For many people, their summer holiday is the best time of the year. Simply getting away, leaving your job behind, changing your perspective is all good for you!
When a beautifully planted balcony is waiting for you back home, you can keep that holiday mood every day. But after a break, even low-maintenance, colourful geraniums sometimes need a little extra love to get back on top form.
We explain the most important things to do.
1. Prune geraniums after your holiday
First remove faded, rain-damaged or yellowing sections of the plant. Hold each stem at a leaf node and break it off with a sharp snap or remove it with scissors. Pruning boosts the flowering process. It helps geraniums, especially upright varieties, quickly produce new flowers after your holiday. Read more about pruning here.
2. Water or drain geraniums
Geraniums can do without water for a few days. Even if you have friends or neighbours on hand, you should still check the soil.
3. After dry days
- Is the soil as dry as normal when you come home from your holiday? If so, keep watering at your usual frequency.
- If the soil is shrinking away from the edges of the containers, place them in a tub filled with water for half an hour to rehydrate them. This gives the soil a chance to swell and retain moisture. Then drain the containers well and continue watering as normal over the next few days.
Find out everything you need to know about watering geraniums here. 👉
4. After rainy days
- If it has rained a lot, let geraniums dry out before watering them again.
- If the soil is saturated, you may need to repot your geraniums.
If you have an overflowing water reservoir in your container, empty it so the soil can dry out.
