Image: Geranium ‘Balcon Mix’ from Thompson & Morgan
If you’re looking for answers to your geranium and pelargonium troubleshooting questions, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some timely tips on everything from encouraging more flowers to making your plants more compact. Geraniums are easy to grow, and some of the most common problems are easily solved with a bit of additional care. Here’s how to rejuvenate your geraniums.
What should I do if my geraniums aren’t looking very well?
Image: Geranium ‘Rosebud Collection’ from Thompson & Morgan
Are just a few leaves turning yellow or is the whole plant looking a bit sick? If it’s just a few leaves and the rest of the plant is looking robust, then it could be due to a sudden change in temperature. When plants are moved outdoors from a sheltered area, they can have a bit of a ‘shock’ at the change and lose a few leaves.
If the whole plant is looking poorly, take it out of the pot and have a good look at the roots:
- If the roots are nonexistent then I’m afraid it suggests that something has got into the soil and eaten them. This is most probably vine weevil. Have a look for the grubs – although they’re not always obvious to the eye. There are treatments available, so don’t panic. If the plant has any healthy parts remaining, take a cutting to root.
- If the roots are abundant but brown, the root system has died. The most common cause of this is overwatering or a problem with the compost. As before, there is little that can be done apart from taking a cutting from any remaining healthy growth.
- If the roots are lovely and white and there are plenty of them, then your plant has a chance! Looking sick is an indication that it’s not happy about its current conditions. Remember that these plants originate from South Africa so try refreshing the compost, moving the plant somewhere very warm and light and making sure the compost is moist. Finally, give it a feed and usually the plant bounces back to life.
Even when you do manage to get a plant to recover, review your general growing conditions and watering habits to reduce the likelihood of further problems. However, there is no such thing as 100% success rate – we gardeners can only do our best!
What sort of compost should I use to pot up geraniums?
Image: Encierro/Shutterstock
The choice of compost is very important, always go for a general purpose type – but if you have a favourite that works for you, stick with it. Avoid bark based and coir compost for geraniums as they hold too much moisture. And if you do want to try something new, test it on a few plants first!
To determine if a compost is light enough for geraniums, squash a damp ball of it in a tight fist. When you open your hand it should fall away freely and not stay in a tight hard ball. Most modern composts don’t need any additional drainage material added as they’re designed for general use.
Change the compost for container grown plants every year. Geraniums will grow for years if you keep them away from frost, but over time the compost becomes compacted and crushed down from constant watering. The root system of the plant needs oxygen which is less available in tight, hard compost. Freshening it up will not only provide a boost of nutrition, but will also be nice and light so that the plants can spread their roots happily.
How can I stop my geraniums looking too leggy?
Image: Geranium ‘White Rose’ from Thompson & Morgan
Most modern geraniums are bred to have stems with short joints between the nodes. This results in short, bushy plants which don’t need much attention. Exhibitors growing plants for showing will spend a lot of time pinching out the growing tips of their plants to encourage the production of compact bushy growth.
Older varieties and more mature geraniums grow vigorously upward, and can look too stick-like with little top growth. If you aren’t fussed about a show of flowers from your leggy plant this summer, give it a good chop in late spring. If you want flowers over the summer then wait until the main flower display is over.
Use a sharp knife to cut the plant back, and always cut just above a leaf joint in a straight line. The plant will heal over at this point. By cutting the plant back you’re forcing it to send out more growing shoots and it will do this from lower down, making a bushier plant. If you’re nervous about causing harm, start with one plant. You can take geraniums right back to 5 inch sticks and the plant will still produce a load of new healthy growth.
How do I get my geraniums to flower more?
Image: Geranium ‘Tall Dark & Handsome Hot Pink’ from Thompson & Morgan
The ideal flowering environment for geraniums is a warm, light place with good compost that’s kept moist, but not waterlogged. Pots must have drainage holes in them so that they’re not sitting in puddles of water. Geraniums need oxygen around their roots which is why overwatering needs to be avoided.
Giving your plants a regular feed of special geranium fertiliser will significantly increase the number of flowers you get. Feed them every week – the fertiliser contains high levels of potash which encourages flower production. It doesn’t take long and the results are well worth the little effort involved. Having gone to all the trouble of planting out a display, it makes sense to get the best show possible from it. The same goes for all your flowering plants. Use a special container fertiliser for all your potted fuchsias and patio plants, and try a once a year fertiliser for shrubs in the border.
Where should I plant geraniums for the best results?
Image: Geranium Summer Lovers Collection from Thompson & Morgan
Geraniums love warm, sunny positions but will still do very well in areas of part shade. Spread your geraniums around through beds and borders, avoiding deep shade and waterlogged areas. Perfect for containers, geraniums are an easy way to brighten up your whole garden, including hanging baskets and window boxes. Unlike other plants, they don’t flag in the heat, so they’re especially good for drought-prone areas. For the best results, ensure they’re kept moist and receive some sun each day.
I hope we’ve answered your geranium plant questions and concerns. For more information about growing and caring for pelargoniums, head to our geraniums hub page for more help, tips & tricks! Share your geranium photographs via our social channels using the hashtag #YourTMGarden.
What are the long, stem like things growing out of the dead flower bud of my geranium? Should I pick them off when this happens? TIA!
You are looking at the remnants of the flower, where the seed will form. Once the flowers have faded you can simply trim the entire stem away. at the base of the plant.
My scented geraniums are not flowering. Planted outdoors in potting soil, in a container that has a water reservoir in the bottom. They get plenty of sunlight, but haven’t flowered. Is the problem the water reservoir in the bottom…any ideas as to why they’re not blooming. (pelargonium sweet mimosa)
They may simply need a bit more time. If they are growing well with plenty of healthy foliage then they will flower when they are ready to.
I have two established Anne Thomson geraniums in my raised bedwhich sits above a rill. They have both flowered abundantly all summer and Have been dead headed regularly. One is fine but the other one now has red dry looking leaves and no new buds have appeared. What has caused it and, more importantly what should I do about it?
Pelargonium foliage will turn red/ yellow as the leaves are discarded by the plant. The cause may be due to aging of individual leaves which is a normal process as new leaves form higher up on the plant. However, if all the foliage is turning red at the same time then this would indicate that the plant is suffering some kind of stress. It would be worth reviewing the growing conditions. Is it too wet, too dry, too hot? Has something dmaged its roots? It is lacking nutrients? Have you fed it recently? There are so many reasons that a plant can be under stress but if you yourself a few questions you can normally gain an idea of the casue of the problem.
My geraniums are dying in the center of the flowers. Can you suggest why? Maybe I am over watering?
If they have recieved a lot of heavy rain/ overhead watering then this can damaged the flowers and make them brown prematurely. They should soon produce new stems so shouldn’t be a concern. Make sure that you water them from beneath the foliage whenever possible.
My geranium flowers were shredded by hail. I have plenty of leaves
left. I fertilized them and water them according to the moisture meter.
They are also in full sun. Will the flowers come back or am I wasting
my time. Thank you
Give them some time – if they are healthy plants then they may well recover!
Hi Sarah,
My geranium plant is a year old and doing well, but recently the stem of plan is turning white while the above branches are green.It is getting flowers and leaves are looking healthy but I am worried about the stem.
This might be powdery mildew. Pelargoniums are quite prone to this on their stems. Its certainly worth keeping an eye on and if necessary, spraying the plant with an appropriate fungicide. You should also improve ventilation around the plant and avoid water from above as this can exacerbate the problem.
My geranium blooms lace leaves opening on the bloom before the bloom fades. I’ve never had this problem before.
Dear Team. I’m in despair with my lady Plymouth scented pelargonium. It is in a pot and is on a west facing U.K. windowsill, but it just grows very tall, I mean 90cm tall, with very long stemmed leaves and about 6cm gaps between leaves on stem. Then the leaves go brown and come off and I’m left with a long stem with no leaves but a bunch at the top getting longer and longer. Yet I have another same scented pelargonium and that is nice and bushy also on the same windowsill, being watered at the same time. Are there two different types? I hate to throw the ugly tall ones away only because they smell so nice, but really! Cutting them down doesn’t seem to help, they just grow back long and very forlorn, as am I. Thank you for your help and suggestions.
I know that it may seem a shame to throw it away, but if you prefer the habit of the other one then why not take cuttings from the bushy plant and discard the straggly one. If you have tried cutting them back etc, then it may simply be that this is a particularly leggy strain and wont ever be as you want it to be.
Hello,
Bought six new geraniums this year (very dark crimson; sorry I don’t know the name). Planted in new pots (with extra drain holes drilled out) with a mixture of potting soul, perlite, and peat moss. They are I have lots of blooms that are opening beautifully. However, the measure blooms turn almost black in the center and almost appear as though a slug has crawled over them. I have sprinkled diotamaceous earth on top of the soil, and cut said blooms off. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Something has clearly been nibbling them. If you are able to identify the culprit then this will help to prevent further damage. Slugs and snails will usually leave a tell-tale silvery trail, but caterpillars such as sawfly larvae are harder to spot as they are very tiny. I would recommend that you inspect the plant in close detail to see if you can find any pests. A contact insecticide may help if you can spot any present. If the damage is from sawfly then these are usually present in May and September so the damage shouldn’t be so bad throughout the summer months and the plants should rapidly outgrow any damage that you are finding now.
I would recommend Bacillus Thuringiensis which you can buy in concentrate form or pre-mixed for caterpillars that suck the “guts” out of geranium blooms. These pests show up every year on my potted geraniums – telltale signs are holes in the buds, and excrement on the leaves underneath, black dots that look like dirt. It’s disgusting but the BT is organic and non-toxic (except to the caterpillars). It’s the only thing that has worked for me and repeat applications are usually needed – one week apart – to keep them away.
That’s really helpful – thanks for your comment 🙂
My geraniums never fully develop into nice fat flowers..don’t come all the way out help
If it has never flowered well then it may simply be that this variety is not a very good bloomer – but you can try giving it a potassium rich fertiliser to encourge better flowering. Also try reviewing its growing conditions to see where you can make improvements by repositioning it, repotting it and watering more consistently where required.
Bought Geranium plug plants transferred them to 3″ pots they have not grown much but have flower stem growing and about to flower, strange?
They may catch up on some growth later – enjoy the flowers for now!
I have a problem with geraniums I just bought. They had loads of beautiful blooms, but the new blooms are weak and not fully blooming. I’m wondering if its because it has too many open blooms that need to be cut back first. (I hate cutting off the flowers and waiting for new ones). Or is it because it came from a greenhouse & is struggling with the colder climate outside?
I think this sounds very much as though they have had a bit of a shock by moving straight outside from a warm greenhouse. We’ve had a very cold spring and it is still surprisingly chilly. Normally you would gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions by popping them outside in the daytime and bringing them in at night. I would remove the flowers and put them in a warm sheltered spot for the time being to allow them to toughen up a bit.
The hardy pink geranium I bought last summer is now producing purple flowers. Why is this?
Temperatures and soil conditions can have an effect upon flower colour sometimes. Keep an eye on it as it may well return to normal as the summer goes on.
Hi , I have about ten geraniums around the house , some in warm rooms some cold , in windows that face west or south , and all except one have flowers on over-long stems , 8-10 inches or more . One plant is and has always been more compact in shape with short flower stems , 3-6 inches , but even the plants that I have grown on from cuttings of this plant have long flower stems. They all get watered , fed (or not) the same. Is there any trick to keeping them shorter? I’m not talking about pinching out the tips for an overall more compact plant , I enjoy them spreading out , but the flowers dangling off a foot from the foliage I don’t like so much.
Pelargoniums benefit from plenty of light so I would recomend popping them outdoors in the summer months where they can grow in a more natural environment. In a warm room indoors they will be much more likely to stretch and produce longer stems.
I went away for five days and now my geraniums are slumped over and not looking good. It was warm while we were gone but they were in the sun only in the morning. Can they be saved?
If they haven’t recovered after watering them then they may not recover. Give them a week or two – you will soon see if they are perking up or not.
Hi! I have a potted geranium many years, it was big and healthy. Unfortunately this winter the frost damaged it. I cut back all the stems, they are about 5-10cm from ground level now. However as i was cutting the stems i didn’t see any green in them. I also changed the soil, and cut back damaged/brown roots. I think the roots left were healthy and a good amount. It has been a couple of months since that but there is still no sign of life. No new leaves, nothing. I also gave it some fertilizer recently but nothing…. Should I wait with it or is it dead?
Hello
It sounds as though you may have lost it over the winter. However if you are in any doubt, simply leave it where it is and wait for another month – if it is going to recover then you will see some new growth as the weather warms up. If you see no improvement by May, then I think you can safely assume it is dead.
All the best
Sue
Hi again! It is alive!!! I just saw the first tiny leaves today coming out of the soil. Thankfully I didn’t hurry to throw it out 🙂 Does it need proper watering now, or wait until it has some solid leaves on it?
Thats great news!! I would give it a drink, but don’t soak it. 🙂
Hi, I have two geraniums which have decide to grow prolific tiny almost cruiferous leaves in heads instead of flowers . No flowers for eight months. I live in temperate Australia where geraniums grow like weeds. What can have this?
Hello
Its hard to say what the cause might be without seeing it, but this type of abnormal development is sometimes caused by changes in growing conditions or pest/ viral damage. Sudden changes in the temperature can be a big cause of plants producing abnormal growth. However if the plant has been growing this way for a considerable time then it may be something less obvious such as a virus.
All the best
Sue
My geranium is in a pot and only grows a few leaves with a long stem. Does my geranium have root rot? The roots look dark brown.
Hello
It’s always very hard to tell without seeing a picture! Root Rot is also known as Blackleg. If your Geranium is suffering from this then you may find this article useful: https://www.thompson-morgan.com/diseases/geranium-blackleg
A weakly growing plant doesn’t necessarily indicate that it is diseased – it is often caused by poor growing conditions. Pelargoniums enjoy a sunny spot, though no scorching hot, with a free draining soil. They don’t like sitting in wet soil fort any length of time so take care not to overwater them.
All the best
Sue
My geranium roots are about 12 inches hanging out of pot what can I do ?
Hello. Sounds like your Geranium desperately needs re-potting into a larger container. Use a good quality compost and mix in some slow release fertiliser to give it a feed at the same time.
All the best
Sue
For the first time, I planted my wintered-over geraniums in the ground in a formal garden off my patio. Just this week, I noticed that some of the plants have leaves that are shriveling and turning brown. This is not the case with my hanging baskets with the same wintered-over variety of geraniums. Was I not smart to plant them in the ground? Is it a watering issue, mold, or just common end of summer cycle? Please advise. Thanks, Bruce
Hello. Plants will naturally lose some of their oldest leaves so don’t worry too much. When planted in the ground, it is harder to control their growing environment e.g how wet the soil is, pests and diseases etc so this may also be having an effect. If they are planted in borders etc, then be aware that you may lose them if they get frosted this winter. Generally it is best to buy fresh new plants each summer for the best performance.
All the best
Sue
My potted geraniums are looking great with green leaves and lots of blooms. However, they have gotten quite tall and are branching out so much so that it has become top heavy and seems to have toppled over loosening the base. I can also see some roots coming out of the dirt. Do I need to repot or did I not plant the root in deep enough? Overall the plants look healthy and seem to be thriving. I don’t want to touch it if all I need to do is support the weight. Thanks.
Hello
It sounds as though your geraniums could do with propping up. I wouldn’t mess with them too much at this stage of the summer. Just use some short canes to support them. What does concern me however, is that the roots have suddenly failed to support their growth. It may be that they are planted too shallowly or that the they have been toppled by wind or heavy rainfall. However, I would certainly keep an eye on them as this can also be an indication of vine weevil. The larvae nibble the roots of plants and cause them to fail very suddenly. If this occurs then you would be best to dispose of the plants and soil in which they are growing (if growing in pots).
All the best
Sue
Hello. I have a tall (about 2 1/2 feet tall) 1 year-old red potted geranium – quite beautiful which I staked shortly after it came out of its winter ‘sleep’ (I’d overwintered it in the conservatory) for it shot up and with many blooms and foliage. I have been taking it out just during the day to set in the garden because the night time temperatures this year have seemed cooler and it was getting red tinges to the leaves when I was leaving it out overnight (I read this is due to temperature stress). I more recently had been giving it some liquid seaweed along with my other plants and then it got to be even more lush. There were some rains and, well, my geranium seems to have developed edema. I read I should keep the edema-marked leaves on (after already having removed some). Many of the leaves’ undersides are marked by the tell-tale corky brown pustules. Some are starting to go yellow. I took the plant out of its pot and the roots, which I could see, are a light brown. Does this mean root rot? As the roots did not smell bad, were not black, and the plant is still getting lots of new leaves and buds. I cleaned out the (large) pot and replaced the soil with fresh as it had been a year anyway. Unfortunately, the new soil read quite moist on my moisture meter, but I’d already tossed out the old. Now I am worried this is only going to make things worse. Today, I got up to find a few more yellow leaves on my geranium. I am wanting to keep it outside through night time now too since the night time temperatures have seemed more mild this past week, but it is supposed to rain for a few days now. The last thing I feel this plant needs is more moisture! I am also not sure when to water it again – once it says ‘Dry-3’ on my meter or should I let it dry out even more than that? And how much water do I give it now when I do water it again? I am also wondering if the seaweed helped lead to the edema problem as I know seaweed helps things to retain moisture (even human skin!). I love this plant dearly – it is my favorite of all my plants. I don’t want to lose it. Please help.
Hello
It sounds as though you are making every effort with this Geranium. The red and yellowing of the foliage suggests that your plant is stressed. This can be caused by many factors that you have already mentioned – water stress, temperature changes, root disturbance through repotting etc. I would suggest that you let the compost dry out a little if it is feeling too wet. I have never used a meter so I can’t comment on this, but I would recommend that you feel the compost with your fingers. Allow the compost to dry out until it is barely moist, and then aim to keep it this way by watering little and often. Its a good habit to lift the pot before and after watering to feel its weight. When compost is wet it is much heavier. Over time, this will help you to determine whether it needs watering or not.
The seaweed feed will not do your plant any harm. If the plant has plenty of green foliage then simply trim away the yellow and damaged foliage. Leave it outdoors now for the summer and just let it recover. This won’t happen overnight, so some patience is required. To prevent rainfall making the compost wetter, you can position it in a sheltered spot against a wall or fence, and remove any saucer/ pot cover that prevents the pot from draining freely.
I hope this helps.
Sue
I have 3 large pots with 3 Ivy geranium plants in each one. We had a very cold spring so they began hibernating in my garage, but once I planted them they began to produce buds after a week or two. All were covered with large, healthy buds, which began to bloom. Then we had several days of heavy rainfall and the plants were soaked and sitting in saucers of water. I drained them and left them to dry out, but they got soaked again. Again, I drained and did not water. Now, half the buds are shrunken and brown. I’ve cleaned out yellowed leaves at the bottom (only) of the plants so they can breathe. I thought I saw some white aphids? I tried insecticidal soap but not sure it had time to work before it…yes, rained again! I am keeping them dry, but I am worried I will lose them. Is this because they got wet, or is it an insect or fungal problem? It only happens to the Ivy geraniums. My true vining geraniums are fine. It’s just the Ivy cascade that are affected. Happened last year so I replaced all the potting soil and disinfected the pots. Help?
Hello. This is almost certainly due to the amount of rainfall you’ve had. Snip off all of the browned flower stems. I would suggest taking them out of the saucers for the time being to reduce the risk of saturation when it does rain. Keep them slightly on the dry side – they prefer it this way anyhow. If they are suffering from white fly then give them a blast of bug spray now, before any new flowers form. With some patience they should hopefully recover.
All the best
Sue
Thank you so much for your kind reply. Since I wrote this, I now see evidence (holes in buds, excrement trail – ugh) of bud worm, hollowing out the remaining healthy buds! The poor plants cannot catch a break! I hit them with a good spray of thuricide to get rid of the caterpillars but I don’t know if they will survive all these challenges. I love geraniums but I am ready to switch to begonias next year.
Hi I planted some geraniums in pots but have put too many in each pot and they are now starting to flower can I still move some into other pots or will this kill them. Thanks for your help
Hello
You can still move them – its not ideal, and may set them back a bit, but its still quite early in the season and you will probably get away with it!
All the best
Sue
Thanks Sue.
I will give it a go with one pot and see how it goes. I will know for next year not to put so many in one pot.
My plants are dying off in the middle of the bloom. The center of each flower dies, the rest of each bloom looks healthy???
Hello. Do you mean that the central blooms in each flower head are dying off? If so – this is perfectly normal. Just pinch out the dead flowers and leave the others to continue. Once the whole flower head has faded then you can snip the entire stem off.
All the best
Sue
I planted 8 pink geraniums cutting but they grown with white flowers
Hello
Temperature can affect flower colour, and also many blooms will darken or fade as they age. However it rather odd that they would be a completely different colour. I suspect that your cuttings may have got muddled up with another variety, or that there was also a white-flowered variety growing in the same pot when you took the cuttings. This would be an easy mistake to make if the White variety was not in flower at the time the cuttings were taken! Hopefully they are still a pretty variety.
All the best
Sue
Hi,
I start my Geraniums from seed. They were looking great in my basement though the result of the 25 plants were a bit uneven. Make a long story short, we had a very cold spring here in Rochester NY this year and finally when I planted them it was truly 90 degrees. Never again. The plants went into shock and looked terrible. Live and learn. Now it is almost July and the geraniums appear very delayed and growing slow. Any thoughts. I have done this for years and I never had a year like this.
Hello
It certainly sounds as though they have had a rough start due to the weather. If they have had a shock then this will often delay their growth. Try to remain patient – they may well get going later in the season. My geraniums were planted out rather late last summer but once they found their stride they carried on flowering right into November! Sometimes it doesn’t matter how experienced you are – things just don’t go as you might expect. Keep them fed and watered as you usually would and hopefully they will recover. If not, there’s always next year 🙂
All the best
Sue
Sue,
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I so appreciate your knowledgeable response. There are worse things.
I will send a pic in about a months time and we’ll see.
Thank you again.
Regards,
Bob
thanks for comments sue, the flowers where all in bloom in pink from same plant any suggestion why this may over happened ?
kind regards roger measley
Sorry Robert – I’m afraid that I’m as mystified as you are!
Hello! I have a hanging basket red geranium that I bought recently. It had a few blooms when I got it, but now there is not a one on the whole plant. There are a few yellow leaves also. Any idea what is wrong? Thank you!
Hello
It’s very hard say what the problem is without seeing it. I would always recommend checking the growing conditions as a starting point. Make sure that it hasn’t outgrown its container. If it has then you will need to repot it. Make sure that you are feeding and watering it regularly at this time of the year, but do allow the compost to dry out slightly between waterings so that it doesn’t sit too wet.
Hope that helps
Sue
Bought a beautiful blue geranium. Half shade and half sun. Within a month the blue blooms turned to green. Bloom is now same color as the leaves. How do i make it blue again?
Hello
This sounds very unusual! Flower colours often change as the bloom ages so this might explain it if the colour change is predominantly on the oldest flowers. Any new flowers would be expected to open blue. Sudden changes in temperature or growing conditions can also sometimes affect flower colour and development. Unfortunately without seeing your plant, it really is hard to say!
All the best
Sue
Hi Graham, I live in La Quinta Ca (near Palm Springs) so we plant summer flowers in October. I bought some good sized geraniums from the bog box hardware chain that had nice blooms and all fell off. I had not replenished soil in two years. SO I bought bags of good potting soil and pulled up the geraniums gently and put the potting soil down and re-planted the geraniums two weeks ago. Thee plants are thriving but I do not have a single flower nor any shoots coming out that bear promise.
I have a geranium that I brought home from my mother’s home when she passed away in 2012. I remember it being such a beautiful plant. She had an amazing green thumb. It is strictly an indoor plant and sits in my living room in front of my picture window. It gets lots of morning sun. It has survived these past 7 years but is starting to show its age. It only has two shoots (branches) left now with a few leaves on the end of each branch. I have been afraid to do anything to it at all as I don’t want to lose the plant because of its sentimental value. I did take a chance recently and cut a piece off (because the branch didn’t look very good and it was really, really long). I rooted it in water…successfully!!!!!! That has now been planted and is beautiful in its new pot, however….it is just growing taller and taller and getting very lanky. It has big beautiful, green leaves (some that measure 6″ across!!) but each leaf has a very long stem. While the plant itself looks great, it is about 15″ tall with about 16 big leaves. I think it needs to be shorter and bushier. Help…what do I do???? It’s just a baby! I’m afraid to trim it because I don’t know how and I certainly don’t want to kill either plant. Since the new plant is “new”, I’m not sure what to do. I’ve read article after article online but don’t really see anything addressed specifically for the situation of the new plant. Also, the old plant is really struggling and I want to do whatever I can to save it. Thank you for any help!!!!!
Hi Ruth. You need to pinch the top of the stem out so that it encourages sides shoots to develop. If you are clever then you could trim the top out and then root that in water to create another plant. Don’t be afraid – it needs to be done sooner rather than later if it is getting that tall.
All the best
Sue
Thank you Sue!! I know I sound really dumb and confused but I don’t know where to pinch it off. Do I just take 1/2 of the plant out and go up about half way from the dirt?? I wish I could post a picture. If I knew where to break it off it would be so much easier. :/ It’s a tall stalk basically with long “branches (that have one leaf at the end) coming off of the main stalk every 1-2” for the entire height of the plant. Thank you again for any advice. 🙂
Hi Ruth
I would suggest you nip out the top third of the plant to just above a leaf node. Hopefully that will encourage it to produce more stems lower down. It might be a good idea to try rooting a few more cuttings from the original plant too. If you do get some to root, then make sure that you pinch them out at a much younger stage when they are around 15-20cm tall.
Hope that helps
All the best
Sue
I have white geraniums in 2 planters on the porch and in 2 window boxes. This morning I noticed in one of the boxes in the right front side, about 15 flower heads gone. The flower heads in back on that side as well as on the left side of the box were untouched. It wasn’t a clean cut but not a mangled mess either. It had to have happened in the night, as I was doing my usual pampering yesterday evening. I’ve had Voles eat roots before, but never anything like this. We do have many deer here but they have never bothered them in the past. I’ve been growing red geraniums since 1993 and before that my Mother always grew them. However, this is the 1st year I switched too all white.
Hi Cary
What a shame that your plants have been eaten. It may well be something as straightforward as a slug or snail that has nibbled them. Its worth checking any nooks and crannies in the area for any sign of these pests lingering about.
It’s possible that the variety you are growing this year may have softer growth or be tastier to garden pests than your normal variety.
Best wishes
Sue
Hello! I reside on the NC Outer Banks. I have planted at least 1000 geraniums on one estate, for the past 14 years. This year, they looked incredible in May. Shortly afterward, they all started dying..Now, some have apparently died and there is nothing even left visible above ground..My landscaping crew state they have no idea what has occurred, for the last few months. What do you think could have caused this? If they sprayed weed killer around them or if it got on them, would that be the cause? The nursery wants to do soil samples. But, the soil is the same as when I built on the estate, in 2006. I think they may be trying go figure out a way to avoid replacement. Please help, before they all die! Thank you sooo much!!! Kim
Hello
If anyone has sprayed weedkiller around them then that would almost certainly kill them! But it could equally be a pest or disease that has affected them. I don’t see how the supplier could be held accountable for either of these things if they were supplied as good, healthy stock in the first instance. I’m afraid that I can’t really advise you further on this, but I hope that you manage to work out a solution.
Sue
Hi
I have six scented pelargoniums which i brought indoors in November to overwinter. I stripped all the foliage and did not water at all during winter. Only one has fresh leaves coming through now. The other seem not to have come back to life. How do i test to see if they are alive? HOw long should i give them?
Hi Marianne
Was there a reason for stripping all of the foliage? I haven’t heard of this before. Remember that Pelargoniums are naturally evergreen so they don’t actually have a dormant period – therefore they will need their leaves all your round. If the stems are dry and woody then you may well have lost them. If there is any sign of life then give them a chance. It’s still very early and most plants are only just beginning to show signs of growth.
Best wishes
Sue
How do you know when to repot a geranium? My plant has been doing fine, and blooming, but suddenly the lower leaves are slowly turning brown on the edges, and then the entire leaf turns brown.
I’ve had this plant for several years, and know geraniums like to be pot bound, but not sure if the problem is that it needs a larger pot. Any ideas? Thanks!
Hello
Geraniums do tend to become quite woody and sparse at the base after a few years. It is quite normal for the lower leaves to turn brown and die off . Tease it out of its pot and take a look at the roots. If they are tightly woven across the outside of the rootball then it could probably do with a slight;y larger pot. At the very least, you can freshen up the compost and add some slow release fertiliser to give it a boost!
Hope this helps you.
All the best
Sue
I have some black buds on my Geraniums – its Autumn here in the UK – any idea why..?
Hi Tony
Sounds as though the buds have died back – this is often associated with plant shock of some sort – probably the sharp change in temperatures recently. If you are planning to try overwintering them then its time to bring them into a frost free greenhouse and reduce watering. You can cut them back a little if they are looking straggly.
All the best
Sue
Thank you – I’m looking straggly too..!
Hi Sue! I did not inherit my mother’s and grandmother’s green thumbs with geraniums. I have two containers, west-facing in which I planted geraniums with calibrachoa and potato vines. The latter two look great. The geraniums were fine for awhile but now I’m getting no blooms. Leaves look nice and green though. I definitely do not overwater, and I deadhead the old blooms. They get plenty of sun. They are planted in organic potting mix, and I mixed in some perlite and Osmocote (14-14-14) at planting time. Any idea what I might be doing wrong?
Hello. It sounds as though they are growing beautifully! Often when a plant puts on lots of leafy growth at the expense of flowers it is because there is plenty of feed available (particularly nitrogen). As a result, they concentrate their efforts on bulking up, rather than blooming. Try to remain patient and they will probably start producing more flower as summer progresses and the nutrients in their pot are depleted a little.
All the best
Sue
I have had a geranium for about 7 years it is very healthy about 4 feet high but has never bloomed. I tried miracle grow for them, but they still dont bloom. It gets plenty of sun.
Hi David. It sounds like your Geranium is doing well – maybe a little too well! Many flowering plants benefit from being allowed to fill their pots and even become a little root bound. This can sometimes force them into flowering, so dont be tempted to repot too often.
Also, avoid feeding nitrogen rich fertilizer during the summer months as this will encourage leafy growth. Switch to a potassium rich feed such as Chempak High Potash Feed. https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/chempakreg-high-potash-feed-formula-4/kww2324TM. Potassium will encourage bud formation rather than extension growth.
Hope you get some results soon
All the best
Sue
I bought one for next to nothing as it was considered to be salvageable. After having a good look and after seeing a few stems and leaf edges dried out and leaves that could be pinched off I bought it out of pity. I attempted to repot. The roots were very skinny and turning brown. Not too brown mind, I attempted to remove some of the soil and half the roots just ended up falling off. I did repot in West+ multipurpose which my other geraniums seem to be enjoying with their weekly liquid feed. I have not fed this one since I repotted and don’t want to attempt to just yet. I am assuming this baby was repotted in a larger pot after it was not getting enough water and then watered far too much with the state the roots were in. What is your opinion. Do you think it will bounce back. It did have a couple of blooms which were looking very healthy?
Hi Melanie,
it has a fair chance, as long as there is some life in the stem, it will want to push down new roots and continue to grow. Like you said, a common mistake is to overwater a sickly plant, which ends up doing more harm than good.
I hope you get on ok with it.
All the best
Graham
I have the dark red calliope geraniums. They are full of buds but most of the buds turn dark and do not open fully. The leaves appear green and healthy. I planted them in potting soil. Since we have had quiet a bit of rain I have not watered them and the soil is moist. They also have good drainage.I have grown geraniums for quiet a few years with success and cannot understand what the problem is. Could they be diseased from the nursery?
Hi Phyllis,
Sorry to hear of you problems. is it possible that the plants are suffering from a potassium deficiency that might cause the plant to get rid of the buds as they haven’t got the energy to carry them through to fruition?
Try giving them some tomato feed and see if that helps, also allow the plants to dry out before you water them again, if it’s a bit too moist then the flower stems might suffer too.
I hope this helps
All the best
Graham
Wintered over my red geranium in my little greenhouse. Growing fine,has flowers. What are the green spikes growing out of a few flowers? Bewildered
That is a geranium seed pod, coming off of a spent blossom. Remember, once the whole “head” of the flower is spent, snap that branch off at the “neck” to deadhead it and get more blooms!
My blooms are not spent…they’re looking very healthy except for those ugly green spikes,,,they’re prevalent in all of my pots,,,,not all the same colors or from the same source. Am I feeding too much, or watering to often?…blooms are very prolific…
Hi, I planted a healthy Armenian Cranesbill (geranium pstilomen) last summer, it died down in November so I trimmed the stems to 2inches above soil level. We have had some frosts & snow over winter (Hertfordshire) Now I see my other geraniums (Rozanne etc) are coming into spring leaf above their dead winter mounds but my Pstilomen still looks very brown, twiggy, and there are no signs of new life. Is it just too early in the year for it, or are they not supposed to overwinter in the garden? Or have I killed it with my pruning?! Thank you!
Hi Carolyn,
This variety should be completely hardy here in the UK so that hopefully isn’t an issue. It may well be that it’s a bit slower to shoot that Rozanne so I would give it a bit more time to wake up – it’s still early after all!
I hope this helps
All the best
Graham
It may be too early to tell. Pruning that kind of geranium should not have caused a problem. Depending on the winter temperatures, it may have gotten too cold. This kind of geranium can be wintered outside, but does not like temperatures much under freezing.
Hi!I bought paired geraniums in a conical shaped hanging basket about two months ago and hung them up on my balcony which faces east so they get morning to about noon day sun.It’s the hot season here and after about three weeks they stopped flowering!Completely stopped with some brown leaves here and there.I water them once a week.I miss the flowers.What can I do?
Hi Angela,
I would suggest that you try a liquid feed for them, it sounds like they have used up the nutrients in the compost that they were planted in and now can’t get what they need to produce flowers. Give that a try and see what happens
All the best
Graham
Why are the leaves getting small? I care for my neighbor geraniums, they are in pots. They have done well, now some of the leaves have brown on the back of some of the leaves. I have found small caterpillars on them as well. I’ve sprayed many times, but can’t seem to get rid of them. Any advise on what to use? My main concern is the small leaves.