PERENNIALS > GERANIUMS > sow

IN THIS GUIDE

GERANIUM GUIDES

geranium seedlings in a tray

Container GrowingCuttingsDeadheadingFeedingGrowing From SeedPruningVarietiesWinter tending

Both tender geranium ( technically Pelargoniums ) and hardy Geraniums are popular addition to UK gardens , and both can be grown from hack plants or cuttings .

“ Cuttings or divisions are the easiest agency of circularize Pelargonium and Geranium , but seed sowing is the preferred option if a heavy number of plants are required , such as for summer bedding , ” says Colin Skelly , a Master Horticulturist .

bright pink flowering Pelargonium flowers with garden in background

Many Geranium types can also be cultivated from seed by keep an eye on this simple process :

If you are look to grow Pelargonium in your garden from seed , Zonal bedding character Pelargoniums and coinage like Pelargonium odoratissimum can comparatively well be grown or circulate in this way .

Hardy Geraniums can often also be sow in from semen .

geranium cabaret mix seed packet shown in focus, with growing tray in background

However , this is a tenacious and time - consuming business and is not usually the easiest agency to get these works for your garden .

It is deserving noting that some Geranium coinage and cultivars will number true from cum while others will not .

audacious types develop from semen can unremarkably take a yoke of days to reach their full potentiality .

a seed propagating tray with stick that reads ‘geranium’

Hardy geranium often self - germ readily , and unpaid worker seedlings can well be potted up and placed elsewhere in your garden .

Read on for more information about this process – just commemorate that there will be a lot of variance depending on which specific case and cultivar of Geranium you plan to grow .

When To Sow Geranium Seeds

Pelargonium seeds should be sown in late winter ( late January/ February ) indoors or under masking .

For many types , a heated disseminator will be require to supply sufficient temperature for good sprouting rate .

Typically , germ of stamp type will germinate well between 22 - 26 ° coulomb and as much light as potential .

geranium seeds being held in the palm of a hand

Hardy Geranium come can be sown either in autumn or in spring .

1) Prepare Suitable Containers

Geraniums can all be sow into seed trays or small green goddess .

These should be fill with a desirable seed - starting compost or growing medium , which is moist yet free - draining .

Using a dirt - less potting medium can be a good idea as Geraniums can sometimes be prone to fungal issues like damping off .

two very small geranium seedlings

verify that you commit expert hygiene to reduce the chances of an emergence of this eccentric .

2) Sow Geranium Seeds

Both genus Pelargonium and hardy Geranium seeded player should be urge on equally into the firm surface of the moist growing medium , then covered over only lightly with a mix of compost and grit .

3) Wait For Germination

In a bright location , indoors or under cover , in suited conditions , Pelargonium come can be expect to germinate within a few weeks , and most types should flower around 16 weeks from sow in .

With stalwart Geraniums , it is important to make trusted that the medium does not dry out completely .

Hardy Geraniums may shoot at different pace after a full point of frigid stratification , but normally , the main flush of sprouting , whether the seeds are sown in fall or former spring , is expected in former spring .

two trays of geranium seedlings in a greenhouse

Most species bloom a twelvemonth after germination , but some take two years .

4) Prick Out & Pot On Geranium Seedlings

Once Pelargonium or Geranium seedling are heavy enough to manage , these can then be prick out and potted into pots filled with a estimable tone peat - costless compost .

5) Plant Out From Late Spring

Once they have rooted powerfully , Geraniums can be planted out from belated spring .

With tender type , it is of path of paramount grandness that you do not plant out too betimes , as a later frost could kill these works .

Make certain that you harden off plants sown and grown on indoors before establish out .

a geranium seedling that has been planted out in compost

Also , ensure that you choose a planting position for your new plants that is suited to the particular coinage or cultivar that you have chosen to grow .

foliage of a matured geranium seedling in the garden