WHEN TO SET OUTSIDE
About a week after last frost, when nighttime temperatures remain above 50°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, flower colors, and fragrance. Place scented geraniums in the sun with a bit of afternoon shade, placed where you can easily pick a few leaves to enjoy their sensational fragrance. Be sure to grow in freely-draining garden soil or in clay pots with good drainage, and allow the soil to dry before watering. Flowers bloom 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 the sun in a cool room below 60F.
Watering Details:
1" per week is plenty; water when soil becomes noticeably dry down 2" down into pot. These large leaved geraniums require more water than others, but do not like saturated soils, so an even hand with water is best.
Fertilizer:
Fertilize twice a month with a balanced formulation such as 15-15-15.
Diseases & Pests:
Aphids and mealybugs can be troublesome; 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:
Cut stems add fragrance to cut flower bouquets and can be dried for a scented addition to potpourii.
