Geranium breeding methods
To obtain new flowers, you can use cuttings and dividing tubers. Moreover, the latter method is in demand for the propagation of garden plants, although, if desired, you can use it at home.
But why do this if you can get a new bush by simply cutting off the cuttings? They need to be harvested in the spring.
How to plant geraniums? To do this, shoots cut from the top of the pelargonium should be placed in water. Keep in mind: there should be at least 3-4 leaves on the shoot.
At normal temperatures, cuttings grow roots very quickly. After that, the shoot can be moved to a pot with soil. Just before you transplant the cutting into the soil, let it dry after water. Once it starts growing in the pot, pinch off the top.
Now you know how to plant geraniums as easy as possible. If you do everything right, then a large beautiful bush will grow from a small shoot in just a few months, which will immediately delight you with its luxurious flowers.
Mr. Dachnik informs: ambulance for geraniums and prevention
Indoor geraniums with yellowed leaves can be saved. Tips for Quick Pelargonium Relief:
- when transplanting, the roots are examined for rot, disease damage, if damaged, they are washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, completely change the soil;
- a flower pot in autumn and winter is placed farther from the radiators, you can take it out to the glazed balcony (if the temperature does not drop below +12 ° C there);
- poured with soft water, it is defended for a long time and a pinch of citric acid or lemon juice (3-4 drops) is added;
- constantly inspect for damage by insects, fungi, take timely measures to get rid of;
- the soil is chosen in the store, it is a universal soil for indoor plants;
- when the ambient air is dry, they do not moisten pelargonium from a spray bottle; it is best to put a cup of water or wet expanded clay next to it;
- they are regularly fed, since the flower is sensitive to the lack of nutrients (choose complex fertilizers in the store);
- in order for pelargonium to bloom magnificently, pruning is done in the spring, leaving several shoots;
- if the plant is stretched to one side, the pot is turned towards the sunny side with different sides;
- before watering, the soil is loosened, the root system of pelargonium needs oxygen;
- in winter they carefully watch that the leaves do not touch the cold glass, from this they dry, turn yellow and fall prematurely;
- on a hot summer day on the sunny side, the window is shaded with a sheet of paper or a piece of gauze;
- if the window sill is cold in winter, to insulate the roots, put a kitchen stand under the hot wood, a towel, woolen cloth in several layers under the pot;
- if there is no drainage layer in the pot with geraniums, and the transplant will not be soon, then they regularly pierce the ground in several places with a red-hot knitting needle;
- in winter, cover the batteries with a wet thick towel, this will get rid of the increased temperature in the room and too dry air for pelargonium on the windowsill;
- A good container for indoor geraniums is a ceramic pot. Porous clay allows air to pass through, excess water evaporates faster, air enters the root system.
The beautiful green leaves of pelargonium indicate the health of the plant and proper care. Discoloration indicates disease, pests, or bugs.
Consequences of improper fertilization
Frequent addition of additives is not encouraged, as it can harm the plant, and it will begin to ache and wilt.Main consequences:
- yellowness and spots appear on the leaves;
- the root system gets burned;
- the growth of greenery increases, while the buds do not have lush flowering;
- flowers are completely absent;
- foliage falls.
Any florist has a goal - to achieve bright and abundant flowering. It turned out that this is not so difficult to do, especially when it comes to geraniums. The main feature is the following: geranium grows initially in a soil enriched with useful substances.
In the summer and spring, it is recommended to give complex supplements containing minerals. Also, do not forget about watering with iodine. Competently calculated volume and optimal feeding regime will ensure long-term flowering of the pet, which cannot but please the eye of the owner.
When and in what cases top dressing is required?
In winter, fertilization is not required for the flower. The indoor pet is fed only in the spring-summer period. It is enough to carry out the procedure twice a month, one hour after abundant watering.
Patients with pelargonium cannot be fertilized.
You cannot fertilize pelargonium if it has been in bright sun all day. The flower must be shaded, then watered, and only then the necessary substances must be added. Pelargonium should not be fertilized 2 weeks before and within a week after transplanting.
How and how to fertilize?
The main rule for feeding a plant is observing the dose of fertilizer. Withered or yellowed leaves indicate an overabundance of nutrients.
Nitrogen substances need to be applied only after pruning.
- In order to prevent burns of geranium roots, fertilizers in liquid form should be applied only after watering.
- After adding minerals, the soil under the plant must be loosened.
How to feed for the formation of buds?
For abundant flowering, the culture must be fed with mineral fertilizers. One-component fertilizing is required - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iodine.
Reference! Phosphorus is essential for bud formation. Its deficiency slows down the process. With a lack of potassium, the growth of the culture stops. Nitrogen promotes stem, leaf and root growth.
It is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers in spring - during the period of active growth of pelargonium. The most popular nitrogen fertilizers are ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate. You can use ready-made mineral formulations with a high nitrogen content for indoor flowering plants. You can buy them in specialized stores.
To achieve active flowering, you can use vitamins, which are sold in the pharmacy in the form of ampoules - B1, B6 and B12 as top dressing. They are introduced by the method of alternation - an ampoule of the vitamin is diluted in 2 liters. water, the resulting solution is plentifully watered the bush. After 2-3 weeks, another vitamin is used according to the same scheme. Vitamin dressings increase the quality of budding and flower immunity. It is advisable to use them in spring and summer.
How to fertilize pelargonium for lush flowering is described in this video:
Folk ways
Sugar - in 1 liter. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar in water at room temperature. For better absorption, you can add any of the EO preparations. Such drugs include "Baikal-EM", "Renaissance".
Eggshell - chop and grind the shell through a meat grinder, fill it with water. Place the container with the solution in a dark place, cover with a lid and leave for 2 weeks. The infusion is ready when the liquid becomes cloudy. We dilute 1 part of the egg slurry in 3 parts of water. Thus, the soil is fertilized with calcium.
Wood ash - one tablespoon of ash is diluted in one liter of water. Wood ash is a source of components easily absorbed by the plant - zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium with milk - add 100 ml of milk to a liter of settled water. Watering with such a solution alternate with normal moistening. Milk contains all the elements important for a flower - phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, etc.
Iodine.One of the most important and necessary elements for geraniums is iodine. It is required for lush flowering
The flower responds well to such feeding - the buds become bright and set faster. Use iodine as fertilizer very carefully so as not to burn the roots. Make sure that the iodine solution does not get on the leaves or stem of the plant.
Add 2-3 drops of iodine to 1 liter of thawed, rainwater or water settled from the tap and mix well
You can also add 1 ml of hydrogen peroxide to the resulting solution. First, water the flower with plain water. Then pour the solution strictly along the edges of the walls of the pot. The frequency of such dressings is once every 3 weeks, from May to September.
Essential Nutrients for Geranium Blossom
Before feeding the flowering geranium, conduct an initial diagnosis of its condition. The plant should be moderately powerful, with an abundant deciduous mass of rich green color. In the presence of yellowed leaves, falling buds, viral, bacterial and fungal infections must be excluded before applying any fertilizers.
For abundant flowering geraniums require a whole range of nutrients. The main ones are phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen can have a bad effect on budding, so we recommend applying it only in the spring and in small quantities. If the leaves turn yellow, then it does not have enough iron. In this case, the perennial is fed with complex formulations. In no case do not use several formulations at once that contain the same element. Before purchasing and the procedure, carefully study the composition of the substance.
Conventional fertilizers for flowering indoor plants have proven themselves quite well. They have a good effect on budding. In order for a perennial to form healthy flowers, the following elements are required: sulfur, zinc and phosphorus. They are contained in complex mineral fertilizers for flowering varieties of indoor plants.
Vitamin fertilizer for lush geranium flowering
Not all nutritious fertilizers that a flower shop can offer are effective. Yes, they will not harm the plant, but geranium will not bloom profusely and luxuriously. It is best not to spend huge amounts of money on useless feeding, but to use one of the time-tested and experienced flower growers methods. Vitamin fertilizer for the lush flowering of geraniums can be prepared at home from improvised means.
Manure and iodine
In order for geranium to bloom very abundantly with large inflorescences, we recommend fertilizing it with manure or iodine. You can not use fresh manure and in general it is a prohibited remedy for domestic plants. In this way, you can feed only garden geraniums or the one that stands outdoors throughout the summer. Use rotted manure, fresh manure will destroy the plant. Top dressing is applied no more than 1 time per month. After the treatment procedure for abundant flowering with iodine, the leaf plates acquire a richer color, and the plant itself blooms very profusely, forming many new peduncles.
Iodine is added with each watering of the plant, 1 drop of 5% alcohol solution per 1 liter of water. Geranium responds well to the introduction of such an active element. She increases immunity and resistance to pests. Pelargonium blooms brightly, large saturated buds. You can completely replace conventional watering with iodized water. Instead of ordinary water, it is best to use moisture thawed for several days or rain.
Hydrogen peroxide and vitamins from the pharmacy
Instead of special formulations, vitamins purchased at a pharmacy are used. They are much cheaper. If you want geranium to bloom very violently, then try fertilizing it with magnesium sulfate once every two weeks. Dissolve the substance in clean water and add no more often instead of watering. Magnesium sulfate has a good effect on flowering - geranium blooms in large umbellate inflorescences of very bright flowers.The first thing that geranium needs to be fed in the spring is the introduction of vitamin B12, which enhances immunity and stimulates the formation of buds.
When weakening and loss of decorativeness, a geranium bush is sprayed with a solution of hydrogen peroxide. This is an excellent remedy to rid the plant of pests and diseases. Spraying is carried out several times per season. Prepare the solution as follows: 25 ml of peroxide per liter of melt moisture.
Yeast feeding
Some growers fertilize perennials with yeast. But, with yeast feeding you need to be careful
It is important to observe the proportions, since the fungus entering the soil contributes to the production of potassium and nitrogen. For 1 liter of clean warm water, 1 gram of yeast is enough; add sugar to enhance the effect
How to choose fertilizer
Your pet will bloom without additives, but imagine a beautiful large ball of bright buds on your windowsill, and doubts will disappear in the same hour. So, agreeing that pelargonium needs to be fed, you should decide on the type of substance. A deficiency, like an excess, leads to disastrous consequences, be it chemistry or organic matter.
Chemistry
Among the chemicals, iodine emulsions are most often used. The water containing this product helps the plant to bloom actively. It is necessary to dilute one drop of iodine in one liter of water. Watering the flower should be along the edges of the flowerpot so as to prevent chemical burns of the roots.
As a supplement, you can add compounds of magnesium sulfate. They contribute to the formation of inflorescences. The drug is also diluted in water, the proportion is 15g5l. Sulfate is widely used in horticulture and plant breeding. The product goes well with nitrogen-containing substances, but increases the absorption of calcium. Soil saturated with nitrogen will help to get rid of the pale shade of the buds at the stage when the plant is blooming. Hydrogen peroxide is also added to iodine in small amounts.
You need to be careful, the funds are active stimulants for geraniums to grow, and they can be used once a month. On sale there are universal preparations, powders, emulsions for flowering plants. Store products last longer than natural products.
There is no doubt that the flower has received enough minerals. Sticks impregnated with useful substances can be placed in a flowerpot. Their action is activated during watering.
Folk remedies
Fertilizers for indoor geraniums can be organic. The most common manure is considered to be used in all types of floristry. After feeding, the color of the leaves becomes more intense. There is a prejudice that it is impossible to grow a large flower at home. If you provide him with a proper diet, then the result may well compete with the species growing in the botanical garden. Fertilizers of the folk type for pelargonium include:
- yeast;
- ash;
- sugar;
- calcium.
Pelargonium yeast solution replaces pharmaceutical chemicals, accelerates root growth, promotes rapid rooting. Sugar is used in the form of an emulsion in the proportion of 2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water. The ash contains a lot of potassium, iron, magnesium. The effect is generally the same as that of magnesia, but from an environmental point of view, it is more pleasant for the plant. Pure calcium exists naturally in eggshells. It is used as drainage, and water is also insisted for irrigation.
Fertilization frequency and dosage compliance
Plant nutrition is classified into permanent, which is applied regularly according to the periods of flower development, and urgent, which is used in case of deterioration of the flower's condition.
The frequency of feeding depends on the season. In winter and autumn, when geranium is at rest, the amount of fertilizer is reduced or completely stopped.
With the onset of spring, feeding is resumed, it is especially important to regularly fertilize the flower during flowering. However, do not get carried away, because
because an excess of nutrients will lead to a disruption in the development and growth of geraniums.
Important! During the period of active growth and flowering, geraniums can be fed no more than 2 times a week. Fertilizers are applied to the soil an hour after watering, this method will not damage or burn the root system of the flower
Fertilizers are applied to the soil an hour after watering, this method will not damage or burn the root system of the flower.
Top dressing geraniums depending on the season
In the spring, it is important to choose the necessary complex of minerals than to feed the geranium to obtain abundant flowering. For this, both ready-made special preparations and folk remedies are suitable, with which the plant is regularly watered 2 times a week.
Fertilizer for geraniums usually begin to be applied in March.
For your information! Top dressing for geraniums in spring period will allow the plant to awaken after the winter dormant period and activate growth activity.
Active growth and flowering of geraniums takes place throughout the summer. During this period, experts recommend applying fertilizers at least once every two weeks. This will allow the flower to maintain a healthy decorative appearance and prolong flowering until autumn.
With the onset of the autumn period, the amount of dressings is gradually reduced to a minimum. As a result, the plant goes into a dormant state. At this time, it is recommended to feed the plant no more than 1 time in 1.5 months.
With the onset of winter, the growth and development of geranium stops, flowering stops completely and the plant goes into dormancy. During this period, flower growers stop applying fertilizers to the soil, however, when keeping pelargonium at home, you can make a half dose of mineral dressings.
Important! In winter, when the plant is dormant, it is better to put it in a cool place. In this case, top dressing is not needed.
