Homemade royal geranium flowers. Is it possible to propagate royal geraniums in winter? Pruning royal geraniums for lush flowering

Royal geranium is known to houseplant enthusiasts as "Royal Pelargonium" and is famous for its capriciousness. Country of origin - South America, and therefore pelargonium is accustomed to a hot climate with humid air. Rules for caring for it at home can be found on this page. The classic royal geranium is a flower or small dense bush with branching stems. The leaf shape is round, with slightly lobed edges and a characteristic geranium scent. The flowers look like spherical umbrellas, the stems are thin and long. Their color depends on the variety: from snow-white to dark purple. At home, royal geranium grows up to 50 cm. proper care It will bloom from early spring to late summer. Look at the photo of the variety royal geranium, intended for indoor breeding:

How to plant royal geraniums correctly

Caring for royal geraniums at home

Variety of varieties of royal pelargonium and their photos

Possible problems with royal geraniums

1. Provide the plant with good drainage and adequate lighting.
2. You should not use fertilizing too actively: it is better to underfeed than to overfeed.
3. Remove diseased plants promptly and never reuse soil.
4. Water geraniums only when the soil really needs it.

Flower demanding special care and approach to reproduction. This article is devoted to the issue of propagating pelargonium using. This process is quite simple, but it has a number of features and a certain amount of free time. There is a possibility that the procedure will not bring a positive result the first time, but do not despair, because even experienced gardeners Setbacks happen from time to time.

Cutting and preparing cuttings

Important! The soil should be pressed tightly around the shoots - if this is not done, air bubbles that form around the stem can adversely affect the process of formation of the root system.

In order to provide the young shoots with a sufficient level of moisture, the pot is covered with a transparent plastic bag. Next, you should produce and place the container in a well-lit place, but avoid direct sunlight. As the soil dries out, additional watering is carried out.
The second method involves using a special one, and is suitable if you intend to grow a flower in large quantities. There are simple greenhouses, and there are those equipped with a heating system.

They are quite easy to use. The tray is filled, then it is moistened, and it is planted on top. After this, everything is covered with a lid and watered from time to time until the sprouts take root.
The third method is the least expensive. It will only require plastic bags. He is relatively young, his distinctive feature is that cellophane does not allow moisture to evaporate.

Before planting cuttings, you should fill any bag with light soil, water it thoroughly and wrap the edge of the bag tightly with rope. Then holes are made in its upper part with a knife and cuttings are planted in them. The number of cuttings planted directly depends on the size of the package.

(Regal Pelargonium) is a prominent representative of the Geraniaceae family, consisting of more than 400 species. It is also called pelargonium. It is native to the hot and humid climate of South America.
It can reach a height of 30 to 60 centimeters.

It differs from other species of its family in the following:

• accordion-shaped leaves, with a dense structure, rough surface, jagged edges;
• gorgeous flowers, the diameter of which reaches up to seven centimeters.

Of course, the main advantage of this indoor plant is its flowering. But, as they say, beauty requires sacrifice. The flowers are truly royal, but their life expectancy is an order of magnitude lower than that of ordinary geraniums. If ordinary geranium blooms from spring to autumn, then Royal geranium blooms from spring to mid-summer. The lifespan of flowers varies from 3 to 5 months.

Note! Royal geraniums often do not bloom. This is due to improper care.

Necessary conditions for pelargonium

Air

From March to August for best development Royal geranium is suitable for ambient temperatures up to 25 degrees Celsius. In autumn and winter, you should not allow temperatures to rise above 20 degrees Celsius. The optimal option is 17-19 degrees Celsius.

This royal loves a lot of light. Therefore, it should be placed on window sills.

The only exception is hot summer days, when direct sunlight can cause burns on the leaves.

Most best option light lighting on the windowsill, provided that there is a tree growing not far from the window, which will partially shade the direct rays of the heavenly body.

Humidity

It should be elevated. Watering should be frequent, regular, moderate. Ideally, you need to water in the morning and evening, 50 ml of water per adult plant.

Draft

If you place a pot with this flower in a room where drafts often form, you risk losing it. Strong air currents are very harmful.

Care royal pelargonium has its own characteristics, and achieving its flowering is not always easy; you need to know some nuances. Every spring you need to form a plant. At the same time upper layer The soil in the pot is replaced with fresh soil without replanting the plant.

One of the main rules of care for this royal person is water regime. She can't stand being over-watered. Overwatering leads to either illness or death. The water must be separated and kept in the room where the flower is located. This is necessary so that the temperature of the soil and water does not differ.

Attention! Water only into a plate. Watering from above is prohibited. This will lead to rotting of the trunk and compaction of the soil.

Rest is needed during the winter months. At first glance, it is not needed. However, this period of lower temperature is necessary for the birth of future buds.

It is important to fertilize our plant in a timely manner. This applies to the flowering period. Mixtures with a high content of potassium and phosphorus are suitable for feeding. They play a decisive role for successful flowering.

If nitrogen predominates in fertilizing during the formation of buds and flowering, the stems and leaves grow, and there are fewer and fewer buds.

Don't keep the flower in a huge pot. No matter how paradoxical it may be, the flower loves closeness. Until the roots grow out, the plant should not be replanted. And if the time has come for replanting, choose a pot a couple of centimeters larger than the current one.

Bush pruning

During the winter months natural reasons Natural lighting becomes dimmer. Because of this, the stems of the geranium are stretched. The distance between leaves on the shoot increases. Pruning will help solve the problem. Pinching will allow you to shape the bush and visually enlarge the foliage. This must be done before the beginning of spring. From March, the flower will begin to prepare for flowering and form buds.

During the summer months, circumcision is done optionally. Basically, dried flowers and leaves are removed, as well as shoots that disturb the overall configuration.

Note! Insufficient pruning causes poor flowering.

This type of plant is fast growing. The shoots produce a fairly large number of buds, but elongated shoots can spoil the desired result. The middle and end of summer are the most optimal period for pruning overly elongated shoots.

Possible problems

As noted above, this the flower is capricious. When improper care the owner may encounter the following problems.

Diseases

Among the most common pelargoniums is “blackleg,” which is rotting of the plant trunk. The disease is caused by frequent excessive watering and low air temperatures. As a rule, the affected plant cannot be saved, unless... The soil is also contaminated. It is not suitable for reuse.

On a note. To get rid of a whitefly attack, you need to use medications such as Zubr, Confidor, Actellik or Fufanon.

The fungal disease "rust" can also affect the leaves. IN in this case you need to resort to chemical treatment.

No flowering

This problem is very relevant because Many people buy this flower precisely because of the chic flower crown. Causes:

• temperature below normal (less than 10 degrees Celsius);
• lack of necessary lighting;
• pot too big;
• too fertile land;
• the pruning was done at the wrong time and was of poor quality;

If you turn to specialized literature, then you can find out that royal pelargonium is also known under a number of other names - royal geranium, grandiflora pelargonium. For scientists, the more familiar name of the plant sounds like Regal Pelargonium, Pelargonium grandiflorum. Pelargonium is a member of the Geraniaceae family and can grow up to 25–50 cm in height. However, this plant is best known as indoor flower what can explain it long period flowering and ease of care. Propagation of royal pelargonium is simple and effective, since cuttings are most often used for it.

Types and varieties of royal pelargonium

Zonal pelargoniums.

Tulip-shaped. Very beautiful variety pelargonium. This subgroup received its name due to half-open flowers, shaped like mini-tulips. They are collected in dense inflorescences, reminiscent of small boutonnieres. They were introduced in the USA in the late 60s. The most popular varieties from this category are: Red Pandora, Lilian Andrea, Marbacka Tulpan, Emmafran Bengtsbo, Patricia Andrea.

Rosebuds. The flowers of this variety look like roses, the petals of which are neatly folded into buds. And a large number of double flowers in one inflorescence forms a beautiful, fluffy ball. Such rose pelargoniums appeared at the end of the nineteenth century, and since then a huge number of their varieties have been bred.

Dianthus. The flowers of such pelargoniums are framed by petals with jagged edges. One gets the impression that the bush is dotted with tiny carnations.

Cactus-like. An interesting and extremely rare group of pelargoniums, which saw the light of day at the end of the nineteenth century. Their peculiarity is that each petal is wrapped in a kind of bundle, which gives the flower caps a slightly disheveled appearance.

Ivy-leaved pelargoniums.

Ivy-leaved (ampeloid) pelargoniums have long occupied their niche among numerous species and varieties. Their peculiarity is that their stems are not erect, but long and hanging (their height can vary from 30 to 100 cm).

Uniques.

Unicum is the “elder” among pelargoniums. In the second half of the 18th century, this specimen with carved leaves was produced, beautiful flowers and fragrant smell. The species became especially widespread in the Victorian era, when almost no garden of the nobility could do without several representatives of this variety.

Fragrant pelargoniums.

Not everyone will like the smell of pelargonium that it emits if you accidentally touch its leaves. But there are varieties that simply smell fragrant, filling the house with a variety of wonderful aromas. At first glance, these are completely inconspicuous plants, with rare, modest flowers. But this group is valued not for its beauty, but for its ability to refresh and flavor the air. If you want to smell spruce or pine, you can put a pot of Orsett, Clorinda, Fernleaf, Fair Ellen in the room.

Caring for royal pelargonium at home

Pelargonium loves good lighting, however, it should be protected from direct sunlight. If there is little light, then its inflorescences will be small. It can be located in any bright place in the apartment with the exception of the north side.

IN winter period due to lack of light, pelargonium is kept at low temperature(about 15 degrees). It needs to be exposed to light in a cool room so that the pelargonium can rest. If it is not allowed to rest in winter, its shoots will stretch out and it will stop blooming, which over time can lead to the death of the plant.

Growing royal pelargonium requires careful attention to watering the plant, since if the soil dries out too much, it will stop blooming. If the soil is too wet, the pelargonium may begin to hurt. Use settled water for irrigation room temperature. It is necessary to water the flower when the top soil layer has already dried out. Additionally, you need to spray the leaves of pelargonium before it begins to bloom.

Pelargonium is planted in turf soil, to which peat and sand are added. As additional fertilizers use products that contain less nitrogen.

In spring and summer, the plant is fed once a month.

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Watering royal pelargonium at home

As for watering, the plant loves water. Therefore, water it abundantly, but do not allow water to stagnate, it is very afraid of it. In addition, waterlogging is more dangerous than drying out the soil. If the soil dries out, then there is a better chance of saving the plant. But frequent waterlogging causes root rot. And if the roots begin to rot, then it is almost impossible to save the plant. And don’t forget to pamper your beauty regularly nutrients, especially during flowering. Therefore, during the active period, pelargonium is fed every 10 days. But during the rest period it is better to refuse fertilizing.

Fertilizer for royal pelargonium at home

At home, geranium can be fed with milk formula by dissolving 100 ml of milk in a liter of water. Use alternating with regular watering. Ash mixed dry with soil will help replenish potassium reserves; or ash solution added as an auxiliary fertilizer. No plant required for abundant flowering complex means and feeding systems. It is enough to provide the flower with nutritious soil, and in the spring-summer period give the full complex mineral fertilizers, paying close attention to watering with iodine. Reasonably dosed feeding, including, in addition to the three main components, also magnesium, calcium, sulfur, zinc, iron, iodine, will provide the owner of geranium with abundant flowering at home, throughout the year.

Transplanting royal pelargonium at home

First of all, we look at the condition of the flower. If it is in the flowering stage, you should wait for the process to complete and replant 4-5 days after completion.

If pelargonium does not bloom, take new pot suitable size, since plants are usually sold in small shipping containers and we transplant the flower into it. We also replace the soil with a new one, because stores mainly use a temporary substitute in which the plant will not be able to fully develop.

Light fertile soil is suitable for pelargonium; it is best to mix sand, turf and leaf soil and humus in a ratio of 1:2:2:2. At the bottom of the pot, be sure to lay out a layer of drainage made of expanded clay, broken brick, pebbles or other coastal pebbles. We carefully remove the pelargonium from the old container, without rinsing or shaking off the roots too much, and place it in new soil. Sprinkle soil on top, covering thoroughly root system. At the end of the procedure, water the plant.

Propagation of royal pelargonium

Like all types of geranium, royal geranium is propagated by cuttings. But unlike others, royal geranium does not tolerate reproduction well and begins to be capricious. Therefore, it is necessary to create certain conditions.

Propagation by cuttings is carried out in spring and summer. It is important that the air temperature in spring is 18–20 degrees, and in summer a maximum of 25. At other temperatures, problems may arise during rooting.

Prepare the soil in advance. Add sand one to one or peat, sand and perlite to the turf soil, also in equal proportions. Pour boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate over the pre-prepared soil. By using sharp knife cut the stems and leave a small margin under the bottom leaf. Cut the cuttings so that each has 2-3 buds. Trim bottom sheet, making an oblique cut.

Dry the cuttings and plant them in the soil. After planting, cuttings are usually not watered. You can just spray warm water. After about 3 weeks, the cuttings take root. After this, pinch the central stem and the plant will begin to branch. Fertilizing can be done two weeks after rooting.

It is not worth replanting the plant often. It does not like this due to its capriciousness.

So, here are the basic rules for caring for this beautiful geranium:

• place pots of geraniums in well-lit places;
• do not overheat, maintain temperature conditions;
• do not expose to direct sunlight;
• do not leave in the rain;
• ventilate the room;
• water moderately, avoiding water getting on the leaves and flowers themselves;
• feed before each flowering;
• do not replant frequently;

A plant affected by whitefly should be isolated from warm, dry air. If the flower is heavily infected, water the soil with actara three times every 6 to 7 days. In the future, for preventive purposes, it is necessary to inspect the leaves from the underside.


On initial stage The whitefly can be easily washed off with water. To prevent its spread, you need to wash the leaves. laundry soap, and then cover the flower with a bag for half an hour. To soapy water does not flow into the pot, cover the surface of the soil with polyethylene.

Among the diseases of royal pelargoniums, blackleg is the most common. The reasons for its appearance may be: low temperature, dense, waterlogged soil, too large a pot. Cuttings, as well as young plants whose stems have not yet become lignified, are most susceptible to this disease. Since it is almost impossible to save the plant, it is necessary to re-root it.

Among its relatives, royal geranium stands out for its size and brightness of flowers, as well as its demanding care and somewhat capricious disposition. But the latter circumstance does not stop flower growers, and more and more lovers ornamental crops trying to tame the obstinate beauty.

Royal geranium: features and possible difficulties

Name Pelargonium species grandiflorum or Pelargonium regal fully corresponds not only to the character, but also appearance indoor flower. Indeed, the flowering of this variety of pelargonium is strikingly different from the usual modest flowers on balconies and window sills. But looking at the photo of the royal geranium with the names of the varieties and descriptions of the characteristics of the plants, flower growers should know that the slightest violation of the conditions of maintenance or lack of care threatens that the “royal person” will refuse to bloom or very quickly drop the buds.

And these are not all the “pitfalls” that a gardener who wants to decorate his collection with royal representatives of the pelargonium genus will have to avoid:

1. Even full compliance with agricultural technology and care for the pet cannot prolong a shorter lifespan than that of common ones. zonal geraniums, flowering.
2. Plants are more difficult to acclimatize if they are taken out onto the veranda or into the garden in the summer.
3. Propagation of royal geranium by cuttings, and even more so by seeds, requires more attention and time.

If a lover of indoor plants copes with the character of a bright beauty, his reward will be large simple or double flowers all shades from white to deep burgundy. At the same time, the wavy, smooth or jagged petals of the corollas of royal pelargonium are sometimes decorated with stripes, spots, specks or veins of contrasting tones. Often richer bright color The upper petals are combined with the delicate tones of the lower part of the flower, and the corollas themselves are collected in small inflorescences-umbrellas.

The foliage of royal geraniums has an even green color, but there are also variegated varieties. On average, plant flowering lasts about 3–4 months. But for this, the crop requires regular watering, pruning and creation favorable conditions for growth.

Growing conditions for royal geranium

Usually garden and indoor geraniums- these are clear contenders for the title of the most unpretentious and undemanding indoor plant. But their royal relatives love attention and care. If the gardener is tormented by the question: “Why does the royal geranium not bloom when located next to the lush caps of bright zonal varieties?”, you need to blame not the plant, but yourself. Obviously, the culture is not entirely satisfied:

• selected watering mode;
• room temperature;
• the presence of a draft;
• how pruning is carried out;
• soil quality or pot size.

To care for royal geraniums at home, it is important to create conditions in which the plant would be comfortable throughout the year. This type of pelargonium:

• does not tolerate drying out of the earthen clod;
• does not do well in excessively wet dense substrate;
• it quickly stretches out and loses its decorative appearance without the proper amount of light, but it is also uncomfortable under the staring direct rays.

No additional shading on south window Geranium leaves and flowers are at risk of burns and rapid wilting. The optimal location for royal geranium is east or west. But even here in winter, it is better to illuminate the plants with phytolamps, extending their daylight hours to 12–14 hours. This measure will allow you to maintain the compact shape of the bush without deep pruning.

Properly chosen temperature conditions contribute to good health and lush flowering of geraniums:

1. In the summer months and spring, when the growing season is active, royal geranium flowers are kept at a temperature of 22 to 25 °C.
2. In winter, development slows down somewhat, so plants need cooler air. In order for the royal geranium to set buds and prepare for the next season, it needs a temperature of 12–16 °C.

Plants react poorly to heat. In too warm room a green pet will slow down its growth, and some varieties stop developing altogether and refuse to form flower buds.

Caring for royal geraniums at home

During the warm season, all plants, including royal geraniums, require more frequent and abundant watering than in winter and autumn. Water should not be allowed to accumulate in the tray under the pot; if this happens, the moisture should be drained immediately. Irrigation water, used at home when caring for royal geraniums, should be soft and warm enough.

The soil mixture for geraniums is universal. It makes no difference whether an ordinary zonal specimen or a “royal person” is planted. For substrate take in equal shares sand, humus, peat and garden soil. Be sure to provide drainage at the bottom of the pot, otherwise stagnation of moisture and damage to the peripheral roots cannot be avoided.

Since all geraniums do not tolerate replanting very easily, when caring for royal geraniums, as in the photo, at home, plants are transferred to a new pot only if the old one is too small and the measles system has filled its entire volume.

While the roots are entwined in the soil ball and the plant is feeling well, replanting can be replaced by adding fresh substrate directly under the bush. The procedure is carried out in the spring, combined with fertilizing and watering.

Royal geraniums begin flowering earlier than related species, everything related to replanting or pruning is important to do in the first half of February, otherwise flower buds will not have time to form on the bush.

The answer to the question: “Why doesn’t royal geranium bloom?” There may also be an illiterate selection of containers for the flower. When choosing a pot for geraniums, preference is given to small volumes. Transshipment into a spacious container threatens that the plant will refuse to flower in favor of increasing green mass.

For rapid growth and friendly flowering plants should receive complex feeding. It is easier to do this using liquid ready-made products, in which the amount of nitrogen is minimal.

Royal geraniums are fed twice a month throughout the spring-summer growing season. Young seedlings receive feeding for the first time at the age of 6–9 months after rooting.

The tips of the shoots with several leaves obtained after pruning can be used to propagate royal geraniums by cuttings. Just root this one planting material you need not in water, but in a light substrate or peat tablet. Before this, the cut of the cutting is treated with crushed charcoal and dry for a couple of hours, and then deepen 2–3 cm into a mixture with sand or perlite.

It is better if each cutting gets its own container with soil. This method of cultivation or use peat tablets will avoid mass death sprouts due to the spread of fungal infection or rot.

After 1–2 months of keeping it at a temperature of 19–23 °C and diffused light, the planting material takes root, and young royal geraniums can be planted in small separate pots.

In order for the plant to form a small bush, it must be pinched when 3-4 leaves have fully opened. Subsequently, the growth of new shoots is limited in the same way. Active branching will not only help to form a rounded, even crown, but will also give impetus to the formation of many buds and lush flowering royal begonia.

Pruning royal geraniums for lush flowering

The benefits of pruning royal geranium are both in the lush flowering of plants and in the formation of an attractive compact bush shape. To achieve this result, you need to start working after the completion of mass flowering. For most varieties this occurs in late summer or the first week of September. Then, in order to injure the plant less, after 1–1.5 months a second wave of pruning is carried out.

The autumn procedure is the most favorable and desirable, since after it the royal geranium readily becomes covered with new shoots. They, in turn, are also pinched as soon as 3–5 large leaves open on the stems.

If you prune correctly and on time, the geranium will bloom in due time, but by postponing the procedure or doing it irregularly, you may be left without inflorescences altogether.

Although even in winter conditions If you have additional lighting and comply with other requirements for caring for royal geraniums at home, you can carry out up to four pinchings and get a lushly blooming specimen by spring. If pruning is carried out in conditions of insufficient light, the stems may stretch, so instead of the last January pinch, pruning of unsightly shoots will be required.