It’s July (we know!), and that means it’s peak flowering season for geraniums. I thought I’d take a closer look at the types of geranium you should deadhead in July to keep them flowering all summer long.
It’s definitely worth learning how to deadhead geraniums – removing spent blooms can promote continuous flowering throughout the summer months, and even into the autumn.
To find out which types of geranium you should deadhead in July, I spoke to a few garden experts – and also got the lowdown on the geraniums that don’t need deadheading at all.
Which types of geranium should you deadhead in July?
If you’ve been learning how to grow geraniums, you’ll probably be aware that there are a lot of different types, and they all require slightly different levels of maintenance.
When it comes to deadheading, you should be paying extra attention to tender geraniums this month.
‘In July, you should deadhead tender geraniums, because depending on the variety you are growing, they can bloom repeatedly,’ explains Richard Barker, commercial director at LBS Horticulture.
Tender geraniums are generally grown as perennials and fall under the species Geranium maderense and Geranium palmatum. You can buy Geranium ‘Dragon Heart’, from £12.99 at Crocus, which produces bright magenta blooms.
Pelargoniums, although not technically geraniums are closely related – and you’ll need to keep deadheading those this month, too.
‘Pelargonium varieties will benefit from regular removal of spent flowers,’ says Morris Hankinson, founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries. ‘Pelargonium varieties include scented, zonal and ivy leaf-shaped, and have clusters of flowers on a stem.
‘Deadheading will ensure the flowers that are no longer blooming don’t go to seed, and the energy will go into more flowers.’
You can use your fingers to deadhead your geraniums or keep a pair of snips handy, like the Spear & Jackson Garden Snips from Amazon.
Not every type of geranium needs to be deadheaded in July, though (or at all!)...
Which geraniums don’t need deadheading in July?
Deadheading isn't necessary for every type of geranium. Just like annual flowers that don’t need deadheading, some types are self-cleaning, meaning they’ll drop their flowers without any effort from your side.
‘True geraniums, also known as hardy geraniums, do not need to be deadheaded and do not benefit from it,’ explains Richard. ‘Many varieties of hardy geraniums flower repeatedly without any intervention.’
It's important that you know what to do with geraniums after flowering, though.
‘Some will benefit from being cut back after their first flush of flowers to direct their energy towards producing more flowers,’ says Richard.
One of the most popular hardy geraniums is Geranium ‘Rozanne’, which you can buy at Crocus from £12.99.
Now you know which types of geranium you should deadhead in July (and the varieties you can leave be!).
