Strawberry Geraniums: Care and Basic Information

The strawberry geranium, or Saxifraga stolonifera, are a perennial evergreen that is easy to grow and makes for a very attractive houseplant or gardening ground cover. They are best known for their heart shaped foliage with prominent white striping and undertones of dark pink caused by the color of the underside of the foliage, as well as the stems and stolons. They can be propagated by dividing the plant or transplanting the attractive plantlets that grow from the threadlike stolons that trail down from the plant. Native to China and Japan, strawberry geraniums have become a gardening favorite that is not terribly picky about sunlight or receiving the perfect amount of moisture, so long as they graced with a little tender loving care now and again. Let us take a closer look at the basic care needed to ensure that your strawberry geraniums to propagate and truly thrive.

While strawberry geraniums are very easy to grow, they do have some basic requirements. Most importantly, strawberry geraniums prefer to be have consistently moist soil. Although they can tolerate a little bit of neglect, it is important not to let them dry out completely. To have happy strawberry geraniums, your best bet is to keep their soil moist enough so that you can readily feel the moisture when you apply your finger to the top of its soil. At the same time, like most plants that prefer moist soil, it is important that the soil has proper drainage so that the roots are not just sitting in soggy soil; otherwise the roots will quickly begin to rot, and the plant will be in trouble. Having proper drainage for your strawberry geraniums isn't tricky, just mix in some gravel or clumps of hard clay in with soil before transplanting the plant to its new home.

As for where to place your strawberry geraniums, they are a conveniently neutral in regards to their location. If you are planting them outside in your garden, strawberry geraniums due will in the shade, partial sun or half and half; just be sure to keep them out of the full sun. Grown as ground cover, strawberry geraniums spread very quickly into clumps that grow three or four inches high. They are also a great choice for a rock garden provided that they will have enough drainage to avoid root rot. Their foliage and propagating stolon plantlets look great trailing down a rock side. For the same reason, strawberry geraniums make for a great plant in a hanging basket. They are also an excellent choice for a houseplant, especially in homes that do not receive very much natural sunlight. Kept in a small container, strawberry geraniums do fine as a small plant without becoming root bound.

Sources:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53215/

https://secure25.securewebsession.com/westongardens.com/page%20content/plant%20library
/strawberry%20geranium.htm

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-strawger.html

http://www.sunlightgardens.com/pages/1195.html