Indoor flowers: geranium - care and cultivation at home. How to care for geraniums in winter

Geranium is considered a unique symbol of the family hearth and is widely known throughout the world. In addition to aesthetics, it has a large number other valuable qualities. Official name given indoor flower- pelargonium is rarely used and almost no one knows .

Distinctive feature geraniums are easy to care for at home. At the same time, it has its own characteristic requirements and features. Not only does it depend on him appearance plant, but also its lifespan, which with the right approach can exceed ten years. Geranium has not only bright, beautiful flowers, but also a characteristic pleasant smell, which varies among its different species.

Fragrant pelargonium releases bactericidal substances that have a disinfecting and purifying effect on the air. In addition, they are credited with a harmonizing effect on the room.

Principles of caring for geraniums at home

At proper care the plant can bloom throughout the year with periods of short rest. Otherwise, despite its unpretentiousness, it can be destroyed quite quickly.

The rules for caring for it are as follows:

• during watering, the liquid should not fall on the leaves and stem;
• It is advisable to place the flower on the south side of the building, slightly darkening the window in the summer;
• choose pots for geraniums small sizes;
• transplantation is performed only in extreme cases;
• the room temperature is maintained at least 10 degrees;
• to improve the branching of the plant, its shoots should be pinched;
• all types of pelargonium need regular pruning;
• dried inflorescences must be removed.

In addition, it is important to ensure good drainage in the pot and moderately fertile soil, which is fertilized as needed. Abundant watering is recommended, but without constant excess moisture.

Attention! Spraying should be avoided: the leaves are looked after by wiping them from dust. Do not place the plant in the wind or draft. To provide access fresh air to the roots, the ground in flower pot It is necessary to loosen twice a month.

Let's look at each stage of cultivation in more detail.

Trimming

This plant is usually pruned in the fall. In this case, the stems are left with 6-7 leaves and the excess shoots coming from the leaf axils are removed. Do not prune geraniums in winter, especially from December to January. If, as a result of this, the flower grows again over the winter, the procedure is repeated in the spring, leaving only a few buds on the stem.

Fragments of cut branches are used for propagation as cuttings. To make the bush thicker, pinch the shoots after every 4-5 leaves.

Transfer

Frequent transplants of this flower, which it does not particularly require, should be avoided. For him, this is a whole test, to which he is subjected only when the roots of the plant begin to peek out from the drain hole. This usually happens once every 2-3 years.

The best time is early spring. In this case, the container is taken only 2 centimeters larger than the previous one. Otherwise, you will get a lot of branchy shoots, but there will be no flowers.

Fertilizer

In the period from March to November, pelargonium is fed liquid fertilizers. You should not use liquid organic matter for these purposes, which is not tolerated by geranium. A good remedy is a solution of 1 drop of iodine in 1 liter of water. 50 ml of this fertilizer is carefully poured along the walls of the pot. After applying it, the geranium will bloom profusely and for a long time, an example of which can be seen in the photo. Too much large number solution may burn the roots.

Advice! When a plant is in the process of actively flowering, it is very useful to add fertilizers based on potassium or phosphorus to the water for irrigation.

Breeding

For planting, use a cutting about 10 cm long with four to five leaves. Place it in a glass of water and wait for the roots to appear, after which it is transplanted into a pot. Ordinary garden soil is quite suitable for planting. A mixture of peat and sand, taken in equal parts, works well.

Pots from natural materials, for example, from baked clay. If the selected container is made of plastic, then you should monitor watering more closely. Since the soil dries out much more slowly in such pots, root rot may occur.

At the bottom it is necessary to lay out good drainage, for example, from expanded clay. Optimal size dishes - 13-15 cm in diameter with a height of about 12 cm. Several geranium bushes can be planted in such a flowerpot at once.

A simpler method of propagation is to plant directly into the soil. To do this, the cutting is stuck directly into a damp peat-sand mixture, after which the pot with it is placed in a cool, shaded place. It is useful to first dip the cuttings in aloe juice, then sprinkle with powdered activated carbon, and only then plant it in the soil.

Another method of propagation is by seed. It is considered more troublesome than those described above and is used only by experienced gardeners.

Features of keeping in winter

The question often arises, how to care for geraniums in winter? First of all, it should be placed in a place protected from exposure to cold. If in warm times it grew on open ground, then for the winter it needs to be transferred to a small pot.

The plant will grow best in a cool, well-lit room. Optimal place there will be south windows. The flower will not die even with a slight darkening, but it will not produce abundant flowering. The main sign of a lack of light is that the leaves become dull and lose their rich color.

In winter, it is necessary to reduce watering, since intense moisture combined with low temperatures can cause rotting of the root system. But, if the plant begins to turn yellow, wither, and shed leaves, it means that it does not have enough incoming moisture. Feeding in winter is also reduced, carried out once every month and a half.

Advice! Since geraniums go into short hibernation during this period, shoots should not be pruned.

Diseases and treatment

Pelargonium very rarely gets sick, and all its diseases are considered the result of errors in care. The main disease is black rot. When it appears, the stem gradually begins to turn black, and the entire plant begins to wither. Since this disease cannot be treated, the diseased flower is simply thrown away.

To avoid this, it is important to carry out thorough prevention and monitor the degree of soil moisture, avoiding excess moisture in it. Before transplanting, it is advisable to scald the soil with boiling water or heat it in the oven.

An aphid attack can be a serious problem. Modern pharmaceutical preparations and folk remedies- solution laundry soap, chamomile, tobacco dust.

Geranium can also be susceptible to a fungal disease such as rust. At first it appears brown spots on the surface of the leaves, which subsequently dry out and fall off. In this case, treatment consists of treating the plant Bordeaux mixture or phytosporin, which is repeated after 10 days.

If yellowing of the leaves is observed, this may be caused by a lack of moisture. This plant requires abundant watering. The opposite condition, which consists in waterlogging of the soil, is also manifested by this symptom, but then the leaves are soft and easily separated from the stem.

Yellowness and dryness of leaves are sometimes observed in the case of a cramped pot or insufficient lighting. The cause of poor condition or death of the plant may be non-compliance temperature regime. Its wilting may be caused by unwanted changes in location. If you notice that the flower has become worse in its new location, you should return it to its original location.

Attention! In some cases, yellowing of leaves is not considered a sign of disease; it is a normal life process, as a result of which dead tissues are shed.

Lack of flowers

A long absence of flowering is not a disease, but it also cannot be called the norm. The reasons may be:

• replanting into a pot that is too loose;
• irregular feeding;
• excessively high soil fertility;
• long absence of pruning.

Too loose a pot and fertile soil have an overly stimulating effect, which inhibits flowering. Therefore, when replanting, take dishes that are only 2-3 cm larger in size than the previous one, and use a peat-sand mixture as soil in the absence of flowers.

If geranium lacks light, then provide additional lighting by using fluorescent lamps. To make it happy with its lush color, it is necessary to cut and trim it regularly.

When growing exquisite pelargonium, it is important to comply with all the requirements for how to care for geraniums at home. At the same time, you must always remember that each flower, like a living person, requires an individual approach. It is not always enough to be guided by the stated truisms; you need to show genuine attention, actually noticing what has a good effect on your plant and what has an unfavorable effect on it.

For beginning gardeners, geranium is a very convenient flower because it is extremely unpretentious. The rules for caring for it are quite simple and easy to follow.

Garden geraniums should grow in a small pot, since the plant begins to bloom only after its roots completely fill the entire volume of the pot. The soil should be crumbly, loose, enriched with mineral fertilizers. You can buy ready-made soil at the store or mix turf, humus, peat and sand yourself.

Most often, geranium is propagated by cuttings, but even if you sow the seeds, after six months the plant will grow and begin to bloom. Let's take a closer look at how to care for geraniums.

The plant is quite patient with lighting conditions and even north side It will grow well, although it will still stretch out a little. A flower growing on a south window will be lush and spreading.

Watering the plant is also easy. There is no need to spray it regularly; you should even avoid it by spraying neighboring flowers, and you should water it only after the soil in the pot has dried. It is better to avoid excess moisture so that the roots do not rot, and geranium can cope with a lack of water, so if you leave it without watering for several days, nothing bad will happen, and if a couple of leaves turn yellow, you can remove them and continue growing.

The air temperature should be at least 20 o C, and even with temperature changes the plant will feel good and accelerate its growth. But whether the air is wet or dry is virtually indifferent for geraniums.

How to care for geraniums throughout the year

Despite all the undemanding nature of geranium, you should know what care at home will ensure its year-round flowering:

• Spring - best time for transplanting geraniums or planting them, since at this time buds are formed and active growth. Geranium does not like replanting, so it can only be done once every two years.
• Summer is a period of active feeding. Geraniums especially need nitrogen fertilizers; without this element they will not bloom. But excess nitrogen is also bad - the leaves will grow actively, but there will not be enough strength for flowers. The best fertilizer- one that contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in equal proportions. You should not keep the plant in direct sunlight, although it will not cause much harm.
• Winter is a period of cold weather. Caring for geraniums in winter involves creating a temperature of 10-13 o C, but if your room is not so cold, just place the flower away from the heaters and closer to the window glass - this coolness will be enough for it. Geraniums growing on the north side can be artificially illuminated. IN winter time geraniums are pruned.

In order for perennial geranium to bloom for a long time, the fading inflorescences must be broken off without leaving them on the plant. Correct fit and care guarantee healthy and long-lasting flowering plant, which will act as a natural air freshener, because the leaves can have a very different aroma depending on the variety of geranium.

Geranium diseases

Thanks to the pungent smell of geraniums, almost no insects are dangerous. Moreover, it also drives away pests from its neighbors on the windowsill. But diseases associated with the action of harmful microbes and fungi can appear, especially if the plant does not have enough light and the air is too humid:

• gray rot, in which plaque appears on the leaves and the stems darken;
• leaf rust - yellow spots on leaves;
• powdery mildew, when the stems and leaves are coated with a characteristic coating.

You can combat the manifestations of these diseases by spraying geranium leaves with special preparations.

Caring for home geraniums

One of the most popular houseplants is geranium. Beautiful and blooming geranium will decorate and refresh your home. Geranium is loved by both amateur flower growers and professionals; beginners, as a rule, also like geranium, caring for it is simple and it does not require much attention to itself. You can’t say for sure where the birthplace of geranium is; about 300 species of this plant grow in different parts of the Earth; most types of geranium are found in the tropical zone. Geranium is translated from Greek as “crane”, which is where the second name for geranium comes from – “crane tree”. Blooming geranium will perfectly decorate your window sill or loggia.

Geranium care

Caring for geraniums is accessible to beginners, but the plant should not be abandoned

When growing geranium in summer, try to provide it with an air temperature of about 20 °C. In winter, geranium will tolerate temperatures of about 12°C, but do not cool it to even lower temperatures. Geranium really loves sunlight in all its forms, and geranium will not refuse direct sunlight either; of course, you should not expose it to the sun in hot weather. There is no need to shade geraniums; they are perfect for growing them south side your home. Growing geraniums. care at home largely depends on watering; geranium is not the most water-demanding plant, but in summer it is worth watering quite often. In winter, moderate watering should be done. However, you should not overwater geranium! Geranium accumulates water abundantly in its leaves; overwatering can cause stagnation of water and, as a result, rotting of the roots. Since geranium accumulates water in its leaves, it does not require spraying, this property was given to geranium by the plant’s homeland.

Bloom

With minimal care, geranium will delight you with an abundance of colors and shades.

One of the most interesting plants in terms of flowering - geranium, the photos will perfectly prove this to you. If geraniums receive proper care, they will begin to bloom at the very beginning of spring and finish by mid-winter. There are also several types of geraniums that bloom all year round. The buds bloom one after another, the old ones fade, and new ones appear in their place, which is why the geranium remains bright throughout the flowering period. For bright flowering, geraniums must have enough sunny color and nutrition. This need for light is determined by the homeland of geranium; with its deficiency, geranium blooms less abundantly and brightly.

Soil and fertilizers

Don't forget about fertilizing geraniums

To grow geraniums, nutritious soil is required, for example a mixture of garden soil, sand and peat; proper drainage should be created for geraniums; stagnation of water is dangerous; the soil should be loosened from time to time; this also applies to the prevention of root rotting. Geranium loves organic and mineral supplements. To improve flowering, you should take care of fertilizers containing more potassium and phosphorus than nitrogen. There are also special complex fertilizers for geraniums, fertilizing with similar fertilizers should be done once a month, feeding geraniums, care is even less difficult.

Transfer

Replant geraniums as early as possible before flowering.

Geranium: home care includes replanting, especially for young geraniums. Transplantation should be done at the end of winter or at the very beginning of spring - before the geranium begins to bloom. To transplant geraniums, it is better to choose a small pot, otherwise the root will grow later and the geranium will begin to turn green abundantly, while flowering will decrease. If you are unable to replant geraniums, you will need to replace the top layer of soil. As a last resort, you can replant the plant, but choose a pot no more than 1-2 cm larger than the previous one.

Geranium propagation

Geranium is easy to propagate by seeds or cuttings

Geranium propagates by seeds and cuttings. There will be no problems with the presence of seeds; geranium is a very fruitful species. The homeland of the plant awarded geranium with this feature. Geraniums grown from seeds bloom very brightly; such geraniums are also more resistant to unfavorable conditions and get sick less often. It is worth sowing in the middle of winter (January-February), the prepared soil is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate (dark) before planting. Seeds planted in a pot should be lightly covered with seedling soil. You can add a growth stimulator. After all the manipulations with planting the seeds, the pot is covered with glass or polyethylene, the humidity of the air and soil is maintained, the seeds germinate within 2 weeks. Growing geraniums from seeds does not preserve the plant variety! The second way to propagate geranium is by cuttings; this method is faster and preserves hereditary characteristics (variety). Cuttings are done at the end of winter or throughout the summer. The best parts of geraniums for propagation are the upper shoots, with 3-4 leaves and a size of about 5-8 centimeters. The cut should be powdered with crushed coal, then planted in the substrate to a depth of about 3 centimeters, the temperature should be maintained around 20 degrees. It is better to plant the cuttings in a disposable (transparent) glass, so we can control the appearance of roots; after the roots appear throughout the glass, the geranium should be transplanted into a separate pot.

Geranium diseases

The main disease of geranium is blackleg.

During geranium illness, care and attention to it should be increased. Blackleg is one of the most common diseases of geranium, it is characterized by blackening of cuttings, this fungal disease Therefore, the blackened cuttings should be removed immediately. The cause of “black leg” is waterlogging of the soil. However, it is now easy to find drugs that will protect against fungal disease. With a lack of light and waterlogging of the soil, the roots of geraniums may begin to rot; the cause of root rot can also be increased temperature.

Geranium, scientifically known as pelargonium, is the most common inhabitant of Russian window sills. Even the most inept housewives can easily care for geraniums and delight their lush flowering this unpretentious but very beautiful flower.

For geraniums you need to choose a convenient pot. It shouldn't be too wide. All flower growers with experience know that the smaller the pot for pelargonium, the more flowers it produces and blooms longer. Also, the pot for this flower must have good drainage system so that when excess moisture forms, the roots do not rot.

How to water geraniums

Pelargonium is neutral to watering. Many people believe that it is better to underwater it than to overwater it. Do not try to moisten the leaves and flowers of geranium using a sprayer. This will negatively affect the condition of the flower. It is better to choose rain or melt water for irrigation. If there is none, you can use tap water, but it will need to sit for 2-3 days. In winter, watering geraniums is reduced by 2 times compared to summer, even drying out of the soil is allowed. This is explained by the fact that pelargonium switches to “sleeping” mode in winter.

Care for geraniums: lighting and temperature conditions

Geranium is a very light-loving plant and is not at all afraid of direct sunlight. Without fear, you can determine the place of residence of this flower in the sunniest place. Light care for geraniums involves periodically turning the flower towards the light so that the bush forms evenly. With this approach, pelargonium will bloom from late March to January. In the warm season, geraniums can be placed on the balcony or taken out onto the lawn. And yet, with all the love of pelargonium for light, sometimes the plant can get burned. Therefore, in the scorching sun it is worth shading it a little. In winter, when there is not enough sunlight, geranium care can be supplemented with lighting with energy-saving “daylight” lamps or special lamps purchased in flower shops.

Geranium feels best at an air temperature of 20-25 degrees in summer, and in winter it is better to care for geranium at a temperature of 10-14 degrees.

Pruning geraniums for lush flowering

In order for pelargonium to delight you with abundant and long-lasting flowering, faded flower stalks must be removed immediately. You can also pinch the top of the flower and side branches to form a beautiful rounded bush.

Geranium care: fertilizers and replanting

Geranium care associated with mineral subcortex is carried out from March to September. At this time of year, you can fertilize the soil 1-2 times a month. Some gardeners purchase specialized fertilizers for pelargonium, but the use of universal mineral fertilizers gives good results.

Pelargonium does not really like transplanting, but 1-2 times a year will not cause flower disease. If you need to replant a flower, it is better to plan it for the spring, or at least for the summer. Many gardeners plant geraniums in their dachas directly into the ground for the summer. It is believed that such a procedure can improve the health of the flower and prepare it for winter. In autumn, obligatory pruning of the flower is carried out. Shorten the main stem of the flower by 1/3, and also cut off the leaves and side branches. After trimming optimal height the flower is 40-50 cm.

Geranium propagation

Geranium is propagated by cuttings. To do this, selected branches with several leaves from the top of the bush are cut at an oblique angle and placed in wet sand or nutrient soil. During the first days, the cuttings are moistened to stimulate the root system.