When to plant pelargonium seeds. Propagation of geranium by seeds

Pelargonium is a favorite flower of many. We will grow geranium from a small seed, which will then turn into a magnificent and amazing plant with charming flowers.

Pelargonium, or as people call it “geranium,” is a plant that grows on everyone’s windowsill in the house. The homeland of this beautiful plant is South Africa, it was brought to Europe in the 17th century and since then, the plant has delighted many gardeners. The advantages of the plant are that it reproduces easily, blooms for a long time, and most importantly, it is easy and simple to care for. It was these qualities that captivated gardeners.

When should you sow pelargonium seeds for seedlings?

Many people know that pelargonium is propagated by cuttings, but now the seeds of the plant are on sale. Therefore, propagating geraniums at home has become even easier.

The advantages of the seeds are that they germinate quickly and well, the plant has a compact shape and blooms constantly. Young shoots of the plant bloom by 5 months.

You can sow geraniums all year round, but you will need to take care of good lighting. Therefore, the most optimal time of year for growing plants is spring and summer.

What do pelargonium seeds look like and what should you do with them before planting them in the ground?

The seeds of the plant are hard, large and oblong in shape and brown in color. To plant seeds, you need to prepare the soil; it must be loose.

The composition of the soil should be something like this: 2 parts turf soil and one part sand and. To prevent the plant from fattening, the substrate should not be rich in nutrients.

Before planting, it is necessary to disinfect the soil (steam, calcine or water with a solution).

In order for the seeds to germinate faster, you need to do scarification. This procedure involves treating the seeds with fine sandpaper. We take each seed and carefully rub the hard shell. After this procedure, the seeds will begin to sprout quickly.

To sow seeds, you need to prepare a shallow container. Distribute the seeds over the surface at a distance of two centimeters from each other. Cover the seed with soil, about 1 centimeter. Be sure to keep the container with the seeds warm. The soil should not dry out, so moisten it with warm, settled water.

Also, in order for pelargonium seedlings to germinate faster, you can cover it with film, but be sure to make holes in it for ventilation. As soon as the shoots appear, remove the film immediately. Seedlings should be kept in a well-lit place. The soil should be moderately moist, not allowed to dry out and not flooded. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight.

Caring for pelargonium seedlings

Growing pelargonium seedlings is a pleasure. This process is very interesting and exciting not only for an adult, but also for a child. Shoots will appear in about a week. It’s so nice to watch how velvet leaves appear from each seed. Everything is fine, of course, but you need to transplant the pelargonium seedlings into separate pots. Therefore, we do the following procedures:

As soon as four leaves appear on the plant, it is time to transplant them into a pot. You will need a container with a diameter of about 8 centimeters.
The plant must be pruned. This means that each plant must be transplanted from common soil (container) into a pot.
Using a small spatula, remove each plant with a small lump of earth so as not to damage or disturb the roots.
Plant pelargonium in your pot.
The soil in the pot should not be rich in nutrients. Therefore, if you use a store-bought mixture, and it is mostly , it must be diluted with garden soil and compost.
After planting, you can now observe the growth rate of the plant. If you follow all the rules, then geranium grows by leaps and bounds.

Now all that remains is to wait for flowering. Of course, many people believe that a young plant blooms after a year, do not believe the rumors. You will have to wait about five months for flowers.

You may also encounter problems such as yellowing of leaves and the appearance of brown and yellow spots. This may be due to the heat. Therefore, many gardeners and flower growers plant geraniums in the garden. The result surprises many. Since the plant becomes even more beautiful, it blooms constantly, there are no yellow leaves. This method can be used to save your favorite flower during the hot season.

With proper care, the plant does not get sick and is not damaged by pests. Therefore, let this amazing and unpretentious flower please you for many months.

- read here!

Video: sowing and caring for pelargonium

Geranium or pelargonium is a beautiful and well-recognized plant with unique characteristics. It contains phytoncides, active substances that disinfect and deodorize the air. This is why keeping geraniums in the house is extremely useful.

Types of geraniums

An image familiar to many from school: red balls of geranium blooming in an inconspicuous tub on the windowsill, and its velvety leaves with a spicy scent. Indeed, pelargonium or cranebird is one of the most popular and favorite indoor plants among our compatriots. It gained such fame for two main qualities: its decorative appearance and comparative ease of care. But this plant is not only red or pink. Representatives of the Geraniaceae family include dozens of species. Among the most popular are the following names:

Pelargonium bordered;
Rosaceae;
Tulip-shaped;
Star-shaped;
cactus-shaped;
Dianthus;
Ivy;
Angel;
Royal;
Unique;
Fragrant.

In total there are approximately 40 varieties of Geraniaceae.

How to grow beautiful geraniums at home?

Growing pelargonium at home is not particularly difficult. Even if you are not an experienced gardener, try the following methods for propagating geraniums:

Growing from seeds– is not used so often, since its main purpose is to obtain new varieties. In addition, this method does not guarantee that the resulting specimen will fully retain its decorative varietal characteristics. In other words, grown pelargonium may have a different shade of inflorescences or foliage;
Vegetative propagation– cuttings or rooting of a cut leaf.

The second method is considered more reliable, since you will get the option closest to the mother bush.

How to grow geranium at home from seeds?

The seed propagation method is actively used if there is a desire to grow geranium on a windowsill.

Action steps:

Select healthy large brown seeds. The shell should be dense and shiny without damage. Deformed small specimens with cracks and pitting will not be suitable;
To speed up the germination of seeds, they must be scarified - that is, lightly rub the top layer with sandpaper;
The substrate for pelargoniums is prepared from peat and river sand (one part each), mixed with two parts of turf soil. To disinfect it, it is calcined in the oven or spilled with a solution of manganese. Any fungicide is also suitable for treatment;
Suitable as containers plastic or peat cups small size;
The pots are filled with soil, moistened and left indoors for a day so that the substrate reaches the optimal temperature;
The seeds are placed in shallow holes (1.5 cm) and sprinkled with a thin layer of soil. Use no more than three grains per pot;
The containers are wrapped in transparent film, in which small holes are made for air access. Place them in a warm but not too sunny location. A window sill will not work, but a table located near the window is a good option.

When the geranium sprouts, remove the film from the pots. Geraniums do not need high humidity. Now the containers are moved to the windowsill so that the plant receives as much sunny color as possible. The soil is regularly loosened: to avoid damaging the roots, use a wooden skewer or teaspoon to dig up.

After the first true leaves form on the bush, the geranium is picked and transplanted into a narrow, high pot. Pinching is carried out after the appearance of the 5th leaf.

How to grow geranium from a leaf at home?

The vegetative method of propagating geraniums allows for growing a bush from a small... leaf. This procedure can be carried out in any season, but in the spring, with increased daylight hours, the activity of shoot formation will be higher.

A large leaf without visible damage or traces of disease and with a thick, dense stalk is suitable for planting. It must be cut at an angle of 45 degrees. right under the base. Manipulate only with a sharp blade. The cut area is sprinkled with crushed activated carbon to prevent the plant from getting sick.

The leaf is placed in a glass of water for germination. The water should be changed constantly, at least once a day. To prevent the cutting from rotting, at the very beginning you can hold the leaf in a very weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 – 40 minutes. The glass is placed in a bright, but not hot place on the window.

When the leaf has small roots, it is transplanted into the soil. The first pot is small, it is better to take a plastic cup. Then the strengthened leaf, together with the earthen lump, is transferred into a larger container. Water the planting once every 4-5 days under the base, being careful not to splash the surface of the leaf.

Care and fertilization

Flower growers believe that geranium is difficult to destroy. Even the complete absence of any care (but maintaining regular watering) will not cause any inconvenience to the flower. However, to keep pelargonium beautiful and healthy, follow these instructions:

As it grows and for preventive purposes the plant is replanted every 1.5 - 2 years. An enlarged root system is not the main reason for replanting, although this leads to a decrease in flowering and growth of green mass. The main thing is to update the earthen lump on time. For this, the transshipment method is sufficient. If the geranium is very large and heavy, which makes replanting difficult, simply periodically remove the old soil layer from above and add a new one.

When placing pelargonium in a new pot, do not forget to line the bottom with a thick layer of expanded clay to ensure drainage. Waterlogged, acidic soil will destroy the flower, which originates from the southern regions.

Geranium likes to grow in a sunny place. Provide her with appropriate conditions. Attention: if drops fall on the leaf plate when watering, direct sunlight can cause burns and stains in these areas.

Feeding the plant is carried out as follows:

Summer season – once every 15 days;
Winter season - not fertilized or applied once in half dose.

Geranium does not tolerate organic feeding well. To stimulate foliage growth and the formation of inflorescences, mineral preparations containing phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen are used. You need to be careful with nitrogen fertilizers, since their excessive application can activate an uncontrolled increase in green mass.

In order for pelargonium to bloom magnificently and abundantly, it is occasionally fertilized with a weak solution of iodine or ready-made complexes that contain it. Before fertilizing with liquid products, be sure to water the geranium an hour before the procedure, otherwise the roots will get burned.

When does it bloom?

If the care is correct and the conditions are favorable, pelargonium can bloom almost all year round. But sometimes it stands “naked” for months, delighting its owner only with green foliage. Is it possible to force geraniums to expel flowers? It turns out that this is quite possible. There are a number of tricks that will make your plant covered with large, beautiful flowers.

How to make geraniums bloom?

If you place the pot in a cool room for the winter and limit the watering regime (fertilizers are not applied at all), then in the spring season the plant that has survived the “shock” should enter the active flowering phase. Be careful with experiments If not maintained correctly, the geranium can be completely ruined.;
Sometimes budding does not occur due to an incorrectly chosen place for keeping. If pelargonium bloomed normally before, but stopped after moving, return it to its previous conditions;
You can often stimulate the appearance of ovaries by feeding geraniums with magnesium sulfate;
Another aid used in such cases is iodine solution(a drop of product per liter of water). It is rarely used, since the wrong concentration or excess solution can burn the root system.

The healthiest and most luxuriantly flowering plant will benefit from a stimulant prepared from an infusion of wood ash (a tablespoon per 1 liter). It is necessary to water with a diluted solution infrequently, but this particular composition contains the source of potassium salts necessary for geraniums.

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 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. For 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! To treat the soil, you can use ready-made high-quality fungicides or manganese. But planting should be postponed for a day.

The most favorable time for sowing seeds is 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 made by novice gardeners is to over-moisten the soil, 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 overwater 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, it is necessary to maintain an optimal temperature. It should be at 20-25 degrees. In winter, an adult 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

In order 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, narrow and tall pots with a diameter of about 10 cm are chosen. 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 colorful hats 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.

Geranium or pelargonium will delight the eye in the cold season on the windowsill, and in the summer - in the flowerbed. This flower is distinguished by bright flower caps that cover almost the entire bush. Therefore, most housewives love geranium very much and are glad to have it in their home. To do this, you need not only to be able to care for it, but also to know the secrets of geranium propagation, so that if the plant dies, the window sills will not be left empty.

You can grow geranium using cuttings and seeds. Recently, more and more flower lovers are choosing the second method, since such a plant takes on the appearance of a neat small bush with a large number of flowers. Therefore, we will discuss how to grow geranium yourself using seeds.

When purchasing a pack of geranium seeds, it is worth looking at their condition. Most often, they are already prepared for planting and the keratinized hard layer has been removed from them. Thanks to this, all the seeds will sprout at the same time and quickly enough.

If you use geranium seeds collected with your own hands, they must be scraped with sandpaper to remove the hardened leathery layer.

Now you need to know and take into account the following factors:

sowing time;
soil selection;
where the seedlings should be kept;
germination time and care;
how and when to dive;
thorough transplantation of the bush.

When to plant seeds?

If you have the necessary lighting, you can plant seeds at any time of the year. It is still better if the plant has natural light and sunlight. Therefore, the best option is considered to be the period from November to April.

Essentially, during this time, the length of the day gradually increases, which helps the growing seedlings also get used to the duration of light.

Soil preparation

Three types of prepared soil can be used. For the first option, the following will do:

sand - 25%;
turf - 50%;
peat - 25%.

Second type of soil:

peat - 50%;
perlite - 50%.

And for the third type the following components are needed:

peat - 50%;
sand - 50%.

Each type of soil is excellent for planting geranium seeds. And if you properly care for the seedlings, the result will be almost the same.

To avoid further diseases of the sprouts, the prepared soil must be calcined in the oven for 30 minutes. Then you need to dilute a weak solution of potassium permanganate and water the soil with it.

When the prepared mass has cooled, it can be used for planting seeds.

Disembarkation process

Pour soil into the selected container. Place the seeds at a distance of 5 cm from each other and sprinkle them with settled water. Then sprinkle soil on top, without covering the seeds more than 5 mm. It is important that the top layer of soil is always moist. To do this, you need to cover the container with film and, if necessary, use a spray bottle to spray the top layer of soil.

The container with the planted seeds must be placed in a bright place, but should not be placed in direct sunlight. Then the root system will be strong and healthy. The temperature in the room should not rise above 23 degrees. But you shouldn’t cool the soil too much, lowering the temperature to 17 degrees or lower.

No later than in 2 weeks the seeds will sprout. But often shoots appear earlier. It depends on the geranium variety, seeds, temperature and soil care.

Caring for geranium sprouts

You shouldn’t stop at seed germination and then stop caring for the plants. Now we need to protect the little geranium from various diseases. The most common is the so-called “black leg”.

Therefore, you need to monitor the condition of the soil. It shouldn't be dry, but it shouldn't be filled either. The soil should be moist. Then the sprouts will grow strong and be able to resist various diseases.

Geranium pick

The picking process should be carried out when the second and third leaves appear on the stem. After this, you need to plant each bush in a separate vase. If this is not done, the roots of the plants will simply intertwine and when transplanted, the geranium will hurt for a long time. Moreover, it is not a fact that it will even survive replanting if the roots are severely damaged.

Pots with a diameter of 10 cm are suitable for picking. After two weeks, each bush needs to be fed with mineral microfertilizers.

After transplanting, you need to regularly water the geranium and make sure there is enough light. If there is not enough of it, then the lower leaves will begin to turn yellow. And this can lead to the development of mold at the site of yellowing.

Therefore, you need to quickly remove such leaves.

The last steps of growing geraniums

If you want to see geranium in the form of a bush, then you will need to pinch the crown. This can be done when 6 - 7 leaves appear. After this, side branches will begin to grow. You should not do pinching if you want to grow tall geraniums with a long stem.

At the end of May, each geranium bush needs to be transplanted into open ground. Thanks to this, the plants fully adapt. After 3 months, a healthy geranium will definitely bloom. And the flowering process will continue until the cold weather. Before the first frost, the geranium will need to be dug up again and replanted in a pot so that it continues to bloom, only at home.

Pelargonium, or simply geranium, is one of the most popular among lovers of home and garden plants. And this is not at all surprising, because growing it is a pleasure: it has excellent decorative properties and is very easy to care for. Knowing some rules and features of geranium, even an inexperienced gardener can cope with its propagation.

History and interesting facts

Geranium is a perennial or annual plant belonging to the Geranium family, which has more than 400 species and forms. Its homeland is hot South Africa, but pelargonium grows almost throughout the Northern Hemisphere, in regions with a temperate climate and mountainous subtropical areas. It appeared in Europe in the 15-16th century, and immediately appealed to flower lovers. The name "geranium" comes from the Greek word "geranos", which means crane.

It should be noted that this beautiful plant is grown not only for decorative purposes. It has many beneficial properties: it can neutralize toxins and harmful substances, relieve headaches, as well as stop bleeding and heal wounds. It is recommended to keep geranium in rooms where hypertensive patients live, as well as people suffering from nervous system disorders and insomnia.

In the old days, pelargonium was endowed with not only healing, but also mystical properties. It was believed that this plant repels snakes, so it was planted around houses in places where reptiles were found in large numbers. In addition, fragrant sachets are often made from pink geranium flowers and placed next to clothes - in order to protect oneself from the evil eye, and at the same time scare away moths. But cat lovers should be careful with this plant. As you know, cats love to eat house flowers, and pelargonium leaves contain toxic substances that are extremely dangerous for animals.

Description

Geranium is a low herbaceous plant or subshrub with a branched root system (except for species that grow in the mountains - their root has the form of a rod). The structure and color of the leaves in different species also differs from each other - they can be green, grayish, bluish or even red, whole, with small or pronounced cuts, and in many varieties the leaves are covered with hairs.

Pelargonium flowers are quite large, have a blue, white, purple or lilac hue, collected in inflorescences that look like a brush. The fruits in which the seeds ripen (this happens in late summer-early autumn) are box-shaped, with long valves - after ripening they curl, scattering the seeds.

Propagation of indoor geranium

Before growing indoor geraniums, you should know a few important rules:

the best place for the pot is a well-lit windowsill, as the plant loves sunlight;
in winter, it is better to keep the flower in a cool room, but the temperature should not be below 10°C;
in order to increase the number of shoots and inflorescences, the plant should be pinched and dried flowers removed;
almost all types of pelargonium need to be pruned regularly;
With sufficient nutrition and lighting, the flower can bloom throughout the year.

Growing from seeds

Red, white, fragrant, and ampelous pelargonium grow best in indoor conditions. Before planting, you should make sure that the seeds are cleared of the hard, leathery shell. Otherwise, they will need to be well sanded. Experienced flower growers do not name the exact time for planting, since with sufficient lighting, seedlings can grow in both autumn and winter, but the optimal period is considered to be the period from November to April.

Before sowing, the seeds should be prepared in a certain way: treated with zircon or epinine, and soaked for three hours, no more, in water at room temperature.
Take containers or boxes that are filled with a mixture of turf with sand and peat (2:1:1) or peat-perlite mixture (1:1) - this is the substrate that is best suited for growing seedlings.

Prepared pots with soil
Place the seeds at a distance of at least five centimeters, sprinkle a little and cover with polyethylene or glass. Constantly spray the soil with a spray bottle with pre-settled water at room temperature and make sure it does not dry out.
If the temperature and humidity conditions are correct, sprouts will appear within two weeks.
Transplantation is carried out when 2-4 sprouts appear on the seedlings. It is very important not to miss this moment, since the roots will intertwine and it will be very difficult to transplant. Pots must be at least 10 cm.

Caring for indoor geraniums

Despite the fact that geranium loves moisture, it should not be in standing water, so a layer of expanded clay should be poured onto the bottom of the pot. Water the plants using a watering can with a narrow spout. As soon as 6-7 leaves appear on the plant, it needs to be pinched to stop its growth and “awaken” the side buds. On cloudy days, pelargonium needs to be provided with additional lighting. In summer, it is better to take it outside and place it in a place protected from direct exposure to ultraviolet rays (the plant loves warm, dry air).

You need to fertilize the flower once every two weeks, starting from the end of March until November, using liquid fertilizers for this. In addition, you can prepare the fertilizer yourself: for this, take a liter of water to which a drop of iodine is added. You need to take 50 ml of this solution and carefully water the plant with it so that the liquid does not fall on the roots, but on the walls of the pot. Geranium does not need spraying.

Pelargonium is susceptible to a number of diseases, so plants should be regularly inspected for the appearance of characteristic signs. This could include yellowing leaves, reddened leaves, gray mold, or leaf drop. Usually the cause of such phenomena is too low a room temperature or an excess of moisture. The most dangerous disease for geraniums (especially for young shoots) is called “black leg”. In this case, the base of the plant’s stem begins to darken - unfortunately, there are no radical methods to combat this phenomenon, so infected specimens will have to be destroyed.

Propagation of garden geraniums

When choosing a place to grow garden geraniums, it is very important to take into account the characteristics of the variety. Most plants prefer sunny or semi-shaded places, but there are some that can only grow near bodies of water. Thus, red-brown, Georgian and large-flowered species grow well in dry, sunny places, Balkan pelargonium in the shade, and Himalayan, marsh and meadow pelargonium in wet and shaded areas. The soil should be slightly acidic or neutral and fairly fertile.

Garden geranium can be propagated either by seeds or vegetatively. The first one is quite labor intensive; In addition, in this case, the varietal characteristics of the plant are not always preserved. In addition, collecting seeds is quite difficult, and some species do not produce them at all. To prevent the seeds from scattering throughout the area, experienced gardeners proceed as follows: they make small canvas bags into which the unripe fruits of the plant are placed, and secure them well - if the fruit bursts, the seeds will be in a kind of trap. It should also be taken into account that plants that are propagated using seeds bloom only the next year.

To plant geraniums, you can grow seedlings from seeds in the same way as in the case of indoor geraniums, and then transplant them into open ground, or simply sow them in soil fertilized with peat.

It is important that the planting area is large enough, since geraniums tend to grow strongly. It is also worth considering that heat-loving varieties of plants do not like direct sunlight (they can severely burn the leaves), so a lacy shade is best suited for them - for example, under the crowns of trees. It is best to plant sprouts or sow seeds in spring or late summer.

Caring for garden geraniums

The rules for caring for garden pelargonium are quite simple and are as follows:

Diseases and pests

Pelargonium is practically not damaged by pests, since the strong aroma of its leaves repels insects. The only exception is spider mites, which can be eliminated with a soap solution or insecticide. As for diseases, they most often appear if geranium grows in cold, too wet places. The most common plant diseases include:

The beautiful geranium is an easy-to-care, unpretentious plant that will appeal to both beginners and experienced gardeners. It can be planted on the balcony, in the garden, in flower beds or at home - in any case, its bright flowers and thick leaves will become a real decoration.