Geranium Care (Pelargonium): Easy Tips for Colorful Container Blooms

Botanical Name: Pelargonium x hortorum

Easy geranium care and big, colorful clusters of showy blooms make these Pelargoniums favorite flowering plants for containers.

Whether growing geraniums indoors or outdoors on a sunny porch or patio, Pelargonium hybrids can't be beat for spectacular vigor and bloom.

All summer, expect several flowerheads on succulent stems covering the plant.

Blooms may be single, semidouble, or double, in many shades of pink, salmon, red, purple, or white.

Caring for Geraniums Year-Round

Let the Sun Shine Plants that don't bloom lack light. Give your geranium maximum light spring through fall, including direct sun. Indoors, put in a sunny window.

Deadhead Geranium Flowers Remove spent flowers to keep plant neat and promote more blooms.

Pinch and Prune Pruning forces new growth and more flowers. Use sharp pruners at 45° angle to avoid tearing stems (attracts disease). Cut back hard in spring for compactness. Pinch growing tips to encourage branching.

Repot in Spring Geraniums bloom best slightly pot-bound. Move to a pot 1 size larger or keep same pot with fresh soil.

Winterizing Geraniums Saving geraniums yearly requires a cool winter rest. These tender perennials won't survive frost. Overwinter in a cool basement/garage (min 50°F / 10°C). Water sparingly but don't let soil dry completely. Allow foliage to die back, then cut stems hard in spring.

With good care, your geranium flowers year after year. Propagation from stem cuttings (root readily) or seeds easily grows your collection.

Geranium Care Quick Reference

Origin: South Africa

Height: 1–3 ft (30–90 cm)

Light: Bright light to full sun

Water: Water thoroughly, allow top 1 in (2.5 cm) to dry before watering again. Cut back in winter but don't let roots dry completely. Use drainage holes to prevent root rot.

Humidity: Average room humidity

Temperature: Cool nights (55–60°F / 13–16°C) and warm days (65–75°F / 18–24°C) trigger flower buds.

Soil: Peat moss-based soilless mix

Fertilizer: Feed spring and summer with high-phosphorus fertilizer to promote blooming.

Propagation: Take stem cuttings in spring/early summer and root in fresh mix. Geranium seed is easy too—sow in early spring.