Pelargonium from seeds, or gardeners recommend

Pelargonium (the second name is "geranium") is a rather unpretentious plant, whose native land is South Africa. In Europe it first appeared in the 17th century. After it began to grow massively, a large number of hybrid forms and varieties of the plant appeared.

This flower is popular among gardeners due to the ease of care for it, as well as prolonged flowering. Pelargonium from seeds, according to observations of specialists, blossoms longer and more extensive than that grown by layers. Inflorescences on each bush during recalculation can exceed 25-30 pieces. The whole season the plant is covered with large flowers of various shades: from white to lilac.

Gardeners say that pelargonium from seeds gives a very high percentage of germination. Therefore, this method of planting is quite convenient and beneficial for use.

Pelargonium seeds are large, coated. Their sowing should be carried out in February. The plant is unpretentious, so any soil will do. It should be mixed in equal parts with sand and peat.

Seeds should be sprinkled with a little soil, covered with glass, placed in a bright and regularly ventilated room. Seeds germinate within a week (such rapid germination is possible, if before planting to carry out the scarification of seeds - rubbing their cover so that their integrity is slightly disturbed). During this time, it is necessary to periodically raise the glass so that pelargonium from the seeds receives a sufficient amount of air.

As soon as the first few leaves appear, the seedlings dive. Before pelargonium from the seeds will be transplanted to a permanent site, it should be fertilized several times with a complex fertilizer. The optimum temperature to be maintained is 18-20 degrees above zero.

Approximately two months later the seedlings need to be transplanted into pots that fit in size to the root system of plants.

As soon as the threat of frosts passes, pelargonium can be transplanted into the open ground.

According to the gardeners, the cultivation of pelargonium from seeds increases the chances of growing a plant that will be more resistant to diseases.

Approximately at the end of September, you need to carefully dig out the plants to check the root system and thus determine the level of their health. If the roots are white and the lumps of soil are braided, they can already be transplanted into pots and treated with solutions of fungicide and insecticide (it is better in this sequence and with an interval of about a week). It is recommended to do this even if there are no signs of disease. The solution of the fungicide should be sprayed early in the morning on a cool (better cloudy) day. For your own safety it is better to wear glasses, gloves and a mask.

Wintering, which is best tolerated by pelargonium from seeds, should take place on a window sill or veranda at a temperature of about 5-10 degrees above zero. If you do not have such an opportunity, then find the coldest window sill that is in your house, and put a pot of plant there. In principle, on warm windowsills, too, wintering passes normally, but with a cooler regime, the plant then blooms more abundantly. In October, there is, as a rule, an improvement in the flowering of pelargonium. At this time, it must periodically rotate clockwise to the light, so that it is saturated with sunlight in full and evenly. The plant should then periodically inspect and remove yellow leaves, as well as buds without flower stem.

At the end of January, it is possible to carry out uninfluenced top dressing of pelargonium, and branches that have grown over the winter should be shortened approximately twice. This is necessary in order to form a lush bush.