GENERAL INFORMATION 5 
be looked at often. If the soil is nearly dry, or seems 
likely to become nearly dry before the next inspection, 
the plants should be watered. Watering from the top of 
the soil is better and easier than watering from below. 
Enough water should be given so that a little drains 
through the pot. Water should not be allowed to remain 
in a saucer under the pot. 
Geraniums do best in a cool soil. In summer the pots 
should be shaded from sun. One way to do this is to set 
the potted plant in a pot one or two sizes larger, so that 
there is a shaded air space between the two pots. 
Usually the common red clay flower pots are best for 
geraniums, since they provide good aeration and cool 
soil. In locations where the plants dry out very quickly, 
glazed pots help to retain moisture. Either kind of pot 
can be used successfully anywhere, but the watering has 
to be adjusted to allow for the difference in evaporation 
loss. 
Potted Geraniums will need fertilizer sooner or later. 
Need of plant food is indicated when the leaves are a 
paler green than normal and the flowers are smaller 
than usual. It is best to use one of the “complete” or 
“balanced” fertilizers. Many good ones are available. 
Vigoro (6-10-4) is satisfactory. It is easy to place the 
required amount of this on top of the soil to water in. 
Recommended doses are a small pinch for a 24-inch 
pot, %4 level teaspoonful for 3-inch, % to 34 level tea- 
spoorful for 4-inch, 1 level teaspoonful for 5-inch, and 
1 heaping teaspoonful for 6-inch. These applications 
should be made only as often as needed, and not oftener 
than once a month unless the need is very evident. Too 
frequent or too large applications may damage or kill 
the plant. Other brands of fertilizer may be stronger 
or weaker, and the instructions of the maker should be 
followed. There are now available a number of fer- 
tilizers which are dissolved in water and applied as 
liquid. These are convenient and good. The maker’s 
instructions should be read carefully, since these fer- 
tilizers are generally quite strong. It is often best to 
use smaller doses than are recommended for these fer- 
tilizers, since geraniums are better when not fed too 
richly. 
Winter Flowers Indoors 
Geraniums have no natural dormant period, and will 
flower the year round if suitable conditions are pro- 
vided. The dry air of heated homes, so hard on many 
kinds of plants, is good for geraniums. Moderate hu- 
midity is beneficial, but not necessary. High humidity 
encourages diseases. Good ventilation is essential. Ge- 
raniums are temperate climate plants, with ideal tem- 
peratures at about 60° F. to 70° F. during the day, and 
about 15° F. lower at night. They will tolerate large 
fluctuations of temperature, but will not do well if 
forced at continuous high temperatures. They are not 
tropical plants, and do not do well under the humid, 
warm, and shady conditions required by such plants. 
Geraniums need lots of light. For good winter flower- 
ing in the house, they ought to be in a window with a 
southern exposure, as close to the glass as possible, but 
not with the leaves touching the glass. When established 
plants fail to flower, it is a sure indication that they are 
