Geraniums are plants that require a lot of resources for their prolonged blooming period. Therefore, we must constantly provide them with special nutrients and fertilizers. But every geranium lover must keep in mind the growing period of these plants before applying any fertilizer.
Fertilizers are plant nutrition, and for a potted flower that hasn’t enough space to find the substances it needs for a balanced growth, fertilization is absolutely necessary.
How to fertilize Geraniums
Geraniums are fertilized twice a month with complex mineral fertilizers which have a formula specially designed for this type of plant.
For young plants, professional geranium breeder recommend a fertilizer with an NPK 18-14-18 ratio, and as the plant develops, the amount of phosphorus (P) that we administer to the plant will drop to more than half.
For geraniums that are in their blooming period they recommend using a higher dose of potassium (K). This way your geraniums will have a lot of flowers. It’s advisable not to administrate too much nitrogen (N) because your geraniums will be leafy instead.
Liquid fertilizers
This type of fertilizers is diluted with water, and with the resulting solution you will fertilize the plant. It’s important to respect the recommended doses on the label. If the resulting solution is too concentrated you risk killing the plant by burning its roots. On the other hand, if you dilute it too much the solution will be less effective.
Liquid fertilizers act immediately in case if the plant has lack of something, and another important aspect is that their retention time in the soil is not very long, just a few days.
Solid fertilizers
High release solid fertilizers are very effective. They are more expensive, but they will feed the plant for almost 2-3 months.
Honestly, I found solid fertilizers that last for half a year which are visible in the pot soil in the shape of small balls.
That’s why, every time you purchase geraniums from professional breeders, ask them when they last fertilize the plant. It will be great if you continue with the same fertilization method.
