How Much Sunlight Do Pinto Geraniums Need?

Sunlight

• Pinto geraniums need a full day's worth of sunlight, except on the hottest days. When temperatures top 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the plants benefit from afternoon shade. These geraniums are attractive when spilling over the edges of containers, but an added bonus of container cultivation is being able to move the geraniums to a shady spot when temperatures soar.

Climate

• These warmth-loving plants thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 and 10. As tender perennials, Pinto geraniums will not grow year-round in colder climates, but many home gardeners grow them anyway, caring for them as annuals and discarding them or over-wintering them once the cool weather of fall arrives. The plants bloom earlier than many other geraniums and continue to bloom all summer long, making Pinto geraniums a good investment even if they last for only one season.

Culture

• Pinto geraniums, like all geraniums, grow best in well-draining soil. They enjoy ordinary garden soil and do not need to be fertilized -- in fact, too much fertilization will result in less blooms and more leaves, according to Floridata. Plants grown in containers do well when rootbound and should not be re-potted. Keep the soil consistently moist -- but never soggy -- during warm weather. In cooler periods, let the top inch or so of the soil dry out between each watering.

Tips

• Pinto geraniums are excellent in containers and hanging baskets. Because they spread as they grow, they are also often used in borders and as bedding plants. As an added bonus, pinto geraniums are deer and rabbit-resistant, so you can use them to surround and protect other, tastier plants. In USDA zones 9 and 10, they may grow up to 3 feet tall and wide over the course of several seasons.