This Is Why Your Geraniums Aren’t Blooming

Lack of Sunlight

Geraniums flourish with full sun, and while they can grow in partial shade, this will give you fewer blooms.

“The first culprit is that you’ve planted them in a location with too much shade,” says Sarah Hernandez-Swofford, product manager for Ball FloraPlant. “Sunlight (with 6-plus hours of direct sun) is key to bloom production. If the plants get too much shade, the geranium won’t have the energy it takes to produce its large, colorful blooms.”

Overwatering

Geraniums can be vulnerable to overwatering. Signs that you’re overwatering include yellow leaves and wilted flowers. Keep your geraniums in well-drained soil with moist but not soggy conditions. 

“Wait until the top of the soil is dry before watering, or finger-test the soil by sticking your index finger about 2 inches down,” says Hernandez-Swofford. “If you feel wetness or coolness at the tip of your finger, you don’t need to water.”

The exact amount of water your geraniums need depends on the weather, with wet or cool conditions requiring less watering. “Watering frequency depends on the temperature—the hotter it gets, the more often you need to water this plant,” says Anastasia Borisevich, plant expert at Plantum.“During winter, geraniums go dormant and require less water.”

Poor Drainage

Geraniums are prone to root rot if the soil is too wet or doesn’t drain well, which hinders blooming. “Wet roots can cause the plant to stress and stifle blooms,” says Tammy Sons, founder and CEO of TN Nursery. “Well-drained soil in containers with holes helps a lot.” 

For drainage, amend your soil with organics to improve drainage and make sure patio containers or hanging baskets have drainage holes at the bottom to release any water buildup, advises Hernandez-Swofford. “Make sure your plants have adequate drainage, which is key, and place them in soil that won’t flood or stay wet constantly.”

Overfertilizing with Nitrogen-Rich Fertilizer

“One thing I’ve noticed is that if geraniums aren’t blooming, it’s because they’re being loved to death—or loved the wrong way,”  Sons explains. “Over-fertilizing with a high-nitrogen feed leads to lots of leaves and very few flowers—I always switch to a bloom-enhancing feed with higher phosphorus if I notice this.”

Avoid fertilizers that are high in nitrogen, as this promotes more leaf growth and fewer geranium flowers. Opt for a balanced fertilizer for the best results with geraniums. “If your flowers are planted in poor soil, feed them with a balanced slow-release fertilizer,” Borisevich says.

Not Deadheading Spent Blooms

If you don’t deadhead your geraniums, you’ll have fewer blooms. Getting rid of spent blooms clears room for new flowers. “Deadheading geraniums, which means removing the spent blooms, helps encourage them to re-bloom and make new flowers,” Hernandez-Swofford explains. 

Aim to deadhead spent geranium blooms regularly. “I recommend following the flower peduncle down to the base of the plant and snapping it off,” Hernandez-Swofford says. “It can be a fun sensory project since you feel the plant, hear the snap, and sometimes get that natural and distinct geranium scent.” If touching plants isn’t your thing, you can also snip the peduncle off at the base with scissors.