How to make geraniums bloom abundantly

Geraniums are among the most appreciated and sought after plants . If cared for properly, they give us beautiful and very colorful flowers. You will surely have seen balconies full of flowering geraniums, perhaps wondering why your geranium plant doesn’t bloom in the same way.

One of the most common reasons why geraniums stop blooming is their exposure to very cold temperatures, frost or wind. Geraniums should be protected by placing them inside the house during the coldest days. But this is not the only cause of the failure of your geraniums to flower : below we list some tricks.

Place them in an area with light

These beautiful plants cannot flower if they do not have the right amount of natural light, i.e. sunlight. The light at home, the artificial one, is not intense enough to stimulate the growth of geraniums. But be careful: do not place geraniums in direct sunlight if they are in a shady environment, they may suffer from drastic change and die.

That said, it’s important to know that geraniums can flower even in partial shade (not total shade), so don’t be discouraged if you live in an apartment that isn’t adequately exposed to the sun’s rays.

Give the plant adequate space to grow

When we buy a geranium plant and bring it home, we must start from the assumption that it has been in the same pot for a long time. Precisely for this reason, the plant should be transplanted into a larger pot, to give the roots the right space and the possibility of obtaining nutrients from a greater quantity of soil.

As they grow, the plants must be transplanted into larger pots, otherwise the plant will fail to flower or even die.

Fertilize your geraniums

If your geraniums are planted in pots, it is recommended to fertilize them in spring and summer. Once they have reached their maximum size (geraniums are relatively small plants), it will no longer be necessary to transplant them and it is precisely for this reason that they need fertilization, which can be:

• organic fertilizer : you can choose any of compost, humus, guano, manure, egg or banana shells. A handful is enough for each plant;
• chemical fertilizers : to make your geraniums flower you can opt for fertilizers produced specifically for this type of plant.

Water only when it is really necessary

It may seem like generic advice, yet giving the necessary quantities of water to the geranium plant is essential for its flowering. Controlling the frequency of watering is not easy: there are many factors to take into account, such as the climate of the area where you live, the type of soil or the size of the pot.

Geraniums do not like completely dry soil, but at the same time excessively humid soil could damage them permanently. The surface layer of soil dries quickly, while the layer closest to the roots remains wet for a longer period of time.

For this reason it is important to check the humidity of the soil and this can be done by inserting a wooden stake into it.

Prevent the arrival of the geranium butterfly

The geeranium butterfly is an insect that causes a lot of damage to our favorite plants. During its larval phase it pierces the stems and eats the inside, blocking the growth and flowering of the plant.

There are targeted products to prevent and combat the geranium butterfly. Ask your trusted nursery.

Prune geraniums

An excellent trick for maintaining the health of geraniums is to prune them at the end of winter, to encourage the growth of more stems and, consequently, more flowers. These prunings do not have to be drastic: just reduce the length of the stems by a few centimetres. Remember to use a clean, sharp knife or scissors.

Important: This website does not give medical advice, nor does it suggest the use of techniques as a form of treatment for physical problems, for which the advice of a doctor is required. If you decide to apply the information contained in this site, it does not assume responsibility. The intention of the site is to be illustrative, not exhortative or didactic.