Updated at: 22-05-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Fertilizing Before Planting

Garden geraniums need 2 to 3 pounds of dry, slow-release fertilizer to be mixed into the top six inches before planting. If the planting areas are small or you will plant geraniums singly, then use roughly 1 heaping teaspoon of the fertilizer per 1 square foot of soil surface. Geraniums need a steady supply of nitrogen. In order to avoid rain from evaporating nitrogen from the soil, use slow-release fertilizer.

Before planting common garden geraniums, add 2 to 3 pounds of a dry, 5-10-5 or 6-12-12, slow-release fertilizer to the top 6 inches of the soil surface. Geraniums may be grown in small areas, so if you’ll be planting one at a time, use about a heaping teaspoon of fertilizer for every square foot of soil. nitrogen is essential for the growth of geraniums. In order to keep rain from evaporating nitrogen from the soil, use slow-release fertilizer.

Fertilizing Outdoor Plants

Every three weeks, apply the mixture of 2 level teaspoons of water-soluble 20/20/20 fertilizer and 1 gallon of water to the surface of 100 square feet of soil to your ordinary garden geraniums.

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Alternatively, every four to six weeks, spread 2 pounds of dry, slow-release 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet of soil and thoroughly hydrate the fertilized area.

Fertilizing Indoor Plants

Grow your indoor geraniums in a mixture of 1 part peat to 1 part sand and 1 part soil to avoid fertilizing them frequently, and place the plants in front of a window with direct sunshine.

Feed your geraniums once every two to three months when they are actively growing in spring and summer with one level teaspoon of water-soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer dissolved in one gallon of water.

Winter is not the time to fertilize geraniums.

Adding Magnesium Sulfate — Epsom Salts

Magnesium in the soil is beneficial to geraniums. Older leaves may turn yellowish green or greenish yellow if they are deficient in magnesium. Chlorosis, or yellowing, can occur between the veins of the leaves, causing them to curl inward.

Check the soil for magnesium deficiency in your geraniums. It is possible to test the soil for magnesium deficiency using a soil test kit, which can be purchased at most garden supply stores.

*Add 1 teaspoon of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) to 1 gallon of water each time you water your geraniums if the soil is deficient in magnesium. When the geraniums’ soil is dry to the touch, thoroughly water the soil.

Bougainvillea Diseases

Photographer: David C. Tomlinson, The Image Bank

Native to South America, Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea speciosa) plants are thorny evergreen woody vines that bloom in an array of colors. Bracts, which are modified leaves, surround a smaller, creamy-white blossom. These aren’t actual flowers. Depending on the variety or cultivar, the bracts might be white, pink, purple, or a deep crimson. The USDA plant hardiness zones 9 to 11 are ideal for growing bougainvilleas, however in colder areas, they are commonly cultivated as annuals.

Bougainvillea Cultural Requirements

As long as the soil is well-drained, nutrient-rich, and acidic (pH 5.5 to 6.0), Bouganvilleas will thrive. Accent plants, container plants, and hanging baskets are all common places for these plants to be grown. As well as being great ground covers, these plants can also be used as bushes, shrubs, or even hedges. A few fungal, bacterial, or parasitic illnesses have been known to affect Bougainvilleas.

Bacterial and Fungal Leaf Spot

Early signs of bacterial or fungal leaf spot are reddish-brown spots on the young leaves. It takes time for the spots to grow in size, becoming spherical or irregularly shaped, before tissue in the middle begins to die and the spots turn brownish-reddish. The bracts and leaves may become distorted as the disease spreads. Roughened leaves and even leaf loss can result when the disease is severe.

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Diseases of the bougainvillea can be avoided by spacing the plants 6 to 9 feet apart or 3 to 5 feet apart, depending on the size of the plant. Water bougainvilleas from below rather than overhead, and promptly remove dead leaves to keep leaf spot diseases from spreading.

Bougainvillea Root Rot

Soilborne pathogens including Rhizoctonia, Phytophthora, and Pythium affect bougainvilleas that have been planted in thick or poorly drained soil. It’s possible that the leaves will turn yellow and the plant as a whole will do poorly. It is possible for infected bougainvilleas to wilt or even die if the infection is severe.

Copper ammonium, a broad-spectrum fungicide, can be applied before planting to avoid root rot. Spray the soil liberally with a solution made up of 2 tablespoons per gallon of water. As needed, repeat every seven to fourteen days. Make sure that you don’t plant your bougainvilleas in areas where water stands or pools after a rainstorm.

Chlorotic Bougainvillea Symptoms

Rather than a sickness, chlorosis is more of a symptom than an actual condition. Your plant may be suffering from a shortage of nitrogen, iron, or magnesium if its foliage becomes yellow or if its leaves become pale with deep green veins. Diseases of the leaf or root can be mistaken for this one. Use a 6-8-10 micronutrient fertilizer to feed your plants. Chlorosis on old growth can be treated by spraying plants with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts per gallon.

Nematode Infestations and Bougainvilleas

The parasitic roundworms known as nematodes feed on the roots of bougainvillea plants. Infested plants are unable to take in water and nutrients. Leaf drop, withering, yellowing of the leaves, and malformed roots are all signs of this disease.

Before planting, add compost, wood shavings, or manure to the soil to reduce the nematode population. Before planting your bougainvillea, solarize the soil using plastic sheeting to kill nematodes. Cover a well-watered garden bed in full sun with a UV-stabilized, transparent plastic sheet. 5 to 6 inches of earth should be buried around the perimeter of the container. For up to four weeks, keep the tarp in place.

What if you could give your geraniums a little extra nutrition? You may try fertilizing!

Check out this recipe for geranium fertilizer! Fertilizing could be the answer!

1. Miracle-Gro Shake ‘N Feed – Rose & Bloom

This plant food will help your geraniums grow stronger and more vibrantly, allowing you to enjoy their vibrant colors for longer.

Kelp, earthworm castings (a nutrient-rich mixture of enzymes, bacteria, and plant and animal dung residues), feather meal, and bone meal are among the nutrients in this food, which nourishes the topsoil and the deeper soil where the roots penetrate.

Add water after sprinkling an even amount around your plants. Because of this fertilizer’s continuous-release, one spreading of this will last up to 3 months.

This fertilizer has a chemistry score of 10-18-9. Nitrate is one of three elements in the periodic table. The other two are Phosphorus and Potassium.

2. ALGOplus Geranium and Patio Plants Liquid Fertilizer

This liquid fertilizer has been used to grow geraniums that set world records. However, unlike most macronutrients, this one contained micronutrients. If you dilute the 1-liter bottle with water, you can use it for up to a few years and up to 118 feedings.

This plant fertilizer is analyzed at 4-6-8. The plant is better able to resist disease and pests if it is well fed. In addition to being an outstanding geranium fertilizer, it is also odorless, colorless, and environmentally friendly.

When they used this product, reviewers reported that their geranium plants had no blooms at all. This fertilizer has consistently provided excellent results for its clients year after year.

3. Southern Ag PowerPak 20-20-20 Water Soluble Fertilizer

For well-established geraniums, the 20-20-20 method works perfectly. More blooms and micronutrients will result from this, as it helps the plant develop and thrive. Geraniums get the nutrients they need from this package’s micronutrients.

Add 2 tablespoons of this fertilizer to 1 gallon of water to dilute it. Everything you need can be found in this concoction.

Reviewers of the PowerPak have said that it has worked wonders on their garden, helping to create more lively, healthy plants with bigger blooms. It’s a very cost-effective choice because of its price point and 1 pound contents.

4. Fertilome Water Soluble Plant Food

PowerPak users have reported that it has improved the health and vitality of plants, as well as the size of their blossoms. Given its low price and 1-pound weight, it’s a wise investment.

Love that this product is long-lasting and does what it says it does: promotes big blooms and healthy foliage. To get the optimum results, the soil needs to be completely saturated with water.

To feed your outdoor garden plants with this concentrated plant food, you only need 1-2 tablespoons per gallon of water. Using 1 teaspoon per gallon of water for geraniums in a hanging basket or container is sufficient.

5. Jack’s Classic Blossom Booster for Flowering Plants

Large, long-lasting flowers will result from using this micronutrient-rich 10-30-20 fertilizer. It will also give each flower a more brilliant hue. Both the plant’s leaves and roots are used to obtain nutrients.

You should use it once every one to two weeks. Garden plants should be diluted with 1 tablespoon of water every two weeks, while interior plants should be diluted with half a teaspoon of water every week. A measuring scoop and an instruction leaflet are included in each fertilizer bucket.

Many reviewers comment that this product helps any plant it touches and has created the biggest blooms than any other fertilizer. When their growing location is experiencing heat waves, several people have discovered that it has greatly aided their plants.

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6. Jobe’s Organics Plant Fertilizer Spikes

More than one reviewer has said that this fertilizer is the best they’ve ever used and has produced the largest blooms they’ve ever seen. When their growing location is experiencing heat waves, several people have discovered that it has greatly aided their plants.

Many customers claim that this fertilizer has produced the largest blooms of any other fertilizer they’ve tried, and that it works on whatever plant it touches. It’s helped some people’s plants so much during heat waves in their growing zone that they think it’s a miracle.

Bone meal, feather meal, and potassium sulfate make up the 3-5-6 analysis of the fertilizer spikes, which are sold in bulk. The soil’s health will improve as a result of the use of this product. Spikes are included in every packet.

It’s best to utilize these spikes at the beginning of the growth season, or at the time of planting.

7. Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food

Miracle-Gro All-Purpose plant food is full of all the essential nutrients that plants need to survive and thrive. Feed the geraniums once every 1 to 2 weeks. This water-soluble mix is instant release so the plant receives the nutrients immediately.

Miracle-Gro All-Purpose plant food is full of all the essential nutrients that plants need to survive and thrive. Feed the geraniums once every 1 to 2 weeks. This water-soluble mix is instant release so the plant receives the nutrients immediately.

In order for plants to thrive, they must have all of the vital nutrients found in Miracle-Gro All-Purpose Plant Food. The geraniums should be fed once every one to two weeks.. As the nutrients in this water-soluble blend are released instantly, plants benefit immediately.

In order for plants to thrive, they must have all of the critical nutrients that Miracle-Gro All-Purpose plant food provides. It is recommended that you feed the geraniums once every one to two weeks. The nutrients in this water-soluble blend are released instantly, so the plant gets them right away.

8. Joyful Dirt Concentrated All-Purpose Organic Fertilizer and Plant Food

Joyful Dirt has created a plant fertilizer that will help you grow your geraniums larger and healthier. Fast-acting fertilizer ensures that the plant’s roots receive the most benefit. The bottle holds 2 ounces of product.

Using a plant fertilizer developed by Joyful Dirt can help you grow your geraniums to their full potential. The fertilizer reaches the plant’s roots rapidly so that it can deliver the most benefit. Two ounces are in the bottle.

8-1-5 is the score. The mycorrhizae in the contents aids the geranium in absorbing more nutrients and water from the environment.

Customers who have used this product say it has given their nearly dead or drooping plants a new lease of life and a vibrant new appearance.

9. Jack’s Professional Geranium Fertilizer

You can use this water-soluble fertilizer to help your geraniums thrive. An even mixture of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium is found in the fertilizer. Geraniums, which prefer a neutral pH, love this mixture.

Geraniums benefit from this fertilizer because of the micronutrients it contains. Increased bud health and robust root systems will result from using this product. This liquid fertilizer is fed to the plants on a continuous basis.

The geraniums of reviewers have never looked better after using this fertilizer, and they are completely satisfied with the results.