Geraniums(Pellargonium) are one of the most widely cultivated ornamental plants. We can find them in many gardens, on balconies and terraces, as well as hanging from window sills, where they bloom beautifully from May until autumn. Such popularity of these plants was probably due to the smallgrowing requirements of pelargonium , long flowering period, as well as variousvarieties of pelargonium , with different colors of flowers and leaves. Learnsecrets of growing geraniumsand seewhat to do to make geraniums bloom long and profusely !
Geraniums are one of the most popular flowering plants. In the photo: bed pelargonium
Varieties of pelargonium. Which one to choose?
Geraniums are frost-sensitive, persistent plants native to South Africa.large-flowered geraniums(Pelargonium grandiflorum) look particularly beautiful, forming a single, non-branched stem with large, serrated leaves and large, multi-colored flowers gathered in umbels. The flowers can reach up to 5 cm in diameter. Unfortunately, large-flowered geraniums must be grown indoors because of their thermal requirements. Only in summer they can be put on balconies and terraces.
For garden cultivation,bed geraniums(Pelargonium hortorum), with an erect, bushy habit and multicolored flowers, gathered in domed umbels. As their name suggests, they are perfect for rebates, but also grow well in boxes on balconies and terraces.
Flowers are not the only decoration of geraniums. The breeders also obtained a number of interestingvarieties of geraniums with colorful leaves . They include both bedside geraniums (among others from the Pelgardinia group) and ivy-leaved geraniums (mainly from the Exotica and Stellar groups).
As if that was not enough, we also have a choice offragrant-leaved geraniumsPlants from the group referred to as fragrant pelargonium have small, delicate flowers with 5 petals and fragrant leaves, which, however, do not match the beauty of other geraniums . This group includes such species as Pelargonium capitatum (leaves with a rose scent), Pelargonium crispum (leaves with a lemon scent and purple flowers), or Pelargonium x fragrans (leaves fragrant with nutmeg and white flowers with red veins).
Scented geranium
Mosquito fighters bred in the Netherlands are also one of the most valuable pelargoniums from this group.Their strong smell makes them great plants to repel mosquitoes, flies and other insects. Geraniums with fragrant leaves are recommended primarily for plant compositions in combination with herbs, and for planting in decorated, wooden balcony boxes or in stone bowls, which are placed on terraces and patio gardens.
"Unfortunately, the more sophisticatedvarieties of pelargoniumare practically unavailable in Polish garden stores, therefore in this study I will focus on the cultivation of the most popular - ordinary bed and ivy geraniums. "
Ivy-leaved geraniums
Conditions for growing geraniums
PlantingYou can buy geranium seedlings at the end of April. However, I advise you to wait until around mid-May, when it is sure that the plants will not be threatened by frosts. Geraniums grow excellently in sunny places, but they also do well in slightly shaded places.The stems of ivy-leaved geraniums, on the other hand, are more fragile, so it is better not to grow them on balconies on the upper floors of buildings, where strong winds are blowing. We plant geraniums in fertile garden soil. Balcony boxes should be filled with a special soil for flowering plants or a special substrate for pelargoniums. At the bottom of the boxes, be sure to put a drainage layer made of expanded clay, crushed pieces of old pots or gravel.
WateringThese plants need regular watering. Ivy-leaved geraniums are resistant to light drying. Bed geraniums, on the other hand, will react immediately by wilting and drying out of the edges of the leaves. Therefore, before planting pelargoniums, add a hydrogel to the soil. This is called soil water absorbent, i.e. a substance that stores water. Adding a hydrogel to the soil will allow you to reduce the frequency of watering and prevent the plants on the balcony from drying out.
FertilizationWe start fertilizing geraniums at the end of May.We water with liquid fertilizer at intervals of one to two weeks. The fertilizer should be rich in potassium to allow the geraniums to bloom profusely. However, excess nitrogen should be avoided, as it causes foliage to develop faster at the expense of flowers. Nitrogen fertilization in the presence of a potassium deficiency causes the geraniums to lack flowers or to bloom very poorly. Choosing the right fertilizer should not be a problem, however, as there are special fertilizers for pelargonium available on the market.
Pelargonium wintering
Wintering pelargoniums at home is possible, although few people do it. Most often, we simply do not know how to winter geraniums or it seems too difficult for us. Often there is a lack of a room in which we can provide the plants with appropriate conditions during the winter.
In autumngeraniumscan stay on balconies and terraces until the temperature drops below 0 ° C. However, it is worth removing them from the balustrades and placing them against the warmest wall.It is absolutely necessary to move them to the premises before November 1. The containers with the plants should be moved to a bright room with a temperature of about 6 to 8 ° C. Cool verandas and bright staircases are best. A window sill with no radiator underneath can be a source of poverty. Shortly prune the plants (at a height of 5 to 5 cm). Such pruning together with the limitation of watering (be careful not to dry the plants!) Inhibits the growth of plants and forces them to rest, even if the ambient temperature is slightly higher than recommended.
Geraniums in pots on the stairs. For the winter, we take them to the room
Geraniumswhich were grown in flowerbeds, or which for other reasons cannot be moved with the containers in which they grew, should be dug up, shaken off the ground and also cut short. Then we transplant these plants to deeper boxes (necessarily with drainage holes at the bottom), filled with a substrate for sowing lab planting.Such a substrate must be low in nutrients so that it does not stimulate the development of the stored plants. Plants need to be placed rarely enough so that they do not touch each other.
"Note!Stored plants must be watered sparingly and always from the bottom (on stands under pots or boxes). Watering from above (directly into the soil) can rot your plants and make them more vulnerable to fungal diseases. "
"After some timegeraniums will start to sprout new shoots againTherefore, in February or March we make another pruning of the plants. The cut off pieces of shoots can be used as cuttings. Place the pelargonium seedlings in pots with moist soil for sowing or rooting (the best mixture is leaf soil, garden peat and sand) and place it in a warm and bright place. The cuttings themselves should also be immersed in the rooting agent immediately before planting. We can cover the pots with transparent foil, creating a substitute for greenhouse conditions for the seedlings.
After a week, we start watering the plants regularly (once a week and, of course, from the bottom).Once the geraniums have taken rootwe can transplant them into larger pots or boxes in which they will be grown. If the plants produce more than 5 shoots per plant, break off the excess shoots (the broken shoots can be used for the next cuttings).
Pelargonium seedlings can be harvested from early spring to summerSome even say that late summer is the best time to pick geraniums. "
We do not store pelargoniums for more than two seasons. Older plants should be discarded as they lose their decorative value. Plants bloom best in the first year after rooting.
Diseases and pests of pelargonium
Rarelygeraniumscan be attacked by a bacterial disease - bacterial blight (infected plants slowly rot and die, brown spots are visible on the leaves - unfortunately cure is virtually impossible and such plants must be discarded and the rest treated with a fungicide, such as e.g.Miedzian 50 WP). On the other hand, fungal diseases can become the bane of pelargonium lovers. Gray mold can be very common. Water-soaked spots appear on the leaves of infected plants, and with time also a greyish, mealy coating. It can be prevented by avoiding planting the plants too densely and by wetting their aerial parts. Spray infected plants with Biosept 33 SL biopreparation or possibly with stronger preparations - Bravo 500 SC or Kaptan 50 WP.
Another problem that needs to be mentioned is geranium rust. As a result of an attack of this disease, yellow round spots are formed on the leaves, and brown warts on the underside. The leaves turn yellow, turn brown and fall off. After noticing disease symptoms, spray the plants with Dithane NeoTec 75 WG or Polyram 70 WG.
Other diseases to which the cultivation of geraniums may be exposed include alternaria, verticillium wilt, and rot.
Of the pests that attack geraniums, the most important are aphids, whiteflies and spider mites.
