Pelargonium Vancouver Centennial
Vancouver Centennial's unusual variegated pelargonium is unlike any of the plants described. Some of the florists consider its main advantage to be graceful umbrella-shaped inflorescences with tiny scarlet flowers in the shape of carnations. And some people prefer bright burgundy-purple leaves with a green border along the edge of the plate and along the veins. The flowering is abundant for a long time, and the foliage is pleasing to the eye all year round.
Pelargonium forms neat shrubs that do not require long shaping and show all their advantages in full force in the sun. The variety is suitable both for home cultivation and for planting in the garden, for example, as edging paths. Bright spots between stones or against the background of ornamental shrubs and conifers.
Care for ampelous pelargonium
How to care for ampelous pelargonium
Pelargonium ampelous photophilous, and (which is a rare advantage) it tolerates direct sunlight well. It stoically tolerates dry soil and air, but dies when waterlogged, so it needs good drainage. It is not afraid of pelargonium and a strong cold snap, but dies from a light frost. Pelargonium does not need to be sprayed on the leaves, moreover, it is contraindicated for it, because rot will appear on the leaves, and this will lead to serious diseases.
Fertilizer of ampelous pelargonium
It is necessary to feed ivy-leaved pelargonium during the flowering period (from March to August) weekly with a complex mineral fertilizer of low concentration. She also likes to drink milk diluted with water. The soil for geraniums needs loamy, light, fertile, with a high potassium content, but with a low nitrogen content: with an excess of it, the leaves of room geraniums enlarge, but flowering slows down. The earthen mixture should be something like this: two parts of sod land, low-lying peat and leafy land and one part of sand.
Ampelous pelargonium transplant
It is necessary to transplant the ampelous geranium once every two years in the spring in a cramped pot (the roots should be located close to the walls). If the old pot is still growing, replace only the topsoil.
Reproduction of ampelous pelargonium
Pelargonium can be grown from seed, but there are too many nuances to consider. Only experienced flower growers can do this, but they also prefer to propagate pelargonium by cuttings. Cuttings pre-dried during the day (the cuts must be dry) are dipped in coal powder and planted in disinfected (with boiling water or in the oven) soil at a distance of 2 cm from each other, compacting the soil on all sides with your fingers. Cuttings take root for a month, and if the planting took place in the spring, then in the summer your cutting may bloom.
Caring for ampelous pelargonium in winter
During the dormant period, in winter, if you can place pelargonium under additional lighting, you do not need to cut off the ground part. If this is not possible, then cut off all the branches and store it at an air temperature of + 7 ° C in a bright place. When wintering pelargonium at room temperature, keep the pots as far away from heat sources as possible and be prepared for it to bloom much later, especially its terry varieties. It is rarely necessary to water it during the rest period, once every 1.5-2 weeks.
Now in the garden centers a huge variety of home geraniums are sold, including ampelous pelargoniums, with decorative leaves and flowers of magnificent colors. Just a few of these seedlings will create a magnificent long-flowering cascade on your balcony, which will provide you and your neighbors with a wonderful mood for the entire summer season.
We also offer to get acquainted with the queen among geraniums - royal pelargonium.
Amaryllis: how to grow at home and in the garden
After this article, they usually read
Features and care at home
A characteristic feature of the zonal geranium is a colored border in the form of a dark spot along the edges of a round leaf.
It can be dark green, dark brown or yellowish in color. In another way, the variety of colors on the leaves is called variegation.
The second important feature of geraniums is a strong tart smell. Moreover, both flowers and foliage smell
Advantages
Zonal geranium is one of the most unpretentious and hardy representatives of the plant world.
- Disinfects indoor air.
- The healing properties of essential oils are used in medicine in the treatment of insomnia, neuroses, hypertension and other diseases.
- Geranium essential oils are used in the cosmetic industry.
- Long and lush bloom from early spring to late autumn.
Landing
Proper planting is the key to proper crop cultivation both at home and outdoors. This beauty is planted as a decoration on flower beds, borders, balcony boxes, for portable containers, for all types of flower girls and just in large pots.
- The right choice of location is essential. Geranium loves light, grows well and blooms when exposed to direct sunlight, especially in open ground, when shaded, the flowering is less lush.
- The composition of the soil should include humus, peat, leaf and sod land. Sand can be added for better moisture permeability. At the bottom of the pot, drainage from small pebbles or river pebbles is required.
- Correctly selected capacity. You cannot plant in large pots, otherwise the geranium simply will not bloom. The roots should fill the entire space of the container. The size of the pot depends on the root ball of the plant, the diameter should not be more than 15 cm, the height should not exceed 12 cm.
- Landing technique. It is carried out in a transshipment way together with a lump of earth on the roots for less trauma to the plant. Then you need to water. When planting seedlings, the distance between the bushes should be about 25 cm.
They are planted in open ground after May 15, when the threat of frost has passed. The balconies can be taken out earlier.
Watering
Water should be abundant, but not excessive. When waterlogged, the roots begin to rot and geraniums may die, especially in winter. The soil should dry out between waterings. When planting outdoors, constant watering is necessary only for young plants or in long dry weather.
Fertilizer
For the rapid growth of the green mass and the awakening of the buds after winter, nitrogen fertilization is necessary. Starting from April, for a favorable flowering of zonal geraniums, fertilizing with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is required. In winter, top dressing is not used. In flower beds, plants are fertilized every 10-12 days until mid-August, and on balconies once a week.
Pruning
Zonal geranium pruning is carried out 2 times a year. For the first time after winter, with the appearance of the first rays of the sun, the shoots are cut to further stimulate flowering, leaving 2 to 5 buds. The main pruning is autumn, it is necessary for better bushiness, carried out in late September-early October. In the fall, cut out old, unnecessary shoots and pinch the apical buds.
Pruning can only be done ⅓ or ⅔ from the height of the geranium. Only trim with a sharp, sanitized blade at an angle. The place of the cut is sprinkled with coal.
There are two ways of breeding zonal geraniums:
- Vegetative — cuttings and leaves.
- Seeds.
Cuttings
It is the easiest and fastest way to reproduce. After spring-autumn pruning, you need to leave strong, strong cuttings without flowers, 10-15 cm in size, without uneven stem ends with two or three leaves.
- First, the cut must be dried a little, then put in water until a thickening at the end of the stem is obtained.
- Rooting occurs quickly, it takes 5-10 days for this process, after which we transplant it into the ground in a pot of small diameter with drainage, water it as needed, protect the young sprout from the bright sun. You can also root the cutting in a peat tablet without watering until geranium will not take root.
- It is advisable to rub the seeds lightly with sandpaper for better germination.
- Soak for 3 hours in any growth stimulant, then in plain water for several hours.
- They are sown in a container with a moistened special soil for geranium plants; drainage must necessarily fall on the bottom. You can plant with a toothpick at a distance of 5 cm from each other, without digging much.
- The container is covered with foil and placed in a warm, well-lit place at a temperature of 20-22 degrees.
- Seedlings appear in two weeks, after which the temperature can be slightly lowered.
- Seedlings dive after the appearance of 3-4 leaves.
Flower propagation methods, when is it better to do it
Pelargonium is recommended to be propagated by cuttings. This method helps to maintain hybrid characteristics. Sometimes the seed method is also used. Most often it is used for breeding.
Propagation by cuttings
After pruning the bushes, there are usually many branches left. For cultivation, the strongest and healthiest shoots that can be rooted are chosen. It is necessary to remove the lower leaves from them.
Then the planting material is placed in water or substrate. It is permissible to add a growth stimulant to the water - root or a similar preparation. When planted in the ground, the branch is deepened by 3 cm and gently watered. Cover the plant with a glass jar from above. The appearance of new leaves on the cutting indicates its rooting.
Seed propagation
A more complex way of breeding pelargonium. Planting material is recommended to be harvested after flowering is complete, when seed bolls come to replace peduncles
They are picked and the seeds are carefully poured out. Then soaked for a day in a pale solution of potassium permanganate
This will help activate growth processes.
Then the seeds are placed in geranium soil and covered with a bag or glass. Thanks to the creation of a greenhouse, it is possible to stimulate the emergence of sprouts. When the sprouts grow up to 3-4 cm, they are planted in new containers.
Important! The collected seed material is stored in a cool place for 5 years. They are in no hurry to plant it in the ground.
Features of appearance
Pelargonium Antita boasts the highest decorative qualities. The flowers of the plant are large, very similar to roses, with a pale pink color and a large number of delicate petals. The flowers have a regular rounded shape, their core is closed, and the formed caps are dense and rather large. The peculiarity of the variety is beautiful glossy light green leaves, against which the delicate beauty of the flowers is even more noticeable.
The variety blooms remarkably: the plant is able to form a lot of inflorescences during the season, which gives the bush a lush, elegant look.
In height, the bush of this pelargonium reaches half a meter. Note that thanks to phytoncides, the plant has a beneficial effect on the indoor microclimate, killing pathogens in the air.
What care you need to provide to bloom magnificently: step by step instructions
Further, it is discussed how to properly care for ampelous geraniums at home. Before planting ampelous pelargonium or bringing it from the store, you need to choose a place. This flower culture loves good lighting and is not afraid of direct sunlight.
The most suitable windows are from the south and south-east side. In the courtyard, pots with ivy-leaved pelargonium are placed in open areas.
Competent landing
You can plant a stalk or a separated part of the bush. The right time is spring. Transplanting is not recommended during flowering. Can be transplanted in the fall.Pelargonium takes root well, the main thing is to prepare a suitable soil.
Soil composition:
- 2 parts of sod land;
- 1 part sand;
- 1 part peat.
Additionally, you can add a little clay and coal, crushed into powder. All components are mixed, the soil is spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate, boiling water or ignited in the oven. A small layer of expanded clay is laid at the bottom of the container - it will play the role of drainage.
How much to plant?
The smaller the pot, the more lush the bloom. The optimal diameter for one plant is 10-14 cm. When replanting, it takes a container with a diameter of 2-3 cm larger. When the bush reaches such a size that it needs a pot larger than 14 cm in diameter, division is performed. Each learned specimen is again planted in a small pot.
How to water and what to feed?
The need for moisture is determined by the top layer of the soil: when it is slightly dry, it is time to water. Do not allow the earthen coma to dry out and water stagnation on the soil surface.
Water more often in summer, less often in winter. You do not need to spray the plant, otherwise the leaves will rot. At any time of the year, the ampelous geranium is ventilated, but so that there are no drafts.
They begin to feed in early spring and stop at the end of summer. The frequency of fertilization is 1 time in 10-14 days.
The regularity and composition of top dressing affects the quality and duration of flowering.
When ampelous geranium is just starting to grow, it needs nitrogen to form a green mass. Budding and flowering are periods when the plant requires phosphorus and potassium.
It is better to feed it with ready-made fertilizers for ampelous pelargonium: the components in them are selected in the correct proportion. Purchased funds alternate with homemade ones. For example, you can water:
With diluted milk.
Infusion of onion peels.
With settled water with the addition of iodine (1 drop per 50 ml)
With an iodine solution, gently watered the soil closer to the edge of the pot.
Do I need cropping and how to do it?
Removing unnecessary shoots is necessary for rejuvenation, healing the bush and making it decorative. Without forming, the plant gradually becomes less attractive. A good time for pruning is late autumn, when the bush has faded and is ready for winter.
If you leave the plant to winter with all the leaves, and in the spring, inflorescences are formed less than they could. Deep pruning is performed: the shoots that have grown from the leaf sinuses are shortened, leaving 7 leaves on each. The branches that have grown from the roots are left intact.
Runs that grow from the crown are removed if they are dry, weak, or diseased. During the winter, geraniums can fluff up and grow, then in the spring they are pruned again. At the same time, excess shoots are removed, leaving so many buds so that the plant can form a lush bush.
During spring, the bush is formed by pinching. Part of the shoot is removed after the fifth leaf. This procedure is done regularly.
Growing conditions
Despite the fact that the Himalayan garden geranium absolutely does not require certain growing conditions and painstaking care, there are nuances that you need to familiarize yourself with before purchasing this flower.
Consider the main points to pay attention to
First of all, we are talking about lighting. Geranium is a light-loving plant and will feel great in an open area with free access to the sun's rays. However, in partial shade, the plant will be quite comfortable, moreover, in such conditions the flowers become larger.
As for the soil, the main thing is that the plant is provided with good drainage. The soil must be fertile.
Plants are undemanding in terms of care, however, it is still better not to refuse some manipulations. For example, you will need to periodically weed and loosen the soil to make the geranium feel comfortable.
The flowering of the Himalayan geranium is quite active, but timely feeding can also contribute to this factor.It is best to opt for complex mineral fertilizers. The procedure should be performed at a specific time.
Fertilizer should be applied for the first time after the snow cover has melted. Nitrogen supplements are perfect, such as ammonium nitrate or regular urea. During the period of active growth, urea also does not hurt. In addition to her, you can use phosphorus-potassium fertilizers or superphosphate.
In the process of flowering, the plant also does not interfere with additional nutrients.
Geranium loves moisture, but in no case should it be flooded. A fairly large amount of water should be used for irrigation. It is necessary to carry out the procedure in the morning or in the evening - this will help the plant get the required amount of moisture, while not leading to such troubles as sunburn.
To make the geranium feel comfortable, we must not forget about pruning. It should be carried out closer to the beginning of autumn, when the aging of the stems becomes noticeable. The shoots are shortened to 10 centimeters in height, which contributes to the formation of new flowers and, in general, the refinement of the plant. When carrying out this procedure, it should be borne in mind that geranium is a powerful allergen. To avoid unpleasant situations during pruning, it is worth using rubber gloves to protect the skin of your hands from essential oils.
If at this time of the year there is not enough snow or severe frosts, freezing of the flower cannot be ruled out. In order to prevent this fact, it is recommended that at the onset of the first cold weather cover the bush with spruce branches or just straw. If for some reason it was not possible to do this, you can get out of the situation after the snow cover falls. Geranium must be additionally sprinkled with snow, then it will be warmer even in severe frosts.
