How to Revive a Neglected Geranium

Pelargoniums are remarkably resilient plants. A pot left in a corner over winter, a plant that has been underwatered, underfed, or left unpruned for too long — all of these can often be rescued with the right intervention. Before writing a plant off, it's worth attempting a revival, as many seemingly dead or dying pelargoniums have plenty of life left in them.

Assessing whether the plant is salvageable

Before doing anything, check whether there are living stems. Scratch the bark of a stem with your fingernail — green beneath the surface means the stem is alive. Woody, brown stems that are dry and snap easily are dead. Even if most of the plant appears dead, a few living green stems are enough to work with. If the whole plant is brown, dry, and brittle with no green visible anywhere, it is probably past saving.

Step 1: Hard pruning

The first and most important step in reviving a neglected pelargonium is a hard prune. Cut all living stems back to 10–15cm, cutting just above a leaf joint or visible bud. Remove all dead, brown, or diseased stems completely. This may mean removing 70–80% of the plant — which seems drastic but is exactly what the plant needs. After pruning, remove any dead leaves and debris from the surface of the compost.

• Scratch stems to check for green living tissue.
• Cut all living stems back to 10–15cm.
• Remove all dead and diseased material.
• Do this in early spring when growth is starting.

Step 2: Repot in fresh compost

After years in the same pot, compost becomes exhausted and compacted. Remove the plant from its pot, shake off as much old compost as possible without tearing roots, and repot into fresh free-draining compost in a clean pot only slightly larger than the root ball. This gives the recovering plant the best possible nutrient environment to work with as it puts out new shoots.

Step 3: Careful watering and feeding

Water the freshly potted plant thoroughly, then allow the compost to dry out noticeably before watering again. A weakened plant is highly susceptible to root rot from overwatering. Place in a bright, warm position. Once you see strong new growth emerging — usually within two to four weeks after a spring prune — begin feeding with a balanced liquid fertiliser, switching to high-potassium feed as flowering shoots develop. Within six to eight weeks, a properly revived plant can look almost unrecognisable from its former neglected state.