Scented Geraniums plants potting up and care guide.
Imagine stepping into your garden to be welcomed by wonderful aromas of chocolate, pine, or roses. With Scented Geraniums, you could transform your garden into a fragrant oasis. Scented geranium plants are a delightful addition to your garden and home. A month ago, I took you through our step-by-step guide to taking scented geranium cuttings. This guide begins where we left off. Cuttings of scented geranium, if in good condition, can take anything from one to three months to root enough to be potted up. This guide will show you how to pot them up and grow them successfully.
If you have not grown scented geraniums before, you are in for a treat. Their fragrant leaves are available in various aromas, from rose and lemon to pine, peppermint, and even chocolate. Starter plants (plug plants) are a cost-effective way to buy plants. This guide will walk you through how best to grow and pot up your plug plants for the best results.
What You Will Need:
A scented geranium: There are a variety to choose from, and it can be hard to pick. These are three of my favourites:
- Attar of Roses: As the name suggests, this variety has a lovely rose scent. This has been a firm favourite for many years. The plant has a bushy habit with soft grey/green leaves and a pale pink flower.
- Lady Plymouth: A variegated-leaved variety with grey-green leaves with splurges of creamy white, making this a real standout plant. The fragrance can be hard to pinpoint; when asked, many people will say a rose scent, whereas others will say citrus.
- Orange Fizz: As you would expect, this variety has lovely orange-scented leaves. The leaves are a bright green and quite large. The flowers are a pale lavender colour with deep velvety purple in the centre.
Some pots: I am using a 9cm (3.5 inch) pot for my plants. The size does not matter as much as drainage. Make sure the pots you choose have good drainage holes.
Multi-purpose compost: A good quality compost is essential. Pay special attention to drainage. Scented geranium plants do not like to sit too wet. If your compost does not have enough drainage, you can add some using bark or gravel.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Prepare your pots: Add your compost to the pots, taking care not to compact the compost too much. Fill the pots almost all the way to the top, leaving it just shy of the rim. This will help with watering later.
- Plant the plug plant: Make a hole in the compost in the centre of the pot. Make a hole that is slightly wider and deeper than the plug plant. This will ensure you are not trying to push the plant in but rather placing it in, reducing any root damage.
- Tuck your plug plants in: Now gently fill any gaps between the plug plant and the compost, gently firming in the compost around the root ball, taking care not to compact the compost too much.
- Water well: Water the new plant well. Water over the top until the compost is soaked all the way through. You can tell when this is done as water will start coming out of the bottom of the pot.
- Place your Scented geranium plant in plenty of light: Place your newly planted scented geraniums in a spot where they will get plenty of light. Scented Geraniums thrive on sunlight.
Caring for Your Scented Geranium
Scented geranium plants are easy to care for. The area people get wrong the most is watering. Do not overwater your scented geraniums. The best approach is to let the plants slightly dry out between watering's. The plants can go outside when the weather is warm enough. Wait until after the threat of frost has passed, and make sure you bring your plants in for the winter.
