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This is one of the very first posts we published on Chemistry Cachet! Almost four years ago now. It needed an update and perhaps you forgot about this post too. Today, we are going to talk about easy tips for potted geraniums without anything technical 🙂
Every spring and summer I get asked from friends how do you get your flowers to look like that? I have been growing geraniums for about 12 years now. I picked up a cheap little one at a farmer’s market when we lived in San Diego. It was pink and cute so I thought I would give it a try. Obviously, the sensational climate in Southern California prompted that tiny Geranium into growing about 10 times its size and flourishing with bright pink blooms year round. I kept it in a pot since we lived in an apartment, but I eventually had an entire balcony full of them. Even in our neighborhood there, Geraniums grew on the side of the streets and in open fields. Beautiful!
Fast forward to living back in Texas, the climate is not perfect at all. In fact, we have more hot or cold days, then mild. So, all my beloved potted Geraniums needed much more love and attention here in Texas, especially surviving the scorching hot summers. So, I have learned some tips and tricks over the years to growing healthy potted Geraniums.
Four Easy Tips on Potted Geraniums
1. They hate too much water!
The number one reason people kill a geranium plant is from too much water. With their root system, less is best for watering! It is best to let them completely dry out before you water again. Then water in the morning until soil is damp.
2. They love sun, at least 6 hours a day.
Sunshine is so important for geranium blooms. Choose a spot that gets morning and early afternoon sun. If you live in an area that gets incredibly hot in the summer (like me!), make sure they are in a spot with good afternoon shade. Temperatures over about 95 degrees can cause stress to the blooms, so morning sun is good for those climates.
3. They love to be deadheaded and pruned.
Always deadhead (just a gardening term for cut or pinch off) blooms that are on their last leg. I also prune leaves that look yellowish. The more you get rid of spent blooms, the bigger and more full it gets. If I don’t like the shape of mine, I will even go in and remove leaves that are catawampus (askew or crooked haha).
4. They do like a little bit of fertilizer every few weeks.
I’m not a zealous fertilizer user for my potted plants, but I do like to add some in the spring months to get them off on the right foot. You can use natural like epsom salt ( 1 tsp per about 1 gallon water). Add 1 tbsp per 1 gallon water, and add a bit when you water your plant every 2-3 weeks.
Try out Chemistry Cachet’s homemade plant food to give geranium blooms a perfect amount of nutrients. I don’t normally fertilize in the really hot months so I can avoid burning the plant 🙂 Or you can definitely buy some store bought fertilizers. I really like this bloom booster. It has a great mix that works well with geraniums. I also like this flower food from Espoma. It is completely natural and safe, plus very easy to use!
Another cool thing to try is this FREE potted plant food! Geraniums respond well to this too.
Bonus Information: Winter inside by a window with sun with very little water unless they look like they need it. Geraniums get root rot very easily, so never over water. Use a large pot with room for drainage so they have room to grow!
Summer Tips for Geraniums
Before you leave, make sure you pop over to this post about summer tips for geraniums. It is an entire post dedicated to taking care of these plants in the summer. It will really help those who live in hot climates.
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Alexis is an investigative chemist sharing her expertise in cleaning, skincare, gardening, and home hacks. She personally tests out products like the best skincare products or home products then shares not only the science behind how it works, but also her personal results. She is the mom of two living in Texas with her husband. Find her on Instagram for fantastic videos, tips, and behind the scenes.
This is just what I needed to read! I am heading over to pick up flowers for some of my pots this afternoon! Thanks for sharing dear! xoxo
Awesome! I hope it helps 🙂 I plan on sharing many more gardening tips, but potted plants are by far my favorite to grow!
Well we have the same weather – either way too cold or way too hot and raining often……I love geraniums but your tutorial on care tells me where I went wrong in many ways. Thank you, this was quite helpful!
Happy flowers, happy gardener!
That is great, I hope you are able to benefit from this 🙂 Geraniums are always such a bright addition to your yard! Beautiful blog by the way Michele, I just checked it out. I will be following you for sure.Looks right up my alley. Thanks for reading!
What great tips! I have a potted geranium I am hoping lasts in SOuth Carolina so excited to use your tips.
I hope it helps! These tips are great for all southern areas. And I have some winter tips too!
I love the look of geraniums but gave up because they never made it through the summer…and now I know why. I drowned them! LOL Thanks for the tips. I now have the courage to try them again. 🙂
Pinned.
I hope you can give them a try and hopefully these tips can help! That seems to be the number one problem with many people I talk with, over water! But you’re right, geraniums have such an interesting look, I just love them! Have a wonderful day!
Another plant that wintered and has had some awesome blooms while in the greenhouse, love your tips about removing all spent flowers and leaves, I will be using your epsom salts idea, today!
Thanks for your tips!
Karren
Thanks Karren! It really helps them grow great in the spring and summer 🙂
Good morning Alexis! Geraniums are my absolute favorite annual. We have bright red ones on our patio right now. They are just happy flowers! You have wonderful ideas for caring for them. 🙂
They are bright and happy! The red is such a wonderful color on the patio. I have a few reds, a few pinks, and a purple one now. I love how fun they all look together!
I have been lucky with geraniums. I guess the fact that I don’t water them very much has contributed! Love your tips.
I love how well they do without water! Makes them so easy to grow…and they are so pretty 🙂 Thanks so much!
Alexis, I always learn things when I read your posts!
Thank you for the geranium information.
Laura
White Spray Paint
Thanks Laura!! I appreciate that 🙂
Thanks for the gardening tips.
Thanks so much Carol!!
Geraniums are my go to flowers. Have to have them in my summer pots. I do all that you mentioned, but didn’t realize they like to dry out completely. Thanks for the new tip and thanks for sharing with the Garden Party!
hugs,
Jann
They are such a great summer flower! They always look pretty even in the heat 🙂 Thanks Jann!!
I think I will add some gorgeous geraniums to my garden! Thank you for being a lovely flower that joined our garden party.
They are so wonderful to add to your flower garden!! Thanks so much Laura 🙂
I love geraniums also, I can see one thing I am doing is over watering them, but I do live in very hot part of Calif…… My other problem with them are little green worms? How do you keep worms from over taking the plant???
It is always 100+ degrees here in the summer, so I will water my geraniums only a little bit more…but they still don’t like too much water. I haven’t had problems with these plants getting insects, but I like to use cinnamon! I have a post about it here. I have also used things like WD-40 to deter them from getting into the pot.
We India get summers with 45-47 degrees Celsius and have for three years been unsuccessful to get them to over summer because over here they only flower in cooler temps of winter October to Feb march. How to save them in summer. First there leaves die then they sprout white leaves tiny ones which don’t grow and then the stem turns black one by one. Help me at shaminderpdf@gmail.com
Have you read our summer tips for geraniums? It gets over 100 degrees here, sometimes up to 116 degrees F so almost as hot as it gets there. Those tips have helped me keep them alive during the summer.
I Am successful at keeping geraniums from summer to summer and through the winter months. Over the past 2-3 summers I have a recurring problem of catapillars in the Potted earth that eventually eat on the leaves causing much damage to leaves and the flowers. Any advice you can give me to get rid oF these catapillars. Thank you
I haven’t encountered this problem very many times, but I did talk with a horticulturist at my nursery. She said hand picking them off is the most effective way, although it takes time and has to be done everyday. She said you can also buy a natural insecticide to start using on the leaves and soil. This also takes some time and needs regular applications. Another tip is to make sure you keep the soil very dry to deter the caterpillars. I had some issues when we had a really wet spring and the soil was always damp. Usually, we have very dry weather, so it isn’t a problem.
How timely for this post and a great reminder of their needed care. I have 2 geraniums, planted at 90 degrees from each other – one under a hedge, the other against the side of the house, under house eave. Their response to weather/angle of sun is incredible! Hedge plant grows crazy to the point of climbing up the hedge and over the ground – I have to cut it back. House side plant is growing bushy, but has spotted yellow leaves, like a leopard. I think I will give it a good trim and move it into a drier location. Appreciate any other tips…?
Sounds like it definitely needs a more dry spot. That happens when they have too much moisture usually!
I live in Pennsylvania and brought my geraniums in and on my windowsill. They get afternoon sun. They are really healthy. They are blooming which is great to see with our cold winter days.
They do great inside during the winter!
I cut my spent blossoms back to the first nod. Am I doing this correctly? Also how do I prune the leaves. Thank you
This post shows where I pinch off the spent blooms. That link also shows how I remove dead leaves. I don’t prune them, just remove the leaf where it attaches to the main stem 🙂