One of the popular houseplants is geranium. Most varieties have bright colors, a pleasant smell and beneficial properties. Now many have forgotten about them. It grows well indoors.
Content:
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Introduction
Care for her is available even to inexperienced flower growers. But the features of the plant, for successful breeding, you need to know.
Approximately 300 years ago, pelargonium was brought to Europe from South Africa, mistakenly attributed to geranium varieties. Since then there has been confusion over the name.
Those flowers that our grandmothers grew on windowsills are called pelargonium. Flower growers have bred about 10,000 of its varieties. Geranium is a winter-hardy shrub. To avoid confusion, in the text we will call everyone by their usual name.
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Currently, 6 varieties of geranium are known:
Ampelnaya
Ampelnaya
- Differs in long branches that go down.
- Their length can reach 90 cm.
- It is best to hang it in pots.
- Flowers are white, red, purple.
- They are located at the top of the falling branches.
- The inflorescences are in the form of a brush.
- The leaves have a smooth surface.
- There are about 70 varieties of ampelous geranium.
Royal
Royal
- Geranium is the most capricious of all species.
- It grows in a bush from 30 to 60 cm in height.
- Her flowers are large, double.
- Its inflorescences are in the form of umbrellas.
- Located on long stems, they form a hat.
- In color, they can be solid, from white to purple, or they can be spotted.
- The leaves are round, with teeth along the edge.
Zonal pelargonium
Zonal pelargonium
- The most common type.
- Her bush in height can reach 80 cm.
- Its leaves are round in shape with white, yellow or brownish edging.
- The stems are long straight, on their top are inflorescences - umbrellas.
- Their color is varied, from white to dark red, or purple.
Fragrant
Fragrant
- It has a pleasant aroma.
- A lot of its varieties have been bred, with different smells: apples, roses, cinnamon, lemon and others.
- There are more than 150 types of them.
- Has decorative foliage.
- Her flowers are small, grow one at a time.
- They are shaped like butterflies.
- This variety does not always flower indoors.
succulent geranium
succulent geranium
- Rare plant.
- This is due to the complexity of reproduction: Cuttings take several years to root, and seeds are difficult to obtain.
- She looks like cabbage kohlrabi.
- The leaves, located on long stalks, are covered with hairs.
- They have a velvety surface.
- Flowers are on a branched peduncle.
- Their color is greenish white.
variegated geranium
variegated geranium
- Has variegated leaves.
- They can be with spots, strokes, lines of different shades: red, yellow, red.
- The height of the bush is from 15 to 45 cm.
- Her flowers are small, have many colors, but are inconspicuous in appearance.
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Beneficial features
Essential oil
Geranium home - medicinal plant. The healers claimed that she would cope with any ailment: from SARS to cancer. It is very often used in alternative medicine.
The folk epic says a lot about its benefits, for example, the proverb: "Geranium on the window - health in a basket."
Consider its main properties in more detail:
- Modern scientists have studied its properties. It turned out that the aroma of pelargonium is bactericidal, it purifies the air in the room in which it is located.
- The fragrance of the leaves repels insects. Everyone knows that she repels moths. Previously, clothes were shifted with leaves, putting them away for long-term storage.
- Normalizes pressure. To do this, the sheet is applied to the wrist.
- Treats colds. It is recommended to gargle with infusion, and the juice from the foliage is instilled into the nose, 2 drops each.
- Relieves pain symptom. The leaf is applied to the sore spot.
- Geranium essential oil has a calming effect on the nervous system.
- With the help of geranium oil, you can relieve vasospasm.
- Normalizes the work of the heart.
- Decoctions help with diseases of the kidneys and liver.
- Pelargonium red roots block the growth of cancerous tumors.
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Speaking about the properties of the plant, you need to consider that it can be harmful:
- Children should not be allowed to take infusions and decoctions inside. Use only externally in the form of lotions and compresses.
- You can not use geranium in the treatment of those who have an ulcer, thrombophlebitis, constipation.
- Use with caution in pregnant women and the elderly.
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Reproduction features
Bouquet on the window with geraniums
- seeds
- cuttings
- Rooted
Each method has its pros and cons. Let's consider them in more detail so that you can choose the one that is convenient for you.
seeds
Geranium seeds
At home, it is possible to grow a pelargonium bush from seeds. They can be harvested from your plant or bought. Grown the flower may differ from the parent bush. This method produces new varieties.
Minus seed reproduction - duration. The plant needs more time to grow and start flowering. After the end of flowering, fruits in the form of a beak are formed.
You need to let it ripen and dry without tearing. When you open the dried fruit, there will be seeds. By the way, pelargonium got its name thanks to the fruits. The literal translation means "crane's beak".
In order for the seeds to germinate at home, to sprout, you need to follow simple rules:
- The soil must be loose. For an ideal substrate, 2 parts of soddy soil, 1 part of peat and 1 part of river sand are mixed. It needs to be moisturized. Spread the seeds on the surface, keeping a distance of 5 cm. Cover with a layer of sand 0.5 cm on top.
- To make it easier for the sprouts to hatch, the seeds must be rubbed with sandpaper. She will remove the top layer. For greater effectiveness, keep them in a growth enhancer. If this condition is not met, the germination process will be delayed for 3 months.
- After sowing, the container is closed with a film and cleaned in a warm place. As shoots appear, it moves to a bright and cool place. The soil is ventilated. The condensate is removed from the film.
- You need to water in moderation. For watering, use a pinkish solution of potassium permanganate. Drops on the sprouts themselves should not fall.
- Geranium seedlings are dived 14 days after the plant hatches. You can not tighten, because the roots also develop.Late seating can damage them. Geranium is transplanted into a permanent pot on the 45th day.
- After the appearance of the sixth leaflet, they begin to pinch. This process will form a beautiful indoor geranium bush. Don't let him stretch too much.
cuttings
geranium cuttings
Cuttings can be carried out at any time of the year. But the off-season will be the best: Spring, autumn. They do have their pros and cons though.
Spring is the time of awakening. Geranium shoots activate vital energy. By planting a cutting at this time, in the summer you can enjoy the flowering of a young bush. But on the other hand, pruning cuttings will slow down flowering.
In autumn, after the flowering period is over, the cuttings are stronger. They, having got stronger, will be accepted faster. Flower growers consider the autumn breeding season to be the best. The downside is that the first flowers will have to wait until the summer.
- Cuttings are cut only healthy, without damage. The optimal length is 7 - 10 cm. This should be done with a sharp knife or secateurs. The cut must be between the nodes of the branch.
- Extra leaves must be removed. Only a few pieces are left at the top. This is done so that the food does not go to the foliage, but to form roots.
- The stalk is aged in the purchased root stimulation solution for 3-5 minutes.
- A hole is made in the substrate, where the future bush is planted.
- You can, after the solution of the amplifier, put in a glass of water. For disinfection, crush two tablets of activated charcoal there. It is transplanted into the soil after the appearance of the roots.
- There is a way of rooting in a bag: soil is poured into it, tied, cuts are made, where the cuttings are planted. It is not particularly convenient, but moisture is thus retained, preventing the substrate from drying out. This is important for the appearance of roots.
- There are special greenhouses. They consist of a container for the earth and a cover with holes for ventilation. The method is good for a large number of shoots. They are heated. Their use is convenient: the soil is moistened, plants are planted, closed. And it remains only to wait for rooting.
Whichever method is chosen, it must be remembered that the main thing is hydration. Water nourishes and promotes the formation of the root system. But you can not pour geranium. It will rot from too much moisture.
Propagation by roots
Sometimes new sprouts grow from the roots of geraniums. If you plant them, you get a new bush. To do this, the entire plant must be carefully removed from the ground.
The root is divided so that the children have part of the root system. Then the bushes are seated in separate pots.
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Watering a flower
Features of care in autumn and winter
With the onset of cold weather, care for pelargonium needs to be changed. Temperatures below +12 degrees will become critical.
She loves warmth
Transfer
Preparatory process
Geranium tolerates transplanting well, regardless of the time of year, although it is better to carry out the procedure in the spring. Waking up from winter dormancy, the plant tolerates any changes more easily.
In the summer, when the flowering period begins, its forces are directed to the inflorescences. The transplanted bush will spend them on the root system, adapting to the new environment.
Do not forget that geranium does not like space. The pot for transplanting should be chosen compact. In a large container, it will not bloom profusely, its goal will be to develop the root system.
To understand that it's time to transplant a bush, there are several criteria:
- Plant growth slowed down
- Soil dries out quickly, resulting in more frequent watering
- Roots peeking out of a hole in the bottom of the pot
- You can check by taking out a lump of geraniums. If the roots have braided the whole lump, then it's time to transplant
When transplanting is carried out in an old pot, it must be disinfected. Wash in a solution of potassium permanganate or bleach.
- Drainage is placed in the prepared pot
- Get a bush with a clod of earth from an old container
- Check if all roots are healthy. Damaged or with signs of disease are cut off with scissors
- Next, place in a new pot. The space between the flower and the walls is filled with moist soil
- The substrate must be compacted so that air does not pass through it.
- The first 3 months, geraniums do not need to be fed.
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The cut is treated with activated carbon. This will prevent rotting and pest attacks.
stem tree
stem tree
A geranium bush can be formed into a small standard tree. To do this, remove all side shoots. Tie the stem to the support. You need to mount in several places. Given its fragility, it is necessary to make a vertical garter carefully.
The top is pinched. This will cause a fork. Of the stems formed, about 7 pieces are left. to form a crown. Their tops are also pinched. The first flowers will appear about a year after the end of crown formation.
Reasons for the absence of flowers on a geranium bush
Florists may be faced with the fact that geraniums do not bloom
The reasons may be different. If the rules of care are not followed, it is worth bringing everything back to normal, and the bush will give you flowers.
- big pot
- Substrate not suitable
- The plant is not comfortable with the temperature in the room
- Not enough fertilizer
- Lack of watering, or it is too plentiful
- The stems are not cut, or the procedure was not carried out on time
If these conditions are met, you need to add stress to the bush. Geranium is aimed at reproduction.
- Limit watering and fertilizing in winter
- Cut hard, leaving 1 - 2 knots. Royal geranium should not be subjected to such circumcision
- In summer, take the plant outside, creating a change in temperature
- Pour water with iodine. 1 drop of iodine is taken per liter of water. 50 ml of the solution is poured slowly along the walls of the pot into the soil. Such watering provides violent flowering.
- Pour the root system with water with castor oil. A teaspoon of oil is dissolved in 1 liter of water. It is necessary to water this mixture during the formation of buds. In the dormant stage, you can’t feed geraniums like this
Geranium leaves turn yellow. Causes
Geranium leaves may turn yellow
As mentioned above, in winter this is a normal process. If yellowing occurs in summer.
It is necessary to look for and eliminate the causes:
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Some varieties of plants require special care. Especially varieties of royal geraniums. You need to know them so that they do not get sick and bloom profusely.
Behind the royal geranium
The most whimsical and capricious variety is the royal geranium.
She demands more attention.
Subject to all its conditions, it will delight with its flowers:
- Do not allow waterlogging or drying of the soil. The bush will start to hurt from this. Watering should be carried out with settled or boiled water at room temperature.
- It must be watered through the pan. So, the roots will absorb as much moisture as they need.
- You can only repot in the spring. and only when the roots show through the hole in the bottom of the pot.
- You need to feed once every two weeks
- In winter, you need to ensure the temperature is not higher than 15 degrees. And watering should be minimal.
- Without providing winter dormancy, it will not bloom.
- During the formation of buds, it is impossible to trim and pinch
- Propagated only by cuttings. Cuttings should not be placed in water, they will rot in it. The breeding season is August-September.
- The royal geranium has a shorter flowering period than the zonal variety.
- Vaccination is done to increase it. To make it, the crown of the zonal geranium is cut off. The cut is split in a V-shape. A pointed scion of royal pelargonium is inserted into it. The junction is wrapped with a film from top to bottom. Be sure to install a support.
- The buds are removed from the trunk until the stems grow together. So that the geranium bush does not waste energy on flowering.
Behind the ampelous geranium
Ampelous geranium also has its own care features.
They are not as strict as those of the royal.
But they must be taken into account:
- In summer it is better to keep it outside, and in winter indoors at a temperature of 7 to 15 degrees.
- A favorable month for propagation by cuttings is August.
- You can not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers. It is best to alternate organic and mineral top dressing.
Description of care
The use of iodine
