Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Small-Flowered Cranesbill (Geranium pusillum)— schedule & NPK
Also called Small-Flowered Cranesbill, Small Geranium.
More about small-flowered cranesbill
About Small-Flowered Cranesbill
Geranium pusillum · also called Small-Flowered Cranesbill, Small Geranium · flowering
Geranium pusillum is a slender, softly hairy annual native to Eurasia and now naturalised widely in North America, typically found on arable field margins, roadsides and disturbed ground. It bears very small pale lilac-pink flowers from June to September and is an undemanding plant that thrives in lean, freely draining soils. The most important care point is that it dislikes rich, moist soils — excessive fertility produces leafy growth at the expense of its delicate flowers. True cranesbill Geranium species are not listed as toxic to pets by the ASPCA, and this species is considered non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Growth habit: Spreading, softly hairy annual with palmately lobed leaves and slender branching stems; produces diminutive lilac-pink notched petals individually rather than in showy clusters.
Watch for — Poor flowering in rich soils: In fertile or recently manured ground, plants produce abundant foliage but very few flowers. Move to a lean, well-drained spot or avoid amending the soil with compost or fertiliser.
What fertiliser small-flowered cranesbill actually wants — and why
Small-Flowered Cranesbill flowers best on poor soil — feed it and you get a lush leafy plant with very few blooms, the exact opposite of what you want.
Little or nothing. Rich, especially nitrogen-rich, soil pushes foliage at the expense of flowers in this plant — lean ground is the technique, not a deficiency.
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 small-flowered cranesbill: 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 small-flowered cranesbill, 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 small-flowered cranesbill:
None required — avoid feeding entirely, as high fertility reduces flowering and can shorten the plant's lifespan. In practice: no routine feeding at all for small-flowered cranesbill — at most a thin compost mulch for soil structure, never a flowering or nitrogen feed.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when small-flowered cranesbill 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 small-flowered cranesbill
None is the correct answer for small-flowered cranesbill. The flower-versus-foliage trade-off is the whole point: hold back and you get the display.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water small-flowered cranesbill first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the small-flowered cranesbill watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding small-flowered cranesbill
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for small-flowered cranesbill:
- Abundant leafy growth and very few flowers (the classic over-rich symptom).
- Soft, floppy stems and a sprawling, leafy habit.
- Scorched edges and salt crust if it has been fed in a container.
Signs you are under-feeding small-flowered cranesbill
- Effectively never an issue — these plants flower on poverty.
- Only on genuinely dead soil: weak, thin growth and few blooms.
- A short-lived plant in completely spent container compost.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full small-flowered cranesbill care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
If small-flowered cranesbill has accidentally been fed and is all leaf, a plain-water flush plus a move to leaner soil resets it; otherwise no flushing is needed because you are not feeding it.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for small-flowered cranesbill
Organic options
A thin compost mulch for soil structure is the absolute most; mostly, give it nothing. UK/US: leave it lean — no manure, no liquid feed. Poor soil is the active ingredient here.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
None. Synthetic feeds, particularly anything with appreciable nitrogen, directly suppress flowering in small-flowered cranesbill.
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 small-flowered cranesbill — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does small-flowered cranesbill need?
Little or nothing. Rich, especially nitrogen-rich, soil pushes foliage at the expense of flowers in this plant — lean ground is the technique, not a deficiency. Small-Flowered Cranesbill flowers best on poor soil — feed it and you get a lush leafy plant with very few blooms, the exact opposite of what you want.
How often should I feed small-flowered cranesbill?
None required — avoid feeding entirely, as high fertility reduces flowering and can shorten the plant's lifespan. None required — avoid feeding entirely, as high fertility reduces flowering and can shorten the plant's lifespan. In practice: no routine feeding at all for small-flowered cranesbill — at most a thin compost mulch for soil structure, never a flowering or nitrogen feed.
What strength of feed for small-flowered cranesbill?
None is the correct answer for small-flowered cranesbill. The flower-versus-foliage trade-off is the whole point: hold back and you get the display.
What does over-feeding small-flowered cranesbill look like?
Abundant leafy growth and very few flowers (the classic over-rich symptom). Soft, floppy stems and a sprawling, leafy habit. Scorched edges and salt crust if it has been fed in a container. Feeding small-flowered cranesbill at all — especially "to help it flower" — is the defining mistake. Rich soil gives you a big green plant and almost no blooms; restraint is what produces the flowers.
Should I flush the soil of small-flowered cranesbill?
If small-flowered cranesbill has accidentally been fed and is all leaf, a plain-water flush plus a move to leaner soil resets it; otherwise no flushing is needed because you are not feeding it.
Keep reading
- Small-Flowered Cranesbill care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water small-flowered cranesbill — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
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- How to fertilise tuolumne fawn lily
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- All 10153 fertilising guides in the Growli library