Anybody successful with geraniums?

[smallglassbottle]

I love geraniums and have six. I am struggling however. The leaves go yellow, then brown, then fall off, they grow leggy and just don't look that happy.

I have tried putting them in a sunny window and they struggle. I've tried putting them in a less directly sunny window and they struggle. I water about twice a week. I turn their pots. I sometimes repot them. I allow them to dry out between watering. These are all the combinations of care and still they struggle. They are kept indoors mainly with the odd day outside. I did plant some outside once and their leaves went red and they died ? too sunny.

Does anybody have a definitive bomb proof way of caring for these plants?

Where are you based? I'm in West Midlands and they are native here, growing wild everywhere in ny Gardens and countless others. They are like ground cover. But I think the soil is supportive of that. Don't ask me any more questions, I'm not a gardener. Not even sure I mean native.

Ours are outside in the more shady bits and they're ok. If I tended to them they could be even better

Do you mean Geraniums or Pelagoniums?

They're the only thing I can grow successfully! Mine like full sun and not too much faffing or water.

I think you are describing Pelargoniums rather than Geraniums. Pelargoniums are South African sub-shrubs which are not hardy in the UK. They need plenty of sun and a tomato feed keeps them flowering. Geraniums are hardy herbaceous perennials and grow in a range of situations according to species.

Yes, they might be perlagoniums actually. I can buy a tomato feed.

Outside in a (prefers terracotta) pot with good drainage and as much sun as you can give them. Water every day/every other day. Put some plant food in the water once a week. Keep deadheading. I cut off the lower leaves when they go yellow. If it develops one big/long stalk, I also cut that back to a leaf to make it branch more (otherwise they snap off in wind).

I have tried feeding mine with Miracle Grow liquid feed and tomato fertiliser over the years but the best of all (IMO) is Miracle Grow Evergreen liquid lawn feed. Water with a weak solution and the plants pep up noticeably within a week. They are greener and put on a growth spurt. New buds form on the woody stems. Still masses of flowers despite it being a high nitrogen feed. Works a treat on tubs of mint too.