Tips for gardeners: how to care for geraniums at home

Geranium, like no other flower, can become an ornament of windows, balconies and verandas. Its main advantage is that it blooms profusely, brightly and for a long time.

"Grandma's" plant

Even when house plants did not have such wide distribution, geraniums stood on the windows of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Anthrax, geranium, pelargonium - as usual, the people have many names in the flower. It refers to perennial medicinal plants. Its leaves are capable of exerting bactericidal action and killing germs, repelling insects.

How to care for geranium at home

Any room flower needs care, and yet geranium is an unpretentious plant, so it does not require excessive effort. But a few tips on how to care for geranium at home, no one will interfere.

Plant young shoots of geraniums in small ceramic pots. This is an important condition for it to brightly and abundantly blossom. In a large pot of blossom geranium will become worse, however, will be more bushy with a lot of green leaves. To plant the plant, the soil, prepared from garden land, peat, can be added to river silty sand or clay. At the bottom of the pot, it is desirable to put the pebbles as drainage to ensure good circulation of water and oxygen.

Good food is the key to success

Those who ask how to care for geraniums at home, first of all want to hear tips on how to properly water and feed this flower. Water should be given at the first signs of dryness of the soil, i.e. In regular and abundant watering geranium really needs, especially during flowering. But excessive watering will hurt her, he will certainly lead to rotting roots. So caution will not hurt. Spray the geranium is not necessary. It is so hardy that it can even withstand direct sunlight. In winter, watering should be moderate.

Immediately after planting or transplanting, geraniums are not fed. This is done not earlier than 3 months after planting. In spring, after pruning, pelargonium must be supplemented with nitrogen fertilizer to promote its growth. During flowering, fertilizing with fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus in sufficient quantities is recommended.

Fresh air is not a hindrance

Among the tips on how to care for geraniums at home, there will be a reminder that this flower is very fond of light and fresh air. It can be carried out on a balcony, and it will be happy to expand. In summer, geraniums can even be planted on flower beds. But in the beginning of autumn it will again have to be transplanted into pots.

All kinds of geraniums need air and light - these are the main conditions for good growth. Most geraniums are unpretentious, but you can not tell about individual copies of it.

Consider, for example, how to care for royal geraniums. This species belongs to large-colored geraniums. He is known in England since the XVII century, so this geranium is also called English. Her flowers are large brightly colored. It grows well only in the greenhouse, it usually blooms once a year in the spring or early summer. In the apartment, it is excessively stretched, the lower leaves fall, and although the flowers grow all the same large, but the plant becomes ugly. This kind of Pelargonium is best planted in greenhouses, it can be brought into the apartment only at the time of flowering.

Reproduction of geraniums

Geraniums multiply in spring, mostly cuttings. After cutting, the cuttings can be immediately planted in the pot in which the flower will grow, or you can put it in water. After 2-3 weeks the stem will take roots, and then it can be planted in the ground. Cuttings are best taken from the top or side, before planting, they need to be dried a little, and the slices are sprinkled with charcoal. The second way of reproduction is seeds, which can be purchased at flower shops. The best time for sowing is February. Seeds arise in 7-10 days. By the end of June, the plant will be ready to bloom.

A beautiful geranium flower. How to care for him - is no longer a secret. You can safely start this plant, and it will please you with its beautiful flowering.