Gerans are among the most chosen flowers for balconies and terraces, but just a moment to see them suffer. Here are the 5 most common mistakes that can ruin them, with some useful tips to avoid them without complicating their lives.
Colorful, robust and always generous: geraniums seem the perfect solution for those who want a cheerful balcony without too many commitments. Yet, under their simple air, precise requests are hidden. There are those who plan them convinced that it is enough to water every now and then, maybe a splash in the evening, and everything will be wonderful. Too bad it doesn’t work like this. A few mistakes are enough, often unaware, and the plant begins to lose blows: sad leaves, blooms that are made to want, a general air of “I can’t do it”.
We look around and the comparison with the neighbor’s geraniums makes the doubt rise: maybe there is something wrong. In reality, yes, but nothing unrecoverable. You don’t need to be botanical, enough stop making mistakes and make a pair of adjustments. Sometimes the secret is not doing more, but doing better. And as for certain recipes, avoiding too much mistake can change everything.
Too much water: the silent enemy of the roots of geraniums
This is a classic. The idea that “more water = more life” has done more damage than anything else. Gerans do not love continuous humidity, quite the contrary. If the roots remain in Mollo, they rot. And from then on, recovering is complicated.
How to understand it? Simple: just put a finger in the earth. If you feel wet, leave it alone. If it is dry, it’s time to act. And no full sautés, for heaven’s sake. It’s like forcing someone to walk with wet shoes. In the long run, nobody holds.
Wrong light: when the sun makes the difference
Gerans want the sun, and want it in the face. Keeping them in the shade is like closing a colorful picture in the attic: it loses all its meaning. A strong and direct light for at least half of the day is ideal.
Attention to balconies facing north, shielding windows, corners perpetually in the twilight. In those cases, it is better to change the plant. If, on the other hand, you notice that the branches stretch and become fragile, it means that they are literally looking for light.
Vases unsuitable for geraniums: too small or without holes
A tiny vase is like a narrow jacket: it stands for a while, then it becomes a torment. Gerans need space to expand and to breathe the roots. The soil must be airy, never compact as concrete.
And then there are the notorious vases without holes. Without drainage, the water stagnates and the decline begins. The terracotta ones remain a clever choice: they regulate humidity, last over time and, let’s face it, they also have a certain style.
No pruning? Farewell farewell
Cutting it seems brutal, but for geraniums it is a blessing. The old branches tire, the faded flowers steal energy. By eliminating them, the push to renew itself is given to the plant.
A little at a time, without haste, they remove ruined leaves, the long branches are shortened, a more harmonious shape is given. And, as if by magic, new jets arrive, stronger and full of desire to blossom. Even at the end of the season, a nice scissority never hurts.
No fertilizers: Gerans in stand-by
Without fertilizer, the geranium goes out slowly. He doesn’t die, of course, but he doesn’t really live either. The leaves pale, the flowers become rare, the energy falls.
A liquid fertilizer, every two weeks from May to September, makes the difference. We need phosphorus, you need potassium, you need a little help to keep the party alive.
And if the leaves yelling, before blaming the water, it is better to ask when it was the last time you fed your plant.
Photo © Stock.adobe
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