The geranium is easy to care for. With lush growth and numerous flowers, it gives even inexperienced hobby gardeners a quick sense of achievement as long as a few simple rules are followed! We reveal here what is important when it comes to caring for geraniums, so that the beautiful South African shines in full splendor from May to autumn.
Free development possibilities
Geraniums develop best when they are allowed to develop freely. Planters should therefore be at least 18 centimeters high and with plant combinations the distance to the neighboring plant should be at least 20 centimeters.
A place in the sun
Geraniums are sun worshipers. The more light they get, the more numerous and colorful their flowers are. The ideal location is sunny to partially shaded. Also, the geranium tolerates the bright afternoon sun without any problems. A north-facing balcony, on the other hand, is not a suitable setting.
Hint: Geraniums grow towards the sun. If you value plants that are beautiful all around, you should rotate potted geraniums 90 degrees weekly so that they get enough light from all sides.
Water as a beauty elixir
The geranium is native to South Africa. Long dry periods are not uncommon there. Geraniums survive this by storing a lot of moisture in their fleshy leaves and thick-walled stems. A temporary lack of water can therefore usually not cause permanent damage. However, to flower profusely and persistently, geraniums need regular watering. On sunny days, it is advisable to water the plants daily, preferably in the morning. On particularly hot days, a second watering in the evening does not hurt. It is important that the soil does not dry out completely or is completely soaked. Make sure that excess water can drain off to prevent flooding.
By the way: When it rains, you should not automatically give up watering. Especially with lush plants, the leaves are sometimes so dense that the rainwater does not even reach the ground. If you're not sure, you can gently stick your finger in the soil. If it feels dry even in the lower parts, you should water more.
For those who do not want to water daily, we recommend planters with water storage. A one meter long balcony box has a storage volume of approximately ten litres. A water level indicator provides information about the amount of water available.
An extra portion of nutrients
As so-called heavy eaters, geraniums have a high nutritional requirement. Fertilization is therefore essential for healthy, beautiful plants. If high-quality, pre-fertilized potting soil is used before planting, this will cover the needs in the first weeks. In this case, however, the nutrients present are usually used up and additional fertilizers are needed. For this you can regularly enrich the water with a liquid fertilizer for flowering plants or geraniums or use a suitable long-term fertilizer. There are products in specialty stores that provide sufficient nutrients for up to nine months.
Hint: Coffee grounds are great as cheap, natural geranium fertilizer, because they contain just the right mix of potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Dissolve a small amount in the water once a week – a tablespoon is enough for 10 liters of water – or dry the coffee grounds and mix it gently under the soil in the root area of the plants.
Cleaning stimulates flower formation
Since geraniums can put all their strength into the formation of new flowers, it is advisable to regularly remove dead shoots and leaves. Pruning is more important for semi-double and filled varieties than for single-flowered geraniums. For those who don't feel like it, there are also "self-cleaning" variants. You can get more information and advice from the professionals in specialty stores.
Protect against frost
Geraniums are actually perennial perennials. However, since they are not winter-resistant, they are often treated as balcony annuals in our latitudes. If you want to overwinter your geraniums, cut them back to about 6 inches (15 centimeters) tall before the first frost and move them to a cool, light winter shelter. The ideal ambient temperature is 5 to 10 degrees. The plant hardly needs water in the winter months, which can make it appear dead. But with more heat and water, it will germinate again in the spring. At the start of the new season, he should be given fresh fertilizer and possibly repotted into a larger pot.
