WHEN TO SET OUTSIDE
About a week after last frost, when nighttime temperatures remain above 40°F.
PLACEMENT & CULTIVATION
Geraniums traveled from South Africa and were cultivated and marveled over in glasshouses by the early 1600s, and we love them still for their varied beautiful leaves and flower colors. Scented geraniums offer a summer of scent, best placed in sun and near where you can pick a leaf or two and enjoy their sensational fragrance. Be sure to grow in freely-draining soil or in clay pots with good drainage and allow the soil to dry before watering. Scented types do fine planted in the ground with summer rains not discouraging them. Flowers are produced in late spring and early summer after a cool period in fall and winter. Prune after flowering ceases to shape and prepare for bringing indoors in late fall before frost, if desired, placing in sun in a cool room below 60F.
Watering Details:
Water when soil is dry 2" down into pot. Geraniums suffer if the soil stays saturated with water, so water only after soil has dried.
Fertilizer:
Fertilize monthly with 5-10-5 low nitrogen organically sourced fertilizer. Do not fertilize in winter indoors.
Diseases & Pests:
Aphids and mealybugs can be troublesome; if detected, treat with an insecticidal soap or neem oil. Avoid botrytis by spacing properly, not wetting the foliage when watering, and keeping dead plant material, such as spent flowers and leaves, cleaned up.
When to Cut for Bouquets:
Adds fragrance to cut flower bouquets or dried for a scented addition to potpourii.
