Many people are under the impression that if their garden is shaded, they won’t be able to grow many flowers in it. That is, obviously, not true. There are plenty of flowers that grow just as well in shaded gardens and look incredibly beautiful, but like always, you will have to care for them.
The geranium is one of the most popular choices for people who want to add some flowers to their garden. Geraniums are grown as perennial flowers in hardiness zones 10 to 11 across the USA. These are incredibly beautiful and versatile flowers that do well in almost any setting.
You can either plant them in the soil, or you can add them in hanging baskets and put them up. It all depends on your creativity and the way you put them up. The best thing about the geraniums is that these plants are significantly easy to grow, and you don’t need to be an expert to grow them.
The plight of people with shaded gardens isn’t anything new; it’s been there for quite a while, as a matter of fact. They have to be quite careful about how they grow the plants, and also quite selective in the ones that they choose.
But, if you were wondering whether geraniums can grow in the shade, you don’t have much to worry about.
Geraniums usually prefer an area where they can receive the maximum amount of sunlight, but they will also do just fine in partially shaded locations.
But, you also need to understand that the placement of the plant will affect its growth rate. You need to be careful about where you plant the geraniums, and how they grow.
Sunlight is an important requirement for almost any plant, some more so than the others. Plants use the sunlight produced to aid them in the process of photosynthesis, and it helps them break down their food and nutrients.
Some plants need more of it than others.
The Ideal Amount of Sunlight for Geraniums
Unlike most other spring plants with a tender appearance, the geranium usually thrives in the later parts of spring and the early warmth provided by the summer.
Even if you pot it indoors, it is going to start blooming during the end of the spring time. But, you need to understand that the plant’s heat tolerance needs to be balanced.
The plant requires at least four to eight hours of sunlight on a daily basis, and if those needs are not met, the growth of the plant might get stunted over time. For the best quality growth, the geranium will need to be placed in an area that receives full growth.
The plant requires this long exposure to the sun so that it is capable of maximizing photosynthesis for the dense growth in its foliage and for its elongated stems.
You also need to understand that the plant won’t be able to produce its gorgeous and deeply intricate blossoms without being exposed to the sun for at least four to eight hours a day.
Remember, the plant won’t be able to blossom if it receives dappled shade, or if the exposure to the sun is removed completely. Also, one important thing you need to consider is excessive exposure to the sunlight. This usually happens when your geranium is exposed to reflected light from the window glass.
It is important for you to make sure that you add some dappled shade into the mix to ensure that the plant is able to thrive and does not fall prey to excessive heat stress.
The Repercussions of Excessive Shade
If the plant receives less than four hours of sunlight a day, there is a pretty strong risk that the blossoms won’t appear at all. To put it simply, the plant won’t be able to muster up the energy needed to produce clusters of flowers.
That’s not to say that the plant will succumb to its death; the geranium plant will survive just fine, but you will notice that the plant will stop giving off flowers.
On top of that, you should know that an excessive lack of sunlight, where the plant stops receiving virtually any amount of the sun, is not good for the plant.
It’s going to suffer from branch damage, and the growth of the plant will get stunted as well. This is particularly a big risk if the plant is kept in a windy area.
So, you don’t just have to worry about the lighting conditions; you also need to make sure that the plant remains safe and protected from high winds. This is going to play a critical role in keeping your plant healthy from season to season.
Water Needs
You also need to understand that apart from the sunlight, another important requirement for the plant is water.
Because of the fact that the plant loves the sun, they also need lots of water to maintain its foliage. When the leaves are dry, it’s going to cause stunted growth and will cause the leaves to die.
But, you need to make sure that you create excessively soggy conditions for the soil. Watering the plant excessively is going to cause the soil to become soggy, and that’s not something that you want. You need to make sure that you give it enough time for the water to evaporate from the soil.
To improve the process, you should consider adding a bit of mulch to the plant as well. However, make sure that the mulch is not added right over the plant stem on the soil; spread it out around the plant so that the soil is able to gather all of the nutrients that it needs.
Moist roots are going to cause excessive damage to the plant, and it’s not something that you want. The stunted growth of the plant will prevent the foliage from increasing its health.
This is going to prevent the flowering in the plant and also affect its growth.
Indoor Needs
Another important thing that you need to know is that the care procedures vary depending on the position of the plant.
For instance, if you are keeping the plant indoors, you need to make sure that you keep it in a sunny area. It needs to be kept in a window that faces toward the south.
Also, you need to make sure that the plant is kept near a high-intensity lighting system. But, when you are keeping the plant indoors, you need to make sure that the pot you use is significantly large so that it allows the plant to survive.
Depending on the size of the plant, you need to make sure that the plant has ample space to spread its roots.
More importantly, you need to make sure that the plant is rooted in a proper potting mixture. The plant needs to be kept under sunny conditions or you can use some artificial light to supplement the growth of the plant.
These are just a few things that you should know about how the geraniums survive in the shade and what you need to do to care for them.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.