Pelargoniums, also known as balcony geraniums, become the stars of our terraces in spring and summer. With their colourful flowers and decorative leaves, sometimes even fragrant, they adorn balconies and gardens, like the famous ivy-leaved geranium 'King of Balconies'. Sowing allows you to obtain young plants at a lower cost.

Find out when and how to successfully sow Pelargonium seeds. Very easy to do, they will flower in the same year as sowing.

Beautiful Pelargoniums grown from seed... it's possible!

 

How to collect Pelargonium seeds?

Harvesting the seeds is not easy as they must be collected at the right time. Indeed, once ripe, the seeds are quickly ejected. And if you haven't been attentive enough, the seeds have already flown away and all that remains is an empty shell. So you need to check morning and evening. Also make sure to collect the seeds in dry weather.

You can spot the seeds by the small white plume attached to them. When the seed is brown and ready to fly away, pick it and place it in a paper envelope. Let the seeds dry until you can sow them the following spring. Finally, sowing is very easy.

Note that on an inflorescence, there aren't many seeds. The harvest isn't very substantial. And some Pelargoniums (hybrids from the Rosat group for example) are sterile and don't produce seeds.

Also discover our Pelargonium seeds.

When to sow Pelargoniums?

Pelargonium seeds are sown from mid-January to mid-March under cover to protect them from the cold.

Pelargonium seeds to collect in autumn

How to sow Pelargonium seeds?

  • Sow the pelargonium seeds in a seed tray previously perforated and filled with a special sowing compost well compacted.
  • Place each seed 2 cm apart, using a seed sower if needed, then cover with 1 to 2 mm of compost and firm down.
  • Place under cover in a bright spot at a temperature between 18 and 25°C. The optimal temperature being around 20-25°, it's best to use a mini greenhouse.
  • Water lightly, for example with a sprayer, to keep the compost moist but not waterlogged.
  • The seeds germinate between 3 and 21 days, and the seedlings start to emerge.
  • When 4 leaves appear, transplant the young plants into individual pots or buckets 7.5 cm in diameter.

Transplant into small pots when the Pelargoniums have developed a few leaves

  • Replant in pots or in the ground from mid-May, when all risk of frost has passed, in well-drained soil exposed to the sun.
    Space the plants 30 cm apart.
  • Remember to pinch out the tips of the stems to encourage branching.

Specificities

The seeds of Pelargonium Scarlett F2 and Pelargonium Raspberry Ripple F1 can be sown outdoors in April-May after the frosts. They can also be sown indoors from August to September to have more developed plants the following year.