Pelargoniums and geraniums are brilliant plants that bring instant colour to your garden, patio, or terrace. These plants grow fast, flower a lot, last a long time, and are hardy and easy to grow. All these summer flowers need to thrive from spring to autumn is plenty of sun, water, and nutrients, with occasional pruning to remove dead leaves and flowers.
The experts at Pelargonium for Europe (PfE) have three tips for those who love pelargoniums and want to keep them in the house or garden, but don’t have much time to spend on cultivation. Using this advice, your geraniums will only need minimal care in future, which is especially good news for novice gardeners, those who’ll be away for extended periods or busy bees who hardly have a moment to spare.
Tip 1: Use water reservoir containers or automatic watering systems
Geraniums love the sun and heat. The thick stems and stalks make them tolerant of short dry periods, but they still need water to grow. Flowers are also plentiful. On very hot days and in full sun locations, it may even be necessary to water in the morning and evening. Water reservoir containers or automatic watering systems significantly reduce irrigation needs. Too expensive? You can also build water systems yourself, for example using plastic bottles. You can find instructions online here from the RHS.
Tip 2: Use a slow-release fertiliser
Geraniums are often referred to as ‘greedy’ plants since they require a lot of nutrients to stay looking their beautiful best. to ensure that your plants get the best possible care, liquid fertiliser should be added to the water after a few weeks, even if the compost has been pre-fertilised. An easier ‘busy bee’ option would be to mix a slow-release fertiliser into the compost when planting the geraniums. In this case, choose a liquid feed and fertiliser like Neudorff’s Organic Multipurpose Plant Food to ensure that the plants have an adequate supply of nutrients until autumn. If the temperature rises above 20°C, the plant will likely have used up the nutrients earlier than expected and will need to be re-fertilised.
Tip 3: Choose self-cleaning varieties
Geraniums will bloom even more abundantly if you regularly remove faded flowers. Many plant lovers enjoy deadheading and find it meditative, but if you don’t have the time or inclination, there are self-cleaning geranium varieties available: Prolifically flowering, trailing geraniums that shed their spent flower heads on their own. These self-cleaning varieties are ideal for balcony boxes and hanging baskets because of their trailing growth.
Detailed advice on all aspects of geranium care is available from specialist retailers.
Reproduction is free of charge with the credit “Pelargonium for Europe”. Further texts and images can be found at www.pelargoniumforeurope.com
Pelargonium for Europe
Pelargonium for Europe is the marketing initiative of the European geranium growers Dümmen Orange, Elsner PAC, Florensis / P. van der Haak Handelskwekerij, Geranien Endisch, Selecta One and Syngenta Flowers. The initiative was founded in 2016 with the aim of promoting geranium sales in Europe and securing them in the long term. The campaign now runs in 22 countries. In Germany, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland, the marketing activities are supported by the EU as part of the “Europe in Bloom” campaign.
Press contact
Charlotte Cowell
Hornby Whitefoot PR
Email: charlotte@hornbywhitefootpr.co.uk / 01442 863646
Cassie King
Hornby Whitefoot PR
Email: cassie@hornbywhitefootpr.co.uk