Geranium garden planting and outdoor care in autumn

An unpretentious and marvelous perennial garden geranium, which, due to the similarity of seeds with a crane's beak, is called a crane, will not leave a single gardener indifferent. The versatility of the flower allows it to be used to decorate rockeries, alpine slides and natural garden areas.

Types and varieties of plants for open ground

Today it is known about the existence of almost 300 species and varieties of perennial geraniums with various parameters: flower color, size of bushes and leaf plates.

Balkan geranium

In the wild, the species is found in the highlands of the Alps, Carpathians and the Balkans. It has been domesticated since the 17th century. Due to the presence of a thick and highly branched rhizome, the species is often called large-rhizome. The ground part is represented by a compact dense bush 30 cm in height. Elongated dark green leaf plates, attached to the shoot on long petioles, acquire a yellow-red color with the onset of the autumn season. Before flowering, which occurs in early summer and lasts for a month, the plant throws out long peduncles. Flowers, collected in basket inflorescences up to 3 cm in diameter, have a red or purple color. Among the most popular varieties are the fast-growing Spessart, the lush Ingwersens variety and the Czakor.

Marsh geranium

The natural habitat covers the vast wetlands of Russia. The highly branched stem, to which the basal rosette leaves on long petioles are attached, reaches 70 cm in height. The upper part of the stem is crowned with two small basket-shaped inflorescences, consisting of purple flowers. Flowering begins in the first half of summer. A cold-resistant and undemanding species, distinguished by the Album variety with snow-white inflorescences.

Geranium is gorgeous

In front gardens and flower beds, the species has been cultivated for over 100 years.It is characterized by a fast growth rate and a compact form of a dense bush with a half-meter stem, covered with five-part leaf plates. With the arrival of autumn, the latter change color from green to orange-yellow. Flowering is noted when light purple flowers bloom. Among the varieties, Mrs. Kendall Clark, distinguished by gray-blue flowers with a pinkish tone.

Himalayan geranium

The species owes its name to the natural growth zone - the Himalayas. The flower is represented by a compact bush, the central shoot of which is well branched, from 30 to 60 cm in height.Round, slightly lowered leaf plates have a diameter of 10 cm.From the upper part of the stem, a peduncle develops at the end with a basket inflorescence up to 5 cm in diameter.Violet or blue bloom flowers with red veins on the petals in May. The duration of flowering can extend over the entire summer season. A very decorative variety that fits perfectly into any garden design, most often represented by such popular varieties as Gravetye, Jonsons Blue.

Dalmatian geranium

The species is represented by undersized bushes up to 15 cm in height, covered in the second half of summer with small light pink flowers. The waxy foliage turns red in the fall.

In addition to the above varieties, Georgian geranium, blood-red, forest and meadow geraniums are often cultivated on flower beds.

Planting geraniums: preparatory activities

To get a bright flower that overshadows the beauty of the rest of the garden plants, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures.

How to choose planting material?

Planting material can be obtained independently from seeds or by dividing a bush, and can also be purchased at a flower shop or garden geranium nursery.

In order not to make a mistake when buying, you should study the information for different options for planting material:

• A rhizome with many adventitious roots and a growth point is acquired in February. Before purchasing, the roots are inspected for visible damage and hardness. Before planting in the front garden, the material previously placed in a container with peat is stored in the refrigerator.
• The rhizome, which has shoots with leaves, should be placed in a container with earth before planting on a flower bed.
• Buying a seedling in a pot, the gardener will easily root it at any time. However, this planting material is the most expensive.

Important! When choosing future flowers, the florist must take into account his further place of growth.

Site and soil preparation

A place for planting garden geraniums is chosen in areas where shading occurs during the day, and the groundwater is deep. The variety and type of flower is also of great importance. The garden beauty is undemanding to the composition of the soils, but the fertile soil with good drainage will cope with the task of obtaining abundant flowering, providing the throughput of air and water. Before planting geraniums, a site previously fertilized with compost is dug up onto two bayonets of a shovel.

Landing technology

Geraniums are planted in the second half of May as follows:

• In the prepared area, planting pits are made, taking into account the length of the root system of the culture: the hole is dug 20 cm deep more than the length of the roots.
• If the landing is not single, a distance of 30 cm is maintained between the holes.
• The bottom of the pit is lined with a drainage layer of broken brick, expanded clay, gravel in order to prevent decay of the rhizome due to stagnant moisture.
• A soil mixture of peat and sand is poured on top, on which the rhizome of the plant is placed.
• After planting, young specimens are well moistened.

Advice! At the end of planting work, the soil should be mulched using sawdust or peat to protect the land from drying out.

Outdoor garden geranium care

Garden geranium is an undemanding crop, but in order to ensure long-lasting lush flowering, the plant needs a number of procedures.

Watering

The flower needs moderate but systematic moisture. Abundant watering is important after planting and during summer drought, when the leaves droop from a depressing factor. Regular irrigation at the root will restore vitality and return to its previous appearance.

Important! Spraying of the ground part of the plant is not carried out.

Loosening and mulching

If, after planting, the soil is mulched, this will make it possible to reduce the forces on loosening. Planting ground cover crops between geranium specimens will also reduce labor costs for this procedure.

Attention! In the case of mulching, one must not forget about the systematic renewal of the mulch layer: for full development, the plant needs loose soil.

Top dressing

Geranium does not need additional nutrition when adding peat and compost during planting. If desired, the gardener can feed the plant with complex mineral fertilizers during intensive growth.

Pruning

Timely pruning of wilted inflorescences will stimulate the formation of new buds - to extend the flowering phase. Caring for geraniums in the fall involves removing yellowed foliage, but the procedure is not necessary: ​​most varieties of perennial garden geraniums are frost-resistant plants that winter without pruning.

Transfer

The culture has poor transplant tolerance, feeling great when grown in one place for a decade. After this long period, you can start transplanting, the optimal time for which is the resting phase.

Disease and pest control

The culture is affected by rot and tomato wilting, if detected, the affected shoots are removed, and the rest of the plant is treated with a fungicide according to the instructions on the package. Of the pests, the most common are aphids, which can be controlled by spraying with soapy water or insecticidal, depending on the degree of population.

Reproduction of perennial garden geranium

Flower cultivation takes place in two ways:

1. The seed method is a laborious technique that does not guarantee the preservation of varietal characteristics.
2. Vegetative method (dividing the bush and grafting) - the division of the bush is carried out, as a rule, when transplanting a plant, during which the separated part of the rhizome is planted in a previously prepared soil. Cutting is the simplest and most popular way of breeding geraniums, in which part of the shoot is placed in water before the roots appear. And then the cutting takes root in the prepared soil. Can be treated with a growth stimulant and planted immediately.

Thus, planting and caring for garden geraniums does not require supernatural efforts. And the beauty that she will give will delight the owner of the flower for many years.

If you do not have time to grow seedlings of annual flowers every year, planting perennial garden geraniums in the country will significantly reduce the labor intensity of flower bed decoration. Some growers call geraniums pelargonium. These are related, but different cultures. Pelargonium is an annual plant and is often grown in pots on a windowsill. The summer cottage area will be decorated with lush geranium bushes with colorful clusters of bright medium-sized flowers, which even children and pensioners can take care of. Each summer, the area will be covered with a variegated carpet from blood-red to pale white shades.

Geranium in the flowerbed

Ornamental varieties of geraniums were bred from the ancestors of this plant that live in meadows and meadows. The flower has adapted well to the conditions of the wild, it is unpretentious and tenacious.Breeders noticed that the bush has beautiful carved leaves, which themselves can serve as a decoration for flower beds in the garden in the period between flowering, and have created many different varieties of an ornamental plant. The color of the inflorescences is very diverse: blood red, white, lilac - any, except for yellow and orange. You can plant one branch in the country, provide good care, and it will begin to grow and soon turn into a lush openwork island. There is one drawback - fragile stems, but scientists are dealing with this problem and have already created species whose beauty will not be spoiled by rain or strong winds.

Why, among the huge number of perennial ornamental plants, do many owners of summer cottages like garden geraniums? If you have the time, energy and desire, you can plant orchid roses and even completely exotic flowers, accustomed to tropical climates. And a person who comes to the dacha only on weekends and has to manage to pay attention to the garden, and the vegetable garden, and the flower garden in 2 days has no opportunity to provide difficult care for capricious pets. He needs decorative crops:

1. For many years they grew in one place and did not require annual planting.
2. They were not afraid of drought and did not require daily watering.
3. They tolerated frosty winters well.
4. They did not get sick and were not attacked by pests.
5. Didn't require weeding.
6. They bloomed for a long time, but they had an attractive appearance and without flowers.

All these qualities are possessed by perennial garden geraniums. Simple care, endurance and beauty of the plant attract the sympathy of summer residents to it.

There are many varieties of ornamental bush. By combining different varieties, you can create an interesting composition covered with multi-colored bunches all summer long. While the plants are still young and the leaves do not cover the entire area, the one-year-old pelargonium will help fill the empty soil. They need about the same care, and in appearance, pelargonium does not differ much from geranium and does not violate the style of the flower garden.

Plot for a flower garden

Garden geranium can grow on any soil, but to get lush inflorescences, you need to plant it in light, fertile soil. If your dacha has solid clay, add manure, peat or compost to it. This flower does not like transplants and can decorate the site for up to 10 years. If you want to see a different design every year, supplement a flower garden with annual geraniums, pelargonium is well suited.

When choosing varieties, pay attention to the living conditions of the plants in your flower garden. From a variety of species, you can choose those that will feel great under the existing lighting and soil moisture.

• In sunny and dry places, you can plant Georgian red-brown and large-flowered geraniums.
• Wet and well-lit areas will grow Himalayan, Gorgeous and Meadow geraniums.
• Shade and dry ground loves the Balkan and blood red variety.
• Wet shady areas are suitable for swamp, Himalayan and meadow varieties.

You can skillfully combine high and low varieties so that in one area the light-loving varieties are in the sun, and the shade-loving ones - in the shade. Blood-red, meadow forest, marsh geranium grows above half a meter. The dwarf varieties include the Himalayan, large-rhizome and Dalmatian.

Geranium propagation

Planting material can be purchased at the gardening mall. Examine the rhizome, pay special attention to the place where the shoots will go. If it is soft, rotten, or dry, do not take it. The root itself must be firm, many processes depart from it. Do not buy specimens in winter that have already begun to wake up and develop buds. Such tubers need special care: they will have to be temporarily placed in a container with soil, and when the heat comes, they will be planted in open ground.

You can prepare material for planting yourself. To do this, you need to collect seeds or separate a part from an adult plant.If you want to sow seeds, keep in mind that some species do not form them - you will waste time waiting. If different geraniums grow on the site, they can become pollinated, and the colors that you expected will appear on the flower bed.

Advice

To collect the seeds, wrap a paper bag around the pod. When the shell bursts, the grains will not fall to the ground, but remain in the bag.

During vegetative propagation, a part of the bush with roots and a growth bud is separated. Before planting in a new location, inspect the fragment and cut off damaged and dried out areas. In spring and autumn, you can cut a stalk from a plant you like and plant it in open ground. With vegetative propagation, the bushes will bloom in the same year; when sowing seeds, you will have to wait for next summer.

How to plant geraniums correctly

Perennial garden geranium quickly develops long roots. Let the young shoots take root well and grow without interference at first: dig a deep hole so that about 20 cm of loose earth remains under the longest root. There should be at least 30 cm between the holes. Before planting, treat the rhizomes with a disinfectant solution, and the lower sections of the cuttings with growth stimulants.

Planting is carried out in early spring or autumn. Pour a mound of fertile soil on the bottom, install the rhizome and distribute the underground shoots evenly over the earthen elevation. Cover with earth and water to compact the soil. The first year of leaves will not be very many, they will not protect the flower garden from weeds. To avoid weeding, mulch the soil. Pelargonium, asters or other annuals can fill the voids.

Bury the cuttings in the soil about 5 cm. Until the shoots take root, they need care. Cover sprouts from frost with foil or non-woven fabric. Make sure that the soil is moist, but the water does not stagnate. In hot weather, all plantings in the first days should be shaded from the scorching rays of the sun.

Simple care of the flower garden

Garden geraniums came to our summer cottages from the wild and retained the ability to take care of themselves on their own. The owners will only need to help the plant a little if conditions become too unfavorable. Dense greenery prevents weeds from breaking through, and while the bushes are still young, a layer of mulch will protect open areas, and excess grass will not grow there. Garden geranium is also resistant to drought, but so that the bushes are lush and flowering abundant, water the soil as it dries.

After flowering, you do not need to walk around with a knife and cut off dead buds. Withered bunches fall under lush leaves and do not spoil the flower bed with their unsightly appearance. You can leave the flower stalks, but the bursting pods will throw seeds on the ground, from which young shoots will grow next year. Decide for yourself what it is more convenient for you to do: removing the seed pods that have appeared or thinning the plantings.

Both pelargonium and garden geranium contain essential oils with a high concentration of phytoncides. Pests and pathogens do not like this scent. Bushes can be planted not only in a flower garden, but also in vegetable beds, and you do not have to protect edible crops from insects and various infections. Sometimes, due to poor conditions, if the flowers are not properly cared for, they can be attacked by:

• Powdery mildew. When you see a white bloom, cut off the affected parts and spray the flower garden with Bordeaux liquid.
• Gray rot. Poorly treatable, destroy the diseased bush and drain the flower bed or add hydrogel to the soil to reduce moisture.
• Spotting. If you notice brown spots, treat the geranium with a fungicide.

Advice

Do not care for geraniums in extreme heat. At high temperatures, the release of essential oils increases, allergies or skin irritation may occur.

In the spring, when the plants in the country begin to wake up, feed the geraniums with nitrogen fertilizers.After a month, you can feed with a complex preparation, and during flowering, the bushes require phosphorus and potassium. Since tuberous and mountainous species do not need abundant nutrition, keep the dose of fertilizer to a minimum. That's all the basic operations that include caring for perennial garden geraniums.

Conclusion

Garden geranium can grow outdoors for up to 10 years, unlike its cousin pelargonium, an annual plant. The flower is not picky about the composition of the soil, if you choose varieties in accordance with the illumination, it will grow well both in the sun and in the shade. Geraniums do not need complex care, the plant winters well without shelter. Essential oils repel pests from the flower garden. A low, large-rhizome geranium can grow in a vegetable patch, protecting garden crops.

Perennial garden geranium is not only an ornamental, but also a useful plant. It is used in folk medicine and perfumery. If you put the leaves in the jam, mold will not appear in the jar. All summer long, the site will be enlivened by a magnificent white, blood red, pink and lilac composition. The flower beds in the garden are decorated with bright inflorescences and lush openwork leaves.

Garden geranium is a favorite culture of flower growers. Because of the beautiful inflorescences and decorativeness of the bush, it has become popular. The name of the flower is associated with the shape of the fruit, which resembles a crane's beak or a stork's beak. This flower is called differently in different countries: in Germany it is "stork nose", in England and America - "crane", in Bulgaria - "health resort". In Russia, this flower got its name from the Greek word "geranium".

Geranium is an unpretentious, widespread plant. It appeared in the 17-18 centuries in the south of England, in Europe, today it has up to 280 species. Currently, new varieties of garden geranium have been developed. They are perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions of our country, they tolerate winter well and are highly resilient. Garden geranium attracts specialists and amateurs in the field of selection for its amazing quality - ease of cultivation.

Garden geranium: description

Garden geranium should not be confused with pelargonium. Geraniums are perennial plants. And pelargoniums belong to the genus of annual crops. These are both plants from the Geraniev family, but belong to different genera. Geranium has become a well-known horticultural crop due to its ability to grow in open ground, so it began to be grown in gardens, in flower beds.

There are garden geraniums of white, red, pink, purple colors. Planting and leaving is easy enough. This plant is a compact bush with openwork leaves of various sizes, which grows and forms a thick carpet. Geraniums have leaves with rounded and pointed edges, with large and small lobules. The flowers of this garden culture are 2.5-4.5 cm in diameter and have five wide-open petals of various colors, in addition to shades of orange and yellow.

Geranium bushes are miniature and tall. Some new varieties of this plant do not break in heavy rain and wind. Garden geranium is beautiful even without flowers, it goes well with other plants, it is used to decorate garden plots.

Garden geranium: growing conditions

Garden geranium came to our gardens from foothills, meadows and edges. Care and cultivation of this crop does not take much time. Geranium is unpretentious to the soil on which it grows. But for abundant and long flowering, loose, fertile, well-ventilated is better suited. If the soil is clay, fertilize it with organic matter. An ideally prepared area for planting garden geraniums is one to which peat moss and manure have been added.

An open and lighted place is loved by garden geraniums. Planting and caring for it does not take much time. Some species can grow in shaded areas on dry soil.The main thing is that it is rich in nutrients and well-drained. This plant has an average level of moisture requirement.

Planting garden geranium

Garden geranium is planted in early spring and early autumn. Planting and care in the open field begins with the preparation of the flower bed. To do this, you need to dig it up together with humus or moss. Then, with a sharp knife, you should divide the rhizome into parts or separate the side fragments from the bush and plant them. After that, water well and mulch the surface to retain moisture.

When planting, remember about the plant's ability to grow in breadth. Therefore, the area must be calculated taking into account the growth prospects. The distance between the bushes should be 25-30 centimeters. It must also be left because garden geranium does not like transplants. And the long distance allows the flower to grow for a long time in one place. You should not worry about this, after a year the plants will close together, the gaps will not be visible.

Some types of garden geraniums with large leaves and elongated petioles are planted at a distance of double the length of the petiole. In this case, the shape of the bush and decorativeness will be better preserved. Garden geranium is unpretentious for planting. Planting and maintenance is effortless. Plus, they don't take long.

Garden geranium: care

This garden culture is undemanding to care. It does not need to be weeded, as the branches of the bushes grow very densely, and there is no room for weeds to develop. Garden geranium does not need to loosen the soil either. Care for the free space between the bushes, if it has formed, can be replaced by mulching the soil.

Garden geraniums do not need pruning. When the flower has faded, there is no need to remove the inflorescences. They find their own place under the foliage. They hide so cleverly that the decorative effect of the plant is not disturbed.

Garden geranium can grow in a flowerbed with other flowers. Care and cultivation will have to be diversified. Geranium must be weeded until dense foliage appears and the soil loosened. Until the twigs are intertwined and form a solid carpet, apply mineral and organic fertilizers. On top of the fertilizers, you need to put a small layer, about five centimeters, of mulch. Throughout the summer, the plant needs watering. Geranium is a plant that is resistant to dryness. But this does not mean that it does not need to be watered at all.

This garden crop is not susceptible to various diseases and damage by pests, as it has a specific aroma with a content of phytoncides. It repels insects and infections. Thus, garden geranium protects not only itself from diseases and insects, but also growing plants in the neighborhood.

Reproduction

Garden geranium does not like transplanting. Planting a culture involves growing it in one place for at least ten years. This plant propagates by segments of rhizomes, cuttings and seeds.

To get an adult flowering plant in a short time, it is better to propagate the garden geranium by dividing the bush. It is recommended to dig it out of the soil before or after flowering.

For reproduction by rhizomes, only young shoots are selected. The buds of the plant should be well developed. All obsolete, faded parts must be removed. In a new place, garden geranium takes root well and gives new roots very quickly.

Garden geraniums can propagate by cut cuttings. Outdoor planting and care begins in early spring or mid-fall. At this time, the bush is pruned. For reproduction, it is enough to plant any part of the plant in the ground, water and cover with foil.

Seed planting

It propagates not only by rhizomes, but also by seeds of garden geranium. Seed planting takes a little longer. It is characteristic that with such reproduction the varietal qualities disappear, a completely different variety of this type of garden culture is obtained.

It is better to take fresh seeds for sowing. But collecting them is not easy.You need to be patient. The seeds are in capsules, the valves of which burst when ripe, and the seeds scatter in all directions. The pod with unripe seeds is green. And when they are ripe, it turns brown.

But the shades of seed color are different and depend on the variety. You can put a paper bag on the pod, which will serve as a guarantee that the seeds will not scatter when fully ripe, and you will collect them. Of course, there is a lot of trouble, but it's worth it, because the seedlings will bloom next year.

It happens that garden geranium gives abundant self-seeding. Planting and grooming takes extra effort if you don't want the plant to multiply out of control. To do this, you need to cut off unripe seed boxes and all faded flowers.

Garden geranium: how to keep it in winter?

The garden geranium winters well in the climatic conditions of our country. Planting and caring for in winter does not require much effort. Before the onset of the first frost, you need to cut the plant. Only small-grained geranium needs shelter for the winter with brushwood. All other species are highly winter-hardy and do not need shelter. The covering material for them is snow.

Views

A favorite plant of gardeners is garden geranium. Planting and care (there is a photo in the article) for all species is approximately the same. In floriculture, different types, varieties and forms of this garden culture have long been used. Separate tall and low plants.

Plants with a height of more than 50 cm belong to the tall ones. These are marsh geranium, Georgian, blood-red, forest, meadow, small-grained, flat-petaled.

Low - these are plants with a height of 10 to 50 cm. These include Himalayan, Dalmatian, large rhizome, ash, Pyrenean, Andris geraniums.

Diseases and pests

Garden geraniums are usually disease-free. But sometimes you can notice small damage with powdery mildew or brown spotting. To prevent the disease from spreading, you need to cut the plant right after flowering, after which it will become stronger. Young healthy leaves will appear on the geranium, which tolerate the cold season well. Large bushes, if they are damaged by some disease, must be mowed completely as soon as they fade. The plant will grow back and bloom a second time.

When affected by brown spot, all shoots are cut off and burned. But it should be noted that garden geranium can only become infected with a fungal infection in cold and rainy summers. The bush will not seriously suffer from this disease.

Rarely, but it happens that the roots are gnawed by the larvae of the furrow beetle. The plant stops growing. The beetles eat the leaves and the edges dry out. You need to dig up the geranium and check the root. This should be done at night when the beetles are active. If larvae are found, remove them and spray the root and entire plant with the fungicide solution.

Garden geranium - beauty and legends

One can argue endlessly about the beauty of flowers. But not every flower is honored to be an object for versification. The authors of the poems are our contemporaries and poets of past centuries. Geranium is a symbol of home, warmth and comfort. It is also called her grandmother's flower. Now it is not the personification of something outdated, but a symbol of the family, home and familiar.

For many peoples of the world, geranium is a symbol of vigor, strength and health. Her flowers, according to popular belief, are an excellent love spell. Always carry them with you, and your beloved will pay attention to you. In India, white geranium grows at the entrance to any house. In this way, people protect themselves from snakes entering the dwelling, which avoid any contact with the white geranium during its flowering. Even leaflets are useful. If you put them in jam, you can avoid the appearance of mold.

Usage

Geraniums are the most reliable plants in horticulture. They bloom from late spring to early frost.Garden geranium is successfully used when decorating gardens, alpine hills, flower beds and lawns are framed with it. As a ground cover material, such types of geraniums are used, which have large roots. And tall varieties of this garden culture are planted next to perennial plants in mixed mixborders. Garden geranium looks good in the foreground of any area where it is a color spot. Spectacular bright flowers, beautiful leaves, the original shape of the bushes and a specific aroma will decorate any garden.

Garden geranium, which is sometimes called crane for the seeds similar to the beak of a crane, is a cousin of domestic pelargonium and is one of the common, very unpretentious and attractive garden plants.

The flowers, simple in shape, of cold shades bloom above the rounded bushes. The carved leaves are beautiful at any time from spring to autumn. In spring and summer it is light, delicate, bright greenery. In autumn, the leaves become multi-colored - from pale pink to crimson red. Unpretentiousness in cultivation allows the busiest amateurs to decorate flower beds with this flower.

Great Britain is considered the birthplace of perennial geraniums. Here the wild ones were found and the main varieties were bred. The crane was brought to Russia in the 18th century and immediately found application in landscape design.

Perennial garden geranium is a flowering plant from the Geraniev family. It can be one-year, two-year, or multi-year. Consider the most common perennial garden geranium.

Description of the plant

Garden perennial geranium is a winter-hardy herbaceous shrub, rarely evergreen. The root system can have rhizomes or tubers. It grows as a well-branching bush with a height of 10 to 75 cm. With all this, the bush keeps its shape well. highly cut leaf plates are colored, depending on the variety, in colors from silver to dark green. Leaf size varies from small to large.

The buds are located on the stem in several pieces and can be collected in inflorescences. Blooming simple flowers have five petals, but there are also double ones. The total flower size can be up to 5 cm in diameter. The corolla is painted in various colors. There are white, pink, lilac-pink or blue flowers.

Corollas of geranium varieties can be two-colored with darker veins and rich shades.

The flowers of the red-brown geranium can be almost black. The disadvantage of the crane can be considered thin and brittle stems, which can be damaged by strong winds or rainstorms. Breeders are trying to remedy this deficiency.

Geranium can grow in one place for a long time, tolerates frost and drought, is resistant to diseases, is not damaged by pests, does not suffer from weeds, retains attractiveness even without flowers and blooms for a long time. A rare amateur florist will be able to pass by such a number of advantages with a minimum of disadvantages.

What varieties and varieties of geraniums can you advise to grow on your site?

Types and varieties of geraniums with photos

Geranium is gorgeous

Refers to large-flowered species. The height of the bush can be 40-60 cm. From May to June, blue-violet flowers appear on the plant. In autumn, the leaves are colored in various shades of red.

Himalayan geranium

A beautifully flowering shrub 30-60 cm high. Blue flowers bloom in May-June. In some varieties, they can be light blue, lilac blue and blue with a purple eye. Autumn leaves are orange.

Geranium large rhizome

Low-growing geranium 20-30 cm from May to July blooms with white-pink flowers. In some varieties, the petals can be painted in hot pink or white. There are also terry corollas of flowers.

Small-grained geranium

A giant among geraniums - can grow up to 1m in height. Carmine flowers with a darker eye appear on thin stems in June-July.

Geranium blood red

On bushes up to 40 cm high, carmine-red flowers appear all summer.

Ash geranium

Miniature bushes that grow no higher than 15 cm in June-August are covered with rich pink flowers with darker veins on the petals and a dark center.

Dalmatian geranium

On the low bushes of this plant, only 10-15 cm in July-August, pale pink flowers are formed. Glossy geranium leaves acquire all shades of red in the fall.

Reproduction of perennial garden geranium

It is very easy to propagate garden geraniums. The most common methods are dividing the bush, cuttings and seeds. Geranium growing on the site reproduces by self-seeding. The ubiquitous ants carry seeds throughout the site, where the seeds germinate safely. It is impossible to control self-seeding, which means that you need to take it into your own hands.

Seed propagation of garden geranium

Reproduction of perennial geraniums by seeds is very long and laborious. The disadvantage of such reproduction is the unpredictability of the result - varietal traits are not transmitted through seeds. On the other hand, plants grown from seeds may differ from their parents for the better. This is how breeders develop new varieties. So, let's feel like breeders.

1. We take fresh geranium seeds. During storage, seeds quickly lose their germination. Collecting seeds is a whole ritual: choose the best flowers on the bush, put gauze bags on them so that the seeds do not scatter.
2. The collected seeds can be sown in open ground at the end of summer or before winter. Purchased seeds are sown in boxes or pots in April.
3. The prepared containers are filled with a mixture of peat and sand.
4. Seeds are spread over the surface of the moistened planting mixture.
5. The container is covered with a film, creating a greenhouse.
6. Before the emergence of seedlings, the care of crops is reduced to moistening the substrate and airing.
7. The emerging seedlings are gradually accustomed to the drier air of the room.
8. Plants with 2-3 true leaves are planted in separate pots.
9. Seedlings are planted outdoors next spring.

Correct sowing of geraniums when breeding from seeds: video

Geranium propagation by dividing the bush

Propagating a crane by dividing a bush, we simultaneously achieve two goals: we update the old bush and get several new ones.

You can divide the bush in early spring or autumn. Preferably in the fall. At this time, the plant is in a dormant state and will more easily undergo this operation. The procedure is as follows:

1. Prepare holes for planting. They should be 15 cm larger than the root system of the future bush. Neighboring bushes are planted at a distance of at least 30 cm.
2. Dig up the bush to be divided.
3. Shake off excess soil from the roots.
4. Find the buds of renewal on the roots. They should be healthy and firm.
5. Divide the rhizome into parts with a sharp cutting tool so that there is at least one renewal bud on each part.
6. Partially fill the prepared pits with a mixture of peat and sand. Transfer the cuttings to the pit, spread the roots and sprinkle with the planting mixture.
7. Water the hole, compacting the soil. Top up with the remaining mixture. In the final form, the kidneys should be at the same depth as in the previous place.

Reproduction of perennial geranium by cuttings

• In this way, some species of perennial geraniums are propagated.
• In adult plants, young shoots with leaves are cut off.
• The cuttings are placed in a vessel of water and kept in a warm room.
• After 2-3 weeks, roots appear.
• Cuttings with roots are planted in separate containers or in a flower garden.
• You can immediately plant cut cuttings in the soil, pre-treated with a root former and covered with a cut plastic bottle on top.

Planting geraniums in a permanent place

Planting material has been received or purchased and must be properly planted in a permanent place.

You need to plant it in a well-lit place, and the openwork shade at noon will not hurt.Groundwater on the site should not be very close to the surface. High varieties of geraniums will look beautiful against the middle and background of a flower bed or flower garden, and undersized varieties will serve as a border for paths.

The crane has no special requirements for the soil. You can get abundant flowering on any fertile soil, if it is moisture and breathable, and the planting pit has good drainage. Preparing the plants for planting, the soil in the selected area is deeply dug (by 2 shovel bayonets).

It is useful to add peat and compost to the mixture for filling the planting pit.

It is better to start planting perennial geraniums in a flower garden in Central Russia starting from mid-May. Prepare the soil a few days before planting. The site is dug up, peat, compost and, if necessary, sand are brought in.

The planting hole is dug deeper than the length of the roots of the seedling by 15 or more centimeters. A drainage layer is laid on the bottom. Expanded clay, broken brick, crushed stone or small stones are suitable. A layer of planting mixture is poured onto the drainage in the form of a slide. The roots of the plant are gently spread over the surface of the nutrient mixture and buried. The planting is watered, slightly shaking the seedling - this way the soil will penetrate more evenly between the roots. The soil around the plant is mulched with peat or sawdust. When planting several geraniums, the distance between them is maintained at least 25 cm.

Coleus - caring for a flower at home

Care

Even such an undemanding plant as geranium blooms more luxuriantly and more abundantly when it is given at least minimal attention.

Watering. Water this plant sparingly but regularly. Most often, this should be done immediately after planting and in the first months in a new location. Will thank geraniums with flowers and moisture during dry periods. Leaves drooping in the heat will quickly recover. There is no need to spray the plant.

Top dressing. Geranium does not experience a special need for regular fertilization. It will be enough for the peat and compost introduced during planting. For fertilizing with mineral fertilizers during active growth, it will respond with abundant and long flowering.

Pruning. Perennial geranium bushes can be pruned periodically by removing wilted buds and shaping the bush and removing yellowed leaves. Evergreen plant varieties can hibernate without pruning.

Transfer. Frequent transplants of geraniums are not needed. In one place, it can grow up to 10 years, after this period, the bush can be transplanted to another place. In a new place, the seedling will take root faster if it is transplanted during the dormant period.

Indoor geranium - home care

Diseases and pests

Diseases

There are few diseases on geraniums. Bacterial rot and tomato wilting may appear. Brown spots or rings appear on the affected bushes. Small foci of diseases are treated with copper-containing agents, and with a large spread of infection, the bushes are cut off, the tops are burned, and the soil at the site of growth is disinfected with copper sulfate or an analogue.

Pests

Aphids, whiteflies and caterpillars spoil the appearance of geranium plantings. They are rarely found on the crane. You can destroy them with any insecticide or herbal decoction.

Hydrangea - planting and care in the open field

The use of geranium in landscape design, flower garden, partners

Perennial geraniums in a flower garden are irreplaceable. Numerous species and varieties of this plant allow you to choose the ideal plant for each specific case.

1. Great geraniums are suitable for creating borders around flower beds and garden paths. Small-grained geranium will create attractive spots. The outskirts of the shrub plantings will be decorated with bushes of blood-red geraniums. This variety looks organic in natural gardens.
2. Malay and large-rhizome geraniums are excellent ground cover plants.
3. The rocky hills will be decorated with ash and Dalmatian geraniums.
4. Perennial garden geranium feels great anywhere and goes well with many ornamental plants.
5. In flower beds, geranium perfectly complements the milky-flowered peony and the soft cuff. Varieties of plants with blue flowers create a harmonious composition with white, yellow and pink roses.
6. A harmonious combination is obtained from the proximity of geraniums and ankhusa azure or perennial flax.
7. Under the bushes with an openwork crown, geraniums will create an attractive composition with astilba, peach bells, hosta, ferns and ornamental grasses.

Plant geraniums in your garden and you will get an unpretentious, flowering plant that is beautiful not only in itself, but also in combination with other inhabitants of flower gardens.