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Geraniums are a genus of flowering plants, the Geranium, which are wildly popular for their showy, colorful flowers. Although the entire genus is considered geraniums, in gardening the genus Pelargonium is commonly referred to when we refer to these plants.

When summer arrives, it is very common to see geraniums everywhere, both gardens and balconies and windows, embellishing the landscape with their tones and perfume. If you want to do your bit to make summer more beautiful on your terrace or balcony with geranium flowers and, therefore, you want to learn how to plant geraniums step by step , join us in this AgroCorrn article where you will see a guide gardening practice on planting geraniums.

When to plant geraniums

Since geraniums have such a great variety among their different types, it is important to know which geranium we are planting to know when it is more appropriate to do so, since these plants bloom from spring to autumn depending on the species and variety. If you are not very clear, the best thing you can do is plant your geranium in mid-spring , when the frosts have already passed and they will not damage your plant.

We recommend reading this other guide on 23 types of geraniums to learn more about them. Now, in the following sections we will tell you how geraniums are planted .

How to plant geraniums for seeds

The ideal thing when we sow geraniums is to plant the seeds first in a small seedbed or pot, in order to ensure that the germination process occurs in optimal conditions and we do not expose the seeds to frost. To plant geraniums , follow these steps:

  1. Prepare your seedbed with a substrate for geraniums and sow the seeds . The substrate should be made from worm humus , peat and coconut fiber , as well as a little vermiculite and perlite. This mixture results in a very light, nutritious soil with excellent drainage, which will avoid problems with moisture accumulations as long as the container has drainage holes.
  2. Water the seeds abundantly, keep them in an area protected from the cold and give them a bright location.
  3. When the seedlings are already around 10 cm tall, it will be time to transplant them to their final location, whether it is outdoors or in a larger pot.
  4. In the case of the exterior, it is necessary to take into account the soil that a geranium needs , so it is best to dig a hole and prepare an area with the prepared substrate, or add worm humus to the earth if it is not clayey and is light enough and loose. The holes for the geranium do not need to be very large, but it is important that you find them as bright a location as possible, preferably in full sun.
  5. In pot, the size of the pot for geraniums depends largely on the variety or species to be planted, since their sizes are very different as well. If you do not know what species you have, choose a medium-sized pot and, if it grows a lot, it will be enough to transplant it when the time comes.
  6. Water after planting abundantly, mulch the soil if you plant outdoors and, when the plant grows, it may need tutors or guides to support it.

How to plant a geranium cutting

Another very common way to reproduce geraniums is, without a doubt, to make a geranium cutting , in fact it is more common than planting them, since they are very resistant and root very easily.

  1. Prepare a small pot with substrate like the one we have used in the seedbed, that is, with equal parts of coconut fiber, peat and worm castings, to which you can add some perlite and vermiculite.
  2. Cut a healthy branch from an adult or young geranium with at least two knots, preferably three, always disinfecting the pruning shears before and after cutting. When planting geraniums by cuttings it is very important to choose a cut from a healthy branch without flowers.
  3. You can use homemade rooting to make the process easier for the plant, although with geraniums it is not really necessary since they tend to root very easily.
  4. Water abundantly and put the pot in the shade for about 20 days, after which we can put our geranium in the sun.

In this other guide you can learn more about How to plant geranium cuttings .

When and how to transplant a geranium

Geraniums, especially potted ones, may need an occasional transplant when they have grown too large for their current space . However, they are not plants that need an annual transplant, so to know when our geranium needs a larger container, we must see if its roots escape through the drainage holes of the pot, or if its growth has slowed down a lot. and we haven’t transplanted it for more than two or three years.

It is best to always do it at the beginning or at the end of winter , since the plant will be in vegetative rest and will suffer less from the possible small injuries on branches or roots that can always occur during transplantation. As always, it is important to choose a new pot with drainage holes and use suitable new substrate, as well as watering after transplanting.

In this other guide we talk more about when and how to transplant a plant .

How to care for geraniums

These are the most important geranium care :

  • Light: a lot, direct incidence.
  • Temperature: warm, around 20ºC.
  • Substrate: slightly acidic and rich in organic matter. Good drainage.
  • Irrigation: frequent, always without flooding. Every 48 hours approximately.
  • Fertilizer: necessary during the flowering season.
  • Pruning: not necessary for proper growth or formation, only maintenance pruning is necessary. Here you can see more about when and how to prune geraniums .
Maria Anderson
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Hello, I am a blogger specialized in environmental, health and scientific dissemination issues in general. The best way to define myself as a blogger is by reading my texts, so I encourage you to do so. Above all, if you are interested in staying up to date and reflecting on these issues, both on a practical and informative level.

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