Do You Need to Pinch Back Calliope Geraniums?

Growing Conditions

• The Calliope geranium is not fussy about the type of soil in which it grows, provided it is not heavy clay. Choose a sunny or partly sunny area, and amend the soil by digging a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic compost 12 inches deep. This plant also benefits when you add 1 pound of a fertilizer having an N-P-K ratio of 2-6-6 into the soil for every 100 square feet of planting area. Rake the soil level after you amend it with these materials and then set your Calliope geranium plants into holes about 12 inches apart.

Growing in Containers

• This plant performs well in containers as well as in flowerbeds located in sunny areas. When you grow the Calliope in a container, it is portable, allowing you to move it into a cooler, shadier area when the afternoon sun is intense. It is known as an ivy geranium, meaning it spreads; this characteristic makes it a good choice for hanging baskets and other hanging planters and window boxes.

Pinching Back the Calliope

• After a flower cluster fades from glory, it benefits the Calliope geranium when you pinch, break or use clippers to cut the bunch all the way back to the base of the flower stalk, where it grows from the main stem. Also, when your plant is young, make it bushier by pinching the tips from the forming ivy-like stalks before it begins to flower. If you pinch tips from branches after flower clusters begin to form, the plant will not bloom as soon as it will when you leave unopened flowers on the plant.

Fertilizing the Calliope Geranium

• Choose a water-soluble fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 20-20-20. Water your plant with it every two weeks, according to product instructions. If you prefer to use a time-release plant food, look for a product with an N-P-K ratio of 20-20-20 and use it every four to six weeks. To stimulate this plant to produce the maximum number of flowers, choose a plant food designed for boosting blooming; such products have a lower amount of nitrogen, such as 0-10-10 or 5-20-20.