Bring your pelargonium bling indoors to brighten up a windowsill
Miniature pelargoniums are the right size to brighten up a windowsill Pelargoniums
If you don't have much room indoors for growing houseplants, try giving miniature pelargoniums in 9cm (3½in) pots a go. There are lots to choose from, including stellars, zonals and the smaller-flowered angels.
If you like something different there are a lot of double-flowered miniature stellars that can put on a stunning display. Some of the ones I use for showing are
and
These cultivars do tend to be more floriferous and compact. You'll find they're self-branching but sometimes you’ll need to cut back a stem that gets a bit wayward. Deadheading regularly will keep plants growing and blooming, as will removing dead leaves.
Miniature zonals flower for long periods and are often overlooked as indoor plants. They'll grow quite happily on a windowsill in good light.
I find it best to site them where they'll not get the full glare of the sun when it is at its hottest. Some cultivars to look out for are
and all of which will happily grow in a 9cm (3½in) pot. There's a lovely miniature tri-colour called which doesn't put out many flowers at any one time, but is worth growing just for the foliage alone. It does a need a bit of care, as it needs good light for the best leaf colour. If the leaves do start to redden it's getting too much sun. One miniature that we grow on the kitchen windowsill with great success is a single-flowered variety. It never fails to be in bloom and if the light is right the golden foliage can be a good foil for the red flowers. As for the stellars, deadheading regularly and treating to a weak dose of tomato feed now and then should keep the flowers coming for months on end. When growing on a windowsill give all plants a quarter turn every few days. This will help them keep a good shape. I turn my pots clockwise for ease of remembering.
With the angels, for the best result choose the varieties with smaller flowers such as and I do feed mine but only with just enough Chempak No. 3 to keep them healthy, no more than quarter strength.
To get started with all miniatures, select a nice and compact short-jointed cutting. Once rooted, remove the growing tip at three sets of leaves. At the point where there's new growth emerging from the leaf axils I put the cutting into its first pot – a 9cm (3½in) half pot. When the new growth has made three sets of leaves, remove the growing tip. Repeat this as many times as it takes to form the size head that you require. When the pot is full of root, put into a 9cm (3½in) full pot.