Pelargonium
Err on the dry side from the start; young plants are more often lost to overwatering than underwatering.
Care
Full sun.
Prefers to dry out slightly between waterings; dislikes constantly wet compost.
Free-draining peat-free compost; avoid rich, waterlogged soil.
Deadhead regularly; if overwintering indoors, cut back by around half to keep the plant compact.
A high-potash liquid feed every couple of weeks while it is growing and flowering, in pots especially. A balanced or nitrogen-rich feed gives a big soft plant with few flowers — potash is what keeps it blooming.
Cuttings in late summer, and this is the one cutting you do not keep humid: take a 10cm non-flowering shoot, cut below a node, strip the lower leaves, and pot it into gritty compost uncovered. A propagator makes pelargonium cuttings rot.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- MarchCut back and repot after overwintering. how ›
- JuneRegular deadheading through summer. how ›
- OctoberBring indoors to a frost-free, bright spot before the first frost. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchCut back and repot after overwintering. how ›
- JuneRegular deadheading through summer. how ›
- OctoberBring indoors to a frost-free, bright spot before the first frost. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. In pots.
What to do. Check compost, consider nematode treatment.
How to spot it. Yellowing leaves.
What to do. Let compost dry between waterings.
Popular varieties
Questions
Pelargonium: is it hardy?
H1c: Tender, needs above 5°C. It survives above 5 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
The classic patio container and window-box plant.
Pelargonium: when do you prune it?
Deadhead regularly; if overwintering indoors, cut back by around half to keep the plant compact. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in March.
Pelargonium: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in June–October.
When do you feed it?
A high-potash liquid feed every couple of weeks while it is growing and flowering, in pots especially. A balanced or nitrogen-rich feed gives a big soft plant with few flowers — potash is what keeps it blooming. Feeding months, UK: May–September.