Fertilising guide

How to fertilise Geranium sylvaticum 'Mayflower' (Geranium sylvaticum 'Mayflower')— schedule & NPK

Also called Mayflower wood cranesbill.

More about geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower'

About Geranium sylvaticum 'Mayflower'

Geranium sylvaticum 'Mayflower' · also called Mayflower wood cranesbill · flowering

'Mayflower' is a selected wood cranesbill prized for its rich violet-blue flowers with small white centres, freely produced in late spring and early summer. An RHS Award of Garden Merit perennial, it forms tidy clumps of lobed foliage, performs in part shade and moist soil, and is among the earliest and most reliable hardy geraniums to bloom.

Growth habit: Compact, clump-forming herbaceous perennial making a neat mound of deeply lobed leaves with upright, branching flower stems. Spreads slowly by short rhizomes; dies back completely in winter and regrows from the crown in spring.

Watch for — Faded flower colour: Violet-blue blooms wash out pale in hot, dry sun. Site in part shade with moist soil to keep the colour rich and the display longer.

What fertiliser geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' actually wants — and why

Geranium sylvaticum 'Mayflower' is a heavy-blooming flower with a big appetite — a regular high-potash feed through the season is what drives a long, dense display.

A high-potassium ("high-potash") flowering feed — tomato-style or a dedicated bloom/rose feed. Potassium powers flowering; a high-nitrogen feed gives you a leafy plant with disappointing bloom.

For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower': match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.

How often to feed geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower', and which months

Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower':

Low feeder. A spring mulch of compost or leaf mould generally meets its needs; one application of balanced general fertiliser in spring is plenty on lean soils. Over-feeding produces lush but floppy, shy-flowering growth. For a hungry bloomer that means feeding regularly — sparingly through the growing season — right through flowering across the main season (spring through early autumn), tapering as blooming ends.

The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.

What strength to mix for geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower'

Follow the flowering-feed label rate for geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower', or half strength if feeding very frequently. These plants genuinely use the nutrients — under-feeding shows up fast as a thin display.

Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' watering schedule.

Signs you are over-feeding geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower'

Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower':

Lots of lush leaves but few flowers (too much nitrogen).
Scorched leaf edges and salt crust from too-strong or too-frequent feeds.
Soft, sappy growth prone to aphids and mildew.

Signs you are under-feeding geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower'

Sparse, small, short-lived flowers and pale foliage.
A tired plant that stops blooming early in the season.
Weak growth and poor repeat-flowering after the first flush.

If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.

Flushing and leaching the salts

Container-grown geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' accumulates feed salts fast with frequent feeding — water until it drains each time and flush pots with plain water every few weeks to prevent scorch.

Organic vs synthetic feeds for geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower'

Organic options

A liquid comfrey or seaweed feed (naturally potassium-rich) plus compost or well-rotted manure as a mulch. UK: comfrey feed, organic Tomorite, or rose feed; US: Espoma Rose-tone or Neptune's Harvest. Feeds and improves soil.

Synthetic / liquid feeds

A high-potash flowering feed on a regular cadence — UK: Tomorite (Levington), Phostrogen or a specialist rose feed; US: Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster or a rose food. Fast, reliable bloom response.

Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.

Fertilising geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' — frequently asked questions

What fertiliser does geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' need?

A high-potassium ("high-potash") flowering feed — tomato-style or a dedicated bloom/rose feed. Potassium powers flowering; a high-nitrogen feed gives you a leafy plant with disappointing bloom. Geranium sylvaticum 'Mayflower' is a heavy-blooming flower with a big appetite — a regular high-potash feed through the season is what drives a long, dense display.

How often should I feed geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower'?

Low feeder. A spring mulch of compost or leaf mould generally meets its needs; one application of balanced general fertiliser in spring is plenty on lean soils. Over-feeding produces lush but floppy, shy-flowering growth. Low feeder. A spring mulch of compost or leaf mould generally meets its needs; one application of balanced general fertiliser in spring is plenty on lean soils. Over-feeding produces lush but floppy, shy-flowering growth. For a hungry bloomer that means feeding regularly — sparingly through the growing season — right through flowering across the main season (spring through early autumn), tapering as blooming ends.

What strength of feed for geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower'?

What does over-feeding geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' look like?

Lots of lush leaves but few flowers (too much nitrogen). Scorched leaf edges and salt crust from too-strong or too-frequent feeds. Soft, sappy growth prone to aphids and mildew. Using a high-nitrogen general feed on geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower' is the headline mistake — you grow a big leafy plant with few flowers. The second is simply under-feeding a genuinely hungry bloomer and getting a sparse, short display.

Should I flush the soil of geranium sylvaticum 'mayflower'?