How to Get Geraniums to Flower Continuously

Plant the geranium in a pot with proper drainage holes to allow excess water to flow freely through the potting soil. Pooling of water inside a poorly drained pot will rot the roots of the plant and limit blooms.

Use new growing medium with the initial planting of the flower. Potting soil placed in containers loses nutrients very quickly as water leaches through the pot and out the drainage holes. A fresh mound of potting soil will give the geraniums a great start in their new container.

Plant the geranium so the top of the root ball lies about 2 inches below the pot rim. Firm the soil around the plant, and water until water drains freely from the bottom of the planter.

Choose a sunny location for the plant. If planting directly into the garden, amend the soil with peat moss or compost to improve the draining capability of the soil.

Water regularly when you notice the soil surface becoming dry. Press your finger into the potting soil (or garden soil) and press down 1 inch. If the soil feels powdery, the plant needs water.

Deadhead the plant continually throughout the growing season. Deadheading involves pinching off (with the fingers or pruning clippers) dying blooms to conserve energy for new foliage and flower growth. Waning geranium blooms appear as drying flowers or as sparse blooms as petals drop.

Clip long flower stems back to the main plant stem. You also can use a pinching movement with your fingers similar to deadheading to remove these spent flower stems. Remember that conserving the plant energy involves removing dead or dying flowers and stems to redirect energy stores to budding parts of the plant. Constant pinching back will produce geraniums that flower continuously.

Apply a soluble fertilizer once a week to encourage abundant blooms. Remember that fertilizer as well as water will leach out the bottom of the planter. Pour liquid fertilizer slowly around the base of the plant to allow plenty of time to absorb moisture. Do not get fertilizer on the leaves or flowers, since this can cause burns or discoloration.