Is it difficult to care for a plant at home?
In fact, it is even easier to grow pelargonium at home than outdoors. It will be enough just to choose the optimal place in which you can place a flowerpot with a pot. Window sills are best, as geraniums like a lot of sunlight. However, leaving young plants in the sun during hot times of the day would be extremely unwise. Therefore, use a source of additional shading or place a flower on the east window.
Watering the plant at home should be the same as in the open field - as the substrate dries. However, the advantage of such cultivation is that the grower does not have to fear for the condition of the root system, because precipitation in the apartment is not terrible. Although it is still not necessary to transfuse the plant. Most professionals recommend watering geraniums about 2 times a week with well-separated water at room temperature.
If you want to get a really beautiful plant, then you have to deal with the formation of its crown. To do this, it is necessary to cut off the old two-year-old shoots once a year (in the fall) in order to give strength to the new ones. In addition, if this or that branch began to grow in the wrong place for you, then do not be afraid to pinch it. Well, if we are talking about growing weaving pelargonium from seeds, then create a special support for the plant at the early stages of development.
How to sow ampelous begonia seeds
First you need to decide when to sow ampel begonia with seeds. The most appropriate terms are the month of January or the beginning of February. During this time, healthy, large begonia tubers will have time to form. Sowing seeds is complicated by the fact that they are very small, so you have to work with tweezers. If you buy seeds in glaze, then the process can be somewhat simplified, because they are slightly larger.
Immediately before sowing, the soil should be moistened with a sprayer. The seeds are simply scattered over the surface of the soil and covered with a film. Glazed seeds can be sown in peat tablets, but then you still need to cover them tightly to create a greenhouse effect.
As indicated on the package, the seeds will hatch after 2-3 weeks. High-quality seeds, under appropriate conditions, germinate almost everything. Temperature conditions for germination of seeds must correspond to + 25 ° C, while they must be in a lighted place. During germination, the seeds are not watered, but simply moistened with a spray bottle.
Planting care
The shell can delay the emergence of seedlings for several days. Seed germination will have to wait from 10 to 25 days. All this time, as well as after the emergence of seedlings, certain agrotechnical rules should be observed.
- Do not remove the shelter until the appearance of real leaves, just open it daily for watering and airing.
- Watering is carried out using a spray bottle or directly into the pallet if the container with crops or peat tablets are in the pallet. In this case, waterlogging of the soil is unacceptable.
- Crops must be illuminated by the end of March, providing up to 14 hours of daylight, and should be protected from direct sunlight.
Seedling picking
Tuberous begonia picking is carried out 2-3 times.
After the appearance of three true leaves, the first pick is made, that is, seating in separate cups or simply at a distance of 5–6 cm from each other.In order not to damage the still very delicate roots of plants, the soil must be pre-moistened so that it does not stick too much to the roots, but does not completely crumble from them. Plants should be pry under the root with a scoop and transferred to a new place together with an earthen clod. After transplanting, be sure to water the young.
This is what begonia seedlings look like before the first pick.
For plants in peat tablets, a pick is not needed, simply by removing the shell from the tablet, the seedlings must be transplanted into a larger container. After the first transplant, the seedlings develop more actively.
And here is the result of the first pick
When the leaves of neighboring plants close together, it's time for the second pick. This time, each plant should be placed in a separate pot, in which it will remain until planting in a permanent place. The soil should be the same recipe as before.
Drainage and loosening elements (sand, vermiculite) are required.
It's high time to make a second pick here.
It is recommended to grow seedlings in a bright, ventilated place, gradually accustoming the plant to open ground conditions. Activities that need to be carried out regularly:
- moisten and loosen the soil;
- change the position of plants relative to the light source so that they form symmetrical;
- inspect plants in order to timely notice development problems, the possible appearance of disease or pests.
Top dressing
Beginning to feed begonia should be a week after the pick, using complex fertilizers intended for home plants. Top dressing should be done twice a month. If the plant does not develop quickly enough, you can additionally apply nitrogen fertilizer to increase the green mass, while the fertilizer concentration should be low.
When buds appear, it is preferable to use potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Fertilizers are always applied to wet soil after watering.
Do I need to transplant an adult plant?
This question is asked by almost every florist who decided to start growing pelargonium from seeds. In addition, everyone is accustomed to the fact that most crops need to be transplanted after a certain period of time. However, it should be noted right away that professional florists transplant geraniums only once. The maximum diameter of the container should be no more than 15-18 centimeters (depending on the variety).
Also, an exception can be made when the plant was susceptible to some infectious disease, such as root rot. Well, or if by chance it turned out that the soil turned out to be too moist, it would still be better to replace the substrate with a new one - drier. However, such a transplant should really be carried out only in extreme cases, since pelargonium has a very fragile root system.
If you decide to change the container to a wider one, then use the transshipment method in order to transplant the crop. That is, transfer the plant along with an earthen lump to another pot, and then add a little fresh substrate there.
Also do not forget that in the first few days after transplanting, the plant should be watered with extreme caution, as it is likely to experience stress and consume little moisture.
Winter care
Preparing for winter at home can be done in several ways:
- transfer the plant to the garden and insulate it with fallen leaves;
- insulate the plant in a pots with straw mats;
- move the pots with the plant to the cellar.
Depending on the selected variety and planting method, the plant requires different care. In one case, you need to cut off excess inflorescences and whiskers, in the other, on the contrary, to facilitate their formation. The main thing in growing an ampelous plant is proper watering and feeding. They must be carried out efficiently and on time.Otherwise, the plant will wither and die.
