How to Care for Geraniums Indoors: Essential Guide

To care for geraniums indoors, provide bright, direct sunlight for at least six hours daily, water consistently when the top inch of soil is dry, ensure good drainage, and fertilize during the growing season. Regular pruning and pest checks will keep your indoor geraniums healthy and blooming.

Are you dreaming of vibrant blooms gracing your home year-round? Geraniums are wonderful plants, known for their cheerful flowers and lovely scent. Bringing them inside for the winter or growing them as houseplants can seem a bit tricky, but it’s absolutely achievable, even for beginners! Many find their indoor geraniums either leggy, not blooming, or struggling with pests. Don’t worry! With a few simple adjustments to their care, you can enjoy beautiful, thriving geraniums right in your living room. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from light and water to troubleshooting common issues, making indoor geranium care easy and rewarding.

Why Grow Geraniums Indoors?

Bringing your beloved geraniums indoors, or starting an indoor collection, offers a delightful way to enjoy their beauty and fragrance throughout the year, especially when outdoor weather turns cold. Indoor geraniums can act as living décor, adding a splash of color to windowsills and rooms. They are also a fantastic way to preserve favorite varieties that might not survive harsh winters outdoors in colder climates. For apartment dwellers or those with limited outdoor space, growing geraniums inside is a perfect solution for bringing a touch of the garden into your home. Plus, the act of nurturing these plants can be incredibly rewarding, fostering a connection with nature even in an urban environment.

Understanding Your Geraniums

There are two main types of plants commonly referred to as “geraniums” in gardening, and it’s important to know which one you have, as their indoor care needs can differ slightly:

True Geraniums (Hardy Geraniums): These are perennial plants that are often grown in garden beds and borders. While some varieties can be brought indoors, they are generally hardier and often grown for their foliage and subtle flowers. They are more tolerant of cooler indoor temperatures.
Pelargoniums (Annual Geraniums): This is what most people think of when they picture the classic, vibrant “geranium” with large flower clusters. These are technically pelargoniums. They are often grown as annuals outdoors but can be overwintered indoors with the right care. This guide will primarily focus on caring for these popular pelargoniums indoors.

Knowing your specific plant will help you tailor its care, but the essential elements of light, water, and soil remain crucial for both.

Essential Elements for Thriving Indoor Geraniums

Caring for geraniums indoors revolves around mimicking their preferred outdoor conditions as closely as possible. This means focusing on light, water, soil, and a bit of feeding.

1. Light: The Sunshine Solution

Geraniums are sun-lovers through and through! Indoors, they need as much bright, direct sunlight as you can give them.

Where to Place Them: The absolute best spot is a south-facing window. East or west-facing windows can also work, but may provide slightly less intense light. North-facing windows are generally too dim for prolific blooming.
How Much Light: Aim for at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. If your home doesn’t offer this naturally, consider using grow lights. Full-spectrum LED grow lights are energy-efficient and effective for supplementing natural light.
Signs of Too Little Light: If your geraniums become leggy (long, stretched stems with few leaves), have pale green leaves, or fail to bloom, they are likely not getting enough light.
Signs of Too Much Light (Less Common Indoors): While rare indoors, if the leaves start to look bleached or scorched, they might be getting too much intense, reflected heat through the glass.

2. Watering: Finding the Right Balance

Overwatering is one of the most common mistakes made with indoor plants, and geraniums are no exception. They prefer to dry out slightly between waterings.

How to Check: Stick your finger about an inch into the soil. If it feels dry, it’s time to water. If it still feels moist, wait a few more days.
Watering Technique: Water thoroughly until water runs out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Discard any excess water that collects in the saucer after about 30 minutes. Letting the pot sit in standing water can lead to root rot.
Frequency: This will vary greatly depending on your home’s humidity, temperature, and the pot’s size and material. In winter, you’ll water much less frequently. In summer, possibly once or twice a week.
Water Quality: If your tap water is heavily chlorinated, let it sit out overnight before using it. Geraniums can be sensitive to chemicals in fresh tap water.

3. Soil: A Well-Draining Foundation

Good soil is vital for healthy geraniums, especially indoors where drainage can be a bigger challenge.

Best Mix: Use a good quality, well-draining potting mix. A standard potting mix designed for houseplants often works well. You can improve drainage further by adding perlite or coarse sand to your mix.
Avoid Garden Soil: Never use soil straight from your garden for houseplants. It can be too dense, compacted easily, and may contain pests or diseases.
Repotting: Geraniums prefer to be slightly root-bound, so they don’t need frequent repotting. Repot every 1-2 years or when the plant outgrows its container, usually in the spring. Move up to a pot that is only 1-2 inches larger in diameter.

Ideal Range: They prefer daytime temperatures between 65-70°F (18-21°C) and slightly cooler at night, around 55-65°F (13-18°C). They can tolerate warmer temperatures if humidity is managed.
Avoid Drafts: Keep them away from direct cold drafts from windows or doors, and also from heat vents, which can dry them out too quickly.
Air Circulation: Good airflow helps prevent fungal diseases. Avoid overcrowding your plants. A gentle fan on a low setting can sometimes be beneficial in stagnant indoor environments.

5. Humidity: A Gentle Touch

Geraniums are not overly fussy about humidity, but very dry indoor air can sometimes be an issue, especially in winter when heating systems are on.

Boosting Humidity: If your air is very dry, you can place the pot on a pebble tray filled with water. Ensure the bottom of the pot isn’t sitting directly in the water. Misting can also provide a temporary boost but isn’t a long-term solution and can encourage fungal issues if done improperly (wetter conditions at night). Grouping plants together can also slightly increase local humidity.

When to Fertilize: Feed your geraniums during spring and summer when they are actively growing and flowering. Reduce or stop fertilizing in fall and winter when growth naturally slows down.
Type of Fertilizer: Use a balanced liquid fertilizer or a fertilizer specifically formulated for flowering plants. Look for one with a higher middle number (phosphorus) to encourage blooming. A general-purpose 10-10-10 or a bloom-booster like 15-30-15 works well.
How Often: Dilute the fertilizer to half the strength recommended on the package to avoid burning the roots. Feed about every 2-4 weeks during the growing season.
Application: Always water your plant thoroughly before fertilizing. Applying fertilizer to dry soil can damage the roots.

Pinching: When your geraniums are young, pinch off the tips of the stems just above a leaf node. This encourages the plant to branch out, creating a fuller, bushier shape instead of growing tall and leggy.
Trimming Leggy Growth: If your plant has become leggy, you can cut back the long stems to encourage new, bushier growth from the base or lower leaf nodes. Don’t be afraid to prune quite hard if necessary – geraniums are forgiving! This is best done in spring.

What is Deadheading? This involves removing spent flowers. This prevents the plant from putting energy into producing seeds and instead directs it towards making new blooms.
How to Deadhead: Gently twist and pull off the dead flower stalk at its base. You can also use clean scissors or pruning shears. Removing the entire spent flower stem encourages the plant to produce new flower buds more quickly.

Best Time to Take Cuttings: Spring or early summer is ideal, after you’ve pruned your plants.
How to Take Cuttings:
1. Select a healthy stem that is not flowering.
2. Using sharp, clean scissors or a knife, cut a 3-4 inch piece of stem. Remove any leaves from the bottom 2 inches of the cutting.
3. You can dip the cut end in rooting hormone, though it’s often not strictly necessary for geraniums.
4. Plant the cutting in a small pot filled with a well-draining potting mix or a mix of half potting soil and half perlite.
5. Water lightly.
6. Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy, and place the pot in bright, indirect light.
7. Roots typically form within 3-6 weeks. You’ll know it’s rooted when you see new growth or feel resistance when gently tugging on the stem.

Aphids: Small, green, or black insects that cluster on new growth and under leaves, sucking sap.
Solution: Wipe them off with a damp cloth, spray with a strong jet of water, or use insecticidal soap. For persistent infestations, neem oil can be effective.
Spider Mites: Tiny arachnids that create fine webbing and cause stippling (tiny dots) on leaves. They thrive in dry conditions.
Solution: Increase humidity around the plant, wash leaves regularly with water, and use insecticidal soap or neem oil.
Whiteflies: Small, white, moth-like insects that fly up when the plant is disturbed. They suck sap and can transmit diseases.
Solution: Yellow sticky traps can help monitor and catch adults. Insecticidal soap or neem oil is effective against nymphs. Ensure good air circulation.
Mealybugs: Cottony-white pests found in leaf axils and along stems.
Solution: Dab them directly with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. For larger infestations, insecticidal soap or neem oil.

Root Rot: Caused by overwatering and poor drainage, leading to yellowing leaves, wilting, and eventually plant death.
Solution: Ensure excellent drainage, allow the soil to dry out between waterings, and repot if the soil is constantly waterlogged. Remove any rotted roots and repot in fresh, well-draining soil.
Powdery Mildew: A white, powdery fungus appearing on leaves and stems, especially in humid conditions with poor air circulation.
Solution: Improve air circulation, avoid wetting the foliage, and prune away affected parts. Fungicidal sprays (organic or chemical) can be used if necessary.

Light: Maximize light exposure. South-facing windows are prime real estate. Supplement with grow lights if natural light is insufficient.
Watering: Reduce watering frequency significantly. Water only when the soil is dry about 1-2 inches down.
Fertilizing: Stop or greatly reduce fertilizing. Plants are growing less actively.
Pest Check: Be extra vigilant for pests like spider mites, which love dry indoor conditions.

Preparation: In late fall, before the first frost, bring your geraniums indoors.
Pruning: Trim them back by about half. Remove most of the leaves.
Location: Place them in a cool, dark spot, like a basement or unheated garage, where temperatures are between 45-55°F (7-13°C).
Watering: Water very sparingly – perhaps only once a month, just enough to keep the roots from drying out completely.
Revival: In late winter (about 6-8 weeks before your last expected frost), move them to a brighter, warmer location, prune any dead growth, and begin watering and fertilizing them as you would during the spring growing season.

Bringing It All Together: A Summary of Key Care Steps

Here’s a quick checklist to keep your indoor geraniums happy and blooming:

1. Light: Six or more hours of direct sunlight daily.
2. Watering: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Ensure good drainage.
3. Soil: Use a well-draining potting mix.
4. Temperature: Ideal range is 65-70°F (18-21°C) during the day.
5. Fertilizer: Feed with a balanced, diluted fertilizer every 2-4 weeks during spring and summer.
6. Pruning: Pinch young plants, and prune leggy growth.
7. Deadheading: Remove spent flowers regularly.
8. Pest Watch: Inspect plants regularly for pests and address issues promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions About Indoor Geranium Care

Q1: How often should I water my indoor geraniums?

A: Water your geraniums when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. This means you might water every 1-2 weeks in summer and much less frequently in winter, perhaps only once a month. Always check the soil moisture before watering.

Q2: My indoor geranium isn’t blooming. What could be wrong?

A: The most common reasons are insufficient light, not enough fertilizer, or the plant needs pruning. Ensure it receives at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. Fertilize during the growing season (spring/summer) and regularly prune or pinch to encourage blooms.

Q3: Can I use regular houseplant fertilizer for my geraniums?

A: Yes, you can, but a fertilizer formulated for flowering plants, or one with a higher middle number (phosphorus), can be even better for encouraging blooms. Always dilute the fertilizer to half the strength recommended on the package for indoor plants to prevent root burn.

Q4: How do I know if my geranium needs repotting?

A: Geraniums like to be a bit root-bound, so they don’t need frequent repotting. You’ll know it’

Pearl Roach