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downsouth_gw

Need general info on taking care of geraniums

downsouth
19 years ago

I bought a beautiful hanging basket of red geraniums. It was loaded with blooms, the prettiest hanging basket I had ever seen. I hung it on the front porch and after a month, it isn't so pretty anymore. I even took it down and placed it in the direct sun and removed all the dead leaves.

Do geraniums need full sun all day? How often should geraniums be watered? DH tells me that you should never get geranium leaves wet as they will die. He said his mother always watered from the bottom, but our DIL said her mother hangs her geraniums outside and they get rained on. What is the truth in this and what am I doing wrong? I now have two blooming flowers and before I had about 15 or 20 blooming flowers.

Comments (15)

  • shrubs_n_bulbs
    19 years ago

    You probably have zonal Pelargoniums. Or if they trail then you might have Ivy Pelargoniums.

    They appreciate plenty of sun. In really hot areas, a little shade in the afternoon will stop them going dormant in summer, but I think you will be OK in full sun. They will drink quite a lot of water, but absolutely don't like to be sitting in wet soil. Allow the soil to get dry before watering. Don't worry about them, they have to be sitting in dust before they wilt. The leaves will rot if you keep them wet too much, although the do grow successfully outside even in England. Keep the leaves dry when watering if that is practical. Some fertiliser is good, especially in a basket, use a liquid feed in the water.

  • jandr425
    19 years ago

    iin general I need the same answers.. I live in Florida and have 10 plants in a row and several large pots with geaniums.. They get watered every night they get about 8hours of partial sun and two of the plants do not bloom.. When I fertilize all the plants get the same. Cn someone help?

  • cantstopgardening
    19 years ago

    Some pelargoniums (that's actually the name for the plants you are describing, there was a mix-up when old Linnaeus was naming things, and the misnomer of geranium stuck, The FAQs has an explanation of this.)

    Anyway, some pelargoniums are grown just for their interesting leaves, and wonderful scents. The scented geraniums (Oh, there, I did it! I mean pelargoniums,) especially don't seem to bloom as much, and the blooms are less than spectacular. Not a problem as the leaves and scent are very interesting.

    Deadheading encourages more blooms. I do fertilize with Miracle grow, and allow the pots to dry out between waterings.

  • chlna_gardener
    16 years ago

    I recall using used coffee grounds on our potted patio geraniums and they did extreamly well when I was a child. As an adult involved in community gardening I would like to know of others who know of this method of feeding geraniums.

  • greenhouser
    16 years ago

    Geraniums (Pelargoniums) need full sun for most of the day to bloom well. They also like more water than most people would think. Don't let them sit in water, tip the pot and let the excess drain away. Most porches are too shady for them. Also use a fertilizer high in Phosphorus at half strength twice as often.

  • n_macalanda
    16 years ago

    I have a red hanging geranium plant. It was absolutely beautiful, but now the leaves are turning dark purple, falling off and not looking very nice. I do water every day. What do I do with the flowers?? Should I leave them as is, or should I pull them off??
    Please help restore my beautiful plant!!

  • krand
    16 years ago

    I know nothing about flowers and am learning as I go along. My geraniums get watered from the lawn sprinklers, hence,that's probably why these large beautiful flowers are now rotting in the center. I was pulling off the dead leaves only. Should I snip off at the long stem and lose all the flowers or should I just snip off the base of the shorter stem with the rotting leaves? I'm sorry if this isn't clear, but there's one long stem and them several smaller stems with their own flowers. Any advise would be appreciated!!

  • greenhouser
    16 years ago

    I would remove them from the sprinkler's reach. Snip off the rotting flowers and leaves. Leave the stems be as that's where the buds come from. Give them some fertilizer at 1/2 dose twice as often, and as much sun as possible.

  • eknowles41_comcast_net
    13 years ago

    The area I want to put them is in direct afternoon sun, in Texas. Last year it got up to 107 degrees. They did not do as well as they had in the past. I did not water as often. Do you think 107 direct sun is a deal breaker?

  • diane26_centurytel_net
    12 years ago

    I keep my Geraniums through the winter. I have a wide window ledge on the east and one on the south. I have been giving my plants Miracle Gro about once a month. I have noticed that when I give them the fertilizer, many of the leaves turn brown and die. Is there a product that would work better for Geraniums? Also, I have been giving the plants less Miracle Gro then suggested on the box. They do bloom beautifully, but the leaves turn brown and die. All of my Geraniums are looking very thinned out.

  • greenhouser2
    12 years ago

    You need to FLUSH the pots in the sink every other time you fertilize. This removes the fertilizer salts that burn the roots and effect the leaves.

  • rb8jm
    12 years ago

    When should you fertilize peonies

  • azbydesign_comcast_net
    12 years ago

    I bought some Geraniums that were dried out. I cut the dead leaves off and now they are very green but the blooms die before they bloom. What is causing this?

  • corgicorner
    12 years ago

    Never, never fertilize a dry plant.

    When a plant is dry, water, let it drain: water again, and let it drain.

    Fertilize the next day. Do not let the plant stand in water or fertilizer. Do not get water on the leaves.

    GOOD LUCK!

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