Geraniums Indoors: How to Grow, Overwinter, and Enjoy Year-Round Color

Geraniums are beloved for their vibrant blooms and, in many varieties, delightful fragrance. While typically grown outdoors, they thrive indoors with sufficient light, blooming year-round or serving as overwintered plants for next season's garden.

Planting

• Select healthy plants with sturdy stems, no leaf discoloration, and no signs of pests.
• Use pots with drainage holes; avoid saucers unless filled with pebbles to prevent root rot.
• Plant in a soilless potting mix (not garden soil).
• For maximum bloom, provide 4–6 hours of direct sunlight daily.

Care

• Allow soil to dry between waterings, then water thoroughly.
• Reduce watering in winter but don't let roots dry out completely.
• Deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms.
• Pinch stems to promote bushiness and prevent legginess.
• During active growth, fertilize every two weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer at half strength. Stop fertilizing in winter.
• Repot in spring as needed to refresh soil.

Pests & Diseases

Common issues stem from low light or improper watering (too much or too little). Yellow leaves signal watering problems—adjust and move to a brighter location.

Recommended Varieties

• Common or Zonal Geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum) thrive in containers and outdoors.
• Ivy-Leaf Geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) are perfect for hanging baskets, window boxes, and containers.

Tips & Trivia

• Crushed geranium leaves can help stop minor bleeding.
• In the language of flowers, scarlet geranium signifies silliness.
• Geraniums are toxic to Japanese beetles, deterring those pests naturally.