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Care and Cultivation of Geraniums

Pelargonium
March 8, 1998
Nancy Hill wrote: Its me again! I want to plant geraniums in Florida. How to, where to plant, fertilize, sunlight needs....etc...
Thanks, Nancy
Geranium 'orange appeal'

Geraniums (Pelargonium species) are among the most popular flowering plants. They should be planted outdoors where they will receive at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily, but only after all danger of frost is past and the soil has warmed. They should be planted at the same soil level that they were growing at in their pot. The soil should be light, loose and well draining; to which you have added compost, leaf mold or peat moss. The optimum ph is 6.5 (slightly acid). Mulching is recommended to conserve water in the soil and to reduce high soil temperatures during the summer. Water geraniums at least once per week if you have had no rain. Geraniums dislike having wet leaves and flowers so it is best to use a soaker hose but if that isn't possible, water early in the day to allow leaves and flowers to dry before nightfall. Geraniums like to be well fed, so you should fertilize them with an all purpose 10-10-10 liquid plant food every 2-3 weeks when they actively growing. Remove the flowers promptly as they fade, or the bloom production will decline.
Most bedding plant geraniums are seed grown, and this is an excellent way to aquire different varieties. For the home gardener who wishes to keep a certain variety alive, geraniums will root easily from stem cuttings. Take cuttings in September from healthy plants which have been kept rather dry for a couple weeks. Use a clean, sharp knife and make a cutting 3 to 4 inches in length from the growing tips. Trim off the lower leaves from the cutting, and stick it into a coarse, sandy medium in a small pots or in flats, and water well. Place them in indirect light. Do not allow the cuttings to dry out. After roots are formed, move the new plants into full sun and water only enough to keep them from shriveling. Fertilize with a weak solution of liquid fertilizer every two weeks.

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