How to Grow Geranium Azure Rush [Care Tips, Pictures, and More]

Geranium Azure RushPerennial geraniums make bright additions to any garden. The azure rush hybrid is less hardy than some of its cousins, but if cared for well, then these plants can last through the winter outdoors (the seedlings, that is, not the flowers).

Ready your watering cans and fertilize with care, and you'll see bright blue flowers in your lawn from late spring to early summer for several years.

What is a Geranium Azure Rush?

Geranium azure rushes are part of the herbaceous perennial family, one of 422 species of annuals that grow in temperate regions. The azure rush hybrid is naturally-occurring and was first discovered in 2007 by Jan Dirk Schuiver in Jeddeloh, Germany. The light blue of the azure rush geraniums is unique, differentiating it from its near-cousin, the Rozanne.

How to Grow a Geranium Azure Rush

You won't want to rush getting these flowers in the ground - wait until late spring if you want to see them flower, as the geranium azure rushes don't survive as well in fluctuating weather as some of their cousins. The cool temperatures of the evening can freeze out your growths and undo any efforts you've gone to prepare the ground.

Geranium Azure Rush Basics

  • Where to Grow: Zones 5 through 8 in temperate weather.
  • Size: 1.5 feet tall, 2.5 feet wide
  • Bloom Time: Mid-May to July
  • Soil: Loose soil well-integrated with organic compost
  • Light: Full sun to partial shade (see more here about the sun requirements of geraniums)
  • Water: Water your azure rushes until the ground around them is damp. Let the dirt dry out before watering again to prevent root rot.
  • Fertilization: Take care not to over-fertilize your geranium azure rushes; while a small amount will help your flowers start to grow, too much will overwhelm the soil. Mix your fertilizer with water to dilute it and to give the flowers the nutrients they need, and provide them with the mixture once every three weeks.

If you're a beginner to the plant, you should also check out this detailed guide for growing geraniums.

 

A Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Geranium Azure Rush

Geranium azure rushes thrive in warm weather and warmer dirt. If the weather in your hometown is finicky in the early spring, you can start your geranium azure rushes indoors in pots. Make sure that each of your pots drains well and that they're kept in full sun, and you'll be able to plant your geraniums more easily once the weather properly warms.

Step 1: Choose a Location

As you're scouting for the best place to plant your geranium azure rushes, try to identify a spot that gets a reasonable amount of sunlight. Geranium azure rushes need about five hours of direct sunlight a day to grow to their full potential.

You'll also want to ensure that the soil you're planting your geranium azure rushes in drains well. Soggy soil tends to result in sick geraniums, so your soil shouldn't retain water for long.

Step 2: Prepare Your Garden

Once you've found a sunny spot for your geraniums, you need to prepare the soil. Till the spot where you would like to plant your azure rushes until the dirt is loose. Then, add 2 to 4 inches of compost to the dirt and rake it into the soil. The addition of organic compost will ensure that your geraniums have all the nutrients they need to thrive right off the bat after planting.

Step 3: Dig Your Holes

Once the soil is loose, you can dig holes for your geraniums. If you've grown your geraniums in advance, make sure that the diameter of your holes is at least double the size of the pot you currently have your geraniums in. By allowing your geraniums enough room to grow, they'll be able to ramble more appropriately.

If you're planting geranium seeds, dig a hole that's 1 to 2 inches seed. You'll want to provide your seeds with enough coverage to keep them warm while also providing them root to sprout.

Step 4: Give Your Seeds (Or Growths) Space

And ramble they will. Geranium azure rushes need a reasonable amount of room to grow. You'll need to plant your geraniums at least six inches apart so that they don't steal nutrients from one another.

Step 5: Plant Your Geraniums

With the ground tilled and composted and your holes properly dug, you'll be able to finally plant your geranium growths or geranium seeds.

If you're planting growths, make sure that the root ball remains even with the surface of the soil. Do note that if your soil consists of a lot of clay, you'll want your root ball to rest a little higher than the surface of the soil, as clay retains water more effectively than loamy soil.

If you're planting seeds, place them in your pre-dug holes, once again keeping them closer to the surface of the soil if your soil has more clay in it than you would otherwise. Water the planting gently as to not wash any of the topsoil away.

Step 6: Prune Your Geraniums as Appropriate

Geranium azure rushes don't require a significant amount of pruning. However, as the flowers bloom and die, you'll need to deadhead the stalks to prevent any diseases from taking root. You can also pinch a geranium azure rush's growing points to encourage it to branch and grow more broadly.

Step 7: Compost Your Soil Every Spring

So long as you take good care of your geraniums - watering them only when the soil around them grows dry - you should see new growths pop up on a yearly basis. To promote this continued growth, add new compost to your geranium azure rush beds every spring. Lay down 2 inches of compost at max to prevent your roots from overheating. The compost will keep the soil your geraniums grow in moist without rotting their roots.

Geranium Azure Rush Photo Gallery

One-Of-A-Kind Hybrids

Geranium azure rushes are one-of-a-kind hybrid. They stand out in the perennial family thanks to their light blue coloring, though the closest relative that they have is the Rozanne.

Wide-Spread Growth

Geranium azure rushes have a tendency to ramble - that is to say, grow broadly. When you plant them in your garden, you need to provide them with plenty of room to grow so that the foliage can expand appropriately.

Long-Lasting Perennials

Geranium azure rushes are a species of perennial. They'll reappear in your garden year after year so long as you treat them with care. Make sure to reapply compost to your garden every spring, and you'll see their blue petals start to appear in mid-May.

Deer and Rabbit-Resistant

Geranium azure rushes may not be as hearty as their perennial peers, but they do a fine job of warding rabbits and deer away from your garden. These plants' natural genetic make-up prevent them from attracting pests, which means that they'll maintain their color and growth all season long.

Read more: Do deer eat geraniums?

Easy to Transplant

It's easiest to start growing geranium azure rushes in pots, due to the versatility of the weather in early spring. If you end up starting your geranium azure rushes indoors, you'll want to ensure that your pots drain easily. The holes you prepare in your garden also need to be twice the size of the pots you utilize indoors.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

While geranium azure rushes aren't the only geraniums that can develop blue shades, the azure rushes are particularly unique in their coloration. They add a splash of calming color to any garden and are particularly easy for beginning gardeners to take care of.

Heat-Loving Geraniums

Geranium azure rushes are particularly fond of warm weather. That's why they do so well in late May. If you plant them any sooner, you risk losing the growths to frost. That's why geranium azure rushes also grow best when they receive a fair amount of sunlight on a daily basis.

Spring Bloomers

You'll most consistently see geranium azure rushes in late May. These flowers prefer late springtime and will grow until July.

Mounding Habits

Azure rushes' roots have a tendency to mound or to clump together. This sets them apart from a number of other species of geraniums, who have roots that tend to grow longer and less compact.

A Newcomer to the Garden

Geranium azure rushes were only identified as a species of geranium in 2007.

Fertilizer-Friendly - To A Point

You have to take care not to over-fertilize your geraniums. While an initial composting of your garden will help your geraniums stay healthy, you need to dilute your fertilizer to use it appropriately. Mix a tablespoon of fertilizer with at least a gallon of water, then water your flowers until the soil is damp. When you do so, you'll ensure that your geranium azure rushes receive enough nutrients but that their root systems are never overwhelmed.

Prune Your Geraniums With Care, When Necessary

While geranium azure rushes don't need prolific pruning, you can still take your sheers to them when necessary. You should prune your geraniums as their petals start to die to prevent the bushes from overgrowing.

Garden Beautifiers

Geranium azure rushes, as you can see, make gorgeous additions to the patchwork of a garden. With their unique coloration and prolific growth, you'll be able to enjoy their appearance indoors, outdoors, and for many years after their initial planting.

Where to Buy Geranium Azure Rush Online

Want to start your geranium azure rush seedlings? You don't need to sweep through your local shop to find your sprouts. There are a number of geranium azure rush seeds and seedlings available online.

There are Geranium Azure Rushes available through North Creek Nurseries.

There are also Geranium Hardy Azure Rush Perennials available through Bluestone Perennials.

You can look up more resources in our list of top 40 online stores that sell geranium seeds and plants.

More Geraniums to look at

Still considering the type or color for your geraniums. There certainly is a lot of choice out there! Check out these posts on our site -

15 varieties of pink geraniums

Red geranium varieties

Creeping Geranium Plant Guide

Geranium Endressii

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