When to plant geranium seedlings. How can you protect homemade geranium from diseases? Feeding geraniums with iodine for lush flowering on video

Hello, dear friends!

Despite the fact that most of us consider pelargonium (geranium) to be a houseplant, it nevertheless grows and develops well in flower beds. It can be planted in window boxes or used to decorate a balcony or veranda. Before we tell you about growing pelargonium from seeds, let's take a closer look at this plant.

The most common is garden pelargonium, or zonal pelargonium. Its bush grows upright, from 15 to 50 centimeters in height, the leaves are round, small, dark or light green, and may have a dark ring around the edge or without a ring. Flowers can be simple, as well as double or semi-double, collected in spherical inflorescences. The color of flowers can be very diverse: pink with different shades, carmine, red, salmon, white. Pelargonium flowers look very elegant, having two various colors- white with red or pink. In open ground, in garden beds and flower beds, pelargonium blooms from May to September. For the winter, the plant must be dug up and stored in a cool, bright place.

Pelargonium growing technology

In January - February, in room conditions, sow pelargonium seeds for seedlings. The soil mixture should easily allow water to pass through and not less than six. It is best to buy a ready-made nutrient soil mixture.

You need to make shallow grooves in the soil, place the seeds evenly in them and sprinkle them with a little soil. It is necessary to water the crops as the soil dries, trying to avoid excess moisture. If there is excess moisture, the seeds rot, and the seedlings quickly die from various root rots.

In room conditions, crops should be covered with film or glass to maintain the necessary humidity and microclimate favorable for seedlings. The boxes should be placed in a bright place in the room, where the air temperature is 22 - 24 degrees. Under such conditions, the seeds germinate in 3 to 6 days. When the cotyledons appear, the film or glass can be removed and the temperature reduced to 18 - 20 degrees. The place for seedlings to grow must be very well lit, otherwise they will quickly stretch out and may die.

When two true leaves appear on the seedlings, the seedlings should be planted into small pots (8 - 10 centimeters in diameter). If, due to lack of light, pelargonium seedlings have become a little elongated, it is better to bury them 1 - 2 centimeters into the soil. In this case, they will grow additional lateral roots and the seedlings will become stronger.

14 days after picking, pelargonium begins to be fed. First you need to give organic liquid fertilizers, for example, Agricola-Fantasia (1 teaspoon per half liter of water). Next, every 8 - 10 days, you need to repeat feeding using fertilizers "Effecton for flowers" and "Agricola for flowering plants", according to instructions.

Pelargonium loves a dry climate more than dampness, so it should not be planted in damp places. This plant also blooms well in partial shade, where its flowers are larger. True, the flowering is less abundant than in the sun.

Pelargonium seedlings are planted in open ground in the second and third ten days of May. On Seedlings can be placed in a loggia or on a balcony earlier, while providing protection from frost. For pelargonium to grow and bloom well, it needs nutritious and loose soil. Of course, it’s hard to come up with anything better than a ready-made special soil mixture for pelargoniums. If it is not possible to purchase such a mixture, then before planting you need to add a complex complete fertilizer, for example nitrophoska or granular “Agricola for flowering plants”, to the ground, following the instructions.

In flower beds, pelargonium is planted according to a pattern of 20x20 or 15x15 centimeters. In small containers, plants are planted even closer to each other and 2 - 3 centimeters deeper than they grew in seedling pots. This again is done for the plant to form additional roots.

In autumn, pelargonium blooms for quite a long time and tolerates cold temperatures down to minus 3 degrees. If you want to prolong the flowering of your pelargonium, you need to dig up your favorite plant and plant it in a pot. If the earthen ball with roots is quite large, then the flowering of such a plant practically does not stop. On a bright window, under suitable conditions, pelargonium will bloom for another two to three months.

If you decide to grow pelargonium from seeds, then of course you need to try to choose the right seeds for these plants and select suitable varieties.

Favorite varieties of pelargonium

Varieties and hybrids of seed pelargonium are divided into 2 groups:

• Grandiflera - plants of this group are taller, they do not bloom too profusely, but their flowers and inflorescences are large.
• Multiflora - pelargoniums of this group are compact, low, bloom profusely.

Grandiflera group

• Hybrid F1 Horizon- plant height is from 35 to 45 centimeters. It has large inflorescences with a wide variety of colors: coral, orange, cream, salmon, red, white; three types of colors with stripes and strokes; five types of colors with a bright, beautiful edge on a white background; seven different shades of pink.
• Hybrid F1 Maverick- plant height from 35 to 45 centimeters. It has large inflorescences with flowers 4 centimeters in diameter. Color range: pink, light pink, white with a pink eye, purple, red, salmon, coral, white.

Multifleur group

• Hybrid F1 Early Station Wagon- plants 25 - 30 centimeters high, this series of pelargoniums includes a mixture of colors.
• Hybrid F1 Black Velvet- plants 25 - 30 centimeters high. It has dark brown leaves with a green border, medium-sized inflorescences with salmon, red, light pink or pink flowers.
• Hybrid F1 Multibloom- plant height is 25 - 30 centimeters, begins to bloom early. The flowers have a diameter of about 3 centimeters. The color is red and white, salmon, coral, red, white and there are also four shades of pink.
• Hybrid F1 Avanti - plants 30 - 40 centimeters high, begins to bloom 10 - 14 days earlier than other series of pelargoniums. Flowers can be four shades of pink, light purple, red, white, salmon.

Beauty, long flowering, medicinal properties, easy care- this is all a description of the properties of one plant. Without a doubt, every lover of home flowers will want to see this combination on their windowsill. Pelargonium is so beloved by gardeners that it is difficult to imagine a home “flowerbed” without it.

Pelargonium is a herbaceous perennial from the geranium family. This flower is often called geranium, but geranium is a frost-resistant plant that is grown in the garden, pelargonium is a houseplant.

The history of this flower began in South Africa. It was from there that the plant was brought to Holland, and then to France and England. Very quickly, because of its beauty and ease of care, pelargonium became popular among gardeners. The name literally translates as “stork’s beak”, because the fruits of the plant are similar to the beak of this bird.

The aroma of pelargonium is considered antibacterial and soothing, and people believe that this flower brings mutual understanding to the family.

Caring for pelargonium at home

When purchasing pelargonium, you should pay attention to the condition of the bush and inflorescences. Even if the plant is free of diseases and pests, it needs to be quarantined at home. Pelargonium is not a whimsical plant, but there are still some care requirements, which, if observed, will result in juicy and long-lasting flowering.

Do I need to replant pelargonium after purchase?

Since stores usually sell flowers in disposable containers and with unsuitable soil, it makes sense to replant the plant, but only if the pelargonium does not bloom. For planting, use a mixture of sand, turf and leaf soil, humus (1:2:2:2).

If you don’t want to bother with preparing the soil, you can use a regular flower nutrient mixture, which is sold in stores. Subsequently, pelargonium should be replanted once a year in autumn or spring. If the pot becomes small, then it is changed. But it is important to know that pelargonium from a larger pot will go green and will not produce flowers.

Lighting for pelargoniums

For abundant flowering Pelargonium needs good lighting. Because in the shade it grows and does not throw out buds, or does not bloom for long. To provide the plant with the necessary amount of light, choose sunny window sills; especially do not place the flower on the table in dark room. If you still want to decorate the interior, place the beauty next to the south window.

Content temperature

Almost all pelargoniums should undergo winter dormancy. The optimal temperature for this is 10°C. If you do not adhere to the temperature regime during this period, you may not see buds. During wintering, if brown edges of the leaves are found, this is a signal that the temperature is low. The pot should be moved away from the glass.

Pelargonium should not be overheated; if the summer sun hits it at lunchtime, the plant should be shaded. For healthy growth, the optimal temperature is from 18C to 25C. Outdoors, pelargonium tolerates sunny weather well.

Watering and air humidity

In summer, regular and abundant watering is needed, but it is important to ensure that the water does not stagnate. When landing you need to pay attention good drainage. These could be sea pebbles or broken brick. Expanded clay will also do an excellent job with this role. Pots must have drainage holes to allow excess water to drain away.

The signal for watering will be dry soil. In hot summers, water twice, early in the morning and in the evening. In winter, watering is reduced to once a week or even twice. You cannot moisten or spray the leaves, as this will damage the plant. Water the pelargonium at the root, being careful not to get it on the leaves. To ensure good aeration of the root system and prevent rotting, the soil should be loosened periodically. If watering pelargonium is incorrect, it will let you know about it with brown circles on the leaves.

Top dressing

Pelargonium needs constant feeding. The exception is winter, that is, a period of rest. In spring and summer, fertilizer should be applied once every two weeks.

Pelargonium is fed with minerals. For the healthy development of a plant, 3 components are needed - potassium, magnesium, nitrogen. There are ready-made complexes with additional additives on sale. If fertilizers are made independently, then the same parts of minerals are taken, but before flowering the nitrogen composition is reduced and the potassium content is increased.

To increase the number of buds, flower growers add iodine. To do this, you need to take 1 drop of iodine per 1 liter of warm water. There is 50 ml of solution per bush. Water along the wall of the pot to avoid burns.

Fertilizers are a very important component in caring for pelargonium, but it is important not to overfeed the plant. If the leaves begin to turn yellow, the dose should be adjusted.

Growing pelargonium from seeds

• Considering that the seeds are quite large, it is best to plant one seed at a time in separate cups.
• Planting depth is 0.5-1 cm.
• Some gardeners still prefer to save space on the windowsill at first by planting pelargonium seeds in boxes or large containers in order to later plant the seedlings into separate containers. in this case the distance is at least 2 cm.
• The soil can be used universally for potted plants.
• Experienced gardeners recommend soaking the seeds in a growth stimulator for a couple of hours before planting. This will give an additional incentive: they will sprout faster, the seedlings will be more powerful.
• Germinate seedlings at room temperature, in a well-lit room.

The sprouts should be cared for by periodically watering and monitoring the temperature at 20-25°C. When two or three true leaves appear, the pelargonium should be planted. It is believed that when propagated by seeds, pelargonium will bloom more abundantly; it will be able to produce up to 30 buds.

Seedlings are planted in a permanent pot when the plants have grown well, up to 10-12 cm in height.

Propagation of pelargonium by cuttings

Propagation by cuttings should begin in March.

• Cuttings with 2-3 internodes, approximately 5-7 cm long, are cut from the donor plant.
• You can soak the cut of the cutting in crushed charcoal, this will protect it from rotting.
• It is advisable to disinfect the soil to avoid the spread of fungal spores, especially if you take soil from the garden.
• After this, you should moisten the substrate and stick the cuttings into it.
• Cover with a jar on top, you can use plastic bottle, pre-cut in half.
• To avoid rotting, you should not overheat them, the temperature should be up to 22-23°C.
• We moisten the soil moderately and periodically.
• It takes about 1.5-3 weeks for good rooting.
• You can also place the cuttings in water, and when they sprout roots, transplant them into soil.

Both methods of germinating pelargonium cuttings are widely used; the first is convenient in that the plants immediately take root, which gives a certain advantage. The second method can be called “lazy”: for a long time The plants do not need to be watered, just changing the water every few days is enough.

However, when planting cuttings with formed roots in the ground, the plants do not experience any particular discomfort and are quickly accepted.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

Overgrown bushes can be divided without damage and several plants can be obtained. In turn, dividing the bush is a rejuvenating procedure that can be carried out in conjunction with pruning.

• To divide the bush, water it well.
• After an hour, carefully remove the lump of earth from the pot.
• Inspect the root and carefully separate it into parts with a knife to preserve several growth points for each new bush.
• Trim long branches, shortening them to a height of 5-10 cm.
• Planted in nutritious soil, maintaining the same level of the root collar, watered abundantly.
• At first the bushes will wilt and shed their leaves, don’t worry, this is normal. After 7-10 days, when turgor (leaf tone) is restored, feed the pelargonium to further stimulate the growth of green mass.
• After 3-4 months the plants will be able to bloom.

Pelargonium pruning and rejuvenating bush transplantation

Pruning pelargonium photo How to prune pelargonium

All pelargoniums grow in height very quickly. And over time, the stems “go bald”. Therefore, the flower needs constant pruning. Without this he will lose his decorative properties, may stop throwing out buds. Pruning is also used to rejuvenate the bush. The right time for this is autumn.

Not only the top is cut off, but also the edges of the earthen clod along with the roots. In the spring, during transplantation, it is also advisable to prune pelargonium.

But it should be noted that pruning delays flowering by 3-4 months. In order to form a low and fluffy bush with large inflorescences, you need to cut it short, leaving small stumps, about 5 cm. Cut a suitable branch just above the internode. The cut should be oblique. It is also important to ensure that after pruning there are buds that do not grow deep into the bush. To form a dense crown, pelargonium is pinched.

Possible problems in care

• Yellowing of leaf blades. Most likely, this is due to root rot; in this case, replanting the plant in another soil will help.
• Yellowing of fox edges. Improper care is to blame: heat air, insufficient watering, lack of air due to overcompaction of the soil. Perhaps the plant does not have enough fertilizer, so it needs fertilizing.
• Stem rot, leaf wilting. It is necessary to remove damaged stems and reduce watering.
• Pelargonium does not bloom. If this happens, then most likely the reason is stagnation of water - reduce watering and make sure that the water does not stagnate, there is not enough light - move the plant to the south side, but make sure that the air temperature does not rise above 25C.
• Stunted growth withered leaves. If these signs are present, then first you should check the soil for acidity, it should not exceed 5.5 pH, it can also be caused by a lack of nitrogen.
• If the pot becomes small, the plant may stop growing.

Pelargonium diseases

Diseases of pelargonium photo and description In the photo: oedema

Oedema, edema. It manifests itself in the formation of tubercles and growths on the leaves. The disease is caused by excessive waterlogging of the soil. The solution is to reduce watering and cut off all diseased leaves.

Verticillium wilt of pelargonium photo What to do

Verticillium wilt. A very dangerous disease, almost fatal for pelargoniums. The solution is to destroy diseased plants and all shoots with signs of disease. Treatment of plants with the biofungidide trichodermin, 2 g of the drug for each bush. Foundationazol 50 SP 0.1% and Topsin M 70 SP 0.1% performed well.

Gray rot. It appears as brown spots along the entire base of the plant. Leaves also respond to the disease by yellowing and wilting. A gray fungus appears in the foci of the disease.
Gray rot in pelargonium occurs from excess moisture. A large amount of nitrogen in fertilizing can also cause this phenomenon.

To combat gray rot, I prune the affected parts of the plant. The flower is transplanted into new soil and pot. Pelargonium is treated with systemic fungicides.

Stem and root rot . With this disease, the root collar becomes black and begins to rot. The leaves lose their rich color, turn pale, and over time, even turn yellow and wither. The disease appears due to increased moisture and low acidity of the soil. To combat rot, plants are treated with drugs such as Fitolavin, Biporam.

Stem and root late blight. When pelargonium is infected by the late blight fungus, it withers and rots very quickly. In most cases, the spore is soilborne, but can be carried by drafts from one plant to another. The impetus for the development of the disease is high humidity. The disease begins from the roots, covering them with spots of rot.

At this time, the growth of the plant slows down and the color of the leaves turns pale, the signs of the disease become similar to a lack of moisture. But when watering increases, the fungus gains momentum, multiplying and affecting all branches very quickly. Late blight is also characterized by white fluff in the area of ​​rot. Late blight can be treated in the early stages. For treatment, the flower is treated with Bordeaux mixture, the affected parts are removed, and charcoal is poured onto the cut. Be sure to replant the plant in sterile soil and pot.

Types of pelargonium with photos and descriptions

To all the advantages of pelargonium, you can also add a variety of species, of which there are more than 250 in nature. The entire genus of pelargonium is divided into 7 groups.

Zonal pelargoniums

The largest group in terms of number of varieties. Includes thousands of varieties. The leaves have a small soft fluff and wavy edges of the plate, densely distributed throughout the base of the stem. If you rub a leaf of zonal pelargonium, a specific sharp effect will appear. The stems of the flower are straight.

Flowers, collected in large and bright brushes, depending on the variety, can be:

• simple (variety Blanca with snow-white flowers, variety Yitka with delicate salmon-pink flowers) - up to 5 petals
• semi-double (variety A.M. Mayne with beet-fuchsia flowers) - up to 8 petals
• terry (variety Ada Suterby with pink flowers) - more than 8 petals

The shape of the bud may also differ:

• tulips (variety Carmen Andrea - bright red, almost burgundy petals, slightly wavy edges, variety Emma fran Bengtsbo - noble elongated buds with milky white petals) - buds look like a tulip, do not open completely.
• cactus - petals are twisted.
• star-shaped (Borthwood Stellar variety with intense pink flowers, Aunty Pam-Stellar variety - neon pink petals) - inflorescences look like stars.
• rosebuds (Apple Blossom Rosebud variety - the most luxurious variety of zonal pelargoniums with white buds and pink edging) - inflorescences like roses.

By petal color zonal pelargoniums can be:

• two-color
• tricolor
• speckled (variety Confetti Red - bright orange petals with specks and red strokes)
• bird's egg color

Zonal pelargoniums vary in size:

• microminiature – 10cm
• miniature – 10-13cm
• dwarf (variety Pac Jana-2 - dark pink flower with a white spot, variety Frou Frou with bright pink flowers) - 13-20cm
• normal – 25-60cm
• airines – up to 80cm

Royal pelargoniums description and care conditions

This is a gorgeous group that is distinguished by its large, bright flowers. In some varieties, the bud reaches 8 cm. But in order to achieve flowering, you need to make a lot of effort and create certain conditions in order for royal pelargonium threw away the buds. The most important period for them is winter.

• At this time, it is necessary to observe 2 modes, temperature and watering mode.
• Watering in winter period should be minimal, frequent watering will lead to rapid growth without further flowering, optimal quantity watering - 2 times a month.

Temperature for wintering – maximum +15C, but preferably below, +8C is the ideal environment for planting buds. There are exceptions for which a warmer wintering, at +20-+25C, is possible - these are the Imperial and Sally Munro varieties. The flowering of this group of pelargoniums is short-lived, until summer.

The most popular varieties— Askham Fringed Aztec, Burghi, Elegance Jeanette, PAC Aristo Salmon, Rose Pope.

Angels Angeline

This group of pelargoniums took its name from the Angeline variety, which participated in the creation of these hybrids. The angels are similar to the royal group, but smaller in size. The flowers resemble violets, with the upper petals usually larger than the lower ones.

Flowering is abundant and long lasting. Leaves with rounded teeth. The flower is not at all whimsical, but tolerates wintering well with low temperatures. The shape of the bush is erect in good light, but in the shade it can become ampelous, which is why angels are common for decorating terraces. The leaves are fragrant with a mint-lemon aroma.

Spectacular varieties - Eskay Saar, PAC Angeleyes Bicolor, PAC Angeleyes Light, Quantock May, Swedish Angel, PAC Angeleyes Randy, PAC Angeleyes Blueberry, PAC Angeleyes Viola.

Pelargonium peltatum

They got their name from the leaves, which are similar to ivy leaves. The peculiarity of this group is that the branches of the bush grow downward. It is ivy-leaved pelargoniums that decorate balconies and verandas. In the flowerbed, ivy-leaved pelargoniums cover the ground like a carpet.

The flowers are varied, depending on the variety, simple, double or semi-double. The shades are also completely different. May be variegated. The leaves are slightly shiny, in some varieties they are matte. A special feature of the care is the creation of cool air temperatures in winter. The group is resistant to fungal diseases. Favorite varieties are Ice Rose, PAC Kate, PAC Tomgirl, SIL Stellena, PAC Vicky, PAC Lilac Rose, Mozaic Sugar Baby.

Succulent pelargoniums

The most exotic group among all pelargoniums. It has an unusual stem shape. They will look great in compositions such as alpine slide, bonsai. The leaves and flowers are small. Succulent pelargoniums grow slowly.

Types of succulent pelargonium:

• angular
• fleshy
• humpback
• another
• cortusifolia
• thick-stemmed
• fuzzy-leaved

Unicums - hybrid pelargoniums

This group is over 150 years old. It was bred by crossing royal and brilliant pelargonium. The leaves are fragrant, dark green. Petals are two-colored. The bush is quite large, grows up to 50 cm, periodically it needs to be trimmed and pinched.

Fragrant pelargonium

The spiciest group. The smell appears if you rub the leaf, but many varieties smell fragrant even with the slightest draft. The leaves of plants can have the most varied and unusual smells, such as the smell of lilac, pineapple, rose, coconut, ginger.

The bush grows large, more than a meter. not always used as decorative element. Most often for the production of geranium oil. Interesting varieties are Ardwick Cinnamon (cinnamon scent), Lady Plymouth (menthol scent), P. laevigatum, Both*s Snowflake, P. tomentozum (menthol scent), Eucament, Orange Fizz (lemon scent).

Growing geranium from seeds is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The main thing is to select high-quality planting material and follow certain rules for initial stage germination and subsequent flower formation.

What are these rules? And how to grow geranium from seeds healthy? We will tell you everything in detail from “A” to “Z”.

Geranium, our grandmothers' favorite flower, is often confused with pelargonium. Although both plants belong to the Geraniaceae family, they are different cultures. Geranium came from the northern hemisphere, and pelargonium from the tropical lands of South Africa. That is why the first plant feels comfortable at 12 °C and can bloom calmly at such temperatures, while the second plant requires shelter and needs a lot of sun to bloom. Geranium cultivation began in Holland back in the 16th century. Later, in the 18th–19th centuries, flowers became truly popular in Europe, and active breeding of new species began.

However, despite the variety of varieties, at the beginning of the 20th century, geranium lost some of its relevance. At one time, it was even called the “flower of the French poor” due to its cheapness and phytoncidal properties, because of which many people specifically bought geranium for their homes to create fresh and clean air. In addition, the plant was propagated only by cuttings, and this is a rather painstaking process that does not allow growing a large number of seedlings at the same time. And only in the 80–90s of the last century a new generation of F1 hybrids was developed with dwarf form, variegated and double flowers, and it has also become possible to propagate varietal geraniums and pelargoniums by seeds.

If you want to grow geranium from seeds for indoor conditions, take a closer look at white, ampelous, red and fragrant geraniums, as well as the outer shell of the seeds. Today in a flower shop you can find planting material in:

• pickled form - the outer shell of the granules is treated with growth stimulants, nutrients, and pesticides against fungal diseases;
• scarified form;
• natural (unprocessed) form.

In the first case, there is no need to perform additional manipulations with the seeds; they are completely ready for planting. When purchasing seeds in scarified form, they can be soaked for a day in water, a disinfectant or stimulating solution. But we’ll tell you what to do with seeds in their natural shell further.

It is believed that geranium leaves can attract love. Young girls they carried them with them in special bags to evoke reciprocal feelings among the young men...

Home scarification and soaking - how useful is it?

If you purchased inexpensive seeds in a natural shell, experts recommend scarifying them. This process is a violation of the integrity of the hard shell, which ensures better seed germination. A professor at one of the California universities first spoke about this in the 60s of the last century. In his opinion, scarification should have increased the germination rate and the percentage of seed germination. For this operation, he used a sharp scalpel to remove 0.8 mm of the outer shell at the end of the seed.

Preparing geranium seeds for planting

Today, to carry out scarification, flower growers use various options. The main thing is to act carefully, without violating the integrity of the seed itself. You can use sandpaper to place the seed between two such sheets or, holding one edge of the seed, lightly scrape the other edge sharp knife. To break the hard shell, purchased scarified seeds are treated chemically or abrasively. In practice, many gardeners do not notice a difference after scarification. Therefore, you need to try everything yourself.

The second important point for better seed germination is soaking. Prepared seeds must be left in water for at least 4 hours, and preferably for a day. To stimulate growth, we recommend adding a couple of drops of Epin or Zircon to the water and soaking the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. A very convenient method is soaking and germination on damp cotton pads or napkins, which can also be treated with any stimulating and antifungal solution. In this case, you can easily control the degree of germination, and when the seeds hatch, transplant them into the ground.

Substrate preparation - three options for nutrient mixture

To ensure that geranium propagation is as successful as possible, prepare the substrate. There are several options. In the first case, mix sod land, peat and sand in proportions 2:1:1, and in the second two we use peat and sand or peat and perlite mixed in half. You can use any of the proposed options, after steaming the soil mixture in the oven.

After preparing the substrate, pour it into a container where the future geranium will be grown. Next, spread the seeds in an even layer at a comfortable distance from each other, sprinkle them thin layer soil, literally 0.5-1 cm, and water the soil mixture abundantly with water. Cover the container with film clear glass or plastic cover, creating greenhouse conditions for more intense germination. Place containers with seeds in a bright place without direct access sun rays. While the geranium is under the film, do not forget to collect the condensation with a dry cloth, and after the first shoots appear, we begin to gradually remove it.

Preparing the soil for geraniums

Your plant will then need plenty of light to continue to grow. If you want to grow geranium from seeds during a period with short daylight hours, we recommend using fluorescent or LED lamps, while maintaining a temperature of 20 °C. In general, it is better to grow flowers in months with long daylight hours, so as not to resort to help artificial lighting. About two weeks after planting the seeds in the ground, you will see the first 3-4 true leaves. This means it’s time to pick and plant the seedlings in individual containers.

Picking seedlings and the subtleties of caring for geraniums

When the first true leaves appear, we begin to pick up the seedlings. You should not delay this process too much, otherwise the root system of the seedlings will intertwine with each other and it will be more problematic to separate them from each other. For picking, we select pots with a diameter of 10 cm and fill them with any of the previously proposed substrate options. After this, we carefully remove each seedling and deepen it into a new container, at the end we pour plenty of soil from a watering can. We send the pots with seedlings to a windowsill with good lighting. Do not forget to remove yellowed and dry leaves so as not to provoke the development of fungal diseases.

To stimulate the formation of side shoots and stop the plant from growing upward, geraniums must be pinched above the 6-7 leaf. However, if you want to get a tall plant with strong stems, you can skip this point.

Features of geranium care

If your geranium will bloom in the garden, then, starting from the second half of May, the containers can be taken outside, allowing the plant to gradually adapt to natural growth conditions. Depending on the quality of the seeds, growing conditions and care, geranium begins to bloom in 3–4 months. After the plant has adapted to outdoors it needs to be transplanted into a flowerbed. Geranium has a long flowering period, so you can admire its variegated flowers until the first frost.

A grown flower is only half of a successful business. In order for geranium to delight you with its flowering for as long as possible, it needs proper care. This is a light-loving plant, so there should be enough sunlight. It is not afraid of direct sunlight, but you shouldn’t let it “bathe” in them all the time. This can cause the leaves to fade and fall off. Do not allow the top layer of soil to dry out. In winter, watering should be moderate, and in summer - a little more abundant. To prevent water from stagnating, drainage must be laid at the bottom of the pot using expanded clay or other drainage materials.

In summer comfortable temperature for a plant it is considered 20 °C, and in winter – 16–18 °C. For better flowering It wouldn’t hurt to feed it with complex fertilizers a couple of times a month. Remember to regularly inspect all parts of the plant, removing dried and yellowed leaves. The color and condition of the leaf plates can also signal you about improper care. If the leaves turn red, the plant is cold, yellowness indicates a lack of moisture, darkening, gray mold and watery pads indicate waterlogging, and if the leaves quickly fall off, the plant does not have enough nutrients or light.

From the Geraniaceae family, which is distinguished by its large and colorful inflorescences. Geranium has taken root and become incredibly popular among house flowers. Unpretentiousness in care, the ability to clean and moisturize the air well, an abundance of species, tenderness and prettyness, a pleasant smell - all these advantages have turned the plant into a favorite of many housewives. Buying pelargonium already in a pot is too expensive; growing geranium from seeds will be much more profitable.

Requirements for planting material

If the packaging indicates that the seeds are not prepared for sowing or you simply have some doubts, then they should be treated with phytohormones (,), and then soaked in warm water for several hours. With the help of such simple manipulations, you can speed up the germination of grains and improve their quality.

With seeds collected at home, things are not so simple. First they need to be sanded with sandpaper to clean the rough top layer, and then processed and soaked.
In the case of homemade seeds, the probability of getting good seedlings very small. This is due to the fact that during seed propagation hybrid varieties pelargoniums will most likely lose genes from the mother plant.

Soil mixture

Since the planting material is dry, planting with seeds requires loose soil. She must be medium density and not too clayey. You can buy it ready-made in the store; there is a special mixture for geranium, or you can prepare it yourself at home.

To do this you will need one of following proportions:

• , sand, turf (1:1:2);
• sand, peat (1:1);
• , peat (1:1).

Important! Choose high-quality components for the soil, otherwise poor soil will simply spoil the seeds.

On the other hand, for some species this does not play a special role.

Container for growing seedlings

Containers for growing pelargonium seedlings can be divided into two types: separate and joint. Both landing methods are equally effective, but they have their own nuances.

Individual packaging for each seed means small, usually plastic containers, disposable cups, For example. The advantage of a separate container is the fact that when planting seedlings in a pot, the root system of the plant will definitely not be damaged.

A general growing container requires sowing each seed 5-7 centimeters apart. This is done so that the pelargonium roots do not grow together and can be safely replanted.
It is advised to choose not very small containers for growing flowers. It should have enough space not only for soil, but also for drainage material at the bottom. A screening or other small pebble is suitable as it.

There are drainage holes at the bottom of the seedling container. They are needed so that the root system has access to oxygen and can release excess moisture.

Accordingly, it is worth taking care of a small stand for the container so that there is no excess dirt around.

Sowing seeds

Advice on how to plant geranium seeds does not differ much from recommendations for other flowers. Let's consider the seeding algorithm:

1. We select a container and fill it with material and then with soil.
2. We spread the seeds.
3. Sprinkle them a little with soil or sand (the seeds should be under a layer of soil no more than 3-4 centimeters, otherwise they will take a long time to germinate).
4. We moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
5. We place the container on a lighted window or other place, cover it with film or glass. We are waiting for the result.

Important! The temperature for growing should be room temperature (about +23 °C).

Conditions and care of crops

Remember to keep the soil slightly moist and open the film or glass once a day for a few minutes so that oxygen can get in. If everything is done correctly, then shoots will be visible within a month.

Conditions and care of seedlings

When shoots appear, the glass or film is removed. While the plants are still small, they are very sensitive, weak and require special attention. They should be stored where there is no wind or draft, because a small impact can break the thin and fragile stem.

Don't forget about indirect sunlight, now it is extremely necessary for geraniums, as it promotes the growth of the flower and all chemical processes inside. Make sure you have enough water, but don't overdo it.

It is optimal to water the seedlings daily in small portions. Experienced housewives It is recommended to dose water with a regular pipette. In summer, as a rule, watering should be more abundant than in winter time.
If the droplets remain on the stems, they can cause black spots to appear on them, which indicates a disease in the seedlings. Having noticed them, be sure to water the seedlings with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or phytoalcohol. Such actions will correct everything, and your plant will no longer be in danger.

Try to constantly monitor the temperature in which the plants are located. It must be reduced to +20...+16 °C.

If it becomes lower than specified, then there is a risk that the seedlings will succumb to hypothermia and it will be impossible to save it.

The first leaf should grow in 1-2 weeks if you care for the seedlings correctly. Subsequent growth depends on the room temperature, soil quality, pelargonium variety and seed storage time.

Further transplant

A signal that it is time to transplant the seedlings into pots will be the appearance of 2-3 leaves on the seedlings. It is at this age that the plants are ready for picking. No need to choose too big pot for a flower, a container with a diameter of about 10 centimeters will be sufficient.

In the future, you may need another transplant into larger pots, but that will happen over time. They recommend containers made of natural material; clay is a good choice. This will help protect the plant from excessive overheating and will retain moisture longer, which means that pelargonium will not require frequent watering.

Pelargonium or geranium is a flower that is very easy to care for. It will decorate not only the room, but also the balcony, terrace or garden. At home, you can grow pelargonium like the one in the photo from seeds.

Features of growing pelargonium

It is worth mentioning right away that only zonal geranium can be grown from seeds. Other varieties reproduce slightly differently.

Selection of pelargonium seeds

To avoid possible mistakes, you need to carefully select and prepare planting material. When choosing seeds you should pay attention Special attention to the following points:

1. Color. High-quality pelargonium seeds have a rich Brown color. Slight dullness and light tint are allowed.

2. Form. The developed seeds are oblong, with slight depressions visible on their sides.

Size 3. The planting material is quite large.

4. Shell. Pelargonium seeds are characterized by a dense, leathery shell.

If the planting material has all these qualities, then it can be purchased. You should avoid buying seeds that are small, flattened, deformed or stained. One cannot expect good results from planting such material.

Pre-planting treatment of seed material

As already mentioned, geranium seeds have a dense shell, which makes their germination difficult. Sometimes you have to wait quite a long time for germination, but the seeds still do not germinate. The reason for failure is improper seed treatment before planting or lack thereof.

Before planting, geranium seeds must undergo scarification - a procedure to remove the dense film. It is not difficult to carry out this procedure yourself. To do this you will need fine sandpaper. With its help, only the top dense layer is removed from the seeds, and no deep tears remain.

You need to process each seed separately, rubbing it on sandpaper several times.

Choosing soil for growing pelargonium from seeds

Geranium prefers a light nutrient mixture that allows water and air to pass well to the roots of the plant. To germinate seeds, you can use ready-made store-bought soil or make it yourself. There are several options:

Mix peat, sand, humus and compost in equal proportions;

Combine two parts of garden soil with one part of peat and sand;

Dilute peat with perlite in a 1:1 ratio.

If it is possible to prepare the substrate for growing yourself, then you should take advantage of it. In purchased soil, seedlings appear later, seedlings are weaker, the bush forms thin stems, and flowering is sparse.

Before sowing the seeds, the prepared substrate must be disinfected to avoid further infection of the flower. To do this, fry it for several minutes in the oven.

Advice! Ready-made fungicides can be used to treat the soil. High Quality or manganese. But planting should be postponed for a day.

Most favorable time for sowing seeds - February or March. If you sow pelargonium later, the plant becomes very elongated and blooms only after 9 months.

Sowing pelargonium seeds

Seeds are sown in shallow pots or bowls, the height of which does not exceed 3 cm. If there are no special containers, then trays from semi-finished products and any available containers will do.

The containers are filled with substrate and sprinkled generously with water, after which they are left to warm up. The recommended soil temperature is 21-22 degrees.

Prepared geranium seeds are soaked in warm water for three hours, which promotes the emergence of seedlings. Next, they are laid out on the surface of the soil, slightly pressing into the ground. Sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer of loose substrate.

The plantings are covered with glass or a plastic bag and taken to a well-lit place where the temperature does not drop below 20 degrees.

Important! After one to two weeks, when shoots appear, the containers should be gradually opened. From this point on, you need to monitor the soil moisture.

Caring for pelargonium after germination

In order for plants to grow healthy and strong and form a beautiful bush, they need to be well cared for. Geranium needs timely watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil, warm climate, picking and pinching.

Watering and fertilizing

A common mistake For novice gardeners, the problem is excessive soil moisture, which leads to an insidious disease - blackleg. It develops very quickly and destroys all seedlings. To avoid this, it is necessary to make a drainage layer in the planting containers and holes to drain excess water.

In addition, the watering regime is also important. Water the seedlings as the soil dries, being careful not to flood them. After planting, the plants are watered in separate containers no more than twice a week. In winter, the frequency of watering is reduced to once every seven days.

Geranium is fed for the first time two weeks after picking. To do this, use fertilizers for flowering plants rich in potassium and phosphorus, for example, Agricola.

The frequency of feeding is once every two weeks. In winter, subcortical treatments are stopped.

Lighting and air temperature

When caring for young seedlings, you need to remember their need for light. It is better to place containers with seedlings on eastern or western windows. On the south side, shading will be required from direct sunlight, which even in winter can damage the delicate foliage.

During the period of active growth and formation of shoots, geraniums should be illuminated for at least 16 hours. If there is not enough natural light, then additional lighting is provided in the evening. In summer, flower pots are taken out to the balcony, terrace or garden.

In the room where pelargonium is grown, you need to maintain optimal temperature. It should be at 20-25 degrees. In winter time mature plant can withstand a brief drop in temperature of up to 10 degrees. But for young seedlings such fluctuations are disastrous.

Picking and pinching pelargonium

For the plant to have a developed root system, it must be grown in separate containers.

Seedlings are picked after the appearance of two true leaves. For further cultivation choose narrow and tall pots, with a diameter of about 10 cm. If the seedlings are a little elongated, they can be buried a little into the ground.

In order for the geranium to have a beautiful bush shape and not stretch out, it must be pinched regularly.

The first pinching is carried out after the fifth true leaf. Subsequently, the flower is regularly pruned in spring and autumn, with all weak and thin shoots cut out. Shaping of the bush is stopped 1.5 months before flowering. Geranium blooms indoors three to four months after planting. The photo shows the pinching areas.

As you can see, growing and caring for pelargonium is not at all difficult. It is enough to surround the seedlings with care, and multi-colored caps will soon appear on the windowsill. If desired, pelargonium can be planted in a flowerbed in May, where it will delight with flowering all summer long. Before frost sets in, the flower is transplanted back into the pot and brought into the room.

Pelargonium zonalis is a bright and useful potted plant. It will not only decorate the beds, but also repel various pests.