Small Geraniums Give Great Pleasure

| Posted by: Plant Pro

Dwarf and miniature geraniums surpassed all others in the increase of varieties during the past decade. Many are so similar it is difficult to tell them apart.

Table Of Contents
  1. Care For Dwarf Geraniums
  2. Dwarf and Miniature Geraniums

Care For Dwarf Geraniums

Whether dwarf geraniums are grown on a window ledge or an outdoor border, remember all geraniums need abundant sunshine to bloom freely. 

In southern states, it is best to provide midday shade during summer. 

However, full sunshine in winter is most important, and even then, plants may fail to set buds because the sun’s rays are less intense. I do not expect geraniums to bloom in January even though I grow them in full sun.

Repotting and Soil Mixture

Dwarf geraniums are easier to grow than other pelargoniums, requiring less water and fertilizer and little pruning or repotting. 

Cuttings root faster and easier. During December and January, fertilizer is withheld, but as buds appear, monthly applications of half-strength soluble fertilizer should be applied. 

Check morning and late afternoon, watering only dry plants. Drench, letting the water spill into a container below. 

With this treatment, I have kept semi-dwarfs growing healthily in two-and-a-quarter-inch pots for over a year and miniatures for two or three years. 

Eventually, they outgrow their small pots and must be transferred to a three-inch pot. 

For repotting, use three parts soil, one part peat moss, and one-half part sand with a handful of bone meal for every peck of soil or a tablespoon per quart. Tall plants require a little pruning.

Root Cuttings and Potting

Cuttings will root in two weeks in moist sand and should be potted in the above soil mixture as soon as small roots appear. They deteriorate if not potted.

Disease Prevention and Control

Few insects attack the dwarf geraniums, but, like garden geraniums, dwarfs are susceptible to diseases like stem rot, virus, and chlorosis.

However, this is not too serious with the dwarfs and miniatures. Spray with a plant bomb if aphids or mealy bugs do attack. 

Absolute cleanliness and removal of affected plants are the best disease prevention. Geraniums normally lose leaves and grow new ones, but excessive yellowing is often caused by botrytis that may spread rapidly during humid, cloudy weather. 

Dusting with a fungicide such as Zineb will help keep it under control. This chemical is also sold under different trade names, such as Parzate or Dithane Z-78. 

Puckered yellow spots or blotches are a sign of a virus, and infected plants should be isolated. 

Dwarf and Miniature Geraniums

Starred varieties are especially recommended.

VarietyColor SingleDouble or SemiDouble
* DopeyTwo-toned apple blossom*
* Epsilonapple blossom*
* Perkyapple blossom*
* Sneezyapple blossom*
Small Fortunenearly apple blossom*
Doc dark red*
Scarlet O’Hara dark red*
Meropedark red*
Saturndark red*
Goblindark red*
Sparkledark red*
Alcyonebright pink*
Twinkle bright pink*
* Dancersalmon apricot*
* Pixiesalmon apricot*
* Pridesalmon apricot*
* Moon Beamssalmon apricot*
* Brook Barnessalmon apricot*
* Peacesalmon apricot*
Frolicsalmon apricot*
Bantamsalmon apricot*
Trinketsalmon apricot*
Red Brooks Barnessalmon red*
Altairsalmon red*
Fleurettesalmon red*
Rosy Dawnsalmon red*
* Snow Whitewhite*
Night and Daypink*
North Starpink*
* Tempterpurple*
* Prince Valiantpurple*
Minxpurple*
Tweedle-deelight salmon*
Tweedle-dumdark salmon*
Emma Hosslerlight pink*
Mr. Everaartsdark pink*
* Siriussalmon*
Salmon Cometsalmon*

Selecting varieties from the many offered is often bewildering. Semi-dwarfs are easier to grow than miniatures. 

They may grow taller but do not exceed 12” inches when mature. They are freer blooming, and blossoms are more proportionate to the plant’s size.

44659 by Mary Ellen Ross