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Pelargonium or geranium is a perennial plant that is typically grown as indoor flower and which is not particularly annoying with self-care. Previously, geraniums could be found in almost every house on the windowsill. Now the planting of pelargonium in open ground, because in the fresh air you can create much more lush flower beds that will look very beautiful and rich. How to grow pelargonium for seedlings, successfully care for it at home, as well as when and how to plant it in open ground, will be discussed in our article.

Naturally, the most common way of breeding pelargonium is to grow it from cuttings.

For a detailed and visual explanation of how to propagate geranium by cuttings, see the next video.

Video: propagation of geranium by cuttings

Now on sale you can find truly a huge number of varieties and hybrids geranium seeds, variety of colors and sizes which will be able to satisfy any desires and needs.

By the way! If you are going to grow geranium in the open field, then it is better to buy special varieties that have medium-sized, strong and hard leaves, and this is zonal geranium, ivy, etc.

When to sow pelargonium seeds for seedlings

You can theoretically sow geranium seedlings all year round, but it is more practical to sow pelargonium seeds in the second half of winter, since daylight hours will increase as your seedlings grow.

Thus, the optimal time for sowing pelargonium seeds for seedlings is January-February (maximum - in March), because it will begin to bloom only after 5-6 months, just in time for summer.

It is worth understanding! For indoor cultivation, if you have the possibility of additional lighting, then, of course, you can sow pelargonium with seeds at any time. But if you plan to land in open ground, then - in winter or at most in early spring.

In principle, you can sow even in November-December, then it will bloom in the spring - in April-May.

Important! If you sow in winter or in early spring, then seedlings are necessary supplement since she needs 12 hours of daylight.

Video: when and how to sow pelargonium (geranium) seeds

How to sow pelargonium seeds correctly

In order for the growth and development of pelargonium seedlings to go in the right direction, it is necessary to choose the appropriate container, suitable soil and properly prepare the seeds for planting.

The choice of planting capacity

Planting containers are selected based on your capabilities and needs, as well as the number of seeds for future seedlings.

If you plan to carry out a pick, then you can sow in common containers, for example, in the same plastic containers (5-6 cm high).

If it is more convenient for you to grow without picking, then pelargonium seeds can be sown immediately in individual and relatively deep containers, for example, pots or cups (8-10 cm high). Naturally, they should have drainage holes to drain off excess liquid so that the water does not stagnate.

Important! If you take shallow cassettes, then you will still need to transfer seedlings from them.

If you want pelargonium to bloom in your pot, then it must be at least 1 liter in volume.

Suitable soil

The soil for growing pelargonium seedlings should be loose and nutritious, as well as neutral in acidity. Therefore, any universal soil for growing flowers is perfect for you, but in general, it is ideal to take a special soil for geraniums.

It is very good if you prepare the substrate yourself, which will consist of turf land, peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. You can use perlite or vermiculite instead of sand.

Advice! To make the soil loose and soft before sowing, it can be passed through a sieve.

Seed preparation

Many growers quite successfully sow their seeds without any treatments, just dry in wet soil. But, in order to increase germination, they should be scarified or soaked.

Pelargonium seeds can be scarified with sandpaper, in other words, slightly damage the shell so that the sprouts can easily be nailed down. However, this must be done very carefully, otherwise you will easily spoil your seeds.

Or you can simply soak it in cotton pads in a solution (some are soaked in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution) for 20-30 minutes, moreover, this will also disinfect them.

Interesting! Pelargonium seeds are of 3 types - already scarified (i.e., peeled from a hard shell), pelleted and ordinary. Naturally, the first 2 species do not need to be cooked in any way, they can be sown immediately.

Direct sowing

Step-by-step instructions for sowing geranium seeds for seedlings:

• Fill containers with soil.
• Make grooves (3-4 cm apart) or shallow holes (0.5-1 cm).
• Moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
• Spread the seeds 2-3 centimeters apart.

Advice! It is convenient to spread the seeds with a toothpick.

• Sprinkle the grooves or holes with soil.

And you can fill it with river sand.

• Moisten with water from a spray bottle.
• In order for the seeds to actively germinate, you need to create greenhouse conditions, in other words, to achieve a greenhouse effect, which means you should cover the container with cling film or a transparent lid (if you have a food container).
• Put in a dark and warm place (above +20 degrees, according to some sources - + 24-28 degrees).

Video: correct sowing geraniums for seedlings

By the way! There is quite interesting way sowing, which gives an earlier and higher germination: after you spread or sprinkle the seeds, they will need to be spilled with boiling water. It's that simple!

You can also sow geraniums in peat tablets.

Video: sowing pelargonium in peat tablets

Caring for geranium seedlings at home

As soon as friendly shoots appear (scarified seeds germinate already for 3-4 days, like soaked ones, but on average, it is most of them that emerge in 7-14 days), the shelter must be quickly removed and the planting container must be rearranged to a well-lit place, but where the temperature is already lower - about + 18-22 degrees during the day and + 16-18 at night.

Further care consists of exceptionally moderate watering when the topsoil dries out using slightly warm, settled or filtered water.

Remember! Pelargonium does not like abundant watering and too wet soil.

Picking

The first picking of geranium seedlings is carried out when 2 true leaves appear in it. The procedure is quite standard. To do this, you will need individual containers (0.2 cups) filled with a soil mixture based on peat (or, again, ready-made soil for pelargonium), a spoon or other tool that will be convenient for you to carry out the picking procedure - get the seedling out of the general container.

Note! When picking pelargonium, it is very important to carefully take a seedling, and always with a lump of earth, so as not to damage the roots of a young plant, in other words, use the transshipment method rather than picking (when the roots are bare).

Video: picking seedlings of pelargonium

In the future, most likely, you will need another transplant into a larger pot (0.5-1 liter), this time exclusively by the transfer method.

Important! Remember to spill your seedlings well the day before the transfer, so that the clod does not crumble when you move it.

Video: transshipment of geranium a month and a half after sowing

Top dressing

Advice! After picking or transshipment of seedlings, it is advisable to immediately shed the transplanted plants with some special fertilizer for better rooting, for example, you can use Root or Kornevin so that the root system of the seedlings takes root better in a new place.

In the initial period of growth, seedlings of pelargonium can be fed with nitrogen fertilizers, for example, ammonium nitrate or urea, and then (when the plants already have more than 5-6 true leaves), complex mineral fertilizers such as nitroammofoska can be used. Also at this time, you can begin to perform foliar feeding(on the sheet) calcium and / or magnesium nitrate.

Pinching

It is not necessary to pinch pelargonium, because many varieties are genetically so laid down that they themselves form beautiful branched bushes.

Advice! However, if you see that the plant is reluctant to branch, then for more powerful tillering, you can pinch the geranium over 5-6 real leaves.

When and how to plant geraniums in open ground in a flower bed

Of course! Everyone is accustomed to the fact that geranium is a home potted crop, but this does not mean that it cannot be grown outdoors.

As for the timing of planting geraniums in open ground, first of all, you should monitor the weather - during the day it should already be warm enough, naturally, return spring frosts should be bypassed, which means that pelargoniums should be transplanted into the garden from the second half of May.

Planting pelargonium in open ground is more than simple:

• chose and prepared a place;
• dug a planting hole slightly larger than the size of the pot;
• they pulled a seedling out of the pot (and did not forget to spill it before) and put it in a new place of residence;
• sprinkled with fertile soil on the sides, compacted around the seedling;
• spilled abundantly with water.

As for the planting site, the plant should not be planted in an overly open area, otherwise the leaves will burn the sun and the plant will look ugly and feel unwell.

For geraniums, it is optimal to find place in light partial shade.

But! Pelargonium will bloom most abundantly in a sunnier area.

You also need to plant in those places in the garden where there is no stagnation of groundwater or rainwater.

Video: planting pelargonium in open ground - when, where and how to plant

Outdoor geranium care

Pelargonium perfectly tolerates drought - it remains green for a long time and does not fade, and it also reacts normally to high humidity(rainy weather). However, this does not mean at all that it does not need to be watered at all. But this should be done in moderation!

Note! Royal Pelargoniums are not very suitable for outdoor use, because their flowers greatly deteriorate in the rain.

If you want pelargonium to stand beautiful and bloom continuously, then be sure to get rid of faded peduncles so that the plant does not waste its energy on ripening the seeds.

Advice! And for the winter, you can transplant geraniums into pots and bring them home.

Video: transplanting geraniums in the fall from the garden and further care

In order for positivity to be observed in the growth and development of pelargonium seedlings, it is required from the very beginning to choose the right planting capacity, suitable soil, competently prepare and sow seeds and take care of them responsibly at home. Taking a serious approach to planting flower seedlings in open ground, you are guaranteed to achieve beautiful flowering.

In contact with

Pelargonium, or geranium, is a very easy plant to care for. It will decorate not only the room, but also the balcony, loggia or garden. Geranium is not only good-looking, but also unpretentious in its care and can be useful. Even not blooming, it can purify the air space of the room in which it resides, and exhibit soothing properties, and when used topically, it can also heal wound.

These and other characteristics of home geranium are used ethnoscience... This plant is planted as a garden or. In terms of the duration and abundance of flowering, it has no equal.

How to grow such a miracle of nature at home and in the garden? Reasonable ways 2: from seeds and from cuttings. Breeding pelargonium from seeds has become widespread since half of the last century after the appearance of heterotic hybrids.

For a long time, ordinary cuttings have been the main method of obtaining new flowers. At home, you can grow pelargonium from seeds.

It should be said right away that only zonal geranium can be grown from seeds. Other types reproduce in a slightly different way.

Is it possible to grow geraniums from seeds at home? Yes, it is possible. It is known that all plants grown from seeds at home are more viable than from greenhouses and stalls in shopping centers. In comparison with cuttings, geranium grown from seed has a lush and long flowering. The sowing method of reproduction makes it possible to refresh old bushes that are losing varietal properties, or to acquire new species using an economically beneficial method. And although the process is elementary, not everyone succeeds in planting geraniums from seeds.

The reasons for this are as follows:

• bad seeds (old and spoiled);
• seeds incorrectly prepared for germination;
• improper sowing or germination process.

To eliminate the errors listed above, when planting a plant, high-quality seeds are used. In their implementation, a great many of the most different types zonal pelargonium and ivy geranium. In order to be sure of a good result, you need to buy seeds from a well-known manufacturer and in reliable places of sale, because if stored incorrectly, they can be spoiled. Good seeds sold prepared for sowing, all that remains is to sow them.

Gallery: pelargonium (25 photos)

Sowing time

How to grow geraniums from seeds? You can start growing beautiful pelargonium from seeds at any time. Some experienced florists recommend doing this from November to April, others only in December, and still others say that only in spring. Everyone is right, since pelargonium grows well both outdoors and indoors.

However, at home, seedlings may require additional light, which is inconvenient to implement in living space. For this reason, the breeding of pelargonium from seeds in Russia begins no earlier than February and no later than March, with a rather long day. This makes it possible to get beautifully by summer flowering plants.

Sowing soil

The main thing in growing pelargonium from seeds is a well-chosen soil mixture and the fulfillment of the conditions for seed germination. There are no harsh conditions for the composition of the earth, but it is essential that it not be clayey, heavy or very light. Pelargonium seeds germinate well in seedling soil purchased from flower shops. You can make potting soil yourself for seed.

Seed selection

To understand how to grow pelargonium from seeds, you need to carefully select and prepare planting material to exclude possible mistakes.

When selecting seeds, you should pay special attention to the following points:

1. Colour. High quality pelargonium grains have an intense Brown color... Slight dullness and light shade are allowed.
2. Form. The formed seeds are elongated, with small depressions on the sides.
3. The size. Planting material quite large.
4. The shell. Geranium seeds are characterized by a compacted shell.

If the seeds have absolutely all of these properties, then they can be bought. It is worth giving up the purchase of small, compressed, deformed or spotted seeds. Excellent results cannot be expected from the planting of this material.

Planting pelargonium seeds

As already mentioned, geranium seeds have a compacted shell, which complicates their germination. Sometimes it is required to wait for germination for quite a long time, and all the seeds do not germinate equally. The reason for the failure is the wrong treatment of seeds before planting or its absence.

Before planting, geranium seeds must bypass scarification - the process of removing a dense shell. It is not difficult to carry out this operation on your own. Each seed must be processed.

Choosing a land for growing geraniums from seeds

As for the question of how to grow pelargonium, you should pay attention to the fact that geranium loves a simple nutrient mixture that perfectly permeates air and water to the roots. For the purpose of germinating seeds, you can use ready-made soil or make it yourself.

There are several methods:

• Stir in equal proportions sand, peat, humus, compost.
• Connect 2 parts of the earth with 1 part of sand, peat.
• Dilute peat 1: 1.

If there is an opportunity to make a substrate for planting yourself, you should use it. In purchased soil, sprouts appear later, they are smaller in size, the bush creates thin trunks, the flowering is modest.

Before sowing seeds, the made substrate must be disinfected in order to exclude subsequent infection of the flower. To do this, it is heated for a certain number of minutes in the oven. For cultivating the land, you can use ready-made fungicides or manganese. However, the disembarkation must be postponed for a day.

The optimal time for sowing is February and March. If you sow pelargonium later, then the plant is very stretched and blooms only after 9 months.

Sowing flower seeds

When asked how to grow pelargonium, we can say that seeds are sown in not very deep pots, the height of which does not exceed 3 cm.If there are no specialized containers, then trays from semi-finished products and every improvised container will do. The containers are filled with a substrate and sprayed with water, after which they are left to warm up. The recommended ground temperature is 21-22 degrees.

The seeds are soaked in warm water for 3 hours, which promotes the emergence of seedlings. Then they are laid out in the surface of the earth, pressing a little into the ground. Sprinkle the grains with a thin layer of the substrate. Landings are covered with glass or a bag, taken out to a lighted place where the temperature does not drop below 20 degrees.

After 1-2 weeks, if sprouts appear, the containers must be gradually opened. From this time on, it is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the earth.

Pelargonium care

For plants to grow strong and strong, to form an elegant bush, they must be well looked after. Pelargonium needs timely watering, feeding, loosening the earth, picking, warm climate and pinching.

Watering and feeding

A common mistake of gardeners is the excessive moisture of the earth, which leads to the disease - black leg. It forms very rapidly and destroys all seedlings. In order to exclude this, it is imperative to make drainage in containers for disembarkation and holes for water drainage.

In addition, the watering regime is also important. The seedlings are watered, looking at the drying out of the earth, trying not to flood them. After picking into single containers, the plants are watered no more than 2 times a week. In winter, the frequency of watering is reduced to once every 7 days.

The geranium is fed for the first time 2 weeks after the dive. For this, fertilizers are used for flowering plants with a rich entry of potassium and phosphorus, for example, "Agricola". The frequency of feeding is once every 2 weeks. In winter, they stop feeding.

Lighting and temperature

When caring for young seedlings, you must remember about their need for light. It is more correct to place containers with seedlings in the east or west windows. On the south side, you will need shading from direct sun rays which can spoil sensitive foliage even in winter.

At the stage of intensive growth and development of processes, pelargonium should be illuminated for at least 16 hours. If there is little natural lighting, then in the evening they organize a special supplementary lighting. In the summertime, flower pots are usually taken out to the balcony, loggia or garden.

In a room where pelargonium grows, it is necessary to maintain a suitable temperature. It should be 20-25 degrees. In winter, the plant can tolerate a short drop in temperature of up to 10 degrees. However, for seedlings, such fluctuations are detrimental.

Pick and pinch

Plants are picked after the appearance of two true leaves. For subsequent feeding, narrow and high pots with a diameter of about 10 cm are selected.If the seedlings are slightly stretched, they are allowed to be buried a little into the ground.

In order for pelargonium to have an elegant bush shape and not to stretch, it should be constantly pinched. The first pinching is carried out after the fifth present sheet. In the future, the flower is constantly pruned in spring and autumn, while all weak and thin processes are cut off. Bush shaping is interrupted 1.5 months before flowering. Pelargonium blooms at home 3-4 months after planting.

Plant care

Small plants need proper care. It is elementary, but it allows you to grow excellent pelargonium from seeds for home and garden. The main rule is proper watering. The soil with sprouts should be medium wet at all times.

Using an ordinary pharmacy pipette, it is convenient to measure the amount of water required for any seedling. Sometimes they use medical syringes without a needle or an ordinary spray bottle. It is preferable that no water remains on the sprouts, as this can cause certain diseases of the seedlings. When signs of a black leg are released, the plants and the soil are watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or intended preparations, for example, phytosporin, and then the conditions of their maintenance are normalized.

The growing generation of geraniums should live in a bright window, even with direct sunlight, just not all day, but, for example, in the morning or only in the evening. In winter, it is harmful for a tank with seeds or seedlings to stand on the windowsill over a very hot battery.

After germination of seeds, the temperature of the geranium should be lowered by 2 degrees to + 18- + 20 ° C. This will prevent the plant from stretching and it will become thick. At this stage, geraniums are fed with a special instant fertilizer for seedlings every 2 weeks. When using ordinary micronutrient fertilizers, a solution is made, the saturation of which is two times lower in comparison with the recommended portion.

As you can see, breeding and caring for pelargonium is quite simple. It is enough to surround the seedlings with attention, and multi-colored caps will soon appear on the windowsill. If desired, in May, pelargonium can be planted in a flower bed, where it will delight the eye with flowering all summer. Before the onset of frost, the plant is transplanted back into the flowerpot and brought into the room.

Geranium transplant

As the geranium grows, it may be necessary to transplant it into more pots, preferably clay ones, which will save the roots from overheating and retain water longer. more correctly by the transshipment method, without breaking the roots.

The best container size for undersized species is 20x30cm. When planting in a flowerpot, it is preferable to apply fertilizer. After the end of the threat of frost, geraniums can be taken outside or planted in the soil with the same feature as when growing seedlings.

Pelargonium - colorful and useful plant... She will not only decorate the beds, but also scare off various pests. Pelargonium from seeds at home can be kept on windowsills, and in the summer - on the balcony and in the garden. In the open field, geranium grows all year long only in areas where there is no prolonged cold in winter, and the thermometer never drops below -2 -3 ° C, and in winter it keeps at a level close to zero. On rare cold days, you can cover the pelargonium with foil.

Growing with a somewhat complex name "pelargonium" is a familiar geranium. Having survived the expulsion from the window sills as an attribute of philistinism, pelargonium returned to our homes, but already renewed and often more beautiful than the old one. The demand for delightful flowers is growing year after year. After all, pelargonium is not only good-looking, but also unpretentious in care and useful. Even when it is not blooming, it is able to purify the air of the room in which it is located, and to have a calming effect on the nerves, and when applied topically, it can also heal wound. These and other properties of home geranium are used by traditional medicine. Increasingly, pelargonium is planted as a garden or balcony plant; in terms of duration and abundance of flowering, it has no equal. How to grow such a miracle at home and in the garden? There are two reasonable ways - from seeds and from cuttings. The cultivation of pelargonium from seeds has become widespread since the middle of the last century after the appearance of heterotic hybrids (F1 is indicated on the bags). For a long time, cuttings have remained the main method of obtaining new plants. Photo: Pelargonium ivy, grown from seeds

PELARGONIA FROM SEEDS

It is known that plants grown from seeds at home are more viable than from greenhouses from store shelves. Compared to cuttings, pelargonium grown from seeds has a more luxuriant and long-lasting flowering. Seed propagation allows you to renew old bushes that are losing varietal qualities, or to introduce new varieties in an economically beneficial way. And although the process is simple, not everyone succeeds in pelargonium from seeds. There may be several reasons:
- bad seeds (old or spoiled);
- incorrectly prepared seeds;
- improper sowing and / or germination process.

To avoid the above mistakes, high-quality seeds are used for growing. There are a great many of the most varied varieties of zonal pelargonium (garden) and ivy geranium on sale. To be sure of the result, you need to buy seeds from a well-known manufacturer and at reliable points of sale, because if stored incorrectly, they can be spoiled. Good seeds are sold prepared for sowing, we just have to sow them.

HOW TO PREPARE PELARGONIA SEEDS FOR SOWING Photo: seedlings of pelargonium zonal, obtained from seeds

In varietal geraniums, not hybrid, the seeds can be harvested by yourself. But the characteristics of the variety can be lost in this case. In order for pelargonium to grow from seeds for sure, at home they need to be easily and confidently processed with small sandpaper (scarification) or an abrasive nail file. Before sowing, soak for 3 hours in warm water, then treat with zircon, epin or another similar preparation.

WHEN TO SOW GERANE

You can start growing pelargonium from seeds at any time. Some growers advise doing this from November to April, others only in December, and still others only in spring. Everyone is right, because geranium grows beautifully both on the street and in the room. But at home, seedlings may need additional lighting, which is inconvenient to carry out in an apartment. For this reason, the cultivation of pelargonium from seeds in middle lane Russia begins no earlier than February and no later than March with a sufficiently long daylight hours. This allows for the summer get flowering plants. Photo: first geranium flowers

SOIL FOR SEEDING AND GROWING

The main thing in growing pelargonium is a correctly selected soil mixture and compliance with the conditions for seed germination. There are no strict requirements for the composition of the soil, but it is important that it is not clayey, heavy or too light. Pelargonium seeds germinate well in seedling soil purchased from flower shops. You can prepare the soil mixture yourself, for which you need to mix peat and perlite in a 1: 1 ratio, or peat, sand and turf in a 1: 1: 2 ratio.

HOW TO SOW PELARGONIA

The method of growing pelargonium from seeds depends on the selected capacity. If you sow seeds in a large box or Plastic container, then after 2-3 leaves appear in the seedlings, they must be cut into separate containers. In this case, when sowing, a distance of 5 cm is observed, and when picking, the root system is especially protected.
You can also grow pelargonium from seeds by sowing each seed separately in plastic seedling cells, or in disposable cups or other individual containers. Then, when transplanting grown seedlings, the root system will not suffer.

If planting cassettes are selected, then each cell already has a drainage hole. If the seeds are placed in whole boxes or unsuitable containers, such holes must be made in their bottom by yourself, for example, pierced (melted) with a heated nail. If the height permits, a layer of drainage material (fine expanded clay, screening) should be laid on the bottom of the seed container. But it is much more important that the drainage layer is in the pot, where the seedling will subsequently be placed for permanent residence. Photo: summer geranium flowering
The sowing process itself is as follows: we fill the container chosen for the seeds with soil, moderately compact it, slightly moisten it, sow it.

In order for pelargonium to grow from seeds, they need to be laid out on the surface, and sprinkled with soil a little on top and moistened with a hand spray bottle. You can not sprinkle the seeds, but slightly press them into the damp ground with a match to a depth of no more than 3-5 mm.

After that, the container with the seeds is covered with foil and placed on a light window without direct sunlight. The temperature should be room temperature, + 20 + 22 ° C. The soil is kept slightly moist. Open once a day crops for 5 minutes for airing. Seedlings will appear at the end of the first or second week after sowing, for some shoots this process may take more than a month.

Photo: Pelargonium grown from seeds as a container plant - from seedling to seed formation

SEEDLING CARE

Tiny plants need proper care. It is simple, but it allows you to grow excellent pelargonium from seeds for home and garden. The main rule is reasonable watering. The soil with sprouts should be moderately moist at all times. Using a conventional pharmacy pipette, it is convenient to dispense the amount of water required for each seedling. Sometimes they use medical syringes without a needle or a conventional spray bottle. It is advisable that no water remains on the sprouts, as this can provoke some diseases of the seedlings. When signs of a black leg appear, the seedlings and soil are spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or preparations intended for this, for example, phytosporin, and then the conditions of detention are normalized.

The growing generation of geraniums should live in a bright window, even with direct sunlight, just not all day, but, for example, in the morning or only in the evening. In winter, it is undesirable for a container with seeds or seedlings to stand on the windowsill above a very hot battery. After seed germination, the temperature of the geranium content should be lowered by 2 degrees to + 18- + 20 ° C. This will prevent the seedlings from stretching and the plants will be bushy and even. At this stage, geraniums are fed with a special instant fertilizer for flower seedlings every 2 weeks. When using conventional micronutrient fertilizers, a solution is made, the concentration of which is two times lower than the recommended dose.

TRANSFER AND LANDING OF PELARGONIA

When two or three leaves appear on the sprouts, they are dived into separate small containers, pots for cacti will not work. As the geranium grows, another transplant into larger pots, preferably clay pots, may be required, which will protect the roots from overheating and retain moisture longer. Transplant geranium better method transshipment without disturbing the roots and earthy coma. Optimal size container for low-growing varieties 20x30cm. When planting in a pot, it is advisable to apply a long-lasting fertilizer. After the end of the threat of frost, pelargonium can be taken outside or planted in flower beds (5 plants per running meter) in the soil with the same characteristics as when growing seedlings.

Photo: growing ivy pelargonium from seeds

CARE OF PELARGONIA

Pelargonium grown from seeds can be kept at home on the windowsill, and in the summer on the balcony or in the garden. In the open ground, geraniums grow all year round only in areas where there are no prolonged frosts in winter, and the thermometer never drops below -2 -3 ° C, but keeps close to zero in winter. On rare cool days, it is enough to cover the pelargonium with a film.

In regions where winters are more severe, in summer geraniums can be planted in flower beds (non-double varieties), and in winter they can be transplanted into pots and brought into the house. And although geranium is unpretentious, constant transplants are not to her liking (the exception is the transshipment method). She reacts to such an attitude by decreasing flowering or its complete cessation. Experienced flower growers advise replanting a flower only if necessary (a strongly grown plant, root disease). In other cases, in the summer, it must be taken out to the balcony or in the yard in a pot, and when cold weather comes, bring it back in the same pot. By the way, in flower pots of suitable size, with proper care Pelargonium feels no worse than in the open field, and sometimes even better. After all, there is an opportunity to protect it from excessive precipitation, and the soil with a decrease in the air temperature in the pot will warm up better than the soil.

Photo: summer flowering of ivy geranium

Care for pelargonium grown from seeds consists in timely moderate watering, feeding with any flower fertilizer at least once a month in the open field and twice if the flower is grown in a container. Removal of faded inflorescences will be required, with the exception of some varieties that shed them on their own. Then pelargonium will delight with abundant and long flowering. So that the stem of the flower does not stretch up, it is pinched, thereby forming a small crown. It is advisable to do this until the plant reaches a height of 10 cm. And so that the pelargonium has the correct shape, the flower pot is placed on the windowsill freely and from time to time rotated a few degrees. In rainy weather, it is better to protect geraniums growing on the street from excessive moisture, and when the air temperature drops, bring it into the room.

And although pelargonium can live in the shade and in the open sun, in cool rooms and where it is hot, the best appearance and many beautiful flowers will be in plants for which a moderate regime is observed in both lighting and temperature environment, and in watering.

Pelargonium is a perennial plant from the Geranium family, which is distinguished by its large and colorful inflorescences. Geranium has taken root and has become incredibly popular among home flowers. Unpretentious care, the ability to cleanse and humidify the air well, an abundance of species, tenderness and prettiness, a pleasant smell - all these advantages have turned the plant into a favorite of many housewives. It is too expensive to buy pelargonium in a pot; it will be much more profitable to grow geraniums from seeds at home.

Description of pelargonium

Geranium is a low herbaceous plant or a shrub with a branched root system (except for species that grow in the mountains - their root looks like a rod). The structure and color of the leaves different types 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.

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

When to sow pelargonium

You can start growing pelargonium from seeds at any time. Some growers advise doing this from November to April, others only in December, and still others only in spring. Everyone is right, because geranium grows beautifully both on the street and in the room. But at home, seedlings may need additional lighting, which is inconvenient to carry out in an apartment. For this reason, the cultivation of pelargonium from seeds in central Russia begins no earlier than February and no later than March with a sufficiently long daylight hours. This allows for the summer Cultivation of pelargonium from seeds to get flowering plants.

Preparing the soil and seeds of pelargonium for planting

Pelargonium is grown from seeds in loose nutrient soil with low acidity. Geranium grows wonderfully in breathable, moist soil that does not retain excess water. It can be purchased at the store or made up yourself to avoid excessive mineralization. It can consist of turf and peat with sand; peat with perlite is a good mixture.

Before planting geranium (its seeds), the earth must be disinfected. To do this, it is enough to hold it in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or pour it over with a hot solution of potassium permanganate. Some people advise using fungicides. It is advisable to plant one day after the procedure.

How to grow pelargonium from seeds

After filling the pots with soil, lightly sprinkle the soil surface with warm water and leave for one day to warm the soil to the required temperature (21-22 ° C). Then use your finger or a suitable tool to make small pits at a distance of 2 cm from each other. Sprinkle the seeds with a layer of soil. The soil must be slightly moistened again and the containers must be covered with a foil in which small holes have been previously made to provide air access. When the first soft green sprouts appear, remove the shelter so as not to create high humidity conditions for the plant. Now is the time to put the pelargonium trays on the windowsill to provide the plant with sunlight, otherwise it will take two to three times longer to grow the flower.

After the appearance of two true leaves, pelargonium should be dived and transplanted into a narrow and tall container. After waiting for the appearance of the fifth leaf in pelargonium, the seedlings should be pinched.

Pelargonium care

It is important to understand that the rapid growth of geraniums at home is possible only with careful quality care. In order for the plants to grow strong and healthy, you need to water them in a timely manner, maintain optimal temperature air in the room, fertilize, and when they get strong enough - make a dive.

Watering pelargonium

The frequency of soil moisture depends on the season; in winter, pelargonium should be watered after about 7-10 days, in summer - every 3 days. It is good if drainage is installed at the bottom of the pot, the flower does not like excess moisture and tolerates drought more easily. You can find out when a plant needs watering by the dryness of the soil, it should dry out to a depth of 2 cm.

The flower does not need frequent watering according to a complex scheme or irrigation organized in a special way. But still, in order for geranium to delight you with juicy, thick leaves and regular flowering, it is recommended to follow some simple rules regarding the supply of moisture to the pet.

Feeding pelargonium

Small plants will need their first feeding only two weeks after the pick. To do this, you can use any fertilizer for flowering indoor plants, in liquid form. We feed strictly following the instructions.

Lighting for pelargonium

Pelargonium grows well if there is enough light in the room. However, it is better to avoid direct sunlight, this can lead to flower fading, leaf fall. It is optimal if geraniums are grown in bright diffused light for at least 16 hours a day. In summer, it is good to take plants out into the garden or on the balcony, loggia, there is more not only light, but also air.

Temperature for pelargonium

Pelargonium does not like sudden changes in temperature, especially when the sprouts are just about to hatch from the seeds. It is best if the air temperature in the room fluctuates between 20-25 degrees. For adult plants, a cold snap should not be allowed below 7 degrees Celsius.

How can you protect home geraniums from disease

Unfortunately, in some cases, the plant can get sick. This happens for a number of reasons and not only when grown outdoors, but also at home. For example, various pests can cause flower disease. These can be ants, aphids, or caterpillars. Geranium is very afraid of them.

Aspirin can be used to combat these pests. It is a versatile remedy that can be used on almost any type of pest. To destroy pests with aspirin, you need to take one tablet and dilute in one liter of water. It is necessary to spray the roots with this solution three times a week.

Another pest control remedy is Marathon, which is good at getting rid of aphids or whiteflies. It is quite easy to use. V flower pot several granules of the drug are poured and after that the plant is watered with water.

They are not cheap. In addition, they are grown from cuttings taken from mother plants, sometimes of an elderly age, and can carry a bunch of sores. And from the package, with proper agricultural technology, you can grow several young pelargoniums at once, clean from diseases, promising, with extraordinary colors.

Seedlings grown from seeds are able to start abundant flowering after 5 ... 6 months from germination. Such seedlings, as a rule, are distinguished by their evenness, energy and endurance.

When is the best time to start sowing?

Pelargonium seeds can be sown throughout the calendar year. But experienced florists, in order to get strong plants by June, sow seeds in November. Beginners should consider such important points as a backlight, adherence to humidity and temperature when sowing in the dark winter months (January and early February).

Sowing pelargonium seeds

Pelargonium seeds have the average size, and sowing them is easy.
For better germination, the seeds are immersed in a solution of epin or zircon (2-3 drops per 50 ml of warm water) for several hours. Sowing is best done in a small food container with a lid. For ventilation, it is necessary to make several holes in the lid measuring 2 ... 3 mm. Loose nutritious soil is poured in a small layer, moistened. It is convenient to sow seeds into peat tablets.

Another thing is important: the soil should be disinfected in advance from fungal infections, especially from the "black leg". Potassium permanganate, phytosporin, alirin or gamair tablets are suitable. Do not use several of these drugs at the same time.

Pelargonium seeds germinate in the light at room temperature. They are simply laid out on the surface of the ground and pressed slightly without sprinkling on top. It is unacceptable to both waterlogged and dry out the soil. The seeds may die.

The first shoots "pop up" on the 3rd ... 7th day. Now they need good lighting. To avoid steaming the container and airing, if necessary, open the greenhouse slightly. When pulling the seedlings, add soil under the cotyledon leaves. As they grow, the seedlings are taught to room conditions, opening the container more and more.

When the third true leaf appears, the seedlings dive into separate small pots and begin to feed with liquid fertilizers for seedlings in low doses.
For better compactness and bushiness, pelargoniums on seedlings are removed (pinched) the crown after 5 ... 6 leaves.