When you’re ready to grow geraniums at home, you must pay attention to their specific needs. These flowers grow best in well-drained, slightly acidic to alkaline soil and need full sun to thrive. You can start your geraniums from seeds or a cutting from another geranium flower and plant them in gardening pots or directly in your garden bed.

Geranium bulbs should be planted in the spring, usually in April or May, once the risk of overnight frost has passed. Find a space in your yard or garden that gets full sunlight and drains well. Your geraniums hate soggy soil and can start to wither without enough light to help them grow.

Once your geraniums are planted, you’ll want to consider five factors to help your beautiful flowers thrive.

	Light As we’ve already said, your geraniums need full sunlight to grow, meaning they should have at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. If you live in an area with extremely hot temperatures, your plant will benefit from some afternoon shade to prevent the leaves and petals from getting burned.
	Soil Make sure your geraniums are planted in an area where the water drains easily, and the soil is slightly acidic. Your flowers need to be in a space where the soil is not overly compacted or waterlogged.
	Water You should water your geranium plants regularly to keep the soil evenly wet but not drowning. As a rule of thumb, the top inch of your soil should dry out slightly between watering sessions to avoid the risk of root rot due to soggy conditions.
	Temperature and Humidity Geraniums grow best in areas with moderate temperatures and mild humidity. You should also ensure you plant your flowers somewhere with good air circulation to reduce the chance of your geraniums getting fungal issues.
	Fertilizer Fertilize your geraniums once a month with a well-balanced fertilizer. You can use a water-soluble fertilizer, diluted to half strength, or a slow-release one to promote healthy growth.

If you want to grow new geraniums from your existing plant, you can easily take a cutting from it and place it in the ground as a new plant. Simply cut a 4- to 6-inch stem off your healthy plant, remove the lower leaves, and put the cutting in moist soil. Water this soil regularly, keeping it consistently moist until roots develop off the new stem. Once this happens, you can repot it or plant it in your garden.

Plants need to be pruned or deadheaded regularly to remove old growth and dead sprouts, allowing nutrients to reach healthy parts of the plant. Simply pinch or cut off dead pieces at their base to help your geranium plants thrive and improve the overall look of your flowers.

Geraniums are typically very resilient but can be susceptible to fungal diseases, pests like aphids or spider mites, and overwatering. You can help prevent these issues when you care for your geraniums properly and pay attention to their growing conditions.

There are several types of geraniums you can add to your garden, depending on what you want it to look like.

Ready to learn more about how to help your garden grow? Check out these other helpful blogs.