Why don't geraniums bloom? What should I do if it grows upward and produces foliage but does not bloom? How to fix the problem and make geraniums bloom

Main reasons

Geranium is an unpretentious plant, so it can be planted by novice gardeners.
Over the years of selection, hundreds of varieties have been bred, which differ not only in color, but also in flower shape. This variety quickly made geraniums popular. Specimens without flowers look unattractive

The plant is correctly called pelargonium, but this name did not stick. Some varieties can be grown in the garden. Zonal species bloom almost all year round. Their peculiarity is that the flowers have several shades.

A compact geranium with an unobtrusive aroma is Fragrant. The most beautiful is the Royal Pelargonium. Flowers can reach a diameter of 15 cm, with a dark spot on each petal.

Important! At home, geranium blooms from March to September. To do this, you need to create the right conditions

Correct pinching

Timely pruning of weak and elongated branches allows you to save the plant’s strength. Pinching allows you to stimulate the appearance of side shoots, which can also bloom.

Pruning should be done in early spring. To do this, the upper part of the stem is removed. It can be rooted and sprouted separately

Young plants (up to two years old) are pruned once every 3-4 months, since at this stage it is important to achieve the correct formation of the crown

Pinching is carried out with a clean stationery knife or scissors. If the branches have become too long, they can be trimmed a little more. It is better to place the pot with the plant in a sunny place, as the light will allow it to recover faster.

Without pinching, geraniums look unsightly, as the stems can become very stretched.

Important! Special attention should be paid to the condition of the stems. If they are affected by diseases or pests, they need to be cut off along with a healthy area of 3-4 cm

Incorrect pruning

Many people want to achieve wild flowering of geraniums and use various tricks to achieve this. Any pruning must be carried out according to the rules, otherwise it will harm the plant.

The shoot is cut only by 1/3 and the uppermost part is removed. It is this technique that helps awaken the lateral buds. Sometimes a person can overdo it and remove most of the stem. In this case, the geranium may stop growing for some time.

Important! If there is a fear of removing too much, then it is enough to remove 2-3 cm of the top of the shoot. It is impossible to correct incorrect pruning; all you can do is wait for it to grow stems

In this case, you can find out how to fertilize geraniums, since fertilizing stimulates growth

It is impossible to correct incorrect pruning; you can only wait for it to grow stems. In this case, you can find out how to fertilize geraniums, since fertilizing stimulates growth.

cramped potty

Timely replanting of geraniums allows the root system to develop correctly. If there is a lack of soil, a deficiency of nutrients occurs and the geranium will not have enough strength to form buds.

An overly large pot will also do harm, since then the plant will begin to actively grow root mass, rather than flower stalks. Determining the size of a normal container is simple - it should be 1-2 cm larger than the earthen clod.

You can determine the tightness of the pot visually. Roots will be visible above the soil's surface and may also grow through drainage holes.

Important! Geraniums up to three years old are replanted every year in early spring. This must be done before flowering begins.

Plants older than three years are replanted once every two to three years.

Temperature violations

Making geraniums bloom is not so easy, since the formation of buds occurs only when special conditions are created.

A period of rest is necessary to stimulate flowering

In spring, summer and autumn, the temperature should be maintained at 23-25 °C, and in winter it should be lowered to 16 °C. Such changes will allow the plant to expend less energy and accumulate nutrients in the stems and leaves.

During the dormant period, geraniums are rarely watered and receive light for at least 5 hours a day.

Important! When winter passes, you can begin to gradually increase the temperature and the amount of watering. The appearance of the plant can indicate the correctness of the regime.

Red foliage indicates that the geranium is freezing and needs to be placed in a warm place

The appearance of the plant can indicate the correctness of the regime. Red foliage indicates that the geranium is freezing and needs to be placed in a warm place.

How to make geraniums bloom

If a geranium does not bloom, it is not satisfied with the conditions in which it is located, or the plant is not healthy. First you need to review the temperature conditions and watering regime. If the plant is indifferent to air humidity, then a lot depends on the condition of the soil.

Conditions for flowering

Overwatering is dangerous for the plant; stagnation of water leads to rotting of the roots and death of pelargonium. To prevent this from happening, drainage mixtures are used. The plant needs to be watered when the top layer of soil dries out. It is recommended to moisten young flowers and shoots using a tray in which the pot is located. In addition to excessive watering, the roots of the plant can be seriously damaged by insects or fungal diseases. Eliminating them does not cause problems; this is done using special means by removing the affected areas of the plant. If the problem was pests, the pelargonium will soon recover and bloom.

We must remember! The planting container should be small in size. It is better for the plant to be slightly cramped than too spacious. If geranium grows in boxes, then the distance between flowers should be about 3 centimeters. You can plant several bushes in one pot; it is believed that pelargonium loves competition. Therefore, such conditions will give impetus to flowering.

Also, one of the reasons why pelargonium does not bloom is the lack of sunlight or its excess. The main thing is to avoid direct rays, but also not to keep the plant in the shade all day long. In such conditions, the plant will survive, but will not be attractive and will lose its decorative appearance. Royal geranium, which is distinguished by larger leaves, especially loves light.

Geranium in bloom

Expert advice

To make geraniums bloom, experts recommend giving them a temperature difference. For example, send it to a cool balcony or take it out into the garden. This is true for spring and summer, when warmth during the day gives way to coolness at night. In this case, frost and temperatures close to zero must be avoided, otherwise the plant will die. There should also be no drafts that harm pelargonium.

Perhaps the plant is not in the right place, so you can move it around the room in search of a comfortable position. If the geranium starts to bloom, you need to leave it alone.

It is not recommended to place geranium next to moisture-loving plants; this can cause yellowing of the leaves and affect flowering.

Soil composition

Geranium prefers loose soil and the obligatory presence of drainage. Young plants are recommended to add to the soil:

sand;
peat;
perlite

If you do not use soil created specifically for geraniums, you can purchase black soil and mix perlite to it. It improves the quality of the soil, absorbs moisture, and then gradually releases it to the plant. It also reduces excess soil acidity, which can harm geraniums, and provides air access to the roots. It is recommended to add river sand to the soil.

Additional Information! The quality of the soil can be checked by moistening it and holding it in the palm of your hand. If it crumbles, it is suitable for use; if it forms a lump, it is better to discard it.

Garden soil is also used, mixed with sand and peat.

Ideal for planting geraniums is soil prepared from:

peat;
sand;
turf;
leaf soil;
humus.

Perlite in the soil

Loose and porous soil promotes plant growth and will help it bloom. Excess moisture and increased acidity levels, on the contrary, can harm geraniums.

Why doesn't geranium bloom at home?

Geranium (pelargonium) is valued for its lush and very spectacular flowering, lasting for several months. But if the rules of care or maintenance conditions at home are not followed, the bush will bloom very sparingly or inflorescences will not form on it at all. In this article I will try to name all the main reasons why indoor geraniums do not bloom.

The main reasons why geraniums do not bloom

Pelargonium is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and low maintenance requirements, and in order for it to stop blooming, you need to “try hard.” But unfortunately, this happens quite often. Below we will describe in detail several main reasons for poor flowering of geraniums or its complete absence.

Depleted substrate

Incorrect feeding is a mistake due to which geranium does not bloom.
Despite the fact that a nutrient substrate was used during planting, as the flower grows and develops, it is depleted. Therefore, when growing geraniums indoors, an adult bush is replanted at least once every couple of years, and it will also require regular feeding. For more luxuriant flowering, it is recommended to use phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Iodine perfectly stimulates the flowering of such plants. To do this, it must be watered from time to time with a solution consisting of 5 glasses of well-settled water and 1 drop of iodine.

The soil can be purchased at the store, or you can prepare it yourself

Growing such a flower in clay soil is extremely undesirable, since it does not allow liquid to pass through well, and this harms the root system of the bush. For this purpose, it is best to use a neutral, light, loose, well-drained substrate that allows air to pass through.

Before planting, do not forget to make a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot, and broken brick, expanded clay or pieces of polystyrene foam are best suited for this.

Irregular cuttings

In order for the bush to bloom not only regularly, but also wildly, it must be pruned in a timely and correct manner.
This is done in early autumn or in spring, while removing yellow leaf plates, dried stems, and also all branches growing from the axils of the leaves (not from the root). You should also cut out the stems growing inside the bush.

Inappropriate potty

If the container in which pelargonium grows is very large, then it will actively grow roots and greenery to the detriment of flowering.

Pelargonium does not like when there is a lot of free space and tends to grow

That is why for such a flower they choose a pot that is only a few centimeters larger than the root system of the bush.

Do not allow liquid to stagnate in the root system of the flower; to do this, try to adhere to the correct watering regime.

It should be watered only when the top layer of soil has dried out.

If you systematically flood a plant, it will not only stop blooming, but may also wither and eventually die. Geranium is one of those crops that can tolerate short-term drought much more easily than waterlogging.

The dormant period of such a plant is observed in the cold season.

If during this time it rests well, then its flowering will be more abundant and beautiful. And to do this, you need to move it to a cool (13 to 15 degrees) and well-lit place. Water it very sparingly and infrequently, while protecting it from drafts. It is also recommended to illuminate the flower every day for at least 5 hours.

Expert advice for lush flowering

Pelargonium flowering will depend on plant care

To achieve abundant and regular flowering of geraniums, experts recommend:

If the bush does not bloom, then it must be systematically rearranged in different places on different windowsills, which will help to find the place that best suits it. However, as soon as the buds form, turning and moving the bush is prohibited, otherwise they may fly around.
As soon as the buds are formed, you need to pinch the tops of the shoots, thanks to this the bush will not build up green mass, which will have a beneficial effect on flowering.
When growing several bushes at once in one container in the spring, be sure to replace the top layer of substrate, about 30 mm thick, with a new one.

Shock therapy

“Shock therapy” is used only in extreme cases, when all the tips described above have not helped to achieve abundant flowering of geraniums. To do this, you should carry out severe pruning, during which you need to leave only 2 or 3 eyes on each of the branches.

Try replanting the flower in open ground

Also, if possible, the flower is transplanted into open ground. This is done in the last spring or first summer weeks. At the beginning of autumn, the bush is replanted in a container and brought into the house.

What it is?

Pelargonium and geranium are not synonymous with the same plant. In fact, pelargonium belongs to the Geraniaceae family, but is a separate plant species. It is she who grows indoors at home, decorating window sills with bright and lush caps of flowers. Geranium grows on the street, decorating flower beds.

In fact, pelargonium and geranium are related plants. Geranium grows in different climates (for example, in the tropics, temperate climates, and even on mountain slopes). Its leaves and stems are the same as those of pelargonium. In addition, both types of Geraniums are light-loving and not too demanding to care for. They exude a pleasant aroma.

At the same time, she loves care very much and is afraid of the cold. If geranium feels great in open ground, then pelargonium must be removed from the street in a warm place for the winter.

Thus, a wild plant adapts to natural conditions, and what we grow on windowsills at home requires our attention and care. Considering that the name “geranium” is more familiar to everyone, we will use it later in the article.

No pruning or replanting

Geraniums require timely replanting and pruning. If these procedures are carried out at the wrong time or ignored, then the pelargonium will not produce buds in due time and will only stretch out.

As soon as the plant begins to stretch, you should immediately trim off excess branches and leaves, forming a neat bush.

Pelargonium fragrant

Lemon geranium also blooms modestly and rarely. With proper care, flowers appear only in summer.

When growing these varieties of pelargonium, you should not expect abundant flowering.

Most often, geraniums do not bloom due to improper or insufficient care. Providing all the conditions necessary for the plant in most cases helps to achieve the appearance of bright flowers in pelargonium.

Care instructions

Proper watering. In winter, pelargonium is rarely watered; it is enough not to let the soil dry out. In the summer, the procedure becomes more frequent and increases in volume. There is no need to overdo it. Watering using a tray is considered a safe option. This way the roots will never rot, the soil will always be sufficiently moist, and the air humidity around the flower will be optimal.
Feeding. Flowering plants are fertilized with complex mineral supplements. It is recommended to start at the end of February. Once every 3-4 weeks, a mineral solution containing potassium is added. When flowering occurs, fertilizing is carried out more often, once every 14 days.
Transfer. This is the most important element in caring for pelargonium. It serves to renew the soil and provide suitable containers. The transplant is done in the fall. Royal pelargonium does not tolerate strong winds and scorching sun, so if the gardener decides to put it outside for the summer, then the new pot must be placed in a gazebo, on the veranda or in other protected places.
Trimming. A procedure that is aimed at balancing the above-ground and underground parts. It is produced after flowering has ended. Side shoots must be removed, but the main ones are only shortened, excess foliage and flower stalks are removed.

When can pelargonium be replanted?

A planned transplant for a pet is done 2 times a year. When is the best time to replant? Florists call the end of winter a suitable period for the procedure.

After winter, the plant will come out of dormancy and begin to come to life. It is recommended to do this work in the spring - from February to April. The day becomes longer, giving rise to active plant growth. Many gardeners recommend replanting in the fall, after flowering. In summer you can also replant if pelargonium does not bloom.

Urgent transplant

In addition to planned work, there may come a time when an urgent transplant is necessary.

There are several reasons:

The space in the pot is becoming limited. You can notice it by the roots that begin to appear below from the drainage holes.
The plant slows down and does not want to bloom. The soil mixture may have been selected incorrectly.
The leaves begin to turn yellow, but the soil is constantly moist. The roots began to hurt and rot.

When not to replant

Is it possible to replant during budding? No you can not. It is necessary to wait until the bush fades, otherwise the inflorescences will fall off, the leaves will turn yellow, and the seedling itself may die.

If a transplant is urgently required during flowering, then the transshipment technique is used. Before transshipment, the buds should be trimmed so that the flower directs all its forces to the development of roots. Then transfer from one container to another pot. After transshipment, add soil to fill the voids.

Winter is also a prohibited time of year for this event. The plant will simply die.

Favorable days in 2022 according to the lunar calendar

Pelargonium is so loved by gardeners that it can be seen on almost every window. Many flower growers carry out all their work in the spring according to the lunar calendar.

Favorable days for planting pelargonium in 2022

April - 14-15, 20-22;
May - 10-11, 17-18.

Flower transplantation does not always take place according to the lunar calendar. Geraniums need to be replanted in cases where the flower turns yellow, grows poorly, or roots are visible in the holes of the pot, or if they have come out on top of the substrate.

Geranium stretches but does not bloom

We recommend reading our other articles

Cucumbers in tomatoes for the winter
How to replant grapes
Best Egg Breeds of Chickens
The best breeds of laying hens

Most often, geranium begins to grow vigorously upward at home if it does not have enough light. This can occur at any time of the year. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to adjust the lighting, place the pot on a lighted windowsill, or illuminate it with a phytolamp in winter, for example.

The second reason for the shoots to stretch out in the absence of flowering is a large pot. Geraniums don't need much space. In a large container, it grows the root system and greenery, but almost never blooms. But if you choose a small pot for the culture, then the flower, on the contrary, will begin to bloom.

Interesting! To provoke beautiful flowering, you can plant several geranium flowers in one container with a distance of up to 5 cm. When competition appears in space, the geranium produces flowers, and even its foliage becomes more saturated in color.

High-quality insecticides are used to control pests

Aftercare rules

In order for geranium to grow and bloom well, it needs to be properly cared for throughout the year, knowing all the features of this flower. The most important moment of development is spring awakening, when the bush is actively growing. At this moment, you need to help the plant as much as possible and apply suitable mineral fertilizers.

It is important that the amount of nitrogen is not more than 11%, because high levels will contribute to the appearance of exclusively greenery, without any flowering

Once consistently warm weather sets in, the flower is transferred to open ground or to the balcony. Due to the difference in temperature between day and night, the flower becomes active and begins to produce a large number of buds. For abundant flowering, it is worth picking off or trimming those inflorescences that have already withered.

Another important stage in the normal development and care of a plant is its pruning. Regulating greenery and cutting off old stems helps the bush to bloom; you should not carry out these activities only with royal geraniums, pruning is too stressful for them. The procedure for removing unnecessary parts of the plant is carried out in the fall, and at the end of winter you need to pinch the bush, which in the future will allow the geranium to bloom profusely.

The plant can be pruned in either autumn or spring, and the procedure will be different. Autumn pruning will look like this:

remove all faded inflorescences, wilted leaves and stems;
decide on the shape of the bush and remove all unnecessary shoots;
remove very long shoots or shoots without leaves - it is better to cut near the lower node; if you leave a stump near it, then new shoots will appear from it later;
in preparation for winter, it is worth cutting the main stem by a third of its length;
The pruning procedure is not performed in winter, as the plant is dormant.

If we talk about spring pruning, then it is a mandatory event, because it allows you to renew the greenery and give impetus to the formation of flower stalks. Due to spring pruning, the flowering period is delayed for a couple of weeks, but in the end the flowers grow larger and more beautiful. It is recommended to carry out these activities at the end of winter or beginning of spring.

If the bush is large, it is not recommended to prune it heavily, because it will take a lot of time to recuperate, and this may result in a complete lack of color. If the bush is young and small, then it can be shaped as desired, without harming its development. The main criterion for pruning will be the presence of at least two buds on the plant.

To create optimal conditions, the flower should be transplanted into open ground, so caring for it will be easier, and natural conditions will promote active growth and flowering. The time for transplantation is quite easy to determine; the main factor is the absence of significant temperature changes during the day or night. By autumn, it is worth planting the geranium in a pot again, pruning it heavily so that the bush begins to prepare for winter. Organizing a cool temperature will enable pelargonium to gain strength over the winter and actively begin to grow with the onset of spring.

As for care during flowering, it should be as correct as possible so that this process takes longer. Watering and fertilizing, which are carried out in a timely manner, are important. If you give a flower maximum time and attention, you can easily understand exactly how to care for it.

If the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off, it means that watering is insufficient and needs to be increased. It is worth assessing the humidity and temperature of the room in which the flower is located and adjusting the amount of moisture introduced.
If the foliage begins to wither and rot, then this is an indicator of excessive flooding of the flower. The solution in this situation is to stop watering for a while and place the pot in the sun.
The edges of the foliage begin to turn red due to exposure to cold. The flower can be located very close to the glass in winter, causing the leaves to freeze. It is worth moving the pot further away to protect the crown.
The foliage thins, falls off, exposing the stem - all these are reasons for the lack of light. You can solve the problem by moving the pot to a windowsill that is better illuminated by the sun.

To learn why geraniums don’t bloom and what to do, watch the following video.

How to do this correctly?

To properly pinch geraniums, you need to do the following:

First of all, you should carefully examine the shoot, which needs to be stopped in growth. The largest bud is found on it - this is the growth point, which is responsible for the active development of the flower. If you do not remove the bud at the top of the stem, it will continue to grow in height, but lateral shoots will not form. Find the main bud on the top of the head, carefully pinch it with clean hands; if the stem is already woody, you can take small scissors or a stationery knife and cut it

The operation must be carried out carefully so as not to damage the young leaves nearby and not to break the stem. It is worth understanding that after a certain time, the main stem will continue to grow upward, but while it adapts, side buds will awaken on it and give off branches. To form a bush, you should watch where the buds wake up first. If the shoots begin to grow in the wrong place where you need them, they are removed completely, then the buds you need will begin to produce layering.

In addition, it is worth paying attention to the following nuances:

The tools that will be used for pinching must be disinfected - it is advisable to use alcohol. In addition, scissors or pruning shears should be sharpened, and it is better to take a new blade for a stationery knife so as not to unnecessarily injure the geranium. Hands should also be sanitized to prevent third-party infection.
If no tool is used when pinching geraniums, then try not to pull the plant by the shoot, this will injure it and it will take a lot of time to recover.
Once all procedures are completed, the plant is transferred to a warm, well-lit place. In order for young cuttings to develop well, they need a lot of sunlight and warmth.
If unhealthy shoots appear on the geranium, they are immediately removed along with a portion of the healthy shoot, approximately 2-4 cm.
Places of cuts and pinching must be treated with antiseptic agents. This could be brilliant green, wood ash, activated carbon. If this is not done, the plant may get sick or begin to dry out from the cut site.

If you do everything correctly, the geranium will soon delight you with new shoots.

To make it thicker

In order to ultimately get a flowering compact bush on the windowsill, the top bud should be removed from the main shoot.

At the same time, the growth of the plant stops, it begins to gain strength to awaken the lateral growth points. If the stems begin to grow from the bottom of the main stem, they should be removed so that the plant gets a spherical shape.

So as not to grow upward

To stop the growth of geraniums, the upper part of the stem is removed. But sometimes it happens that after this procedure, layering begins to grow at the top of the main stem - they need to be removed.

The shoots that grow along the stem must also be pinched at the top point of growth so that they do not grow higher than the shortened main stem. If buds appear on the flower at this time, they should also be removed immediately, otherwise the side shoots will be thin and weak.

Blossomed luxuriantly

It is worth understanding that only young layers of geraniums gain color, therefore, to obtain a lushly flowering plant, you need to systematically pinch it. 5 leaves are left on the young layer, the rest is removed. On all shortened cuttings, lateral buds will begin to wake up, and as a result, a magnificent plant with a lush, flowering crown will show off on the windowsill.

Pinching a plant grown from seed

If geranium is planted with seeds, then pinching begins as soon as 6-8 pairs of true leaves are formed on the young plant. In addition, only axillary layers that form from the bottom of the main stem should be left on young geraniums. Layers from the top should be ruthlessly removed.

Anyone who grows geranium or is just planning to do so will benefit from our experts’ materials on feeding the flower, including iodine, on choosing soil and pot, as well as how to properly replant and plant the plant.