Growing Geraniums

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Geraniums

Geraniums are a longtime favorite of gardeners. They are easy to grow, colorful, and emit a lovely scent. Here’s how to grow geraniums in your home and garden!

(Note: This page is about plants in the genus Pelargonium, commonly called geraniums or storksbills. This not a page on “hardy geraniums,” also called cranesbills.)

Although they may be kept outdoors during the warmer part of the year, geraniums are typically kept indoors to overwinter. Alternatively, if provided with enough light, they can bloom indoors all year long.

Geranium or Pelargonium? A Case of Mistaken Identity

The plants that we commonly call “geraniums” were introduced to Europe by Dutch traders who brought them from South Africa in the early 18th century. Because these new plants resembled the hardy wild geraniums already growing in Europe, botanists mistakenly grouped them together into the same genus.

In 1753, Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus classified them under the genus Geranium. When it was later discovered that these new “geraniums” differed from European geraniums in the shape of their petals, the number of stamens, and other factors, they were reclassified under Pelargonium, meaning “stork’s bill”—a reference to the long, sharply pointed shape of their seedpod.

Their original common name stuck, however, and we still say “geranium” when we actually mean “pelargonium.”

Geranium

Planting

Geraniums may be grown as houseplants or as annual flowers. During the warmer months of the year (between your local frost dates), they can be kept outdoors in a sunny location.
- If keeping geraniums as houseplants, be sure to bring them indoors in late summer or early fall, when nighttime temperatures start to regularly dip below 55°F (13°C).
When buying geraniums, pay close attention to color and size. Healthy leaves will have no discoloration on or below them and stems will be sturdy, not straggly. Be sure to avoid any plants with obvious signs of pests as well. Common houseplant pests include mealybugs, whiteflies, and spider mites.
Place plants in pots with drainage holes to avoid root rot.
Use a well-draining potting mixture (not heavy, clayey soil) when planting in containers. Geraniums do not like to sit in soggy, compacted soil.
For maximum bloom, place the plants in an area where they will get 4-6 hours of sunlight.

Care

How to Care for Geraniums

Allow soil to dry to some extent between waterings, then water thoroughly.
During the winter, water much less, but do not let the roots dry out entirely. Geraniums do best when given a period of dormancy through the winter months, during which they use less water and do not grow much. See below for more overwintering instructions.
To encourage blooming, deadhead spent flowers regularly.
To promote bushiness and curtail legginess, pinch back the stems.
During active growing months, fertilize every 2 weeks or so. Use a water-soluble fertilizer at half strength. Don’t fertilize in winter, when the plant should be dormant.
Geraniums can be re-potted in spring to encourage new growth—or if they look like they need to be refreshed.

Geranium

Overwintering Geraniums

Geraniums that have spent the summer outdoors can be kept as houseplants, provided they get lots of sun. In northern climes, the sun may not be strong enough in late winter to stimulate buds on some varieties.
Before the first fall frost (find your local frost dates here), lift the plants and, using a sharp, clean knife, cut the stems back in a shapely fashion to about 6 to 8 inches. They should not have to support great masses of leaves in the low-sunlight environment they are about to enter. Save a few stems as cuttings to root—an easy way to multiply your plants.
Transplant the “mother plant” to the smallest pot possible—enough to just fit the roots—using regular potting soil to fill.
Keep the plants in shade for a week, then place them in a sunny spot (they need all the sun they can get) and keep them cool.
During winter, geraniums grow best with night temperatures of 50° to 60°F (10° to 16°C) but will survive if they drop to 32°F (0°C) and/or rise above 80°F (27°C), as long as they are kept relatively dry.
When new growth appears in the spring, cut off all the old leaves.

The only thing more difficult than getting the new growth to appear is keeping it. And here’s some help with that:

Water only when the leaves show signs of drooping and provide only small amounts. Do not fertilize or feed the plants. It is critical that these plants get rest.
If you want your overwintered geraniums to bloom for Memorial Day, pinch them back in February. Once warm weather returns and all danger of frost has passed, take the plants outdoors and transplant them to beds or pots, as you wish.

Pests/Diseases

Common problems can be low light or over- or underwatering. The leaves will turn yellow as an indication you are watering too little or too much. In this case, try to even the watering out and move the geraniums to a brighter place.

Harvest/Storage

How to Root Stem Cuttings

Most geraniums root easily from stem cuttings in soil, coarse sand, water, perlite, or other rooting material.

Using a sharp, clean knife, make a slanted cut 4 inches below a stem tip, above a node where leaves emerge. Trim cutting to just below a node. Remove any buds, all but two or three leaves, and the leaflike stipules at the base of leaf stalks.
Roll the stem cutting in newspaper or put it in the shade for 24 hours, so that the cut end will seal and not rot.
Push the stem into a pot of moistened rooting medium and store it in a warm, shady place for 2 days. After that, give the cutting indirect sun. Moisten the medium only as needed.

Recommended Varieties

The Common or Zonal Geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum) thrive in containers (as well as outdoors).
Ivy-Leaf Geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) are very popular for hanging baskets, window-boxes, and containers.

Wit & Wisdom

For minor cuts, apply crushed geranium leaves to stop the bleeding.
In the language of flowers, scarlet geranium means silliness. Find out more flower meanings here.
Geraniums are known to be toxic to Japanese beetles, so you won’t have to worry about those pesky pests.
Geraniums may cause indigestion or vomiting in young children and pets (cats, dogs), so keep the plants out of reach of curious pets and children.

Vegetable Gardener's Handbook

What do you want to read next?

Air-Purifying Houseplants

How to Grow Scented Geraniums

Houseplant Care Guide

How to Care for Lavender in Winter

Inch Plants

Shamrocks and Four-Leaf Clovers:...

Easy Houseplants for Your Home

Top Succulent Plants for the Home

Best Indoor Plants for Low Light

How to Bring Outdoor Plants Indoors

Crazy for Daisies: Types of...

Elephant Ears

Reader Comments

Leggy one stem geranium plant

I have a 4 foot tall, one stem geranium. How do I propagate it to make four smaller plants? I get one flower at every foot. Thank you.
Joan

Over fertilized

I have no blooms on my geranium plants and I think I’ve overfertilized – what can I do to get the plants to start to bloom

Geraniums

I have potted geraniums do I water from the bottom or the top?

geraniums

Have two large geraniums but not enough sun in my house for winter, how can I over winter them for next year.I live in zone 4.

Storms

My poor potted plant looks like a 120 lb kid stomped on it. We are getting inundated with heavy rain and storms. I didn't know we were supposed to get hit with 6 inches. How do I get this pretty baby to dry out.

how to dry out a plant

This is unfortunate. If the plant is in a pot, you could presumably take it in out of the rain (don’t mean to be obvious). If it’s in the ground, you could conceivable dig it up and transplant it into a pot for a while, but be aware that the shock, so to speak, of the move could slow its recovery only because it will take time for it to adjust. Finally, it could be a sign that your soil does not drain as well as it might—although 6 inches could inundate many kinds of soil. Other than that, you can let nature take it’s course.

Geraniums

Please help, my plants have yellow leaves. I don’t know if it’s over watering or under ? Or neither?
Thank you

yellow leaves

Generally, yellow leaves are a sign of too much moisture, or overwatering. Let the plant dry out.

Geranium/Pelargonium

I bought some pretty white Pelargonium and put them in the conservatory, quite quickly they developed brown decay like marks on the white blooms.

I put them outside in May and teased out the brown bits then finally pruned out the most diseased looking stems. This had a goodish effect but it is still a probllem.

I bought some new pretty white Pelargonium for my warm conservatory. They dont have the brown so badly but they still have it. With these plants the brownness seems more natural cos there is less of it.

Would greatly appreciate any ideas. Am I doomed to having pink Pelargoniums?
Many thanks.

Brown Spots on Geranium Blooms

Hi Hilary,
It’s not entirely clear, but the problem could be becuase geraniums don’t like humidity or excess warmth. Being inside in the conservatory (which sounds like a slight greenhouse effect), the geraniums are probably reacting to the warmth and humidity. They will do better outdoors, most likely.

Cutting back or leave

I brought my 2 geraniums in last winter, 1st time, they bloomed quite a bit throughout the winter, its almost June now and they have been outside for about 2 1/2 weeks, do not look like they will bloom anytime soon, they are getting a lot of sunlight. Should I cut them back or leave them alone?

pruning geraniums

Pruning by one-half to two-thirds is advised in early spring—say, March, but you could prune about half now, and any brown foliage or stems, as well as any leggy stems.

My geranium buds are "fuzzy"

My geranium buds are "fuzzy" and appear to be drying out. What is causing that?

fuzzy buds

This sounds like Gray Mold, Botrytis cinerea, which can develop on rotted tissue when the weather is humid as well as when it’s cool and wet. When warm, dry weather returns the plants should recover. Make sure they are spaced properly for good air flow.

Geraniums in Florida

Hi! Since geraniums like sandy soil and prefer to dry out slightly between waterings, I am wondering whether I can plant them in our new home in central Florida - it is on the Atlantic coast, so the soil will be quite sandy....any advice?

Thanks!

Geraniums in sandy Florida

To have the best success, grow them in containers in proper soil. Why risk disappointment?

Overwintering geraniums

I have had great success at overwintering geraniums in my Southern window in Michigan,
I have two large, beautiful geraniums, for 38 years, now, that I put outside in Summer and bring in for Fall/Winter Seasons. I just make sure they don't bring in little bugs with them. I spray with insecticidal soap beforehand and deadhead and check the soil.

Rooting in water

It's almost become a joke. A friend has given me cuts off her beautiful healthy geraniums. She kept it this time until it had roots growing so I kept in indirect sunlight and waited for the roots to get a little bigger. The root under water and the cut under water started to get a kind of cloudy fuss on it. So I rinsed it and the next day I planted it in soaked soil Since then all it does is droop and look like it is dying. I do not kill all plants but for some reason these cuts that this lady has given me keep dying. I can't ask for anymore, like I said it'd become a joke and she told me not to kill this one. (She was just playing but now I'm embarrassed) help me. Can I save this or should I just go buy one? :(

Winter geraniums

I'm so sad. I've been practically taking my geraniums to bed with me at yo help them thru the winter here in Montana. They were doing great. About 3 weeks ago I noticed the leaves looked droopy; checked the soil and it was dry so watered them but didn't soak them at all. They perked up for a couple days but now the leaves have turned yellow and are dropping off. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

geraniums failing

We understand your disappointment. They do need a period of dormancy. Did you prune them at all? If not, you may be trying to keep full-size plants going and they just want to be left (almost) alone for a while. If you didn’t prune, do so now, leaving a few leaves but removing any new growth. Water when dry but not to soak. Give them indirect light. Then, when the days get warmer, return to fulltime regular care. Hope this helps!

Leggy

I have had a geranium planet indoors for at least four years. Last June it looked so sad I decided to throw it out. When I went to cut off the stems I saw two shoots reaching up from the soil. I cut off the old and have been watching one of the shoots become “leggy.” It is now five feet tall and has been blooming constantly, once the first bloom appeared. Two questions. Is this height the old, original height of a wild plant, and we have convinced it to be smaller and more appealing? How tall will it grow?

Mary Alice Middletown, DE

new plant..

Don’t question the wisdom and glory of nature, Mary Alice; nurture it. We have no idea how tall it will grow or for how long. It is growing for you now…enjoy it!

I am also a Mary Alice with a leggy 5 foot geranium!

Wow - maybe the name Mary Alice is synonymous with tall indoor geraniums as that is my name as well. I have had mine for 6 or 7 years. I cut it back by about 8” pretty regularly and it has thrived in my sunroom. It is always in bloom. I’m thinking of putting it outside this summer, but don’t want to wear it out. I plan keep it in its current container. So hello Mary Alice! To editor: I would like advice on seasoning it to be outdoors this summer. Happy growing!

Mary Alice

I have just named my 4 geraniums Mary Alice, Maria Alice, Maria Alicante and Mary Ally after you ladies with the 5 foot geraniums. Nicely done!

I live in Austin, TX. My

I live in Austin, TX. My geraniums are potted outside and lately the temperature is over 100 degrees. I water them almost daily. Is that too much? Leaves are turning yellow but not sure if it's from heat or over watering. One of the plants has tiny round brown spots on the leaves. Could that be a fungus?

Geranium leaf spots

It sounds like it could be either a bacterial or fungal issue, which are both made worse by warm, wet conditions. There is no cure for bacterial diseases, but you can mitigate the issue by removing infected leaves and stems and by placing infected plants away from healthy ones. Wash your hands after you touch the infected plant(s). Keep the plants’ leaves dry by watering from the bottom of the pot or from soil level; this can help stop the spread of fungal diseases. Go here for more information: https://extension.psu.edu/geranium-diseases

Wit and Wisdom

Hi everyone! I came to this page for the basic caretaking tips of my geraniums. My mom always loved geraniums (she passed away in February) so I really wanted to keep these thing alive lol! Long story short, the wit and wisdom section was right up her alley...she could've been a contestant on Jeopardy with her love of this type of knowledge! Also my name is Mary Brigid (hers was Brigid Mary) and her mother's name was Alice! Just creeping out a little bit over here with not one but two Mary Alice's and then the naming of the four plants with the same name. SO COOL!! ❤

Geraniums

Was looking for japanese beetle resistant plants. Saw geraniums. So why have they eaten mine to the stem?

Geraniums and Japanese Beetles

Geraniums are often mistakenly listed as “beetle resistant.” In fact, Japanese beetles will happily eat geraniums. However, geranium leaves contain a substance that can paralyze the beetles for up to a day, making them more vulnerable to predators (or angry gardeners). For this reason, geraniums are used as a bait plant to trap and dispose of hungry beetles.

Geraniums

I just planted my first Geranium, a Rocky Mountain Salmon (Zonal Geranium). It's planted in the ground, not a pot. My parents always planted Geraniums in pots, but they were always leggy and tall and never spread out. What is the technique for pinching them back? Do I need to do it with shears, or can I use my fingernails (or should I say what's left of my fingernails since I began spring gardening). Also: When fall comes, can I uproot it, put it into a large pot, and bring it into the house over the winter?