Reproduction of geranium at home, when to plant, so that it blooms in summer
Content:
Geranium, or pelargonium, is a perennial plant that can be grown in flower beds and at home. It is unpretentious in leaving. It is enough to follow a few simple rules for geraniums to please with their flowering. Reproduction is one of the stages of plant care. Geranium blooms in the first few years after planting. Then it grows and loses its attractiveness. Therefore, it is important to know how to propagate geraniums in order to preserve the beauty of the flower.
Geranium does not differ in its capricious character, this also applies to reproduction. There are several ways to breed pelargonium, depending on the part of the plant used. So, you can propagate by cuttings, leaves, seeds.
Reproduction of geranium at home
Each of the methods used has disadvantages and advantages. A detailed study of how geranium reproduces will help determine a convenient way. All of them are simple and effective, but they require accuracy.
Reproduction is necessary to breathe new life into the plant, to rejuvenate it. In addition, young plants bloom profusely and colorfully, take up very little space on the windowsill.
Cuttings
Before grafting geraniums, prepare it:
- Fertilize with a solution with the addition of ash. For 1 liter of water, 2 tablespoons of raw materials are required. You need to process the soil 2 weeks before the cuttings procedure;
- Place the plant out of direct sunlight.
This will help create new growths that take root quickly.
It is necessary to cut off a cutting 5-7 centimeters in size from the geranium bush, while leaving live leaves on it. It is better to take the shoot from the top of the plant. It is necessary to cut off perpendicular to the stem with a sharp knife. It is better to wipe it with alcohol or douse it with boiling water in advance. The cut is sprinkled with activated carbon or ash. After that, the processes should dry out, they are laid out in the sun until a film appears on the surface. This means that the plant is ready for the next stage - planting in the ground.
Before planting pots or boxes in the ground, holes are made. A depth of 3 centimeters is sufficient. Shoots are planted in them, which must be slightly pressed down at the base. If the seedlings are in a common box, then it is important to maintain a distance between shoots of at least 3 centimeters. Then cover the young plant with earth, no need to tamp it. There is no need to water immediately, as the soil was moistened in preparation for planting.
It is recommended to keep the pots in a dark place for 4-5 days. Roots usually appear after a month, until this time it is necessary to avoid waterlogging by watering the plants through a tray. After the appearance of several leaves, you can plant the plants in separate containers.
Rooting the offshoot in the ground
You don't have to wait for the roots to appear. You can immediately plant the prepared cuttings in the soil.
How to plant geraniums with a shoot without roots:
- Pour expanded clay on the bottom of the pot, soil on top. It should be loose and slightly sour. Before planting, it is disinfected;
- A hole is made in the soil, you can use a pencil for this. Plant a plant. The soil is pressed against the appendix.No need to cover with foil, cans. This is necessary when the leaves dry out at the edges. After their restoration, the film is removed;
- Water when the top layer dries up. Keep warm, avoiding direct sunlight.
Geranium soil
Geranium soil can be purchased at the store or prepared by yourself. For this you will need:
- peat;
- humus;
- turf;
- charcoal;
- river sand.
The first three components are used in equal amounts, two parts each. Charcoal and sand should be taken half as much, also in equal portions.
Rooting geraniums in water
Rooting of geraniums for breeding is carried out in an easier way. To do this, water is defended for three days, then a prepared shoot is placed in it. After two weeks, the young shoot will have roots, which means you can put it in the ground.
Root Formation Stimulant
There are several ways to speed up root formation:
- Use the water in which there were branches of willow, poplar, willow. The main thing is that the plants put their roots into it;
- Add a few drops of aloe juice to a vessel of rooting water;
- The day before the procedure, process the cuttings themselves. To do this, place them overnight in water (3 liters) with honey dissolved in it (2 teaspoons).
Time for grafting
The optimal time for cutting geraniums is considered the end of winter - the beginning of spring. It is during this period that the plant wakes up, comes out of wintering and gains strength. Therefore, young shoots are able to quickly root. If the procedure is successful, the plant will bloom in the summer.
Rooting a leaf
Rooting a geranium leaf is easy. It is better to carry out the procedure in spring or at the end of February, when the plant is full of energy, and the daylight hours are the longest in the year. You need to select a sheet that is elastic, without stains and cut it off with a sharp knife, place it in a vessel with water. After the roots appear, plant in prepared soil. Put drainage on the bottom of the pot, then the soil, which must be slightly moistened. Next, place a sheet of paper in a small depression. The main thing is to act carefully so as not to injure the delicate roots of geraniums.
Seed propagation
Geranium seeds are also used for plant propagation. To do this, they purchase raw materials ready for planting, or carry out preliminary measures on their own. Some order seeds from China. To prepare them at home, they are processed with sandpaper to erase the outer shell. After that, they are soaked in solutions that stimulate growth. Three hours are enough and you can start sowing.
How to grow geraniums from seeds:
- First, they acquire a special soil or prepare themselves from peat, humus, charcoal, turf and sand;
- Seeds are placed on top of the moistened soil and sprinkled with earth. The top layer should be very thin, no more than 2 millimeters;
- Water using a sprayer so that the seeds do not wash off, do not end up on top of the soil;
- A film is pulled over the container, kept until shoots grow;
- Transplanted into separate pots after several leaves appear.
Geranium seeds are oblong, brown and hard.
To appear at home, you need to pollinate the plant yourself.It is easier to move the pot of geraniums outside or onto a balcony where insects have access. In late summer - early autumn, the boxes ripen, the seeds are harvested.
Blooming pelargonium from seeds, when to plant and what conditions to fulfill:
- The most favorable time is March-April, when the daylight hours are as long as possible. Seeds sprout faster;
- When planting from November to March, artificial lighting must be added. For example, it is better to sow the seeds of tulip pelargonium in the middle of winter, after two months the plant is transplanted into a pot;
- The main thing is to provide an illuminated place on the windowsill, but avoid direct sunlight.
Dividing the bush
You can breed geraniums by dividing the bush. This method is used when the plant loses its neat appearance and grows strongly. After dividing, the flower becomes more compact, and its forces are directed to new leaves and buds. In addition, a new plant appears.
Houseplants are often planted by dividing the bush. This is an easy method that requires care, as it is important not to damage the roots of the plant.
Step-by-step instructions for reproduction by division:
- The day before the procedure, water the flower in order to easily get it out of the pot without injuring the roots;
- Prepare tools, a knife or scalpel, which must be disinfected in advance;
- Take the flower out of the container and carefully cut it into pieces;
- The damaged areas are sprinkled with activated carbon powder.
Plants are planted in pots, drainage is placed on the bottom, then soil.
Geranium bloom in summer
Often people who begin acquaintance with geraniums have a question, if pelargonium is from seeds, when to plant, so that it blooms in summer. After sowing, the plant takes about a month to germinate and grow strong. Then pelargonium from seeds is planted in separate pots, it gains strength, it needs more space. If you start the process in the spring, the seeds hatch and grow faster. Therefore, by the summer, a flowering plant will delight on the windowsill. The main thing is to properly care for and create comfortable conditions.
Geranium can bloom throughout the year. Some buds are replacing others. Experience and proper care will help keep flowers on the plant not only in spring and summer. The only thing is that the attractiveness of the plant is lost: the flowers do not look so bright and become smaller in size.
Possible breeding problems
When geraniums propagate, problems associated with the characteristics of the plant can arise.
Why does a shoot not always shoot roots in water:
- The high temperature in the room is to blame. It is necessary to monitor the thermometer readings so that they do not exceed 25 degrees;
- There are different varieties of pelargonium, for example, ivy geranium or ampelous geranium stays in the water for a long time and does not take root. Most often, the process rots and dies.
To try to fix the situation and speed up the process, you can:
- update the cut of the cutting;
- dry the appendage and the next day plant it in moist soil.
Also, problems arise if the soil is not suitable for the plant. Geranium does not like the increased acidity of the soil. Often purchased soils are composed primarily of peat. It is for him that oxidation is characteristic, therefore it is important to study the composition of the soil mixture before buying.
If, during rooting, the leaves turn yellow, but do not fall off, do not be upset. There is a high probability that the process will be successful. If all the leaves have withered, then, most likely, rooting will not occur.
The plant can get sick during transplanting if the cut on the cuttings is not treated.Usually, crushed activated carbon is used for this. It protects against infection and its spread, and also prevents the decay of the appendix.
The most capricious plant of the Geraniev family is considered to be royal geranium. It will not work to propagate it by rooting in water. It should take about a year before the plant blooms. This usually takes much less time for other varieties.
Geranium is a flowering, unpretentious plant that has not lost its popularity for many years. It is not difficult to propagate it at home, the main thing is to follow simple rules and monitor the health of pelargonium. Proper care and attention will allow geraniums to bloom throughout the year.