Geraniums are among the most appreciated and sought after plants. If well cared for, they give us beautiful and very colorful flowers. You’ve no doubt seen balconies full of flowering geraniums, so you might be wondering why your geranium plant doesn’t flower the same way.

One of the most common reasons geraniums stop blooming is exposure to very cold temperatures, frost or wind. Geraniums should be protected by placing them indoors during the coldest days. But this is not the only factor that prevents your geraniums from flowering: we list some tips below.

Place them in a brightly lit area.
These beautiful plants cannot flower if they do not have the right amount of natural light, i.e. sunlight. Artificial light indoors is not bright enough to stimulate geranium growth. Be careful though: do not place geraniums in full sun if they are in a shaded environment, they could undergo drastic changes and die.

That said, it’s important to know that geraniums can bloom even in partial shade (not full shade), so don’t be discouraged if you live in an apartment that doesn’t get enough exposure to sunlight.

Give the plant the right space to grow
When we buy a geranium plant and bring it home, we have to assume that it has been in the same pot for a long time. It is precisely for this reason that the plant must be transplanted into a larger pot, to give the roots the right space and the possibility of obtaining nutrients from a greater quantity of soil.

As the plants grow, they must be transplanted into larger pots, otherwise the plant will not bloom or even die.

Fertilize your geraniums
If your geraniums are planted in pots, it is advisable to fertilize them in spring and summer. Once they have reached their maximum size (geraniums are relatively small plants), it will no longer be necessary to transplant them and it is precisely for this reason that they require fertilization which can be:

organic fertilizer – you can choose any compost, humus, guano, manure, eggshells or banana. A handful is enough for each plant;
Chemical fertilizers: to make your geraniums flower you can opt for fertilizers produced specifically for this type of plant.
Water only when necessary
It might seem like generic advice, but giving the geranium plant the right amount of water is essential for it to flourish. Controlling the frequency of watering is not easy: many factors must be taken into account, such as the climate of the region in which you live, the type of soil or even the size of the pot.

Geraniums do not like completely dry soil, but at the same time too wet soil could damage them permanently. The surface layer of soil dries quickly, while the layer closest to the roots remains moist longer.

For this reason it is important to control the humidity of the soil and this can be done by inserting a wooden stake into it.

Preventing the arrival of the geranium butterfly
The geranium butterfly is an insect that causes a lot of damage to our favorite plants. In the larval stage it pierces the stems and eats the internal parts, blocking the growth and flowering of the plant.

There are targeted products to prevent and combat geranium moth. Ask your trusted nursery.

Pruning geraniums
An excellent tip for maintaining the health of geraniums is to prune them at the end of winter to encourage the growth of more stems and, therefore, more flowers. This pruning does not have to be drastic: just reduce the length of the stems by a few centimetres. Remember to use a clean, sharp knife or scissors.