The Zonal Geranium

The zonal geranium is one of the most popular flowering plants and is well suited for growing in flower beds. This plant has lush green leaves with bands or zones (thus the name) and flowers that range in color from bright red to pink to salmon to white. A fairly hardy plant the zonal geranium flowers in spring and summer and will do best in a fairly sunny spot with well drained but moist soil.

Planting Tips For Zonal

For outdoor planting, geraniums will grow just as good in containers as they will in the garden bed.

Make sure you plants get at least 6 hours of sun each day and are protected from strong winds.

Soil conditions should be slightly acidic and well drained.

If planting in containers, choose planters that will be large enough to support growth of the plant. If you find the plant wilting between watering, this may be a sign that it needs to be repotted. Make sure there is adequate drainage and take care not to overwater.

Geraniums can be nice to have indoors to brighten up a dull winter. Make sure you put them in a very sunny spot and use a well drained potting mix. Optimum temperatures for these plants is 65 degrees in the day and 55 at night.

Make sure you check the Zonal for signs of pests and diseases

Where To Buy

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Of Interest:

Hardy Geraniums

Plant Bytes

The Zonal can make a great addition to any garden. Serious diseases of geranium, especially bacterial blight, southern wilt, Pseudomonas leaf spot, and rust, can arrive at your greenhouse on cuttings. The wild geranium is also called the Carolina geranium and is a semi-erect winter annual which is found throughout the United States and Canada. Geranium oil is used in aromatherapy in the bath and for massage.

Geranium incanum can be used very effectively on banks or as a colourful border plant. This plant can have pest problems like the plant bug which makes sunken, rounded, brown, spots on the leaves. It is commonly found in moist wooded areas or along stream banks, and can be easily recognized. They are fairly hardy, although not disease free and you must want their leaves carefully.

More On Geraniums:

Healing Properties Of Geraniums
Explore the medicinal uses of this plant from healing skin to repelling insects to relieveing symptoms of PMS.

Geranium Care
How to plant and care for your Geraniums.

Geranium Pests And Disease
What's making your plant turn yellow? Find out what it could be and how to treat it.

Drink Geranium Tea For Relaxation
The wild geranium has medicinal properties and drinking a geranium tea can help relieve stress. The geranium has been used to heal many ailments for centuries. Producing essential oils around the leaves and flowers, this plant is native to South Africa and adorns gardens around the world. The healing oils are most potent right as the plant begins to flower.

Using Geraniums As Insect Repellent
Geraniums have been used to ward off ticks for centuries and the oil is reputed to be a natural insect repellent. These plants produce oils that repel insects, in fact, one new type of geranium called the mosquito geranium was purposely created for it's production of citronella oil.