost has passed, taking care not to plant them more deeply than they were planted in the 4-inch pot. Geraniums that are planted too deeply can die from stem rot. Space multiple plantings 18 to 24 inches apart. Tamp the soil around the seedlings after planting.
Water your geraniums immediately after planting and as needed throughout the growing season. Geraniums planted in beds should be watered when the soil feels dry 1 inch below the surface. Ivy geraniums should be watered every 10 to 14 days. Potted geraniums may need watering every other day.
Apply 20-20-20 liquid fertilizer two or three times throughout the growing season, always watering the plants thoroughly after fertilizing and rinsing the leaves of the plant to remove fertilizer splashed onto them during feeding.
Remove dead flowers to encourage new blooms as often as needed throughout the season.
Spray your geraniums with a general insecticide if you notice aphids or a miticide if red spider mites are a problem.
Things You Will Need
- Sharp scissors or pruners
- Sharp sand
- Sphagnum peat moss
- Rooting tray
- Liquid fertilizer
- Small trowel
- 4-inch pots
- Compost or sawdust (optional)
- Insecticide or miticide (optional)
- All geranium varieties do well in pots and containers.
- Sunset Western Garden Book; Editors of Sunset Garden Magazine
- Rhode Island Cooperative Extension: Geranium Culture
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: Pelargonium X Hortorum Geranium
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Pelargonium X Hortorum
- Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images