Geraniums, technically pelargoniums, reward gardeners who match planting time to their zone. Plant too early after a late frost and you lose the season’s first blooms; plant at the right window and they’ll flower steadily for months with very little fuss.That window varies widely by region. Zone 3 gardeners need to start seeds 12 weeks before last frost to get blooms before the season ends, while zone 8 growers can plant as early as March and pick heat-tolerant ivy-leaf types to keep flowering through the hottest stretch of summer. If yours have stopped blooming, developed yellow leaves, or gone leggy, our symptom-by-symptom guide works through the likely causes one at a time so you’re not guessing at a fix. Deadheading spent blooms regularly also keeps plants flowering longer into the season than leaving them to set seed on their own.Below you’ll find planting calendars by zone plus care and troubleshooting guides for every stage of the season.
Brown spots, no blooms, or a wilting stem? Match the exact symptom to its real cause — and learn which geranium problems don’t need treatment at all.
Start geranium seeds indoors in January for Zone 3’s May 15 last frost, pick varieties tested in cool northern summers, and protect plants until September.
Zone 8 geraniums bloom March to November if you pick heat-tolerant varieties and know the summer cutback trick that triggers fall rebloom.
Zone 7 geraniums go quiet in August — here’s the late-summer pruning trick that brings them back, plus exact planting dates for 7a and 7b.
Zone 6 geranium guide with exact planting dates for 6a and 6b, which of the four types handles the full season, and a 3-method overwintering decision framework so you’re not guessing every September.
Zone 8 geraniums bloom March to November if you pick heat-tolerant varieties and know the summer cutback trick that triggers fall rebloom.
Zone 7 geraniums go quiet in August — here’s the late-summer pruning trick that brings them back, plus exact planting dates for 7a and 7b.
Zone 5 geraniums: plant tender Pelargoniums after May 10 (5a) or April 25 (5b), or grow hardy cranesbills that survive −20°F winters. Planting calendar, 5 varieties, 3 overwintering methods.
Zone 10 gardeners grow geraniums as perennials—but summer heat is the real challenge. Discover the best heat-tolerant varieties, exact planting dates, and how to keep blooms coming all year.
Zone 4 has two very different geraniums. Five cranesbill species survive -30°F winters in the ground; tender Pelargoniums need a February start and fall overwintering. Here’s the full calendar.
Zone 9 geraniums shut down in July — but a timed August cutback and the right cultivar give you color in spring AND fall. Here’s the full zone 9a/9b care calendar.
10 proven geranium companion plants matched for pest control, summer color, and containers — plus what the Japanese beetle research actually shows.
Most geranium cuttings fail from one skipped prep step. Learn the complete method: bud removal, the no-dome rule, and a troubleshooting guide for common failures.
Every balcony and container gardener understands this feeling: you buy lovely geraniums (Pelargoniums) with dreams of colorful blooms streaming down, but you end up with a pot of lush green foliage and very few blossoms. You can feel like you’re doing something wrong. But what if the secret to a beautiful flower eruption wasn’t in a pricey, colorful bottle from …
Pelargonium won’t bloom indoors without the right temperature drop at night — here’s the exact light, watering rhythm, and seasonal rest cycle that keeps zonal and regal types flowering.