Garden Care Guide

Zonal Geranium Care

Pelargonium zonale

The most common flower of balconies and pots; it blooms continuously from spring to autumn. It does not like too much water and lives for many years where there is no frost.

Frost-tender (protect from frost)

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately -2 °C.
February
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately -2 °C.
March
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately -2 °C.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water every 15 days. Water newly planted plants more often than established plants during the first year; the root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Suitable period for planting and transplanting. Flowering begins.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
May
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water once a week. Water newly planted plants more often than established plants during the first year; the root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering. Remove spent flower stalks at the base; when going into winter, shorten overgrown branches by one third.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Suitable period for planting and transplanting. Flowering continues. Apply mulch 5-7 cm thick over the root zone; it conserves soil moisture and suppresses weeds. Do not press mulch against the stem. Drainage is critical for this plant. In heavy, water-retaining soil, plant on a mound or bed raised 20-30 cm; the root collar should remain above the surrounding soil level.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
June
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density. Check the fresh shoot tips for aphids (small clusters of green or black insects). If there are few, you can knock them off with a strong spray of water.
July
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density.
August
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface.
  • Fertilizing: Give liquid fertilizer once a month.
  • Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water once a week.
  • Fertilizing: Make this month's feeding the last of the season; afterward, the plant needs to prepare for winter.
  • Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water every 15 days.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
November
  • General care: In winter rains, make sure water does not pool in the root zone; for this plant, drainage is more critical than irrigation.
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately -2 °C.
December
  • Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately -2 °C.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

Want reminders for every plant in your garden? Our garden-care app with monthly task lists and frost alerts is currently available in Turkish; the English version is on the way.

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