How to preserve garden geraniums until spring. Proper care of geraniums at home. how to preserve geraniums in winter

Well known beneficial influence many plants per person, including those that grow on our windowsills. Among the most common home healers, the undoubted leaders are aloe, golden mustache and geranium. In addition to the aesthetic pleasure of contemplating bright, practically all year round fragrant flowers of geranium, their healing, almost magical properties are generally recognized.

Familiar Stranger

The ancestors of geranium, which came from South Africa many centuries ago, had a slightly similar shape to the beak of a stork, which is why they received the Greek name pelargonium, which means “crane nose.” Geranium came to us from Europe, having passed through the caring hands of the English breeder George Tradescan. They say that thanks to the variety of royal geranium he bred, the king of England got rid of painful insomnia.

The essential oils contained in the flowers and leaves of the plant are truly soothing by their very presence. nervous system, relieve stress, headaches, cleanse the surrounding atmosphere, repel insects, neutralize the effects of poisons. Considered a talisman of the family hearth, geranium growing in the bedroom helps to establish a peaceful family life, and the white blooming one inspires to have offspring.

Home healer

Since, thanks to geranium oil, Peter I was cured of lameness and pain caused by an ingrown toenail, geranium has gradually become a favorite houseplant of Russians. Healers protected the fetus of a pregnant woman from unclean forces and evil spirits by applying geranium oil to her belly.

If you add honey to geranium leaves or flowers infused in water, you can clear pus from the mucous membrane of the eye. Infused with 10 pieces of plant leaves for an hour, poured with a glass of boiling water, is an excellent sleeping pill; it is enough to drink a third of a glass of infusion before bed.

Drops of geranium oil in the nose relieve a runny nose, soothe pain in the ear, and a leaf applied to an open wound stops bleeding, removes pus, and heals wounds.

Plant care

With the onset of autumn, many flowers will require “relocation” to a room protected from the cold. Such delicate plants include geranium, which felt great outdoors in the summer. Considering that some varieties of geranium bloom almost all year round, it is advisable to move the plants into the room and try to create a optimal conditions. Correct in winter will give you the opportunity to admire its luxurious blooms until January.

IN winter time Geraniums do best indoors in a cool environment, but will need good light to grow and bloom. If possible, place pots of geraniums on southern windows. Of course, the plant will not disappear even with partial darkening, only in this case abundant flowering she won't make you happy.

Proper care of the edge in winter involves reducing watering. Low temperatures and high humidity can cause root rot. But the plant should not be dried out too much - it will begin to wither, turn yellow, shed its leaves and lose its decorative effect. Flowering will also stop. Feeding geraniums should be reduced to once every six months.

If in summer geranium was grown in beds, in open ground, then it should be placed in small pots, cutting off about a third of the roots when replanting. The bush itself can also be trimmed. The flower pot should be placed in a well-lit place. The plant should be replanted and brought into the house so that it does not experience stress from a sudden change in the microclimate.

For geraniums, high air humidity is unacceptable and spraying of leaves is unacceptable. She also does not need too spacious pots in which geraniums stop blooming. Partial yellowing and dying of leaves is considered normal; they should simply be removed, while if the tips are dry, you need to increase watering, and limp leaves indicate waterlogging.

Breeding geraniums

Many peoples consider geranium a symbol of vigor and health. Thus, a plant placed on the threshold of a house protects the house from snakes in the East. Slavic girls carried a fragrant geranium leaf with them to attract the attention of their chosen one. Geranium growing in the house expels resentment and quarrels from the family, purifies and disinfects the air, and has antiseptic and bactericidal properties. The smell of geranium relieves fatigue; it is useful to inhale it for people who have suffered a stroke.

You can stick the cutting into a damp sand-peat mixture, placing it in a cool, shaded place, or even better, first dip it in aloe juice, then sprinkle it with activated carbon powder and plant it in the ground. With good care, geraniums can live for about thirty years to the joy and benefit of their owners.

Indoor geranium comes in two types: ampelous and compact bush. Curly and squat varieties are grown on window sills in ordinary pots. Houseplants have large and bright flowers, oblong fruits and pleasant aroma, which repels insect pests. The most popular type is zonal geranium, but gardeners grow both fragrant and royal varieties. The flower belongs to the group of unpretentious plants, but even it needs proper care.

Ultraviolet

Ornamental geranium bushes, which are also called pelargonium and crane grass, live on southern windowsills in winter. A plant deprived of ultraviolet radiation becomes elongated, and its leaves and inflorescences become small and faded. In spring, the indoor flower moves to the southeast window. Here it stays until late autumn.

In summer, geranium sunbathes under straight sun rays. Pelargonium is not afraid of burns; it actively absorbs ultraviolet radiation and turns it into energy. It is not recommended to place geraniums in the shade, otherwise the bush will become lethargic and weak and will not be able to resist fungus and insects. The main thing is to turn the pot daily so that the light hits all sides of the crane.

Pelargonium only dislikes midday summer sun. The liquid from the leaves and petals evaporates under the influence of unscattered ultraviolet radiation, leaving burns on the surface. From 12 noon to 2–3 p.m., the pot of geranium is removed from the windowsill and placed on a shelf or stand next to the window so that a muted light falls on the bush. sunlight.

In winter, pelargonium must be illuminated with phytolamps. Special equipment, which is sold in garden centers and department stores, compensates for the lack of natural ultraviolet radiation. Lamps increase the length of daylight and provide geraniums with artificial sunlight necessary for photosynthesis. The leaves of pelargonium, deprived of ultraviolet light, turn pale and fall off, and new ones grow small and inconspicuous.

Watering

Decorative bush refers to drought-resistant plants. A fungus appears in the root system, which is constantly flooded. Mold causes the flower to rot and leads to its death. When there is a lack of water, the stems and leaves become pale green, and the inflorescences become small and deformed.

In winter, the substrate in a pot with geranium is moistened three times a month. In spring, the frequency of watering is increased by 2–2.5 times. In summer, water is added after the top layer of soil has dried. In hot months, the flower is watered every 2-3 days.

The root system of pelargonium reacts negatively to impurities heavy metals. Harmful additives reduce the quality of the substrate and slow down the metabolic processes of geraniums. The soil is moistened with melted or distilled water. The liquid from the tap is allowed to sit for at least 3-4 days. They only drain upper layer, which contains a minimum of harmful additives. Rainwater is collected in summer and autumn.

Geranium should not be sprayed with a spray bottle. It tolerates low humidity and dry air well, but can get sick due to droplets of water remaining on the leaves and stem. Water heated to room temperature is poured directly onto the root. Use plastic bottles or special watering cans with a thin spout.

Watering is reduced by 2–3 times if:

• the leaves have become limp;
• a white or gray coating has appeared on the bush;
• the substrate emits an unpleasant putrefactive odor;
• the stem of the geranium has turned black;
• leaves or roots rot.

A flower infected with mold can only be saved by emergency replanting. new pot with dry substrate.

Pelargonium leaves should not be washed or wiped with a damp cloth. Remove dust with dry sponges. A pot intended for an ornamental bush must have drainage holes. The root system of geranium accumulates as much water as the flower needs for normal development. Excess flows into trays. The remaining moisture is poured out. Mold actively multiplies in stagnant water.

Temperature and feeding

Geranium sheds its leaves at +12 and below. Bare bushes are defenseless and weak, with sub-zero temperatures they die. In winter, pelargonium rests at +13–15. The plant goes dormant and recovers. In spring and summer, in the room in which the pot with geranium is located, the temperature is maintained from +18 to +24–25. A container with cold water or pieces of ice, which are placed next to the plant. The liquid gradually evaporates, increasing air humidity and protecting the root system of the ornamental bush from drying out.

In winter, fertilizing is applied once every 1.5–2 months. A flower in the hibernation stage does not need nourishment. A large dose of mineral fertilizers triggers vegetation, which weakens pelargonium. The frequency of fertilizing increases with early spring up to 1 time per week. Feeds containing micro- and macroelements are added to the substrate:

• nitrogen;
• zinc;
• potassium;
• manganese;
• phosphorus;
• calcium;
• iron;
• copper.

Mineral fertilizers ensure abundant flowering and stimulate the growth of the root system. They use complex recharges, for example, “Merry Flower Girl”. At home, products are prepared from nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus mixed in equal proportions. But homemade options do not provide the plant with all the necessary components.

Organic fertilizers are contraindicated. Top-ups are diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 4. Too concentrated products burn the root system of the flower. Fertilizers are applied after abundant watering so that they are better absorbed. Stimulants are not used during hot weather. High temperatures combined with mineral nutrition are stressful for pelargonium.

IN new land fertilizing is applied 3–3.5 months after transplantation. The ornamental bush is fertilized in the morning so that it has time to absorb useful components during the day.

Shaping and trimming

At the end of November, pelargonium, having dropped its last petal, is prepared for winter. Remove the top part of the bush to provide air access to the lower leaves and protect the plant from fungus. Late autumn They also cut off intersecting branches that interfere with each other and slow down the development of geraniums. Indoor flower cleaned of diseased, dry and rotting parts.

Removal of dead areas and tops is carried out with a sharp pruner or knife. Before cutting, the blade is wiped with antiseptics or pure alcohol. A bowl of crushed powder is placed next to the pot. activated carbon. The cut areas are sprinkled with sorbent to prevent germs and fungi from getting into the open wounds of the plant. Disinfectant powder is also prepared from charcoal.

5 cm are removed from the rotting or infected area. The diseased area is removed along with a piece of a healthy branch. Green shoots are pinched with clean fingers. The procedure is carried out when 4 leaf nodes form on a young branch. After 12 weeks, flower stalks form from them.

Branches directed towards the external sides. The upper part of the shoots is removed with sharp scissors, leaving only leaf nodules with buds. The procedure does not allow geranium branches to grow inside the bush. If there are too many shoots, they will cover the substrate and root system from the sun, creating favorable conditions for mold growth.

Planned pruning to form pelargonium is carried out in the fall. Parts of the plant that are too elongated or deformed can be removed in the spring. In summer and winter, they refrain from the procedure so as not to injure the geranium. The exception is branches and shoots affected by fungus or rot. They are removed immediately to prevent the spread of infection.

Storing geraniums in winter

Pots with trimmed geraniums are put away warm room with low air humidity. Protect bushes from pests, fungus and drafts. The room is periodically ventilated. The plant needs fresh air for restoration and normal development. The soil is loosened and checked to see how much water is in it. The substrate should be slightly moist, but not wet, otherwise root system will begin to rot.

Indoor geranium is stored dry:

1. After the buds wither decorative bush removed from the pot. They don't cut it.
2. Several geraniums are tied together and hung from the ceiling.
3. In the room intended for storing pelargoniums, the temperature is maintained from +3 to +8.
4. Air humidity should be at least 75%. Flowers are periodically dipped in water at room temperature to prevent the root system from drying out.
5. At the beginning of spring, more than half of the ornamental bush is cut off. An indoor flower is planted in a pot with a prepared substrate, watered and fertilized.

If all the rules are followed, the geranium will have new shoots and flower stalks with big amount large and bright buds.

Substrate and pot

Pelargonium takes root in wooden boxes, plastic and ceramic pots. But the parameters of the flowerpots must correspond to the size of the plant’s root system. Young geraniums are planted in small pots, and old perennial bushes are planted in large boxes. The main thing is that the roots occupy the entire container. In empty soil, mold often grows and insects multiply.

Transplant ornamental bushes into a loose substrate that allows air to pass through. Soil for geraniums is prepared at home from four components:

• leaf and turf soil;
• peat;
• coarse sand.

There is no need to add coconut fibers, bark or other ingredients. Sometimes leaf soil replaced with humus. Then take 4 kg of soil, 1 kg of peat and second fertilizer, as well as 500–600 g river sand. The soil brought from the garden or vegetable garden is calcined in the oven or in a double boiler. The sand is washed hot water. The mixture of all components is disinfected with a strong solution of manganese.

When choosing a pot, preference is given to clay options with drainage holes. Plastic varieties retain water in the substrate, so mold appears more often in such flowerpots. Crushed brick, expanded clay or grated foam must be poured into the bottom of the container for geraniums. The drainage layer protects against stagnation of liquid and fungus.

Before watering, the soil is loosened with special spatulas to saturate the substrate with oxygen and check the moisture level.

Geranium is transplanted in two cases:

• When it has outgrown the pot and the root system peeks out from under the ground.
• A fungus has grown in the soil due to excessive watering.

Transshipment is carried out in spring or autumn. Before the procedure, the pot is doused with boiling water. During the adaptation period, the plant is not watered or fertilized.

In summer, a pot of pelargonium is taken out to the balcony or loggia and left in the garden under the trees. Flower loves Fresh air, but even a small draft can kill.

With proper care, geraniums bring joy every year bright inflorescences. Up to 30 buds are formed on some flower stalks. Pelargonium is one of the best options for beginners and forgetful gardeners, because it can withstand drought, direct sunlight and even heat. The main thing is to feed and trim the ornamental bush in a timely manner, periodically water and loosen the substrate.

Video: proper care of geraniums

Who among us doesn’t remember grandma’s geranium? This flower is the personification home warmth and comfort, it has decorated apartments for many generations. Among ornamental flowering plants there are very few representatives as unpretentious as geranium.

In winter, home care becomes a little more difficult, but you don't need to be a floriculture expert to grow beautiful plant. By the way, if you don’t already know, it’s correctly called pelargonium. To be very precise, this is a genus of pelargonium, which unites about 250 species of plants of the Geranium family.

Conditions for keeping geraniums, temperature conditions

Almost the entire year the flower feels normal under the most ordinary conditions. room temperature. It does not require greenhouse conditions and is generally surprisingly unpretentious. Geraniums require a little more attention in winter. Caring for it at home requires keeping it cooler, about +10 degrees. It is optimal to take the pot with the plant into a cool room; if this is not possible, then you can easily make do with the window sill; the glass always gives off a cold feeling. The main thing is to make sure that the leaves do not touch the window.

It is especially important to comply with this condition if you are growing royal geranium, famous for her beautiful flowers. It is she who is very demanding on winter conditions, with high temperature(+20 and can shed all the buds. Therefore, +10 degrees is the maximum (up to +4 is possible), which geranium accepts in winter. Care at home also involves providing good lighting, so the basement is not suitable. If you place pots near north window, then additional artificial lighting. A separate issue is watering the plant in winter, but we will talk about this a little later.

Alternative way of keeping

For apartment residents, it is often an insoluble problem to provide a cool room for their favorite pelargonium. Experienced way another method was invented. The plant overwinters in the room, as close to the windows as possible, and with the onset of spring, as soon as the air temperature rises to +2, begin to take the pots out onto the balcony. First, take it out for 2 hours, and then gradually increase the time spent in the cold. This option will ensure excellent flowering of geraniums. In principle, the plant is unpretentious, which means it can bloom without such tricks, but no one will give you a 100% guarantee.

Lighting conditions

Little enough indoor plants They love sunlight as much as geraniums. You can intuitively understand how to care for geraniums at home by observing the condition of the flower. Many sources provide information that it tolerates shadow well. Indeed, the plant will not die, but it will look very bad, and flowering will stop. Even the leaves in the shade become small, unlike luxurious water lilies healthy flower. By moving the pots into bright sunlight, you can see that pelargonium turns into a luxurious, abundant flowering plant.

This plant is not afraid of direct sunlight, so you can safely put it on the balcony or plant it in the summer. open ground. In the fall, you can dig up the grown bush and place it back in the pot. It just doesn’t like direct sunlight, so it’s better to shade it. But the beautifully blooming royal geranium will be grateful for sunbathing.

Watering plants

Now we will talk about how to water geraniums. You probably already know in practice how to care for geraniums at home, because this plant is so unpretentious that you need to try very hard to ruin it. But it is impossible to ensure rapid growth and flowering without following a number of rules.

Pelargonium loves sunlight and regular watering, but make sure that there is no excessive waterlogging of the soil. The easiest way to adjust this mechanism is to select good light soil and drainage system. Stagnation of water at the roots leads to the death of plants; this process occurs especially quickly in miniature forms.

Caring for geraniums in winter requires restrictions on watering. It is necessary to ensure minimal soil moisture and prevent the roots from drying out. Geraniums should not be sprayed even at the height of summer. She loves dry air.

Plant nutrition

Like all ornamental flowering plants, indoor geranium also needs regular enrichment of the soil. Home care involves fertilizing from March to August. It should be remembered that flowering requires a large amount of potassium and phosphorus, while excess nitrogen is detrimental to pelargonium. From its excess, geranium may stop growing. If there is a shortage nutrients geranium will suffer from leaf chlorosis. It does not tolerate fresh fertilizers (manure), so it should be used complex preparations for flowering plants that are large quantities available for sale.

You should not fertilize within four weeks after transplantation, and also in winter period. The last, autumn, application of fertilizers will provide the vegetative part of the plants with everything necessary for growth until spring.

Transplants

It is necessary to select the optimal size of the pot, since its small volume stimulates flowering. But if you see roots poking through the drainage holes, then it's time to get a larger pot. If height young plant occurs very quickly, it is necessary to replant several times a year, and the season has no of great importance. Each time you need a pot that is only 1.5 cm larger than the previous one. Planting a plant immediately in a large pot will doom it to disease. Best choice are, but it should be taken into account that the soil in them dries out faster.

Bush formation

People are often disappointed when they end up with an ugly plant with broken shapes. In fact, this is a feature of pelargonium that should be taken into account. Regular pruning is necessary. If this is not done, the plant will stretch out and be less willing to bloom; in addition, unpruned geranium is prone to various diseases.

Plant propagation

As already mentioned, cut cuttings are used for this. Some gardeners recommend choosing a time for planting, namely August-September, but in fact this procedure is timed to coincide with planting young plants. In general, planting can be done throughout the year; unpretentious geranium provides this opportunity. A plant such as geranium requires minimal care. At home, reproduction and flowering will take place without problems if you pay enough attention to your green friend. You won't need any special skills.

In order to grow new flower, you need to take a fresh cutting 10-15 cm long. At the most miniature varieties a cutting about 2 cm long can be used. No more than 4 leaves are left on it and allowed to lie on it for a couple of hours outdoors to dry. After this, it is planted in a small glass and placed in a warm and bright place for rooting. After about three weeks, the first roots will appear, after which it will be possible to transplant the young geranium into a larger pot.

A fungal disease that is very common on this plant is the so-called black leg. It affects both young and adult plants, and the cause of its appearance is waterlogging and poor drainage system.

The plant is not growing well - what is the reason?

In some cases, gardener mistakes become the cause of plant diseases. If the leaves fly off the branches, it becomes bare Bottom part geranium and flowering is delayed, which means it most likely does not have enough light. A huge, lush bush with a complete absence of flowering usually results from an excess of fertilizers. If geraniums turn yellow lower leaves, then you need to pay attention to watering. Surely it is irregular, or the soil is too sandy and dries out quickly. If the leaves dry out and watering is normal, then the air temperature may be too high.

Let's sum it up

As you can see, caring for homemade geraniums is not at all difficult. Diseases, reproduction, watering and feeding are what cause so many difficulties for gardeners when breeding capricious tropical flowers, is not a problem when growing pelargonium. Care is intuitive and simple; treatment drugs are freely available for sale. The only point that may cause some difficulty is cutting and shaping beautiful bush. For the first time, it is better to seek the help of an experienced grower.

Initial temperature changes are not dangerous for pelargoniums. The first, as a rule, small frosts are not dangerous for pelargoniums, so when they occur, you should not move all the containers indoors in a panic. Only morning temperatures below -3°C begin to damage the flowers and sensitive growing tips, causing these parts of the pelargoniums to appear withered.

Symptoms disappear during the day as the temperature rises. And this is precisely the ideal time to move pelargoniums indoors where they will spend the winter. This moment, as a rule, falls at the turn of October and November. If pelargoniums grew outside, you need to dig them up along with a fairly large root ball. The geranium dug in this way is transplanted into pots with a diameter of about 20-25 cm. The pots are filled with drainage.

Instead of pots, you can have one large box with drainage at the bottom if you have enough space for it. Geraniums are planted in such a box at intervals of about 25 cm. After placing the pelargonium in a pot or box, everything is covered with earth, in which soil from the garden can be located, flower soil, and even sand. Geraniums that have been growing all summer in a container on a balcony or terrace are simply moved indoors.

If you want to help geraniums overwinter, you need to make a preliminary selection of plants intended for wintering. Severely sick plants or too weak ones are not suitable for wintering. Strong and strong people winter better healthy plants, because then you have the greatest chance that the pelargonium will bloom again in a year, and the cuttings from it will be raised equally healthy and strong.

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Pelargonium cannot be stored for longer than two years. Old plants should be thrown away as they lose their decorative advantages. Plants bloom best in the first year after rooting. To overwinter geraniums, you need to choose healthy plants that bloomed profusely and grew lushly.

Pruning pelargoniums

Remember that when transferring pelargonium to wintering, it is necessary to prune each plant. For this it is necessary sharp knife trim the shoots above the node so that they are 15-20 cm in length. All dried leaves remaining on the plant after pruning should be removed. Geranium overwinters in the same way as zonal pelargoniums.

Temperature

Geraniums prepared for overwintering must be placed in as bright and cool a place as possible. This could be, for example, unheated winter Garden or a greenhouse, each place will be fine, the main thing is that the temperature there does not fall below 0°C. If the temperature drops to -2 or -3°C for a short time, nothing will happen. The best temperature for storing pelargoniums in winter is from 5 to 10°C.

Lighting

The room for overwintering pelargoniums should be as well lit as possible. Therefore, you should not keep pelargonium in a dark garage or basement without windows, even if the appropriate temperature reigns there. Is the stairwell suitable for wintering pelargoniums? If someone lives in a block, can keep this plant in a light and unheated staircase(temperature cannot be higher than 10°C).

Watering

In winter, geraniums are watered occasionally. You can even let the soil dry out a bit. If some of the leaves dry out, then nothing bad will happen. The main thing is that the stems do not dry out, because they are the most important part of pelargoniums. The shoots should be juicy and elastic. Properly overwintered pelargonium is watered only 3-4 times throughout the winter.

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When the day becomes noticeably longer, that is, in mid-January, it is necessary to raise the room temperature by 3-4°C and start watering the plant more. Add multiple fertilizer to the water in an amount of about 2 ml per 1 liter of water (according to the instructions indicated on the fertilizer package). All these procedures awaken the plant to grow.

New roots begin to grow from dormant buds on the shoots. In a few weeks, the new roots will be large enough, and in early March it will be possible to cut 3-4 node cuttings of pelargoniums from them. The method of wintering pelargoniums described in the article applies primarily to flowerbed pelargoniums.

Wintering large-flowered pelargoniums

Large-flowered geraniums do not have to go through a pronounced dormant period like zonal pelargoniums and can be stored at higher temperatures. In order for them to bloom again in the spring, they must be stored in a well-lit room with a temperature of 12-14°C, but no more! In such conditions they will grow all the time. It takes them 2 months to create new flower buds.

When you notice the first buds you need to raise the temperature to 18°C. Thanks to these winter conditions, geranium will bloom in April. If for some reason you cannot provide the plant with the above conditions, you need to overwinter the geranium in the same way as the previous one. zonal pelargonium. Then the plant will remain dormant. This will not harm them, they will just bloom a little later.

Geranium or pelargonium has long and firmly occupied many window sills as an unpretentious and beautiful plant. It can be grown at home and in flower beds: the flower looks great anywhere. Before purchasing, it is recommended to read how to care for geraniums at home.

Geranium: general information

Geranium's scientific name is pelargonium, translated from Greek. means "stork" or "crane". This unusual name The plant got it because of its fruit – it is long like a bird’s beak.

There are more than 400 species of geranium in the world, which can be found almost all over the world; about 40 species are found in Russia. It is noteworthy that in Germany geranium is called “stork’s nose”, and in the USA and England - cranebird.

This is a meadow annual or perennial, growing up to 60 cm. The leaves are soft, covered with hairs, and have palmate-lobed or palmately dissected shapes. Large flowers have 5 regularly arranged flowers, usually collected in inflorescences. They can be terry and smooth; shades include white, red, purple and blue.

Among the most popular types homemade geranium present:

In addition to “pure” varieties, there are a huge number of hybrids that you can grow yourself. Among domestic species, the name pelargonium is often found. They belong to the same geranium family, but differ in appearance. Despite this, caring for pelargonium at home, like caring for geranium, is almost the same.

How to care for geraniums

Caring for geraniums at home, photos of which are easy to find, has borne fruit, it is necessary comply with the basic conditions:

1. Geranium feels great at room temperature: in summer it can fluctuate in the range of +20-25 degrees, in winter it should not fall below +10-14 degrees. It is better to choose a place away from drafts.
2. But the flower is more capricious when it comes to light: the plant can even be left in direct sunlight without fear of harm, since the lack of light leads to the shrinking of leaves and flowers. The only thing that may be required is to turn the pot from time to time so that the plant is formed on all sides. In winter, the lack of light is compensated by lamps daylight. If there is not enough light, the leaves will begin to rapidly turn pale.
3. The simplest commercial universal soil is suitable for geraniums. You can prepare it yourself by mixing 1 part of turf and foliage, one and a half parts of humus and half of sand. It is necessary to put drainage at the bottom of the pot.
4. The flower loves moisture and requires regular and frequent watering. In this case, water should not stagnate in the pot or fall on the leaves. High humidity also contraindicated. You can use settled tap water; rain and melt moisture are also suitable. In winter, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering by half, since the plant is dormant.
5. Replanting is required only if the pot has become small. You should not choose large pots: geranium does not treat them well and blooms profusely only in “crowded conditions.” Optimal sizes will be: height 12 cm, diameter – 12-15 cm.
6. The plant is not demanding on complementary foods and is content with standard mineral fertilizers. They are applied twice a month from March to September. You can also use specialized fertilizers for geraniums.
7. To create a beautiful appearance, you can occasionally trim the top and side branches, as well as remove dry leaves and flowers.
8. Pelargonium is propagated by cuttings at any time of the year.

Correct transplant

Geranium has a bad attitude towards transplantation, and therefore it is better not to change pots more than 1-2 times a year. The reasons may be the following factors:

1. The roots have become crowded: you can check this by carefully removing the geranium from the pot;
2. Due to excess moisture, the flower began to wither;
3. Despite care, geranium does not develop or bloom;
4. The roots were very exposed.

Pelargonium is usually replanted in the spring, from February to April, but this is not important: you can replant the plant even in winter, but the bush will take longer to take root. It is also not recommended to touch a flowering plant: it already spends a lot of energy on flowering and will not take it well. new house. Instead of replanting, you can refresh the top layer of soil by adding fresh soil as needed.

Some gardeners, as an additional care, transplant geraniums outside into a flowerbed every spring, and “take it back” in the fall. This helps to improve the health of the plant itself, and at the same time divide roots for propagation.

1. It is necessary to prepare all the tools and treat the pot with a bleach solution if it has already been used previously for another plant. This will prevent the spread of the disease.
2. Drainage is laid out at the bottom of the pot. These could be small stones or foam.
3. Geraniums are watered to keep the ground moist. Then you need to turn the pot over and carefully remove the plant from it, being careful not to break or damage the roots. To separate the soil from the pot, you can lightly tap the walls and bottom.
4. The roots are inspected, and if rot or signs of disease are detected, they are carefully trimmed.
5. The flower is placed in a pot and covered empty seats soil, lightly water, compact and add more soil.
6. After transplantation, the geranium is removed dark place for a week, then transferred to a designated place. After 2 months you can fertilize.

In a similar way, a plant is transplanted from the street in the fall before the onset of frost. If necessary, you can make gentle pruning. To do this, shorten all shoots, leaving about 20 cm. The cut should be a few millimeters from the node. During the winter, geranium will not be able to produce strong enough stems, and therefore the pruning will have to be repeated in February-March.

Pelargonium can be propagated by seeds and cuttings: the first option is suitable for obtaining new varieties, the second - for a new bush. Geranium can also be propagated by rhizomes, but before doing this you need to have some experience.

Propagation by seeds

Pelargonium seeds can be planted from the beginning of March, having previously treated the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to protect against diseases. You can use purchased soil by adding sand and humus. The seeds are scattered over a loosened surface and lightly sprinkled with soil on top, then the container is covered with film to create a greenhouse effect and stored in a warm place for several days. When the sprouts are strong enough, they can be planted, after which standard care begins.

Propagation by cuttings

The best time for propagation by cuttings is spring. A cut cutting with 3-4 leaves (it is better to cut it from the top) is placed in water and wait for the roots to grow. Afterwards, the pelargonium is dried and buried in the ground.

Alarm Signals

If appearance geranium suddenly changed for the worse, to this need to pay attention:

1. If there is a lack of moisture, the leaves dry out and turn yellow; if there is too much, they become sluggish and excessively dull, and gray rot appears on the stems;
2. If the leaves, especially the lower ones, begin to fall off, there is a lack of lighting;
3. If the plant has stopped blooming, this indicates excessive big pot or lack of rest in winter.

Like any plant, geranium even after good care susceptible to pests and diseases.

Conclusion

Geranium is unpretentious plant, which even novice gardeners can handle at home. She doesn't demand special conditions cultivation and frequent transplantation, easily tolerated direct sunlight and drought. The only thing you need to remember: geranium has a negative attitude towards high humidity and systematic transfusions. In such conditions, it will quickly wither and die.

Caring for home geraniums