Discover the five care tips geraniums need to bloom beautifully during the summer.
Geraniums are the most common outdoor plants in Mexican courtyards. They often attract attention due to their attractive flowers and vibrant colors, which usually appear during the summer. They are also known for their hardiness; however, you must know how to care for them to produce beautiful blooms. Below, we’ll explain five tips to make your geraniums the envy of everyone.
- Place your geraniums in a location where they receive sunlight
Geraniums are very sun-loving plants ; the more light they receive, the better their flowers and leaves will be. Depriving the plant of sunlight is usually the main reason it doesn’t bloom. Although they can live in partial shade, the more light they receive, the better their flowers will be.
In addition, they should be watered frequently, but with little water . EYE! When geraniums are waterlogged, the root can rot. If there is a mistake in their watering, geraniums begin to turn their green leaves yellow.
- Check in frequently
Healing Germanius
The geranium should be placed in a good substrate and fertilized frequently, at least once a month, with essential macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. If you want large flowers, you should buy fertilizers rich in potassium and phosphorus. - Prune geraniums at least twice a year
Geraniums need to be pruned well to ensure they bloom. It is recommended to do this in early autumn to eliminate any traces of summer heat, but if the winter is very harsh, you can wait until spring . It is worth noting that when pruning the plant, you can remove the green leaves to give it the desired shape, but also remove the flower stems from the bottom, not just the flowers. Remember to remove leaves that are in poor condition, yellowed, or affected by mildew. - Take care of your plants against pests
Periodic inspections should be carried out to detect the presence of new pests, as they generally attract various pests such as whiteflies, red mites, caterpillars, and worms. The leaves will show the first signs of pest, for example, in the case of red spider mites, they will show a white/yellow discoloration or small pits on the leaves showing that they have been consumed by caterpillars or worms and you may even find insect excrement.
German parasites
Geraniums have their own parasite, known as the “drill geranium,” which is a moth that lays eggs on the plant. Over time, they transform into worms and manage to bore into the geranium ‘s trunk , completely devouring the soft parts of the plant. This pest can be detected by observing the rotting stems and the typical hole through which this pest can be recognized.
- When watering, flowers and leaves should not be wet.
As sun-loving plants, wetting the flowers and leaves while watering can burn and weaken the plant.