There are about 300 species. Homeland - South Africa. Indoor geranium combines all plants of the species grown at home. These include the African geranium, called Pelargonium.

Geranium room: description

All room geraniums can be divided into two groups:

• Flowering, characterized by beautiful flowers.
• Fragrant, with inconspicuous flowers and fragrant leaves.

The geranium root is often branched, in some species it is taproot. The stem can be erect or creeping (in ampelous plants). The leaves are dissected or in the form of a blade, less often pinnate, covered with small thin hairs. The coloring can be monophonic, zonal, colors - green of different intensity, with a grayish, red or blue tint. All of them have long petioles.

Flowers are collected in inflorescences of the brush, each of them consists of 5 or more rounded petals of red, pink, purple, white. In some varieties, they are marked with bright contrasting spots.

Geranium blooms almost all year round.

To do this, she needs to provide enough light and nutrients. Fruit-boxes are formed from flowers. To many, they resemble the shape of a crane's beak. The plant owes this similarity to several popular names that have taken root in different countries: “crane”, “stork nose”. Inside the fruit are quite large seeds.

The most popular and beautiful types of room geraniums:

• The most common is zonal geranium (bordered, kalachik). It has 70 thousand varieties. The leaves are entire, with dark concentric circles of varying intensity. The stem is erect, with improper formation it grows up to 1 m in height. The flowers are bright, pink or white, simple, semi-double or double in shape.
• Ivy differs from the zonal shape of the stem. Long lashes, decorated with smooth leaves, hang down. The flower is set in hanging flowerpots.
• grows up to half a meter. The leaves are plain or with stripes, dark spots. The flowers are large, simple or double in shape, monophonic, of various colors, with colored spots, veins, borders. Another name is English grandiflora.
• may have smells of lemon, pine needles, lemon balm, ginger, pineapple and other plants. The Strong-smelling variety has the aroma of a rose, the Fragrant - an apple. Some scents are not very pleasant. Flowers inconspicuous, pink or purple. The bush needs to be pinched regularly so that it has a beautiful shape. It is used to make aromatic oils.
• Geranium Angel with flowers similar to. The bush is ampelous, the lashes are shorter than those of the ivy, covered with inflorescences with a large number of flowers.

Unicum hybrids have strongly dissected, very fragrant leaves. The flowers are large and beautiful, but smaller than those of the Royal. Miniature and dwarf do not require pruning. Bloom profusely.

According to the shape of the flower, several groups of zonal geraniums can be distinguished:

• Rosaceous with rose-like flowers.
• Cactus-shaped with petals twisted in the shape of a cone.
• Star-shaped with pointed petals.
• A group of carnations stands out with petals serrated along the edges.
• Succulents are a special kind of geranium. The stems of plants are intricately curved. Some varieties have thorns.

reproduction

Indoor geranium is propagated:

• Seeds, but this method does not always guarantee the repetition of the maternal properties of hybrids.
• cuttings.

Seeds are sown in soil prepared from equal parts of peat, sand and a double portion of soddy soil. The main part of the soil mixture is placed in a bowl, at the bottom of which there is a layer of drainage. The seeds are sown on the surface at a distance of 2 cm from each other, then the remaining earth is covered with a thin layer. Moisturize with a spray bottle.

Cover the dishes with glass or film, set in heat (temperature about 20 ° C). Every day they ventilate, removing the glass and shaking off the drops from it. When the first seeds germinate, remove the shelter, lower the temperature (can be installed on the windowsill, where it is lower than in the rest of the room).

The next 2 months, the seedlings are watered, waiting until it has 2 true leaves. The plants are planted in separate pots of small diameter. To get a beautifully shaped plant, pinch the top after 6 leaves. When sowing seeds collected with one's own hand, they are first scarified. To do this, you can grind them with sandpaper.

They take a stalk, keep it in the air for several hours to graft. Planted in a container with loose earth or coarse sand. They don't cover. When the cutting takes root, it can be transplanted into another pot.

More often, cuttings are rooted in a different way. Cut off the lower leaves, place the cutting in a glass of water and wait until the roots form. Then planted in a pot.

Landing

The soil for growing room geraniums is not very fertile. Otherwise, the plant will have many leaves, but few flowers. A geranium pot should have enough holes to drain excess moisture. A layer of drainage is laid on the bottom of the dishes: expanded clay, pebbles, polystyrene.

Water as the soil dries out. In winter, they spend a couple of times a month in a cool room. If the plant is in a warm room, moisten more often. Plants that were planted in open ground are hidden in the house at the beginning of autumn. They don't take transplant well. unable to hold a large amount of soil, so the roots are exposed.

To make the geranium easier to transplant, the branches are cut, limiting their height.

Cut tops can be used for propagation. For the winter, a stem is left on which no more than 7 leaves grow. Remove shoots growing from the leaf axils. Leave those that grow from the root. Break off the shoots after every 5 leaves. Geraniums are not pruned in December and early January. Anti-aging pruning is carried out, leaving 5 buds per shoot.

Growing conditions

- unpretentious plant. But often she dies due to care errors. Usually this:

• Too low temperature. Optimum from 15 to 20 degrees. If it is below 10°C, the plant disappears.
• Excess moisture and poor drainage in the pot. This is manifested by yellowing and wilting of the leaves. The root system rots and the plant dies.
• The lack of moisture is manifested by the fact that the leaves turn yellow and dry around the edges.
• With insufficient light, the leaves grow small, with long petioles, some of them fall off. The plant stretches up, has a pale appearance. It is better to install a flower on the southern windows. Cover from the sun only on very hot days.
• Geranium needs constant bush formation. In order for it to be branchy, pinch the shoots. If you do not plan to collect geranium seeds, brushes are removed after flowering. This will improve the appearance of the plant and allow other buds to develop faster.
• The size of the pot matters. If the dishes are too wide, the plant will bloom poorly.
• Geraniums are transplanted when the roots of the plant begin to break through the drainage holes. If not transplanted in time, the leaves will begin to turn yellow and fall off.

houseplant care

Heroine Care Tips:

• The main thing for caring for geraniums is not to fill it with water. It tolerates excess moisture much worse than drought. Room geranium leaves are not sprayed with water. Drops of moisture can remain between the villi, creating conditions for the development of fungal diseases.
• Geranium easily tolerates high temperatures.
• Sometimes, with insufficient lighting in the room, geraniums are illuminated with fluorescent garden lamps. This leads to the active formation of buds.
• Fertilizers are applied throughout the growing season. A good result is the use of liquid top dressing. Geranium reacts positively to iodine. A drop of iodine is dissolved in a liter of water. Mix thoroughly and water the plant. This must be done so that the solution does not get on the roots. Therefore, pour it on the walls of the dishes. The plant after such top dressing will actively bloom. You can use any with phosphorus. Organic do not contribute.
• The dried soil is periodically loosened to provide air access to the roots. Use an old fork or wooden stick for this.
• Geranium care includes pest control. and ticks are destroyed by treating the lower part of the leaves with an infusion of tobacco with laundry soap. Wash off with clean water after a few hours. Fighting the whitefly is more difficult. It is more expedient to immediately start using insecticides such as "Confidor".
• If brown spots form on geranium leaves, this is a sign of a fungal disease - rust. To combat it, they spray it with Fitosporin. Increased soil moisture causes damage to root rot, the ingress of water drops during irrigation - gray rot.

used for landscaping. But in the spring, when the threat of return frosts has passed, it is better to plant it in a flower bed. All summer it will delight with lush flowering.

Geranium leaves are used in salads or for baking. Used as a condiment. This largely depends on the variety of geranium and the personal preferences of the owner. Geranium leaves are used to scent clothes in wardrobes.

Application in medicine:

• Phytoncides secreted by the leaves are able to kill microorganisms that lead to various diseases. Therefore, an infusion of leaves and a decoction of roots are used to treat purulent wounds, diseases of the throat, and the gastrointestinal tract. Some types of geraniums have additional healing properties.
• The smell of geranium has a tonic and calming effect on the human nervous system. It helps to relieve tension after a working day, improves sleep. Therefore, oils with various aromas are made from the leaves.
• Geranium is especially useful for patients with cardiovascular diseases. Its aroma improves the condition of patients with sinus arrhythmia, ischemic disease, and normalizes blood circulation in the vessels.

More information can be found in the video:

Pelargonium is no longer a "grandmother's flower". Today, there are so many beautiful species, hybrid forms and varieties that more and more flower growers want to get it in their collection of indoor plants, especially since growing pelargonium at home is considered simple.

The genus of culture is part of the Geraniaceae family and has almost 250 species. And a fragrant beauty from South Africa and South America came to us.

Pelargonium is not a geranium!

Surprised?

"How so? Everyone has been calling this flower geranium for 100 years, and our grandmothers called it that.”

The fact of the matter is that in the days of our grandmothers' youth, botanists were just beginning the process of classifying plants. Initially, the Geranium family (Geraniaceae) was identified, which included all plants whose fruit looks like a stork/crane beak (in Greek, geranion is a crane). And for all plants there was one name - "geranium".

Then the family was divided into genera, 2 of which are Pelargonium (Pelargonium) and Geranium (Geranium), there are 5 in total. These two genera are fundamentally different from each other.

The Geranium genus is winter-hardy plants that can winter in open ground and grow mainly in Europe. Unlike Pelargonium, they are practically not grown at home. There is a difference in the shape of flowers - in geraniums, the structure of the flower is correct, symmetrical.

Pelargonium has an irregular flower shape - the 2 upper petals are usually slightly larger than the 3 lower ones. They grow in regions where the temperature does not drop below zero, so they will not survive a frosty winter in the open field.

Three popular bands

In general, there are much more main species and varietal groups, about 6-8 (taking into account different methods of classification). But we will describe three that are most often grown indoors:

1. Zonal, garden (Pelargonium zonale)- the most unpretentious (photo 2). Due to low requirements and long flowering times, zonal Pelargoniums have been among the most popular for many years.

The height of the stems of the representatives of the group is 30-60 cm. The flowers are single or collected in umbellate inflorescences in various color variations: white, pink, bright red. There are also different shapes and colors of foliage. Particularly popular in floriculture are decorative leafy hybrids and varieties with variegated foliage of spectacular bright colors.

Popular varieties:

• Mrs. Henry Cox "- light pink flowers and decorative yellow-red-green leaves;
• "Happy Thought" - with red flowers and beige-green foliage.
• Fancy Leaf - The main advantage of this variety is the patterned pattern on the foliage in the form of two wide rims of yellow and red-brown hue and a green leaf center.
• "Appleblossom Rosebund" - magnificent white and pink double flowers.

I would especially like to note the tulip-shaped variety of zonal pelargonium and its chic varieties: scarlet and pink "Red Pandora" and "Pink Pandora", "Patricia Andrea", burgundy "Black Pearl".

2. Ampelous (Pelargonium peltatum)- they are also called thyroid or ivy Pelargoniums. By unpretentiousness in second place (photo 3).

Flowers collected in inflorescences of 5-10 pieces develop on long thin peduncles. They can be found in almost any color scheme from white to purple, plain or two-tone, simple or terry. The long hanging stems are quite fragile, their length can reach about a meter. The shape of the leaves is very similar to ivy, hence the name of the group.

The most interesting varieties: "Tenerife Magic", "Sybil Holmes", "Elegante", "Ville de Paris", "Amethyst", "Apricot Queen".

3. Royal Pelargoniums (Pelargonium grandiflorum)- the most chic in the family and the most capricious (photo 4). Other names are home, English, large-flowered.

Group from South Africa, with characteristic, very large inflorescences compared to other members of the genus. They require specific care and constant attention. The color palette can range from white to dark purple, including pink and red.

There are also variegated versions with spots or stripes. The form of flowers is both simple and terry. The stem is rather thick and straight, mostly solitary but branched. The leaves are green, appear alternately, large and pubescent.

Some notable varieties are 'Autumn Festival', 'Ann Hoysted', 'Fabiola', 'Browns Butterfly'.

Conditions for growing Pelargonium at home

Despite the fact that all three groups belong to the same genus, and their growing conditions are similar, each group has its own nuances in care.

Temperature

During the period of growth and flowering, the plant is content with the usual room temperature - 20-25 ° C. The temperature regime during the dormant period should be almost two times lower: for the zonal and ampelous groups - 10-15 ° C, for the royal - 8-12 ° C.

Lowering the temperature in the autumn-winter period is very important for future flowering. If you do not create a cool period in the annual cycle, then the zonal and ampelous Pelargonium will most likely bloom, but not so abundantly. But from the royal, under the same conditions, you can not wait for flowers at all.

Lighting

The brighter the lighting, the more abundant the flowering will be. With a lack of lighting, the stems stretch and become thin, the leaves fade.

In zonal Pelargonium, the first sign of a lack of light is the disappearance of a belt (spot) from the leaves - a zone of a darker color, because of which it is actually called zonal, and decorative leafy varieties become discolored.

Ampelous and zonal can even tolerate some direct sunlight. They are suitable for growing east, west and south (with shading at noon) side.

Royal Pelargonium painfully reacts to direct rays; southern windows will not suit her. On the south side, you can rearrange the pot with representatives of all groups only from mid-autumn to mid-March, when the daylight hours are short and the sun is dim.

Watering Pelargonium and air humidity

The culture tolerates a slight drought more easily (they are drought-resistant) than overflow - constantly wet soil is detrimental to them.

During the period of active growth and flowering, watering is moderate and only after the topsoil has dried by about 1-2 cm. During the dormant period, watering is limited.

If the plant is kept at a low temperature, then water it 2-3 times a month. It is best to water in the morning and always with soft and room temperature water.

Pelargoniums do not require high humidity, so spraying is not needed. Moreover, for zonal and royal spraying is harmful, because. their leaves are slightly hairy and may be stained by water.

top dressing

During the vegetative period, it should be fed 2 times a month with a water-soluble fertilizer for flowering houseplants or Pelargovit. During the dormant period, top dressing is completely excluded.

One little secret - to make the plants bloom more abundantly, fertilize them with magnesium sulfate, especially royal ones. Do not use fresh organic fertilizers - the culture does not tolerate them well. After transplantation, you can fertilize only after a month.

rest period

Winter rest (from October to February) is necessary for all three groups of culture for proper development and good flowering. From October, it is necessary to gradually reduce watering, stop feeding, cut off almost the entire green mass of the plant, and provide a cool temperature.

If it is not possible to create a complete rest for the plant, and in winter you have to keep the pot in a warm room, then the care remains the same. Only fertilizers are excluded.

Trimming and pinching

When growing Pelargonium at home, do not forget about regular pruning, which is carried out annually. Moreover, almost the entire ground part is cut off. Leave 2-5 buds from last year's growth. Often there is only a small stem 5-10 cm high from the ground.

As a rule, shoots are cut in the fall, when the flower is prepared for rest. If winter dormancy is not provided to the plant, then it is pruned in early spring after transplantation.

Do not be afraid to cut a lot, as over time the stems are exposed and the decorative effect of the culture is reduced. Pruning also rejuvenates the plant well and stimulates abundant flowering. After pruning, already regrown young stems are pinched for better branching.

In young specimens, the first pinch should be done over the fifth leaf so that the trunk begins to branch and grows into a lush bush.

Pelargonium transplant

Young plants are transplanted every year in March-April. Old ones - as needed, when the pot has become too small, but fresh soil is sprinkled on them every year.

The substrate must be light, breathable, slightly acidic or neutral. You can take in equal parts: sheet and sod land, sand, peat, a little charcoal.

If this is not possible, then a mixture of universal flower soil with the addition of one part peat and one part coarse sand will do. At the bottom of the pot, as for all indoor flowers, lay out a drainage layer to avoid stagnant water.

The pot itself is chosen narrow, since in a cramped pot the flowering of Pelargonium is more abundant.

reproduction

Pelargonium propagates by seeds and apical cuttings. The second method is more popular; when propagated by seeds, the plant loses its varietal characteristics.

This procedure is carried out in early spring or late summer. The cuttings are cut from the tops of the shoots, counting 3-5 leaves (the ampelous group has 1-2 leaves) and making a diagonal cut just below the lowest node.

The bottommost leaf is removed and the cuttings are left to dry for a couple of hours. Before planting, the slices are dipped in Kornevin (root former). Planted in a mixture of 1 part peat and 2 parts sand.

At the time of rooting, dishes with cuttings are kept in a bright place without direct sun. In the first few days, only spray the soil, then proceed to careful watering.

Rooting occurs after 2-3 weeks, after which the cuttings are planted one at a time (ampel can be 2 cuttings each) in separate small pots. The tops of the cuttings are pinched to form lush bushes. Spring cuttings of the zonal and ampelous groups bloom at the end of summer.

Royal Pelargoniums take root more difficult than other groups and bloom only in the second or third year.

Plant cuttings form roots well in water, which must be changed frequently.

Secrets of flowering

• Timely remove faded flowers and yellowed leaves
• Plant in narrow pots
• Fertilize regularly with magnesium sulfate
• Keep cool in winter

Representatives of the zonal group bloom from early spring to late autumn - they have the longest flowering period. Ampelous bloom, as a rule, in late spring and fade in September. The royal flowering period is 3-4 months.

Why do pelargonium leaves turn yellow?

In most cases, yellowing of leaves in pelargonium is caused by care errors such as excess or lack of watering, too low or high room temperature, sudden temperature changes, drafts.

Sometimes yellowing leaves can indicate a lack of nutrients. The slow growth of the plant, the yellow-green color of the leaf plates and the gradual dying of the old lower leaves are symptoms of a lack of top dressing. Yellowish foliage with green veins appears with a deficiency of manganese, magnesium or iron, but most often with a lack of potassium.

Other causes of yellowing of leaves in pelargonium are various types of disease and pest damage.

Pests and diseases of Pelargonium

The culture is susceptible to pests and diseases, which in most cases develop as a result of improper plant care.

A common fungal disease in pelargonium is gray mold, which is caused by the pathogen Botrytis cinerea. This fungus grows rapidly in conditions of low temperatures, high humidity with poor air circulation, overflow.

The first signs of gray mold appear as small, watery spots on the leaves and flowers, which quickly darken, increase in size, and become covered with a gray bloom. The spores of the fungus spread very quickly. Flowers and buds fall off.

A dangerous disease of the cuttings and root system of pelargonium is the black leg caused by the pathogenic fungus Pythium ultimum, P. splendens.

The infection manifests itself in the blackening of the base of the stem and roots. Infected cuttings or young plants die.

Removing infected plant parts, treating with a fungicide, placing the pot in full sun, and reducing watering and humidity can reduce the spread of this disease.

Powdery mildew in the form of a whitish coating on the leaves develops in conditions of high humidity in the room, lack of lighting and poor air circulation.

Various stem and root rots affect the crop in poorly drained soil or overflow. The control is carried out through the prevention of the disease, since there is practically no cure, and infected plants die.

Pelargonium disease caused by the fungus Xanthomonas hortorum pv. Pelargonii appears as small circular and irregular dark green spots on the foliage that gradually enlarge and darken. Leaves partially or completely die.

A number of diseases are caused by viruses. Vegetative propagation significantly increases the risk of the spread of viral diseases that adversely affect the development of the crop. Thirteen types of viruses have been discovered and described, the symptoms of which appear mainly in the cool season.

Signs of a viral disease are most often manifested in a change in the shape and color of leaves and flowers. The yellow spot virus in infected pelargoniums leads to the appearance of chlorosis spots, the leaf tissue subsequently dies. Affected leaves are perforated, concave, and curved, resembling pest damage.

Plant growth stops, internodes are reduced. Flowers develop tiny, misshapen, later variegated. Symptoms only occur in winter and early spring when temperatures are cooler. The virus is transmitted by cuttings, plant sap, it is carried by aphids.

Ringspot virus is yellow-green spots or rings on older leaves from autumn to spring. Due to severe infection, the leaves turn yellowish prematurely and die, flower growth slows down. The virus is spread by pests.

Edema can be a problem for Ivy Pelargonium. It manifests itself as watery bumps on the leaves, the cause is not pathogens, but excess water in the soil. Some varieties are more resistant to edema than others.

Pelargonium is rarely affected by pests due to its specific leaf odor. But still, whiteflies and aphids can sometimes cause inconvenience. You can get rid of them by treating with a product that contains permethrin.

Since pelargonium flowers are sensitive to chemical sprays, it is best to use natural pest control methods during the flowering period. Horticultural soaps and oil sprays are effective insecticides that leave no toxic residue. Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid soap in 1 liter of water and spray on the plant.

Pelargonium or, more commonly, geranium is one of the most common and favorite indoor plants, both among venerable gardeners and amateur flower growers. Caring for pelargonium is not so difficult, and the variety of varieties allows you to plant a bright flower bed in pots on the windowsill.

Pelargonium: popular varieties

Pelargonium is rich in varieties - there are about 250 species. Florists brought out many varieties of geraniums, which, according to some external features, were divided into groups:

Pelargonium zonal

Pelargonium zonal - the richest varieties (about 1000). Plants of this group are very unpretentious to climatic conditions. When grown outdoors with a hot climate, it can take the form of a tree with a height of 2-3 meters or more. But there are also miniature varieties that are up to 12.5 cm tall.

The main sign of zonal pelargonium is special circles on the foliage, differing in color intensity: from bright to pale green. The inflorescences of plants in this group can have a variety of colors: beige, bright yellow, scarlet, pink and many others.

Pelargonium royal

Pelargonium royal - includes more than a hundred varieties, with a mass of different color shades. It has large inflorescences (flower size in some varieties is more than 7 cm), with contrasting spots or stripes on the main color background.

The leaf of the royal geranium is rounded with pointed edges. However, as the name implies, it is very capricious in home care. The period of active flowering usually begins in the spring.

Pelargonium ivy

Pelargonium ivy - the name itself speaks of some similarity with ivy, namely, a similar leaf structure. The leaves of such a pelargonium are smooth, the stems can sag and bend. Often it is called ampelous, it is this type of geranium that looks great in a hanging planter.

Varieties of ampelous pelargoniums can have variegated leaves, inflorescences from bright pink to scarlet.

Pelargonium fragrant

Pelargonium fragrant - a distinctive feature of this group: the aroma of the leaves. Smells can be different: with notes of citrus, apple and pineapple, nutmeg, other fruits and spices.

The aroma can be felt by touching the leaf - the essential oils contained in them will immediately fill everything around with the smell. Unfortunately, the inflorescences of such a pelargonium are not so lush and small in size.

Pelargonium: features of home care

Pelargonium comes from the hot countries of Africa, so it can endure the scorching sun and lack of moisture.

Soil for pelargonium

When choosing a soil, you need to consider several mandatory requirements:

• The soil for planting should be porous, with a small content of sand, with the addition of perlite;
• The soil composition is neutral, not acidic;
• The soil should be nutritious, however, do not overdo it with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, as they will activate the growth of foliage, but not inflorescences.

Ready-made soil for growing pelargonium can be purchased at specialized stores, as well as prepared at home.

Optimum temperature, humidity, lighting, watering

From early spring to early autumn, the favorable temperature for pelargonium is 20-25 degrees. In the cold season, 12-16 degrees is enough. Fresh, clean air, without drafts, is important for the plant.

Humidity is enough to maintain about 50%, in addition, the velvety leaves of pelargonium do not tolerate excessive spraying.

For pelargonium, poor lighting is detrimental. Therefore, provide your favorite plant with a sufficient amount of sunlight. Try to turn the pot around its axis more often so that the geranium is symmetrical on all sides.

Pelargonium loves moderate watering, water at room temperature. The plant should be watered only when you find traces of drying of the topsoil.

Pelargonium transplant rules

To transplant a geranium, you need:

• Pick up a pot larger than it was. However, do not overdo it with space - too much capacity will become a catalyst for the growth of foliage, not inflorescences;
• Provide a pot with drainage - pour expanded clay, small pebbles or pieces of clay pots on the bottom;
• Before extracting, the plant is well watered and carefully removed from the pot;
• A layer of moist soil is poured into a new pot, a flower is planted in it, the space around the roots is filled with the remaining earth;
• We water no earlier than 3 days later.

An obligatory ritual in the care of pelargonium is cutting the stems. She especially needs it after winter. The stems lengthen over a long cold period, the plant loses its attractive shape, so it is recommended to cut it, leaving 3-5 buds on the stem. To treat the cut site, colloidal sulfur, crushed coal or fungicide are used.

How does pelargonium reproduce?

For breeding pelargonium at home, the method of cuttings is used, or propagation by seeds.

Cuttings are the easiest and fastest method of growing geraniums. It is enough to cut a stalk 6-7 cm long (the cut must be oblique), remove two sheets from the bottom, leave for a while to evaporate moisture from the cut (preferably treated with a root-forming solution), plant the stalk in a small container with sterilized moist soil.

Rooting time is approximately 3 weeks. After that, we transplant into a regular pot.

The seed method is carried out as follows:

• Pour wet soil with a solution of manganese to a depth of no more than 2 cm, sow the seeds of pelargonium;
• When the first shoots are found, remove the film;
• Watering as the soil dries;
• We plant the plants immediately after the growth of two leaves.

Pelargonium is not only beautiful in appearance, it is easy to care for: it is also widely used in various areas of life: it is used in medicine and even in cooking.

Photo of pelargonium

The homeland of this plant is very far from here, in the Cape. The rocks of the Cape of Good Hope in August light up with bonfires of its bright red flowers. Herbivores bypass fragrant thickets, and people from local tribes, on the contrary, willingly dig healing roots and collect foliage. Geranium, a plant native to South Africa, has long since become its own in Russia. And even turned into a symbol of unhurried petty-bourgeois life.

Types and varieties of pelargoniums

Genus Pelargonium ( Pelargonium) belongs to the order Geraniaceae, family Geraniaceae. In southern Africa, there are up to 180 representatives of this odorous genus. Less than a dozen have taken root in the apartments:

• geranium zonal- a textbook example from Soviet textbooks of botany. It is found most often in houses, has a leaf with a crenate edge and bright, often red, white or pink flowers;

• fragrant geranium- has dissected light silver leaves with a very pleasant smell of citrus and mint. The flowers are small. The view is remarkable in that it is possible to breed varieties with the smell of both lilac or rose, and nutmeg, and even pepper. Bred for the needs of the perfume industry.

• royal, large-flowered geranium (P. grandiflora) - is distinguished by huge pom-poms of flowers. Leaves with teeth along the edges;

• ivy pelargonium- the collective name of ampelous species. Popular in Europe, used for garden arches and other flowering structures. Even more thermophilic than zonal;
• pelargonium-angel(Angel's Eyes) - a stunted hybrid of domestic geranium with wild African. Its flowers are like violets;

• pelargonium-unique- a hybrid of fragrant geranium and royal. Differs in strong aroma of leaves and large flowers;
• pelargonium-succulents are not yet common, but are valuable material for, for example, alpine slides. They began to cultivate relatively recently.

Pelargonium received the common name "geranium" from its fellow member of the Geranium family - Geraniumsilvaticum. A real, forest geranium is a frost-resistant perennial, an inhabitant of the forests of the middle belt and the taiga zone. And the southerner pelargonium freezes even in Tajikistan.

The appearance of a room (garden, zonal) geranium is a branched shrub. The plant is perennial, but more often cultivated as an annual, because the shoots of the current year bloom more abundantly.

The root system of pelargonium is fibrous, compact. Well developed and adapted to dry conditions.

The leaves are characteristically round in shape, with a darker reddish ring-shaped area. The venation is palmate. There are varieties with a white border on the leaves (for example, Madama Butterfly), they were popular in the 60s and were called "whitefly". Leaves can be completely purple in color.

The geranium inflorescence is an umbrella, its appearance is well known. Various varieties have both simple and dissected, or double flowers. The diameter of the flower is about 2 cm, and the entire inflorescence reaches 15 cm in diameter, and in the royal pelargonium - up to 20 cm. The main gamut of geranium colors is in the red spectrum, from maroon to white. Varieties with purple and lilac flowers have been bred. There are no yellow shades so far.

Boxes with ripening seeds resemble the head of a stork, hence the name of the genus - pelargonium, translated from Greek - "similar to a stork". In old Russian books on home economics, geranium was called "crane", or "crane nose".

Ripe fruits have a spirally twisted bundle that reacts to changes in humidity and temperature, unwinding and twisting like a spring. With the help of this tourniquet, geranium seeds are buried in the soil. In old textbooks on natural history, you can find a way to make a barometer from a geranium seed.

Pelargonium Care

Even a five-year-old toddler is able to take care of geraniums, the plant is so unpretentious.

Light Pelargonium loves. The best place for her is the southern windows. Only hardened plants endure direct sunlight, taken out of partial shade to direct rays, geraniums will get burned. Northern or tree-shaded windows are not for geraniums, the flower stretches in length and loses its aesthetic qualities, and also loses its immunity.

Temperature the one that is usually observed in our premises is suitable, i.e. room. The plant is not sensitive to overheating, but prolonged cooling below + 10 ° C will lead to reddening and shedding of leaves. It is noticed that the varieties with red flowers are the least cold-resistant, as they are closest to natural forms. For the winter, geraniums are transferred to dormant mode, transferred to a room with a temperature of 8-10 ° C, and reducing watering to low moisture.

Geranium is one of the few plants that easily tolerate drafts. The homeland of pelargoniums - the Cape of Good Hope - is famous for its winds, and the hardening of the plant is in the genes. Fresh air has a very good effect on flowering, so it is advisable to take geraniums to the balcony or garden for the summer.

Humidity need moderate. The plant tolerates drought more easily than waterlogging. Geranium categorically does not tolerate spraying, it can shed leaves and flowers. You need to water the flower with the expectation that the soil in the pot has time to dry out two centimeters deep. Drainage is a prerequisite for the well-being of the plant, stagnant water will immediately provoke rotting of the stem.

The soil- light, neutral, with the addition of sand 1:10. Peat in the substrate is undesirable, as it accumulates moisture. Ordinary soddy land, or a mixture of leafy and humus soil, is quite suitable for geraniums. Pelargonium can successfully grow right on the beds, where it reaches a decent size. So that the growth energy does not go into the leaf mass, it is advisable not to plant the plant in open ground, but to use boxes, flowerpots and other containers.

Vessel for pelargonium, you can take almost any. Often, for design purposes, geraniums are placed in old copper teapots, or hanging planters of a variety of materials. Most flowers will be if you plant geraniums in a not very spacious vessel made of natural material - wood or clay. If the capacity is large, then several geraniums will look beautiful. They do not compete with each other at all, and bloom profusely, forming a picturesque group.

Transplant and pruning produced at the same time. It is best to do these manipulations when the day noticeably goes to profit, i.e. in February. Transplanted into a container, the same in volume, or a little more. In most cases, it is enough to replace the top layer of the earth. The plant is buried in the soil by 1-2 centimeters to stimulate the development of additional roots.

Cut off the main trunk, leaving three or four buds. Subsequently, young shoots will develop from them, which should also be pinched to give the plant a compact appearance. Geranium easily tolerates all operations for the formation of a bush. Abandoned old branches may not bloom at all, or bloom poorly. The resulting cuttings can be used as planting material.

Fertilizer the entire active period must be entered. From the very beginning of the growing season, it is advisable to slightly increase the dose of potassium so that flower buds start in the right amount. Then use standard complexes for flowering plants, in accordance with the norms on the package.

reproduction Pelargoniums are most easily produced by green cuttings. The thickest and most beautiful cuttings are chosen and rooted in a mini-greenhouse, and in the spring - even just in a glass of water. Roots appear after 2 weeks, and even faster with the use of a Kornevin-type stimulant. A plant grown from a February cutting blooms by the beginning of summer.

Seeds are a slower, but in their own way effective method of propagating geraniums. High-quality, large seeds germinate together, and seedlings are distinguished by great vitality. Pelargonium from seeds has a more compact bush and can produce flowers of an original, unpredictable color, with varying degrees of doubleness. Pelargoniums grown from seeds are more resistant to frost, they tolerate a short-term drop in temperature to -4 o C.

Geranium as a landscape plant no less popular than in indoor breeding. In the middle lane, it is not recommended to leave it in the garden for the winter - the flower will freeze. In more southern regions, you can cut the trunk almost to the ground, cover it with sawdust and close it with agril until spring.

Diseases and pests

Geranium is known for its immunity. An aqueous infusion of its leaves is used to remove all kinds from other plants.

Pests attack only weakened pelargonium, which is not able to produce the right amount of fragrant essential oils. Measures to improve the conditions for the plant will work better than any insecticide. But as support, you can use drugs (Intavir or analogues). You should not allow the geranium to stand sprayed for a long time, you need to dry it as quickly as possible.

At the dawn of the Soviet era, plant grafting was widely introduced, thanks to the work of I. V. Michurin. Young Michurints studied just on the zonal geranium. And now it is quite possible to create a “Michurinskaya” geranium, where inflorescences of various shapes and colors will flaunt on one bush. To do this, it is enough to cut the trunk and stalk of the same diameter obliquely, combine the cuts, and wrap them neatly with electrical tape or tape. The bandage is removed after 2-3 weeks.

The benefits of geranium

It is not for nothing that homemade geranium is called the “grandmother's flower” - its essential oils gently even out the high blood pressure that many older people suffer from. It is enough to grind and smell one or two leaves of geranium to feel relief.

Fragrant pelargoniums are characterized by the presence on the upper and sometimes lower side of the leaf blades of glands filled with essential oil. Sometimes there are glands on the stems of plants. When touched or rubbed, the leaves of these pelargoniums spread an aroma similar to the aromas of rose, apple, lemon, orange, pineapple, peach, mint, lavender, verbena, wormwood, pine, juniper, cedar, almond, coconut, nutmeg, caramel, cinnamon, and sometimes have complex, difficult to describe odors. The flowers of these pelargoniums are inferior in beauty to many species and hybrid pelargoniums - they are usually small and dimly colored (white, pink or pale lilac), but some blooms are very elegant due to the abundance of small flowers. Some pelargoniums almost never bloom on window sills and are grown solely for the sake of fragrant foliage.

Currently, the original fragrant species are included in the group Species, or wild pelargoniums (Pelargonium Species), and this group of pelargoniums with fragrant leaves (Scented Leaved Pelargoniums) combined the garden forms, varieties and hybrids obtained from them.

Read about the modern classification of pelargoniums on the page Pelargonium.

Most of these are bushy plants with small simple flowers, although there are varieties with large bright flowers and lush inflorescences. The leaves vary in different varieties in size and shape. The aroma of foliage in hybrids can be radically different from the original species, and sometimes it is completely lost, so the process of obtaining new hybrids of fragrant pelargoniums is not so simple.

The main ancestors of this group are fragrant pelargonium (Pelargonium graveolens), fragrant pelargonium (Pelargnium odoratissimum), curly pelargonium (Pelargonium crispum), pink pelargonium (Pelargonium radens), Oakleaf Pelargonium (Pelargonium quercifolium), capitate pelargonium (Pelargonium capitatum), felted pelargonium (Pelargonium tomentosum), as well as odorous pelargonium (Pelargonium fragrans), whose existence as a species is currently questioned - it is assumed that it is a hybrid P. exstipulatum And P. odoratissimum.

More rare types of pelargoniums with fragrant foliage:

Pelargonium birch-leaved (Pelargonium betulinum)- with a spicy aroma;
. Pelargonium vine (Pelargonium vitifolium)- with the smell of lemon balm;
. pelargonium geranium (Pelargonium panduriforme)- with geranium aroma;
. Pelargonium dichondrofolia (Pelargonium dichondraefolium)- with the smell of black pepper;
. Pelargonium sticky (Pelargonium glutinosum)- with the smell of lemon balm;
. pelargonium klobuchkovy (Pelargonium cucullatum)- with lemon aroma;
. gooseberry pelargonium (Pelargonium grossularioides)- with lemon aroma;
. melissa pelargonium (Pelargonium mellisimum)- with sweet-lemon aroma;
. small-flowered pelargonium (Pelargonium parviflorum)- with the smell of coconut;
. pelargonium hairy (Pelargonium hirtum)- with a spicy aroma;
. sickle-leaved pelargonium (Pelargonium crithmifolium)- with the aroma of ginger and nutmeg;
. Pelargonium rough (Pelargonium scabrum)- with the smell of lemon;
. pelargonium rough (Pelargonium x asperum)
. Pelargonium abrotanifolium- with a spicy aroma;
. Pelargonium hypoleucum.

Description of fragrant species pelargoniums - in the article Species pelargoniums (Species Pelargoniums).

Varieties of fragrant pelargoniums

• Pelargonium felt P. tomentosum Chocolate Mint(syn. Chocolate Peppermint) - undersized, up to 30 cm tall, with slightly hanging shoots. The leaves are medium to large, deeply lobed, soft, velvety, with a chocolate-brown spot in the center, smell of mint. The flowers are pale pink, with purple feathers on the upper petals.
• Pelargonium capitate P.capitatum Attar of Roses- up to 45 cm tall, with large three-lobed leaves with a strong aroma of roses. The flowers are lilac-pink, with a burgundy throat.

• Pelargonium curly P. crispum Cy's Sunburst- has a small lemon-scented corrugated variegated foliage - green with a thin golden edging. The flowers are pink.

• Pelargonium oak-leaved P. quercifolium Giant Oak- with very large, lobed leaves with a balsamic scent.
• Pelargonium pink P. radens Red Flowered Rose- openwork pelargonium with grayish-green palmately dissected foliage (for which it is called Goose feet) and abundant red-pink (brighter than the main species) flowers. Very drought tolerant.

• Pelargonium pink P. radens Radula- leaves are less finely indented than the main species (P. radens), with a less intense aroma. The flowers are small, lilac-pink.

Graveolens Group

Varieties of fragrant pelargonium (P. graveolens).

• Camphor Rose- vertically growing, up to 45 cm tall, with deeply cut leaves with a strong aroma of camphor and mint. The flowers are purple-pink.
• Lady Plymouth- a very popular variety, 45-60 cm tall, leaves with a thin white ossification, with an aroma of eucalyptus. Inflorescences of lavender-pink flowers appear in summer.

• Both's Snowflake- vertically growing, 30-60 cm tall and wide, with deeply cut leaves, sparkling due to irregular creamy variegation, with a rose scent.

• Variegata- up to 60 cm, with pink flowers and variegated white-green leaves with mint and rose aroma.

Fragrans Group

Varieties of odorous pelargonium (Pelargonium fragrans).

• Fragrans Variegatum- shrub up to 15 cm tall, often with reddish stems, leaves velvety, three-lobed, blunt-toothed along the edge, light green, with a chartreuse-colored border, with a spicy aroma. The flowers are white, collected in inflorescences of 4-8, the two upper petals with small red stripes.
• Lilian Pottinger- 25-30 cm high and 12-16 cm wide, leaves are gray-green, irregularly three-lobed, serrated along the edge, with a complex aroma of camphor and pine. Forms many white flowers in summer with small red marks on the upper petals.
• Ardwick Cinnamon- with small velvety dull green foliage with a cinnamon scent and white flowers with crimson marks on the upper petals.

Pelargonium varieties with fragrant leaves

Basically, varieties of hybrid origin are presented here.

• Brunswick- up to 60 cm tall and 45 cm wide, the leaves are large, dark green, deeply cut into pointed lobes, with a pungent odor. It has spectacular inflorescences of large pink flowers. Blooms in summer.
• Citronella- leaves are dark green, many-parted, with a powerful citrus aroma (citronella). During the flowering period, it is covered with many small bright pink flowers.

• Charity- compact pelargonium up to 30 cm tall with palmate-lobed, soft-hairy, light green leaves with a wide uneven golden edging. They have a powerful aroma of lemon with hints of rose. The flowers are small, white-pink, with crimson markings on the upper petals, collected in inflorescences of 5-7.
• Copthorne- 45-60 cm high and often the same width, with powerful dark green leaves with large lobes, with a very strong sweet smell, reminiscent of cedar. It blooms for a long time with spectacular purple-pink flowers with wine-red veins and spots on the upper petals.

• Eument- with strongly dissected, like a pink pelargonium (P. radens) leaves with a strong smell of menthol.
  
• Galway Star- a small dense pelargonium, the leaves are deeply incised, serrated along the edge, corrugated, green, with a cream border, have a strong lemon aroma. The flowers are pale lilac, with bright magenta marks on the upper petals.

• Gemstone- upright bushy variety 45-60 cm tall, with rough lobed leaves with a bright lemon aroma. It blooms for a long time with spectacular pink-red inflorescences.
• Grace Thomas- a large and dense upright variety up to 90 cm tall, with large, deeply dissected, serrated leaves, with a smell of lemon and lime and a sweet raspberry hue. The flowers are white to pale pink, with crimson spots and veins.

• Hansen's Wild Spice- slender plant up to 45 cm tall and wide. Without pruning, it gives semi-drooping stems. The leaves are beautiful, hairless, serrated, with a strong aroma of citrus and spices. The flowers are quite large, come in different shades of pink, with darker markings on the upper petals.

• Joy Lucille- 45-60 cm high, with large velvety cut leaves with a menthol-mint aroma, and pale pink flowers with purple feathers on the upper petals.
• Lara Jester- up to 40 cm tall, the leaves are large, strongly dissected, with a lemon aroma. The flowers are quite large, the petals are pink-lilac, with paler edges and a white base. The upper petals have purple veins.

• Lemon Kiss- lush vertically growing pelargonium up to 40 cm tall and 20 cm wide. Foliage resembles curly pelargonium (Pelargonium crispum). The leaves are medium in size, rough, textured, serrated. It is considered the best variety with lemon aroma of foliage. The flowers are small, lavender, with deep carmine plumes on the upper petals.
• Mabel Gray- a wide bush 30-35 cm tall, with two-color serrated leaves in the form of a maple leaf, medium and large sizes, with the aroma of lemon verbena. The flowers are pale pink to light purple, the upper petals are marbled with plum-colored feathers. One of the most fragrant pelargoniums. Discovered in Kenya in 1960. Sometimes appears under the name P. citronellum Mabel Gray.

• Orsett- a large bushy upright plant up to 75 cm tall, with lobed green leaves with purple-brown spots in the center, with a piquant but pleasant aroma. The flowers are large, mauve, with darker markings on the upper petals. Blooms for a very long time.

• Paton's Unique- also belongs to the Unique group. 60-65 cm tall and up to 20 cm wide, sharply scented leaves, showy inflorescences of coral red and pale pink flowers with small white eyes.
• Phyllis- also belongs to the Unique group, a very beautiful variegated sport from the Paton's Unique variety. The leaves are deeply incised, green, with creamy-cream edges, fragrant. The flowers are bright pink, luminous, with a white eye and dark feathers on the upper petals.

About the unique group - in the article Pelargoniums royal, angels and uniques.

• Round Leaf Rose- 60-90 cm high, with rounded, indistinctly lobed, velvety, textured, crinkled leaves with a bronze spot in the center, with a fresh orange aroma. The flowers are pink, with light spots and purple veins on the upper petals.
• Shottesham Red syn. Concolor Lace- up to 60 cm high and wide. Compact pyramidal plant with very beautiful velvety corrugated light green leaves. The aroma of the leaves is sweetly pungent, with slight hints of hazelnut. It blooms from spring to autumn with inflorescences of lilac-red, rare colors, flowers, with darker feathers on the upper petals, the three lower petals are lighter.

Photo: Rita Brilliantova, Nina Starostenko