SUCCULENTS: Geraniums - Pelargonium

Geraniums are very popular plants for both indoors and outdoors because of their long-lasting colourful blooms during summer. There are over 480 different varieties available and they are herbaceous perennials. You can plant them in hanging baskets, colourful pots, window-boxes, conservatories and in flower beds as ground cover.

People often confuse the geranium with the South African cousins, the Pelargoniums, both used to be in the same genus. True geraniums spread low to the ground, are tougher, resilient and adapt to more climates than the Pelargoniums. Pelargoniums are frost sensitive as they originate from the warmer climates of South Africa.

These hardy geraniums can be found in shades of pink, red or white with either single or double flowers. Their leaves are a deep green, lush and toothed.

Because they are wildflowers they do not need a lot of care when planted outdoors, keeping them indoors is a different story. They thrive best when receiving a few hours of sun, in moist, well-drained and fertilized soil.

Indoors: They need to be in a place with lots of sunlight (5-8 hours), and with temperatures between 11-29 degrees Celsius. A potting mix of a third soil, a third peat and a third perlite work best. You only need to water them once the soil in the pot is dry and you need to plant them out into bigger containers as they grow.

Outdoors: They need either morning sun with afternoon shade in the warmer areas and 6 hours of sunlight in the other areas but not full sun. Water once a week and use fertilizer once a month to keep ground pH at 6.5.

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