I couldn't get geraniums to grow into a lush bush until I followed only 3 simple rules
Flaming fireworks, fellow flower growers! Today on the agenda is zonal geranium (I will call it that, even if it is pelargonium, because I want it so much) and the task of making it a truly lush bush. And the more lush the bush, the more colorful umbrellas. Echoing in their souls with warm memories of the village windowsills of the grandmother.
For a long time, I couldn't manage to grow a beautiful plant. Now it stretches up, then one stubborn branch will go somewhere to the side... But not only the fact of the presence of flowers is important to me, but also the attractiveness of the geranium in general.
To begin with, it's worth understanding: everything has its own turn. First, from February to April, it is necessary to form a pelargonium bush. Then - from May until late autumn - to correct the type of plant and already stimulate the same flowering. In pursuit of early growth of buds, the florist gets a geranium-mare. Which even in the buds looks "Forgive me, Lord".
Rule # 1: Preparing for pruning and post-pruning care
Our geraniums are unpretentious pupils who obediently release new twigs and leaves after cutting. But it should not be underestimated: the deprivation of most of the green mass is still an enormous stress for the plant. Pelargoniums curl faster and more efficiently when a florist helps them in this well-behaved "Before" and "After" business.
Comrade, take the golden rule to transplant geraniums EVERY spring. And it is better to do it BEFORE or DURING pruning.. Old soil is no longer good for anything. I will not say anything about the fact that pelargoniums, like fast-growing plants, have definitely consumed all of its nutritional resources in a year. Old soil is also an excess of salts from hard water, which inhibit the growth of any plant.
After pruning, you need to wait a little with root dressing (fertilization with irrigation). We didn't give our darling new soil for nothing. But spraying on a leaf is a rewarding experience. Be sure to spray the geranium with nitrogen fertilizer, which stimulates the growth of the greenery. At your service - urea, and saltpeter, and any bottle with a complex mineral fertilizer for decorative foliage, worth 60 rubles in any store.
Do not listen to those who say: Pelargonium should not be sprayed. Can! They just don't need wetting on the sheet. But the spring application of nitrogen on the sheet is what the doctor ordered. After all, in nature, geraniums somehow tolerate rain and do not get outraged?
Rule # 2: spin around the sun
I don't know of a single popular houseplant that loves the sun more than geraniums. Whether direct light, diffused light - in any case, sufficient lighting is at the top of the list of criteria for the beauty of pelargonium.
Dependent on light, plants are always drawn to it. Comrade: be sure to twist and twirl the pot on the windowsill, turning one barrel of geranium, then another to the sun. The bush will grow lush on all sides. And it will bloom evenly. It is dear to look at pelargonium, the owner of which was not lazy and twisted the plant.
Rule # 3: Pruning Zoned Pelargonium
Congratulations, comrade! You got to the most important point. If you have doubts about how to cut "This geranium looks good anyway", I will answer: dropping doubts.
When trimming trunks, count internodes: leave no more than 3-6 pieces from the ground. The following branches will go from them, which will make the bush fluffier.
Over the summer, I prune geraniums 2-3 more times. I shorten the branches that are knocked out of the shape of the ball. I prune after flowering to 5-6 internodes, those that become too long.