Pelargonium (blooming geranium) / pelargonium

Refers to the family of geranium. Homeland - South Africa.

General description: Pelargonium is extremely popular due to its unpretentiousness and long, colorful flowering. Pelargonium hortorum (Pelargonium garden) can bloom around the whole year. This is a large plant, up to 1 m in height. The leaves are rounded, with a wavy margin. Flowers are collected in umbellate inflorescences. Their colors are the most diverse: snow-white, red, burgundy. Paint can be terry.

Pelargonium domesticum (Pelargonium domesticum) blooms not so long, usually from spring up to summer. It is a couple of times smaller than Pelargonium garden and much more capricious, needs a cold winter.

The ampel species of pelargonium, for example Pelargonium peltatum (Pelargonium thyroid), are of great popularity in the latter. Its leaves are star-shaped, another time with a red border on the outskirts.

There is a group of fragrant pelargoniums that have a smell of rose, lemon, mint, orange, nutmeg, apple. (Pelargonium: curly, strong-smelling, felt, capitate, fragrant, fragrant, etc.) Their leaves are allowed to use in cooking as if spices, fill them with deodorizing pillows, etc.

In the spring, pelargonium bushes are cut to strengthen the branch. Pelargonium home pruned in autumn.

The smell of pelargonium repels the moth, helps with insomnia and other neuroses.

Recommendations for the care of plants Pelargonium:

Illumination : Photophilous, preferring southern windows.

Irrigation regime : Abundant during growth, in winter moderate, according to the measure of drying of the soil. He does not adore in any way the overflow, nor the drying out of the earth.

Humidity : Does not require spraying. For the summer it is better to place on a fresh atmosphere (in the park or on the balcony).

Temperature regime : In summer it is optimal 18-20 ° C, in winter 13-15 ° C, not lower than 12 ° C.

Soil : Drainage is mandatory. You can add charcoal and brick chips. It seems useful to periodically loosen the upper layer of the earth.

Recommended soil mix: 1 share sod, 1 share leafy, 1 share humus, 1 share peat land and 1 share sand. Pelargonium is not too demanding on the composition of the soil.

During the growth period, it needs fertilizing once every two weeks with liquid fertilizer for flowering plants.

Breeding : Pelargonium is easily bred by stem cuttings in early spring or late summer, in spring. Cuttings before planting need to dry a little, the soil is better disinfected.

Transplantation : Transplanted in the spring, at what time the pot is made tight (roots begin to germinate through drainage holes), but annually replace the upper layer of the earth.

Pests : It is affected by scarlet spider mites (in a dry atmosphere, leaves and stems are braided with cobwebs), aphids (form sticky excretions on shoot tips, buds), whiteflies (whitish or yellowish spots appear on the underside of leaves).

With a slight infection, the plant is allowed to help finish with a soap solution and a warm wash.

In case of severe damage, spraying with an insecticide solution (acticle, decis, phytoverm etc.) is recommended.

Pelargonium domestic - pelargonium domesticum

Pelargonium hortorum

Pelargonium fragrant or strongly smelling - pelargonium graveolens

Pelargonium Curly - pelargonium crispum

Pelargonium thyroid - pelargonium peltatum