The Best Time To Prune Geraniums For Vibrant Blooms That Will Last And Last

With their vivid blooms and easy-going nature, geraniums are a popular choice for beginner and experienced gardeners alike. They brighten up the garden and are relatively straightforward to care for. But, many geraniums can look a bit leggy and untidy if left to do their own thing. Pruning your geranium regularly helps it stay healthy. Plus, doing so will allow your geraniums to bloom again with healthy, beautiful flowers. However, before you get your pruning shears out just yet, you need to check the type of geranium you have to know when to prune it!

True geraniums (Geranium spp), also known as cranesbill or hardy geraniums, are flowers that come back year after year. However, their tender cousins are also called geraniums. Tender geraniums (Pelargonium spp.) are evergreen plants that tend to be biannual or short-lived perennials and need slightly different care, even when it comes to pruning. If you have hardy geraniums in your garden, these perennial plants can be pruned in summer for more blooms. A summer prune to deadhead and tidy them up after flowering will promote new flowers later on in the season and rejuvenate their health. 

If your geraniums are established but looking unhealthy and leggy, you may wish to remove half or three-quarters of their stems to improve their shape. This will also help them direct their energy to new flowers and foliage. When doing this, cut just above the node in the stem. Afterwards, apply some fertilizer. You can also give your geraniums a light tidy up in the fall when they have died back. Removing dead, diseased, or scraggly stems in the fall will prepare your geraniums for spring growth.

So, what about tender geraniums? The flowers can be left outside to die over winter (depending on your climate), taken inside for protection, or stored while dormant. If you choose to bring your flowers inside during the fall, prune them straight away to promote healthy growth and blooms. However, if you have left them to go dormant, a spring prune is best.

When bringing your tender geranium inside as a potted plant for overwintering, trim back one-third to one-half of the stems. Geraniums are an easy plant to propagate from cuttings, so you may wish to keep some of the stems to grow new flowers with. As your geraniums grow over the winter months, feel free to pinch them back if they start to look leggy. This may happen during this time due to a lack of light. For geraniums that you have left to go dormant over winter, either hung up or in paper bags, cut them back in March before potting them up. Prune it to about one-third of its original size, taking off any dead or damaged foliage. When it comes time for them to bloom, enjoy!