The best ivy geranium growing location is a raised pot in full sun. Mild weather helps too. Think hanging basket or window box. These plants trail and spill, so a raised spot lets the stems cascade. You get bright color, and the plant gets the light, cool nights, and fast drainage it wants. Plant one at eye level and you see it at its best.
Picture the classic Swiss chalet with a window box spilling bright red bloom over the sill. That look works because the trailing habit needs room to drape down and over an edge. A flat garden bed buries those stems in the soil. Down there they rot and stay hidden. Raise the plant in an ivy geranium hanging basket or a window box, and air moves around the leaves. The whole shape shows. You also keep the foliage off wet ground, which cuts the chance of disease.
Light and heat decide whether your plant blooms or sulks. Iowa State puts the sweet spot at 65 to 80°F (18 to 27°C) with plenty of direct sun. Once the air climbs past 85°F (29°C), the flowers fade and growth stalls. In hot regions your plant needs afternoon shade to push through that heat. The choice of ivy geranium sun or shade is really about your climate. In a mild coastal spot, give it full sun all day. In a hot inland yard, give it sun in the morning and shade after noon. That swap keeps the blooms coming when summer turns brutal.
You still need real sun to get flowers. Colorado State recommends a minimum of 4 to 5 hours of direct sun a day. Drop below that and the plant grows leggy and skips bloom. This makes sense once you know where it comes from. Ivy geraniums are native to South Africa, where days are bright but nights stay cool. They hold on to that preference. So a spot with strong light and a temperature drop after dark suits them best. If your nights stay warm and muggy, expect fewer flowers and watch the leaves closely.
Good placements share two traits: light and lift. A hanging basket under an eave catches morning sun and dodges the harsh afternoon. A window box on an east wall does the same job. Balcony rail planters let the stems trail over the edge in clear view, which is why apartment growers love them. In a mild climate with no hard frost, you can even run them as a low ground cover. There they sprawl and knit together over a slope or a border edge. A north wall is the one spot to skip, since it rarely gets the hours of sun the plant needs. Pick the spot that matches your light, and the plant rewards you with bloom after bloom.
For the best results, pick a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade if your summers run hot. Use a container with open drainage holes. These plants hate wet feet and rot fast in soggy soil, so good drainage is not optional. Space your plants about 12 inches (30 centimeters) apart. That gap lets air move between them. Then the leaves dry fast after rain. Water at the base, not over the top, to keep the foliage dry and free of mildew. Get the spot and the drainage right, and your flowers carry on from spring well into fall.
Read the full article: Ivy Geranium Care: Grow Trailing Blooms
