Geranium dark samobor planting and care in the open field

Pelargonium, better known to you as

geranium

, grows in many people in a potted version, but few people know that plants of this family are also suitable for open ground. Pelargonium, due to its medicinal and aesthetic qualities, is loved not only by many gardeners, but also by people involved in

landscape design

... Therefore, I propose to take a closer look at this beautiful flower.

Pelargonium can be grown not only in pots, but also outdoors.
Pelargonium, which came to us from southern Africa, is perhaps the most common home potted plant. However, she successfully took root not only on the window, but also in the garden. With good care, pelargonium blooms all summer. Increasingly, the eyes of landscape designers turn towards this flower, and there are several reasons for this: the possibility of planting in forms, relatively simple care and a bright addition to any flower arrangement.

Pelargonium belongs to the Geranium family and can be a subshrub or herbaceous plant. It is cultivated as a perennial. Its flowers are varied in color, collected in umbrellas or shields. Some varieties are distinguished by huge round terry "caps" of flowers. Pelargonium comes with straight, branched or creeping stems, it has very beautiful, decorative leaves.

Pelargoniums are very diverse in color of flowers and height of bushes

Planting pelargonium

Despite the fact that pelargonium is a perennial plant, in winter in the middle lane it freezes out, therefore there are subtleties in its cultivation.

In order for pelargonium to bloom all summer, it needs to create the appropriate conditions. Choose the soil with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction, its composition must be necessarily light, the presence of peat and river sand has a beneficial effect on the plant. In the fall, when you dig up the soil, add humus and mineral fertilizers.

Pelargonium can grow in the garden, but it is better for her to spend the winter at home Pelargonium is good for watering, so it should be watered sparingly and the soil should not dry out. Although drought can tolerate normally.

But it is better not to plant it in the open sun either: the optimal temperature for growth and development in pelargonium is + 15 ° C, therefore the semi-sunny side is considered the best, or it will still have to be shaded.

Depending on the species, pelargonium has a number of individual characteristics, but the principle of planting and care is by and large the same. To root green cuttings in the garden, you need to plant them in a mixture of peat and river sand. But it can also be rooted at home using perlite.

Pelargonium care

• Dormant period

Once in the garden, pelargonium blooms all summer. But like any living organism, it gets tired, so let the plant rest for about 1.5-2 months until spring, put it at rest. To do this, do not water pelargonium and do not feed with mineral fertilizers. By spring, she will wake up and give flowering again. There are many opinions about the wintering of pelargonium.But I would not dare to leave it in the garden: for the winter, the bush must be transplanted into a pot and taken home.

Pelargonium should not be left in the garden for the winter. Potty her and take her home

• Fertilizers 

During the period of active pelargonium, use complex fertilizers for flowering plants.

• Pruning

In the spring, so that pelargonium is actively moving into growth and pleases with abundant lush flowering,the tops of the shoots can be pinched. But the tops do not have to be thrown away, they can be rooted and new plants can be obtained.

The tops of the shoots need to be pinched so that next year the bush is lush

Reproduction of pelargonium

Pelargonium propagates by seeds and vegetatively (green cuttings).

• Many hobbyists root the cuttings right in the winter, for this they plant the cuttings in sand or perlite and moisten them. Cuttings are cut from mother plants, wintering at home at a temperature not higher than + 12 ° C. The cuttings are rooted from January at + 16 ° C, already at this temperature the plant begins to give roots. Then the temperature is increased to + 20 ° C, the formation of a full-fledged root system of the cuttings takes about 3 weeks. When the root system is formed, transplant the young plants into small pots, take them to the greenhouse for hardening and growing. You can also grow on the window.

Pelargonium cuttings are usually rooted in perlite, but they root well even in water

• Seeds must be sown in containers also in winter, from December to February, the soil mixture should consist of river sand and peat or peat alone. It will take about 3 weeks to wait for seedlings, all this time the soil must be regularly moistened. It is advisable to cover the top of the container with a film. When the seedlings reach the phase of three true leaves, they are dived into separate containers. To make the plant more bushy, pinch it over the 6th leaf.

Types of pelargonium

The genus Pelargonium has about 250 species that grow in South Africa. In our country, the most widespread, which gave rise to many varieties and hybrids, are the item zonal and the item ivy-leaved.

Pelargonium zonale

Outlined leaves with a pattern of this perennial pelargonium can be light or dark green in color. In a number of well-known sources it is written that this species is annual, but I would say that it simply does not hibernate in the open field. I dig up and transplant it into a pot, so even in winter my pelargonium blooms.

Pelargonium zonal

In winter, mother liquors are stored at temperatures up to + 23 ° C. When the plant has faded, the shoots are cut to 10 cm and the container is transferred to a bright, cool room with a temperature not exceeding + 15 ° C. By the way, this species tolerates drought well, has many new interesting varieties and hybrids. Bright color (white, red, dark red, crimson, pink) and spherical umbellate inflorescences with simple or double flowers - that is why flower growers love this pelargonium so much. Zonal pelargonium is able to decorate not only a window sill, but also hanging baskets, tubs and containers, flower beds, ridges or borders. Pelargonium of this species does not tolerate excess moisture, can withstand temperatures down to -6 ° C, and at temperatures below + 9 ° C, the leaves turn yellow. Varieties and hybrids affect the height of the plant: for example, the variety 'Meteor' it is distinguished by its short stature, therefore it is used for borders. And the series ‘Rocky Mountain’ you can find vigorous varieties, and besides, unusual shades.

Medium-sized unusual varieties

• ‘Rumba Fire’ - fiery, I would say, bordering on the "poisonous" saturation of red, attracts attention from any point of view.

Pelargonium zonal

• 'Bravo Pastel'  - petals of white color, smoothly turning into pink, with a delicate crimson eye

Pelargonium zone ‘Bravo Pastel’

Pelargonium ivy (Pelargonium peltatum) 

The favorite of landscape designers for vertical and horizontal landscaping. Juicy, fleshy leaves, sometimes framed with a red border, attract attention.They do not smell and do not have pubescence, but outwardly they are somewhat reminiscent of ivy leaves in shape. Shoots of this species are falling, up to 90 cm long. Although they can be 30 cm, depending on the variety.

Pelargonium ivy ‘Apple Blossom Rosebud’ Again, many sources write about the one-year development cycle of this species, but transplant it in a pot in the fall, and it will live on the window until the spring planting back into the garden. It has a semi-shrub appearance. Flowers on long peduncles, gather in few-flowered thyroid inflorescences. They can be terry or semi-double. The color is white, pink, lilac and red.

Most popular varieties

• ‘Mustang’- deep dark red color.
• Pygmy - a relatively new series with salmon pink, cherry, pink flowers.

Pelargonium ivy from the Pygmy series with salmon flowers

• 'Red Pandora' - a variety of incomparable tulip pelargonium. Its cherry-red flowers will impress even an experienced gardener.

Pelargonium ivy ‘Red Pandora’ Meanwhile, many breeders subdivide p. Ivy by the strength of growth and ampel colors. In the group of medium-sized varieties, there are many new lilac and lilac shades.

Pelargonium 'Lady Ilchester' Most varieties have double fluffy flowers and variegated colors.

Pelargonium ‘Richard Hogson’ The undersized varieties and hybrids also have a lot of new and interesting things. Juicy bright colors and greens, coupled with a low height, are increasingly becoming a welcome guest in the garden. I love simple bright colors.

Variety ‘Belladonna’ as if he had descended from retro pictures of the last century, their exquisite doubleness and tenderness of color scheme becomes a tidbit for a gourmet.

Pelargonium 'Belladonna' There are varieties whose flowers are simple, but they hide the secret of color change with temperature. For example, flowers of the variety 'Cascade White', bronze in heat and cold, under normal conditions become familiar orange colors.

Pelargonium ivy is more sensitive to frost than zonal. It starts to freeze out already at -4 ° C. When planting in the ground, the distance between plants is taken to be about 25 cm, and if containers or boxes are used, then about 15 cm.

Pelargonium ivy Finally, I want to say that in the West, gardeners have long been using pelargonium ivy for arched structures. A favorite technique is also a pyramidal structure: to create such an object, boxes are used, which, like steps, are placed on top of each other.

Pelargonium in the design of arches And do you have pelargonium growing?

Pelargonium royal

Several decades ago, geraniums could be found on almost every windowsill, but over time it has lost its popularity. And now, the time has come when this flower again began to be in demand and found its former success.

Geranium is a bright and fragrant herbaceous flower that belongs to the geranium group. This plant is divided into two types - garden geranium (geranium) and indoor, which is more correctly called pelargonium (pelargonium). Today there are more than 400 varieties of this plant. Geranium flowers are very bright and beautiful, and in some varieties they are collected in inflorescences. Geranium leaves are bright dark green in color and give off a refreshing lemon-mint scent. Sometimes a border of white or other colors appears on the leaves.

Geraniums were brought from Africa to Europe in the 17th century. Due to its peculiar, refreshing smell and bright large flowers, geranium has gained great popularity, both in aristocratic circles and in other segments of the population. Geranium came to Russia around the 18th century and immediately became beloved and popular by everyone because of its beauty, unpretentiousness and active growth.

…

Plant features

Geranium can grow in height from 15 to 120 cm. Its leaves have a rounded drooping shape and are distinguished by a wide variety of colors. In some species, the leaves may be jagged at the edges or deeply dissected.Geranium flowers have five petals. They can be collected in inflorescences or grow alone. Geranium begins to bloom in May or June. and blooms for 20-30 days. The fruit is long and bivalve.

Important! Geranium gets its name from the ancient Greek word geranos, which means crane. This is due to the fact that the seed pod is shaped like a crane's beak.

Geraniums are very durable and can grow in one place for about 15 years. They are unpretentious, hardy and active in growth. Almost all types of geraniums, except for marsh geraniums, are extremely drought-resistant and do not tolerate strong moisture.

All types and their photos

Let's find out what types of varietal geraniums are and see how they look in the photo next to the name of the variety.

Sadovaya

Mostly we are used to seeing geraniums on the windowsills of an apartment and very few people know what it is. the plant gets along well in gardens... Garden geranium bushes are very dense and can both grow in height and spread along the ground. This plant is perfect for decorating a flower bed or forming an alpine slide.

Types of garden geraniums:

Balkan

Its name comes from its place of origin, since in nature it grows mainly in the Balkans, Carpathians and the Alps. Her a distinctive feature is a large rhizome, which reaches 1.5 cm in diameter. Geranium leaves move 20 cm away from it. Balkan geranium can reach a height of up to half a meter. Balkan geranium begins to bloom in June and the flowering period lasts up to 30 days.

Geranium flowers have a variety of shades ranging from pale pink to purple-red. The diameter of the flowers is 3 cm. The seeds begin to ripen around the end of July or the beginning of August. Its leaves have a pronounced green tint and give off a characteristic refreshing scent. The moldings are divided in shape into five distinct parts with scalloped edges. In autumn, they acquire an elegant color.

Gorgeous

This is a hybrid variety of geranium that has bright large inflorescences of various shades of blue. The flowers of the magnificent geranium have 5 round petals, which are located in one plane and 5 sepals, which are collected in a corolla. It happens that on one branch of a plant there are up to 3 corollas. The magnificent geranium begins to bloom in June and bloom all summer long.

With proper care, the bush of this geranium can reach a height of up to 60 cm. The magnificent geranium retains its density and decorativeness almost until winter. The leaves are soft and velvety, slightly drooping. Each sheet is cut into 5 parts and has pronounced jagged edges. In autumn, the color of the leaves of the magnificent geranium changes from bright green to different shades of red.

Himalayan

This type of garden geranium has gained great popularity since the end of the 19th century. In nature, it grows in the meadows of the Himalayas, thanks to which it got its name. The Himalayan geranium grows in the form of a bush, the height of which can reach from 30 to 60 cm. The leaves are cut into 5 parts and can reach up to 10 cm in diameter. This geranium variety has very large flowers. In diameter, they reach up to 5 cm and have bright saturated shades from bluish to dark purple. The Himalayan geranium begins to bloom in late May and continues throughout the summer.

Blood red

This type of geranium is a representative of the Caucasus and has straight branched stems and a knobby rhizome. In height, blood-red geraniums can reach up to 80 cm. The leaves are rich green and round in shape, which acquire a bright red hue in autumn. The flowers are obovate and are located on long pedicels. Blood red geranium blooms from early June to mid-July. This type of geranium, like many others, is durable, and can bloom and bear fruit for up to 12 years.

Lesnaya

Forest geranium is a perennial herb. with oblique rhizome. It can grow up to 80 cm in height. The stems of this species are erect and slightly branched at the top. The leaves are rooted and can be either three-part or five-part.

The shape of the leaves is rounded with distinct teeth at the edges. The flowers are not very large and have a beautiful purple or violet color. Basically, they are located in 2 flowers on a peduncle. Forest geranium begins to bloom from the beginning of June until the end of August. At the end of summer, fruits begin to ripen, which are shaped like a bird's beak.

Meadow

Meadow geranium grows in spacious meadows and fields in Europe and Asia. This type of plant has a short rhizome and strong ground shoots. The lower basal leaves have a seven-part form. Stem leaves are slightly smaller in size and are pentapartite. The topmost leaves are often tripartite. The flowers of the meadow geranium have a large, regular, umbellate shape. The petals are rounded and bright purple-blue.

Samobor

This geranium variety belongs to the garden species and ideal for shady flower gardens... Its height reaches 35 cm. The leaves of a dark green color with brown spots have a beautiful carved shape. The flowers of this plant grow on tall peduncles, have a dark purple color and are collected in beautiful openwork inflorescences. Samobor begins to bloom in early June and ends in late July. Geranium Samobor is extremely easy to care for and resistant to adverse weather conditions.

Room

The most beautiful and popular types of room geranium:

Zonal

This is the most common type of indoor geranium, which is resistant and abundant flowering. Its homeland is hot and sunny Africa. Zonal she was nicknamed because of the dark stripes at the edges of the leaves. Zonal geranium bushes grow vertically and can reach a height of 80 cm.

Flowers with a diameter of 2-3 cm have a variety of shades (orange, white, pink, red, etc.) and a wavy shape. In good indoor conditions, it blooms from June to late autumn, and sometimes it can bloom from March until winter.

Royal

Royal geranium is one of the most beautiful geraniums... The shape of this plant species differs from the structure of ordinary geraniums. The royal geranium has a wide bush, and its peduncles are on the same level with the shoots. The flowers are large enough and can reach up to 15 cm in diameter. Outwardly, they are a bit like Pansies. During flowering, the royal geranium bush is densely dotted with open buds, which creates the appearance of a lush, bright flower ball.

Angel

It is a low geranium variety with thin, non-rigid stems. In growth, they reach up to 30 cm in height. Geranium Angel was obtained by crossing the royal geranium with wild species, due to which its flowers also resemble Pansies. Unlike the royal geranium, the Angel has smaller flowers and leaves.

Thyroid

The thyroid geranium, or as it is also called - ivy or ivy, is an ampelous ornamental shrub with long shoots. This geranium variety is native to South Africa. The leaves of this plant are bright green - sometimes with light edging or spots.

The leaves can be star-shaped, which makes them look like ivy leaves. Thanks to thin creeping stems that can grow up to 90 cm, thyroid geranium can be grown as an ampelous plant in hanging pots... Thyroid geranium flowers can be white, pink, red and even purple-black.

Fragrant

This geranium variety primarily stands out for its refreshing and varied aromas. Scented geranium can smell like lemon, pine needles, ginger, lemon balm, pineapple and other plants. It has a branched bush with a well-developed nodular rhizome.

The leaves are palmate-lobed and have carved edges.Their surface is covered with the smallest fibers, which, in contact with anything, begin to intensely exude aroma. The flowers are very small and are collected in umbrellas. This species attracts not only with its unsurpassed aroma, but the plant has a wide range of medicinal properties.

The rarest varieties

Tulip

It is a very rare geranium that originated in the United States. It got its name from the unusual shape of the flowers that resemble a tulip bud. This species differs from the rest in its growth rate, shape, color and number of petals on the corolla. Each flower has 6 to 9 petals, which may have jagged curly edges. As a rule, the tulip geranium inflorescence consists of 20-30 flowers.

Rococo

This is an amazing variety that was obtained by crossing ivy and zoned geraniums. This variety was developed in the United States at the end of the 20th century. Geranium Rococo has large beautiful inflorescences of pink shades, which outwardly resemble half-open rosebuds. From ivy geraniums, this variety retained vertical tall shoots, and from zonal geraniums - the shape and color of the leaves. Rococo begins to bloom in early spring and lasts for 8-9 months.

Salmon

Salmon geranium is one of the zonal geranium varieties. This variety got its name due to the rich color of flowers, which is similar to the color of red fish. The maximum plant height is 35 cm, and the maximum width of the bushes is 30 cm. The leaves of salmon geranium are rich green in color with a pronounced dark brown edging along the edge.

This variety has rather large inflorescences and blooms profusely from early spring to the very frost. Reaching maximum growth, the bushes look very compact and have expressive dense foliage. Salmon geranium is unpretentious and highly resistant to pests.

Orange

This variety is very rare and belongs to the indoor species, or rather, it is a variety of zonal geranium. Orange geranium got its name from its bright orange rich color of flowers. Its height reaches a maximum of 35 cm. Inflorescences are large orange “caps” of flowers. The leaves of the orange geranium are beautifully rounded with a brown tint along the edge. Although this variety of geraniums is unpretentious, with good conditions and proper care, it can delight with its flowering throughout the year.

Care rules

Geraniums have no special planting and care requirements when grown at home or in the garden. But in order for the plant to have a pleasant appearance and constantly please with flowering, several rules must be observed:

The soil for geraniums should be nutritious and loose. If this is a street plant, then in winter it will need shelter.

Recommendation. It is required to carefully monitor the condition of the leaves and remove the dried ones in a timely manner. Otherwise, it can cause fungal diseases.

Geranium itself is a light-loving plant, but still the best option would be to plant it (or place a pot) in partial shade.

Do not forget about feeding. The best thing the flower needs to be fertilized before flowering, then the plant will delight with its flowers much longer.

Reproduction methods

Geranium propagation can occur in three ways - cuttings, seeds and division.

Seed propagation is the most laborious process and not always successful. Leave the seeds in the refrigerator for 24 hours before planting them. After that, they are sown in nutritious loose soil, and then sprinkled with sand and covered with a film. In winter, the first shoots may appear after 3 months, in summer - a month or one and a half.

When propagating by cuttings, it is necessary to cut off a 5-7 cm stem from the bush with a sharp knife. At the same time, there should be 3 medium leaves on the stem. After that, the stem is left for a while so that the cut will dry out a little. Then they put it in water and wait for the roots to sprout.Instead of water, you can immediately plant it in moist, nutritious soil.

Reproduction by dividing the bush is the easiest way to propagate geranium... It is necessary to divide the mother bush into two halves with a sharp knife so that each of them has roots and at least one growth point. After that, the halves are planted in new pots, and the place of the cut is abundantly sprinkled with grated activated carbon.

Geranium is not only a beautiful, but also a useful plant that can decorate any garden and refresh any room with its beautiful view.

Sometimes we get so used to some houseplants that we forget about garden varieties. Not everyone knows that garden geranium can grow successfully in the country and be actively used in landscape design. Explore the main varieties of garden geraniums and replenish your backyard with new flowering specimens.

Types of garden geranium

Pelargonium or garden blooming geranium in everyday life has another common name - crane. Both professional flower growers and beginners in this business should think about growing such a flower in their personal plot. Unpretentious in care, the crane is considered universal.

There is a whole variety of varieties of garden geranium, among them there are both annual and perennial variations. What varieties of pelargonium should you start in your garden? First you need to study the most common types and varieties of this plant.

Blood red

Most of this garden geranium is grown by flower growers in the European part of Russia, as well as in Western and Southern Europe. What this flower is like is a medium-sized spherical bush. In height, the blood-red pelargonium can reach about 60 cm. During the flowering period, this floral specimen is completely covered with bright red blossoming buds. Plant this plant in your backyard and enjoy blooming from June to early August. Another key advantage of this variety is that the shrub is perennial. In one place, it grows up to 15 years.

Large rhizome

In landscape design, a variety of geraniums called large-rhizome is also widely used. This type of pelargonium is very often called Balkan, since it grows mostly at the foot of the Alps and Carpathians. The bush reaches a height of 50 cm.

The plant blooms at the very beginning of summer, and this phase lasts for a month. This shrub is dotted with bright pink flowers, so it will be an exquisite decoration for your garden area. In addition, if you can provide full care for this geranium, then you will achieve a second flowering period, which mostly falls in September. Another advantage of the variety: in one place the flower grows for many years, without requiring special care.

Other types

Planting perennial garden geraniums and further providing care for it do not differ in particular difficulties. However, first it is worth considering what other varieties of this unpretentious, but very beautiful flower can be grown in the country. Among the most popular specimens are the following flowers:

• Geranium is Magnificent. This shrub is characterized by a high growth rate. The plant reaches a height of about 50 cm. Immediately after the beginning of the flowering phase, the petals have a light purple hue, and with the arrival of autumn they become brick-red;
• Himalayan geranium (Plenum). The Plenum shrub is of medium size (the height of a mature plant is 30–50 cm). Large purple flowers with red veins open on it. In the garden, a variety of geraniums called Plenum Himalayas can be safely grown in Russia;
• geranium Endress. This type of geranium is dotted with pale pink flowers.This plant can be safely cultivated in the shade of tall trees, since such pelargonium tolerates the neighborhood with them without problems;
• Star. The shrub grows compact, covered with lush pink inflorescences;
• geranium varieties Ash ballerina. This street perennial is not very large, it is miniature. Its flowers are light pink.

Whichever variety of pelargonium you prefer to grow in your garden plot - Plenum, Samobor or Apache - set out the basic rules for caring for the plant for yourself, and you will be satisfied with the result.

Landing rules

It is recommended to plant Pelargonium no earlier than mid-May. If at this time there are frequent night frosts, for the first time take care of the shelter of your plant. In order for the planting to be carried out correctly, be sure to purchase a nutrient mixture: the rhizome must be placed directly in it, and sprinkle it with earth on top.

Growing and care

Full care for pelargonium does not differ in particular difficulties. It is recommended to water it regularly immediately after planting. Be sure to mulch the soil so the moisture doesn't evaporate too quickly. As for top dressing, it is enough to add a little peat and compost to the substrate at the planting stage. Another important point of care is timely pruning. It is recommended to get rid of faded buds. Thus, you stimulate the growth of new flowers.

Reproduction

If you decide to plant a white, red or purple geranium near your house, you will probably think about propagating it over time. It is best to resort to dividing the rhizome - this method is easy to implement, and you will get one hundred percent result. As for propagation by seeds, they are difficult to collect, and in general they are unlikely to grow even in a nutritious substrate.

Disease prevention

Pelargonium is rarely infested with pests.

If a problem arises, spraying with store-bought insecticides will help. As for diseases, fungal ailments (powdery mildew or brown spot) are the most dangerous for geranium varieties. At the first sign, it is better to get biological fungicides. But if the problem has become much more serious, the affected parts of the bush are best cut and burned.

Preparing for winter

Despite the fact that low-growing and other varieties of geraniums are mainly used in the landscape by flower growers living in the southern regions of Europe, the plant shows good resistance to frost. You don't even have to worry about hiding the flower.

The main thing is to cut off the ground part of the plant at the end of autumn and then mulch it. Use organic matter for this: garden compost, wood chips or bark. Take care of your white or other shade of geranium, because growing it in the garden does not require much effort.

Video "Garden Geranium"

This video will show you how to properly care for your garden geranium.

Description:

Geranium - frost-resistant perennial. Many species and varieties are widespread in culture; in recent years, this plant has become more and more popular. Geranium flowers are mainly of dim colors - pale pink, blue, purple. Leaves can be different - finger-split, round, pinnate. Height 20-60cm depending on the species. The flowering time is also different for different species.
Location: most geraniums prefer a light or semi-shaded location.
The soil: moderately moist, clayey, rich in nutrients.
Landing: into fresh soil in early spring or late summer.
Reproduction: reproduces both seed and vegetative way.
Bloom: long and abundant, from June to September.
Usage: in a grassy curb, in landscape plantings in the shade of trees, in carpet plantings.

Samobor - plant height 60cm, burgundy flower, leaf with a dark spot in the center.

Category: Other perennials