I was looking to see, "It's explaining even more than I had searched for. The pelargoniums tend to have much showier flowers. I live in Western Australia, and regularly cut back my many pots of geraniums during the summer months with no adverse effects. Prune each leggy stem to just above a leaf node to encourage new growth… I have a small area for a garden having full sun with little shade, so I chose, "I live in a warm climate and have geraniums that are out year-round, but have gotten woody. Thanks! ECN. Geraniums (these are actually pelargoniums) grow like crazy & need cutting back for good form & abundant bloom. ", if I had to pull everything or if I can just trip it back, and found my answer. I find that after a few minutes I’m in the “pruning zone” and it actually goes pretty fast. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. What do I do if my geraniums are scraggy? Rinse them clean with cool water. Position in full sun and fill with quality potting mix, such as Yates Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. ... After the last pruning, it will take several weeks for them to produce buds, so don't prune for several weeks before you expect blooms. You basically want to thin them out and open them up so the new growth has plenty of room to grow in. % of people told us that this article helped them. How to tame leggy chrysanthemums. Pruning Geraniums After Winter Dormancy If you place your geraniums into dormancy for overwintering or if you live in an area where geraniums die back some over the winter, the best time to prune geraniums is in early spring. Common geraniums are annuals, and they also do well with pruning, but since they won't last more than a season, it's not absolutely necessary to prune them. You basically want to thin them out and open them up so the new growth has plenty of room to grow in. I took a sampling of stems out on the patio so you could see what I was pruning off. ", "The article helped me make a decision about pruning my geranium. About: gardening, gardens, crafting & creating. Use sharp, clean shears. However, over the summer they have become extremely leggy outside with most of the growth and leaves at the very tops. Do not use a soil with water-retaining particles in it. This will kill bacteria that could cause an infection in the wounds of the geraniums after pruning. This article received 13 testimonials and 91% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. If you don't want to make such a drastic cut, follow the flower stem back to. This being said, you don't have to pinch or prune mums at all. ", "It gave me an overall idea of geraniums and about pruning them. Like with most flowering plants, pruning geraniums helps ensure that the plant produces large, healthy blooms throughout its blooming season. Tip: Make sure your pruners are clean & sharp before you start a project like this. This article has been viewed 276,080 times. A cutting can't support the surface area of a large leaf. Don't bother trying to save foliage that seems on the verge of being dead, even if it's not quite there yet. Share it with us! At the end of blooming period, prune geranium stems within 2 … We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Can I cut back geraniums in summer in South Africa if looking scraggly? Cutting back the plants allows for new growth and longer-lasting blooms, bringing out the best in these bright, cheerful garden staple. Prune your Australian geraniums in mid-February to allow for maximum growth next year. Geraniums will grow tall and leggy if they're not pruned regularly. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/29\/Prune-Geraniums-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-Geraniums-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/29\/Prune-Geraniums-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid838839-v4-728px-Prune-Geraniums-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"