Content
- Geraniums are ideal plants for the balcony
- Plant geraniums properly and care for them
- Choice of location
- Geraniums prefer a nutrient-rich substrate
- Do not stand on the balcony too early
- Combine geraniums with other flowers
- Tips
Geraniums belong to the most popular balcony plants
Geraniums are ideal plants for the balcony
Geranium - actually called pelargonium and therefore should not be confused with the local stork beak (lat. Geranium) - are popular balcony flowers. With good care, the plants bloom from May to fall into the fall, often even until the first frost.
Plant geraniums properly and care for them
The garden centers and florists often say geraniums do not need much care: the opposite is the case. So that the plants bloom lushly throughout the summer and become an eye-catcher, you have to water them regularly, fertilize them and, in addition, clean up the withered and withered. Geraniums need a lot of moisture and are one of the heavyweights, but at the same time you should not flood or overfertilize them - this only leads to various unsightly diseases. Already when planting you can directly influence the well-being of the plants.
Choice of location
First of all, this includes the choice of the proper location. Balconies are ideal for geraniums, which are oriented to the south, southwest or southeast and thus lie in the sun all day long. In addition, the sun-hungry plants need a lot of heat and good protection in the event of rainy weather.
Geraniums prefer a nutrient-rich substrate
As a substrate, geraniums prefer a nutrient-rich and well-drained soil. In the trade, you can purchase special geranium soil that is tailored to the needs of the flowers. But you can also mix the needed soil yourself, for what you do
need.
Do not stand on the balcony too early
Furthermore, it is necessary not to put geraniums on the balcony too early in the year. The plants are very sensitive to cold and therefore should not go outside the icy saints (about mid-May) into the open. In addition, geraniums tend to stop growing at temperatures below 10 ° C.
Combine geraniums with other flowers
Some balcony gardeners like it pure and plant geraniums solo - often mixed in one color or different colors. Very popular is the combination of red and white geraniums, as they are known from the lush geranium plantations in Bavaria and Tyrol. However, the flowers can be wonderfully combined with many other flowering plants:
You can mix strongly hanging and standing varieties together. The important thing is that the planting neighbors have the same needs with regard to location, substrate and care.
Tips
If you want to place the geraniums in a balcony box, choose a model with a saucer if possible. So excess water can drain and your geraniums do not get wet feet.