How to Grow Heat Loving Geraniums

It is possible that this has been the hottest July ever!  It is also possible that I say that every year LOL.  I am rarely prepared for the onslaught of daily temperatures over 100 degrees, and many of the plants don’t like it either.  One plant that LOVES the heat is the easy to grow Pelargonium, more commonly known as geranium.  Not to be confused with the hardy geraniums botanically known as Geranium.  Confused yet?

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Ivy and Zonal Geraniums

Ivy, zonal, and scented geraniums are great options for hot summer container gardens.  Their blooms come in many different colors (except yellow or blue) and they love hot weather.  Pictured above is one of my ivy geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum), a variety that seems to do better if you can offer it a bit of shade.  It has a cascading form and will prettily trail over a pot, window basket, or hanging basket.  

If you are looking for something more upright/mounding, a zonal geranium would be the best option (pictured above).  Zonal geraniums can take a lot more sun, and I have never had one wilt in the summer heat.  In fact, overwatering seems to be the biggest problem for these guys.  Always wait until the top inch or so of soil is dry before watering! 

Fancy leaf zonal geraniums (above) are a great option to brighten up a semi-shady area.  This type of geranium is not grown for blooms, but rather for its interesting foliage.  I have had this one wilt in full sun and 100 degree temps but it always bounces back quickly. A spot that gets morning sun would be the best option for one of these beauties.  

Scented Geraniums

Scented geraniums, such as ‘Peacock’ pictured above, are much beloved for their beautiful and fragrant foliage.  They do great for me in both full sun and part sun exposures.  To me, ‘Peacock’ smells a lot like the ‘Attar of Roses’ scented geranium.  ‘Chocolate Mint’ scented geranium (below) has gorgeous soft foliage and a yummy minty scent.

Scented geraniums can easily be shaped into topiary forms such as this adorable ‘Prince Rupert’.  Some trimming will be necessary with all scented geraniums because they grow quickly and can become lopsided if one side gets more sun than the other. 

When I began looking to purchase scented geraniums this past spring I could not find any!  And boy, did I look everywhere!  Finally, I realized I was going to have to purchase them online and luckily stumbled upon mountainvalleygrowers.com.  They ship little baby plants in 3″ pots and their website is a wealth of information.   The plants come small but grow quickly as you can see below with ‘Peacock’. 

Container Selection

Geraniums grow well in almost any type of pot.  I prefer to choose one that complements the beauty of the plant.  I have had geraniums do well in plastic, wood, and clay pots. They also do not necessarily need large pots.  Being a bit root-bound seems to help increase blooms and discourage excess wet soil that could lead to rot.

General Care

Geraniums are one of the easiest plants to take care of. They prefer quite a bit of sun, and to be allowed to dry out in between watering. It is also a good idea to fertilize them, especially if they are growing in pots. Any well rounded liquid fertilizer will do. Geraniums do not typically need repotting very often. When you do notice that your plant has overgrown its pot, only repot one size larger to avoid the risk of soggy soil mentioned above. If you want to (easily!) increase your stock of geraniums check out THIS POST all about taking cuttings!

Potential Problems

The only downside that I have experienced with geraniums is that White Cabbage Moth caterpillars find the flower buds to be quite tasty. They will quickly decimate the blooms on your plant, and this will last all season long.  Luckily I have found a great solution to that problem –Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) spray. You can read all about it in THIS POST!

Thanks for reading and feel free to drop your questions below. Also, you can check out my Instagram for daily garden happenings.

Happy Gardening!

Heather