Sun, sun, sun! Planting your geraniums in a sunny location with a minimum night temperature of 60°F is the ideal condition for all of your geraniums. However, your geraniums will still survive in night temperatures above freezing (32°F). All varieties will tolerate some shade or filtered light. The Alpine geraniums do very well in intense heat and sun.
Water,
water, water! You must water your plants regularly, particularly in hot weather. Soil should always be moist down to the
bottom of the roots. Make sure not to over-water, indicated by mucky or
soggy soil. All geraniums can take some dryness, but for a limited time
only. For best growth, keep geraniums moist at all times.
Fertilize, fertilize, fertilize! Fertilize your geraniums weekly since geraniums are heavy feeders. Use 15-15-15 or 20-20-20 water soluble fertilizer (1/2 ounce fertilizer/1 gallon water), or use any all purpose fertilizer (like Miracle-Gro) per instructions on label. Slow-release fertilizers (like Osmocote) are good supplements to liquid feed. Slow-release feed is used by mixing the designated amount into the soil, per instructions on label.
For instructions on planting your new cuttings, see below. Check our FAQs page for more commonly asked questions about geranium care!
How To Properly Plant Your Cuttings:
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Open your box(es) of geraniums as soon as you get them. Even if you don't plant them immediately, it's good to let them breathe.
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When working with geraniums, use the best sanitation methods possible. Wash hands with soap before handling plants. Use clean pots and clean potting mix before planting in containers. (More details in our FAQs.)
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Plant geraniums as soon after receiving them as you can, in a clean, light, well-draining mix. We recommend 2 parts peat, 1 part perlite, 1 part soil, or 1 part sterilized soil/earth to 5 parts commercial potting mix. It is extremely important to add 10-15% soil/clay even if from your own garden (from below weed seed level).
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Water your geraniums 3 times on the day of potting and continue frequent watering during the first week, never allowing the soil to get soggy.
Feel free to call us (888-GERANIUM) with your questions after checking our FAQs page if you can't find the information you're looking for!