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When Do Geraniums Bloom? (And 3 Ways to Improve the Blooms)

When Do Geraniums Bloom? (And 3 Ways to Improve the Blooms)

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Geraniums are some of the most popular house plants and you will probably see them in houses throughout different parts of the country. Geraniums don’t require a whole lot of care, and it’s very easy for you to keep them blooming throughout the best part of the summer, as long as you provide them with essential care.

It doesn’t matter if you plant the geraniums in pots or in hanging baskets, or even directly in the flower beds, you can easily keep the geraniums in bloom as long as you know how to care for them.

These plants have long been a favorite for gardeners because of the fact that the flowers are so beautiful and are also quite easy to care for. Even though most people grow them as annual plants in many parts of the world, you should know that they do well as perennial plants in hardiness zones 10 and 11.

One of the main reasons why so many people prefer growing geraniums in their gardens is because of their gorgeous scent. If you want your garden smelling beautiful and looking all colorful, adding a few geranium plants is just the ideal choice.

To answer the question in the title, the geranium plant generally blooms throughout the summer.

These are gorgeous flowery plants and they bloom in clusters. The leaves also make the plant all the more interesting, because they have different patterns.

Some leaves are red, while others usually develop shades of yellow and orange. You should know that the plant itself has a few conditions that must be met before it blooms.

These conditions are generally met in the summer months, which is when the geranium blooms most commonly. So, let’s talk about the essential requirements for the plant that must be met before it starts to bloom.

Temperature Needs

The geranium plant usually prefers cool temperatures in the night to induce blooming. These temperatures should be between the 50 and 60 F mark. In most parts, this temperature requirement is met during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. These are also the main blooming times of the plant.

However, you should know that the exact season is going to vary depending on the kind of climate as well as the kind of geranium that you have planted. With so many different variants available to choose from, it’s important for you to consider the type of geranium that you want before you buy them.

For example, the regal geranium, or the Washington geranium, are both quite popular because they give off flowers in the springtime. Then, these plants also have a few intermittent blossoms during the summer months as well.

But, you should know that the temperature isn’t the only requirement for the geraniums to bloom. One of the most important factors that you need to take into account is the lighting requirement of the plant as well.

Light

To bloom, geraniums generally require a whole day of sunlight. If you want, you can also provide a few hours of natural light during the day in the winter months, and this is going to make the plant bloom during the winter months as well. Obviously, the bloom isn’t going to be as lush as you might expect.

When the plant receives relatively low sunlight, it also reduces the ability of the plant to photosynthesize properly. Ultimately, what this means is that the plant is unable to store as much energy as it would otherwise when it receives an excessive amount of sunlight.

It doesn’t matter if you are growing the geraniums indoors or outdoors, one of the things you need to understand is that the plant requires full exposure to the sun.

The plant has pretty good resistance built in, and it is also capable of surviving in hotter regions in a much better way when compared with other plants that have similar foliage.

How to Improve the Blooms

You should know that there are plenty of other things that can be done to improve the blooms. In fact, in some cases, you might be able to make the plants bloom in a much better way if you follow the advice given below.

First and foremost, you need to understand that pinching the plant’s growth could lead to stronger and bushier plants. When grown in pots or even hanging baskets, you should know that the plant becomes generally quite sparse and leggy.

As a result of that, you might want to consider pinching back growth a bit to make the plant healthier and bushier. Because the geraniums tend to grow early on in the season, you can easily pinch back growth and reduce the stems by about half an inch.

You don’t need a lot of specialist gardening experience or knowledge to prune the plant. You will also want to make sure that any wild shoots are also removed. If you have sharp fingernails, you can also use those to remove the offshoots.

1 – Deadheading

Deadheading is an incredibly important practice that is essential for maintaining the growth of the plant and to get better quality blooms.

Regular deadheading is one of the best ways to improve the quality of the blooms and to also ensure that the plant continues to bloom on a regular basis. More importantly, deadheading is also going to improve the colors and the health of the plant.

Basically, when the geranium flowers begin to die, you need to pinch them off and remove them. This is vitally important, because the plant spends a considerable amount of energy and nutrients to maintain the dying flowers. When you remove them from the plant, all of this energy is then diverted into the new flowers.

Ultimately, the bloom period is prolonged, and you will also notice better foliage. On top of that, you should also get rid of any fading foliage from the plant as well.

This is an extremely simple practice and doesn’t require a lot of effort. You can either pinch off the flowers by hand, or you can make use of a pair of scissors.

2 – Adding Fertilizer and Watering the Plant

The best thing about the geranium plant is that it does not require an influx of nutrients to bloom properly. There’s no need to provide a heavy range of nutrients to the plant, but all you are going to need is to provide a small dose of organic fertilizer (usually 10-10-10 works best).

You need to add fertilizer to the plant at least once in a month when the plant is in its blooming season. This is going to ensure that the blooms keep on coming and the plant grows to its maximum potential.

Now, if you are planting the geraniums in a flower bed, you need to make sure that you add large amounts of compost in the mix as well.

Compost helps ensure that the soil is able to drain out properly, and it’s also going to keep the soil light. Most people usually fail to add compost because they don’t know just how important it is, and this impacts the quality of the blooms.

Then, you have to understand the watering process for the plant. Geraniums, like most other plants, require water at regular intervals.

But, you need to make sure that you do not water the plant on a frequent basis. However, when you do water the plant, make sure you add a generous amount.

The plant does not do well with small quantities of water. When large quantities of water are added over spaced intervals, it ultimately improves the growth of roots, forcing them deeper.

Naturally, the plant becomes stronger and develops in a better fashion.

3 – Pests and Disease

If you want your geranium plant to thrive, you have to take into account pests and diseases that might affect its health.

One of the main reasons why the geranium plant is so popular is because it is incredibly resistant to pests and diseases. Most pests generally avoid the plant, so you don’t need to worry about any kind of attacks.

Many gardeners usually plant geraniums because they believe that adding geraniums into their garden is an excellent way to repel different kinds of pests. As long as you care for the plant and ensure that its needs are met, it’s going to do a pretty fine job of repelling them.

It’s a beautiful summer plant that is going to add a touch of color to your garden and also keep it pest-free. With a minimal amount of care and understanding, you will be treated to incredibly gorgeous blooms.

The geranium plant will bloom sooner as long as its environmental needs are met, and it doesn’t need a whole lot of effort on your part either. Although there’s no way to make them bloom early, you can increase the time of the bloom by caring for the plant!

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Dianne

Friday 8th of July 2022

Thank you for information that I glossed over in the past, but registered today that will be helpful as I continue my love affair with Geraniums!