Colorful geraniums make garden pots look gorgeous. The flowers, which usually cluster in pink, purple, white, or red clusters, appear from mid-spring to early fall if cared for properly.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Preparation
Step 1. Choose a vase with a perforated bottom
Geranium roots rot if they remain in the water for a prolonged period of time, so good drainage is required.
Step 2. Choose a pot that fits the size of the plant
Many varieties can fill a 25cm pot, but smaller ones can also develop well in 15-20cm pots. These flowers grow well when the roots don't have a chance to spread too much, but they need enough space to develop.
Step 3. Choose a vase of a material that suits your needs
If you plan to move the plant, avoid heavier clay pots and choose plastic ones.
Step 4. Clean the jar
If it is dirty it may contain bacteria or insect eggs that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. These hidden dangers could prevent your flowers from growing at their best.
Step 5. Decide which method you want to use to start your cultivation
Taking cuttings from mother plants or buying seedlings at a garden store are the easiest ways to grow a geranium in pot, but you can also take the seeds.
Step 6. Choose a good quality land
If it is too cheap it can hold too much moisture, which will cause the roots to rot once the geraniums are planted. These flowers grow well in good draining soil, especially if it contains traces of organic material.
Method 2 of 4: Planting from Seed
Step 1. Start by sowing indoors
Usually the ideal is from mid-April. When the seeds begin to sprout, you can move them outdoors. The important thing is that the last frost of the season has passed.
Step 2. Fill the jar with soil
Leave it loose enough, as if it is too pressed it can suffocate the plant.
Step 3. Tuck the seeds into the top of the soil
Spacers within a few centimeters of each other. This is necessary to ensure the flowers have enough space to grow without suffocating each other's roots.
Step 4. Cover the seeds with soil
Apply only a light layer of potting soil, as too much can prevent germination.
Method 3 of 4: Planting from Cuttings or Seedlings
Step 1. Bury the seedling or cutting when the last frost has passed
You can keep the vase both indoors and outdoors.
Step 2. Fill the pot of your choice with soil
Leave it loose so the roots have room to breathe.
Step 3. Dig a shallow hole in the ground
It should be large enough for the root system of the seedling to be comfortable. The general rule is that the seedling should be placed as deep as it was in its original pot. Do not plant it deeper, as the stems may start to rot and rot if covered with soil.
Step 4. Pin the soil around the geranium to hold it in place
Move carefully to avoid breaking or tearing the stem of the plant; if you damage it, the structure of the plant weakens and could get sick.
Method 4 of 4: The Cure
Step 1. Place the pot in full sun
Geraniums require six to eight hours of direct sun to thrive, but some varieties prefer a little shade in the afternoon.
Step 2. Let the soil dry out between irrigations
Test it by putting your finger in the first few centimeters. If it's dry all over your finger, give it enough water to moisten the soil, but don't get it soaked.
Step 3. Fertilize your geraniums once a month with a liquid fertilizer
Too much fertilizer leads to many healthy and strong leaves, but prevents proper flowering development, giving you a plant with few flowers.
You can also use a slow-release granular fertilizer. This only needs to be applied once, in the spring
Step 4. Remove dying flowers regularly
You can usually tell when a flower is dying because the color fades and begins to wilt. Removing dead flower heads will encourage the plant to continue flowering.
Step 5. Eliminate brown leaves and wilted stems to minimize the risk of fungal diseases
If the leaves and stems begin to rot, the most likely cause is "Botrytis cinerea" or other fungi.
Advice
- During the winter, avoid your flowers from the first frost and keep them in a cool place, such as a basement. Water them only if they show signs of wilting. When winter is over, add some fertilizer to the soil and place them in sunlight, but not direct, to awaken them.
- Combine your geraniums with other flowers to create a miniature garden in a pot. Choose plants that require similar growing conditions: full sun and well-drained soil.
Warnings
- If your geraniums become infected with Xanthomonas campestris they can die, wilting for no apparent reason. There is no spray product that can cure this disease and infected plants must be removed to prevent others from being contaminated.
- The high summer heat can seriously damage geraniums. Many varieties stop flowering when the temperature is too high, but the flowers come back as soon as the weather gets cooler.
