How to Get Geraniums to Bloom

Geraniums are hardy, only need to be watered once a week, and will bloom throughout the year in warm climates. Geraniums grow equally well in containers or flower beds, and they come in a wide variety of types and colors. (No wonder they are standards in so many yards.) If the geraniums in your garden are not showing as much color as you would like, follow the steps outlined here to get your geraniums to bloom.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• Geraniums
• Water
• Compost
• 20-20-20 liquid fertilizer

1. Plant geraniums where they will get plenty of sun. Geraniums require 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day to produce flowers.
2. Regularly remove faded blooms from your geraniums.
3. Make sure that the soil you plant your geraniums in drains well, and that your geraniums are never sitting in puddles of water.
4. Plant geraniums in loamy soil, avoiding areas with heavy clay.
5. Add compost to your garden or container soil, and apply liquid 20-20-20 fertilizer every 4 to 6 weeks during the growing season. Water your geraniums immediately after fertilizing to make sure the fertilizer reaches the roots and does not burn the plants.

Tips & Warnings

• If your flowers are disappearing after they bloom, you may have an aphid infestation in your geraniums. Try introducing a garden-friendly predator such as ladybugs, or spraying your geraniums with a gardening oil like sun spray oil, available at any gardening store.

• Make sure that you wait until the threat of frost has passed to plant your geraniums in the spring, or they will produce very few blooms.