Pruning geraniums for lush bloom

Home geranium Geranium or Pelargonium is a very popular plant. It can be grown at home or in the garden. There are a lot of geranium varieties. Its healing qualities are also appreciated. But the main quality is considered unpretentiousness. Plant care is simple. Even an inexperienced florist can take care of her.

The most common geranium is fragrant. Its flowers are usually small, have a pink-purple color and a different shape. The incised leaves have up to seven parts. The plant has a strong aroma. Minimal care is required. In winter, the plant sleeps, no care is required, only rare watering.

Royal geranium considered the most delightful plant of its kind. It has large flowers and a variety of colors from white to dark purple. The size of the diameter of the royal variety reaches 15 cm, the height is the same. This royal lush flower has large buds of simple and double shape. Petals are wavy and corrugated, on which you can always see a dark strip or spot. This is a distinctive feature of the species. The height of the plant trunk can reach half a meter.

How to care for pelargonium?

Geranium is a perennial thermophilic plant that hibernates indoors. She needs proper home care and regular pruning.

Watering mode In summer, watering geraniums is required abundantly so that the plant does not dry out from the heat. But it is impossible to overfill geraniums. Gray mold will appear on the leaves, the leaves will wither, the roots will begin to rot. In summer, watering must be done daily so that the plant can bloom profusely.

Winter is a hibernation period when watering is required in moderation.

Illumination

Geranium loves light. This is her first condition. A sunny windowsill is the best place for her. But from direct scorching sunlight, the leaves can get burned. In the garden, it must be planted in a well-lit place, but closed so that there are no drafts and wind. From a long stay in the shade, only small leaves will appear. The plant will not bloom.

Air humidity

Humidity does not play a special role for geraniums. She can endure any atmosphere. But it is not recommended to spray the flower. Geranium only loves fresh air. In summer, she should be in a flower bed or balcony.

Air temperature

The temperature regime for this plant starts from +12 degrees. When the air temperature drops, the stems become bare, the leaves droop, geranium will not bloom. The plant will die. In winter, it tolerates room temperature very well.

Feeding pelargonium

How to properly care for geraniums Pelargonium does not tolerate when fresh organic fertilizers are applied. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are useful. They are taken in equal parts. Potassium is needed for abundant flowering.

Fresh organic fertilizers must be excluded immediately: pelargonium does not tolerate them. Fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in equal proportions are suitable. For a lush flowering, it is precisely potassium that is required. Be sure to observe the following condition: do not apply fertilizers in hot weather. If the soil is dry, then it must first be watered, and then liquid fertilizer is applied so as not to burn the roots of pelargonium. In spring and summer, fertilizers are applied at least 2 times a month.

Transfer

Geranium often does not need to be replanted.But if the roots are very overgrown, then the pot will be small. The roots can be trimmed slightly. If the geranium is flooded, then an urgent transplant is required. A large pot should not be taken. The land can be taken from the summer cottage by putting drainage on the bottom of the pot. The plant is transplanted in the spring.

Reproduction

Pelargonium is propagated by seeds and cuttings. Home care requires propagation only by cuttings. The plant reproduces by seeds only when a new variety is developed. Before planting seeds, the soil is loosened and watered with a solution of potassium permanganate. This will protect her from the black leg. It is not required to cover the seeds with a large layer of earth. The container is covered with foil or glass and left in a warm place until shoots appear. Reproduction by cuttings is done in the spring. The stalk is placed in a container of water. The room should be warm. After the roots grow back, the cutting is transferred to a pot with soil. After rooting it is necessary to pinch off the top. Professionals can produce reproduction of pelargonium dividing the bush.

Plant pruning

Plants should be pruned regularly. There should be two pruning: spring and autumn. The pruning rules are simple.

Formation of pelargonium bushes will help:

give the bush an even and compact shape;
cause the growth of side shoots;
make the bush lush and stable;
get quality home material for planting.

In spring, pruning of geranium bushes is less extensive than in autumn. Work begins in early March. The later the extra shoots are cut off, the later the flowering begins. In spring, only weakened stems should be cut. 2-3 buds should remain below.

How to prune geraniums correctly?

Remove excess and dried stems with a sharp and disinfected tool:

a blade, clerical or thin kitchen knife is suitable for this purpose;
scissors cannot be used. They break the stem tissue at the cut site by pinching;
the cut is made over the leaf node, which is facing the outside of the bush. The emerging shoots will not interfere with each other and will not cause excessive crown density;
young stems can be pinched with dry fingers without pulling the shoot;
to prevent rotting or insect damage, the cut sites should be sprinkled with activated carbon or wood powder. At home, you can use cinnamon powder, a natural antiseptic.

After pruning pelargonium, the plant can be fertilized with a nitrogen-containing composition. This will contribute to the accelerated appearance of greenery and shoots.

The healing properties of geranium

Geranium is used in folk medicine to treat many ailments:

blood pressure returns to normal. If you fasten a sheet of pelargonium on your wrist;
toothache passes if the leaf of the plant is held in the mouth;
symptoms of otitis media disappear if a blurred leaf of a flower is placed in the ear canal;
Geranium tincture cures colds, stress, neuroses, gout.
aroma of pelargonium eliminates insomnia, headache, irritability;
geranium leaf baths are used for skin eczema, itching and swelling;
a decoction of leaves and roots is taken for kidney disease, diabetes mellitus and salt deposition.