Repotting guide

When & how to repot Dove's-Foot Cranesbill (Geranium molle)

Also called Dove's-Foot Cranesbill, Dovesfoot Geranium, Soft Cranesbill.

More about dove's-foot cranesbill

About Dove's-Foot Cranesbill

Geranium molle · also called Dove's-Foot Cranesbill, Dovesfoot Geranium · flowering

Geranium molle is a low-growing, softly hairy annual wildflower native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia and now widely naturalised worldwide, including across North America. It forms a spreading rosette of rounded, softly lobed leaves with a distinctive velvety texture, producing a long succession of small, deep to pale pink notched flowers from March to September. It thrives in dry, poor, sunny soils and is especially tolerant of drought once established. 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.

Mature size: 5–30 cm tall, spreading to 40 cm

How to tell dove's-foot cranesbill needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For dove's-foot cranesbill, watch for these signs:

Roots circling the bottom of the module or pot, or poking out of the drainage holes.
The seedling dries out within a day and growth has visibly stalled.
Roots are white and matted in a tight spiral when you tip the plant out.
It has outgrown its current container for the stage of the season — pot dove's-foot cranesbill on before it becomes hard root-bound.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot dove's-foot cranesbill

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Dove's-Foot Cranesbillis grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Spreading, low-growing annual with softly hairy, rounded and shallowly lobed grey-green leaves; highly branched stems radiate from a central taproot and can spread to 40 cm..

What size pot to step dove's-foot cranesbill up to

Pot dove's-foot cranesbill on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot dove's-foot cranesbill

Pot dove's-foot cranesbill on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting dove's-foot cranesbill

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check dove's-foot cranesbill regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh poor, dry, free-draining sandy or gravelly soil; neutral to alkaline ph preferred at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water dove's-foot cranesbill in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for dove's-foot cranesbill

Dove's-Foot Cranesbill wants poor, dry, free-draining sandy or gravelly soil; neutral to alkaline ph preferred. Thrives on lean, well-drained soils with low fertility. Grows naturally on lawns, path edges and sandy waste ground. Avoid rich, moisture-retentive soils that encourage excessive foliage and reduce flowering. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting dove's-foot cranesbill — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot dove's-foot cranesbill?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for dove's-foot cranesbill. Dove's-Foot Cranesbill is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into poor, dry, free-draining sandy or gravelly soil; neutral to alkaline ph preferred so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does dove's-foot cranesbill need?

When is the best time of year to repot dove's-foot cranesbill?

Can you put dove's-foot cranesbill straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing dove's-foot cranesbill should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise dove's-foot cranesbill after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting dove's-foot cranesbill. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.