Pelargonium – Facts and care tips

Scientific name (Latin): Pelargonium

Family: Geraniaceae (Geranium family)

For those who want to grow pelargoniums at home, it’s a rewarding plant to cultivate from seed to full-grown plant. To get the pelargonium to start blooming in June, you need to sow the seeds early in the year, no later than the end of February. This plant requires approximately 15 weeks to grow from seed to a stage where it can be planted outside, and only some hybrids and wild species can be grown from seed.

• Start by soaking the seeds for a couple of days before planting them in the soil. This helps the seeds to germinate a bit faster.
• Use a suitable seed compost or peat pellets, and place them in a small greenhouse. For faster germination, you need bottom heat of 20–22 °C.
• Once the seeds have sprouted, move them to a bright spot with less heat. At this stage, pelargoniums prefer a cooler room temperature. During this time of year, you’ll need to provide some extra plant lighting to ensure the plants get the light they need.
• Place the lighting about 10–15 cm above the plants and keep it on for about 16–18 hours per day.
• After around three weeks, the plants should have grown enough to be repotted into larger pots with more nutrient-rich soil. When the plants are about 10–15 cm tall, you can top them just above a leaf to encourage a bushier plant. After a few weeks, you can also trim the side shoots to about 5–7 cm in length.

Your pelargoniums should be placed in a well-drained, warm, wind-protected, and sunny spot to thrive and bloom. You can place them outside during the summer. Pelargoniums do not like to sit in wet soil, so check the soil and wait until it is almost completely dry before watering.

If you have mother plants that survived the winter, you can propagate them by using cuttings. Cut the plants back to about 10 cm in height, and take top cuttings of about 6–7 cm from what you just cut off. Leave 2–3 leaves at the top of each cutting and remove the remaining leaves and any buds. Place them in small pots filled with a light, moist, and sand-mixed soil. Place the pots in a mini greenhouse and make sure the cuttings have good air circulation.

Another method is to first root the cutting in a glass of water, allowing it to grow proper roots before planting it in the soil.

The pelargonium is considered an easy-care plant that requires little more than fertilizer and water to bloom and thrive. However, it does not do well in overly wet conditions, so it's best to let the pelargoniums dry out well before watering them. Only during mid-summer might you need to water them a little more frequently. To keep the plant fresh and healthy, it’s also a good habit to remove any wilted flowers and leaves when you see them.

This is a plant that can tolerate a lot, including light drought. This amazing plant can be planted and placed almost anywhere. It works excellently as a potted plant both indoors and outdoors, and it can also be planted in flower boxes, hanging baskets, pots, planter boxes, or directly in flower beds. You can also use pelargoniums as cut flowers, although they might not be the best choice for bouquets.

The beautiful flowers are perfect for decorating a summer cake or baked goods before a dinner party.

For pelargoniums, winter is a resting period, and they thrive best if placed in a bright and cool spot, around 10–15°C (50–59°F). Bring outdoor plants inside before frost starts to prevent damage. During winter, water them sparingly. As February–March approaches, you can begin to wake up the pelargoniums. Place the plants in a bright location at room temperature and start watering them more frequently. It's also a good idea to trim the pelargoniums down to about 10 cm in height. Wait a few weeks before repotting them. Choose an appropriately sized pot at first, but not too large.

The pelargonium, with its many varieties and growth habits, is a popular plant in many homes. It is not only loved for being easy to care for but also for brightening up the surroundings with its beautiful and colorful flowers that last all summer long. With its strongly scented leaves and irregular flowers, the pelargonium is like a work of art, and it is easy to understand why this plant has become a popular variant for growing numerous hybrid varieties.

In addition to South Africa, the plant is also found in the eastern Mediterranean region, the Arabian Peninsula, India, Australia, and New Zealand. The name pelargonium comes from the Greek word pelargos, meaning stork. This is due to the seed heads' beak-like point, which is compared to a bird's beak. Even the family name Geraniaceae came about under similar circumstances, derived from the Greek word geranos, which in turn means crane.

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