Care for geraniums at home and on the balcony: step by step about the features of growing a flower, as well as photos of lemon, curly, terry, gourmet and other species

In many apartments and office premises, our eyes are pleased with the flowers of this wonderful plant. Caring for geraniums does not require any titanic efforts, as this is a rather picky flower. However, to know the basic rules and conditions of detention is still worth it. In the article, we will step by step tell beginners about the features of home care for this plant, show a photo.

Geranium is an indoor plant of the Geranium family with large and beautiful flowers that have different colors: white, purple (in different shades), pink, red, purple and blue. Another name is the crane, as the fruits of the plant in appearance resemble a crane beak. At the dachas, an annual type of plant is grown.

Geranium sometimes means a similar plant of the same family - pelargonium (genus - Pelargonium).

What does a plant like?

In order for geranium not to be sick and to please us with its fragrance as long as possible, experienced flower growers advise to take into account the following features when leaving at home:

Geranium is a photophilous plant, so it will feel most comfortable on the south side of the window (on the windowsill). For year-round flowering of geraniums, in the winter season it is worth providing it with an additional light source - a lamp.ATTENTION! In the summer, the plant should not be left in direct sunlight.
The second important factor is temperature. So, in the cold season, the room should be at least +10 degrees. If there are drafts, then you need to rearrange it in a warm place.
And the third thing to consider when leaving is proper watering. You need to water often (in hot weather - once a day, at average temperatures - once every two days, in winter even less often - once every two to three days), but at the same time do not allow stagnation of water in the flowerpot, otherwise the plant roots will rot and the flower may die. Spraying geraniums is not allowed. Because the plant does not like moist air, and this will only harm him.

Growing on the balcony

If you want geranium to decorate your balcony and bloom profusely, consider the following factors:

Choose a place for the flower where it is sunny, but without direct sunlight. In addition, the plant must be protected from wind storms and other "charms" of bad weather, in order to avoid breaking fragile flower stems.
Plant geraniums in balcony boxes, pots or large bowls. If the flower has hanging shoots, then hanging containers are suitable for growing - in them the plant will look best.
If the flower begins to turn yellow or wilt, pour it with special fertilizers (potassium and phosphorus in the summer, nitrogen in March or April, or you can purchase complex compositions of minerals).
Regularly remove dried and yellowed flowers and leaves. Thanks to this, geraniums will bloom longer.
Water the plant every day, avoiding overdrying and waterlogging of the soil.
Loosen the soil as needed.

How to care for a flowering bush?

In addition to the above requirements, there are other factors, compliance with which will allow the plant to bloom all year round:

The pot should be small in size, and preferably clay (about how to choose a pot for geraniums, read here).
To feed a flower with an iodine solution: dissolve a drop of iodine in 1 liter of water and carefully pour the earth (a quarter cup of a solution is enough) only along the walls of the pot.IMPORTANT! Water the iodine mixture should be very carefully, only along the edges of the pot, otherwise you can burn the roots of the plant.
Remove faded inflorescences.
Make sure that there is no mold and rot, as well as harmful insects.

Read more about how to care for room geraniums at home and in the garden, read here, and from this material you will learn about how to feed geraniums for lush flowering.

Pruning

In order for the geranium to be fluffy, you need to observe one necessary condition - it must be regularly pruned to the tops and elongated branches of the plant. Exactly pruning geraniums will form a voluminous and lush bush with large flowers.

However, when cropping, you need to follow some rules:

Determine the type of flower: perennial geranium or annual. One-year, as a rule, does not need pruning, and a perennial should be cut twice a year - in autumn and spring. When pruning, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of a particular plant: a geranium can have a long stem, tending upward. In this case, it is unlikely to change the shape of the crown dramatically. You can only ruin the flower.
Remove branches growing inside the crown, leaving only those growing outside.
The trimmer must be the cleanest and sharpest. It must be pre-treated with boiling water or an antibacterial agent, while maintaining clean hands.
Stems need to be cut near the leaf nodule. Sprinkle the remaining "wound" with charcoal or cinnamon powder.
Feed the flower with nitrogenous fertilizers in the spring (you can find out about the best way to feed geraniums and when to use fertilizers here).

Short video about pruning a flower:

Basic recommendations for beginners on keeping a flower at home

Caring for geranium flowers in a pot does not require special conditions, except for the above:

daily watering in the warm season, and every 2-3 days in the autumn-winter period (how to care for home geraniums in winter, and also whether it is possible to transfer a garden flower to the basement, read here);
providing sunlight to the plant;
removal of wilted inflorescences.

In detail about when and why to plant geraniums at home, we talked about in our article.

Photo

Photo of fragrant (lemon):

Photos of ampelous (curly):

Terry photo:

Photo dwarf:

Photo of the royal:

Photo of geranium gourmet:

How to care for different species?

There is a huge list of geranium varieties, each of which is distinguished not only by external features, but also by the conditions of care. Let's consider some of them.

Medical

The following varieties of geraniums can be classified as therapeutic: fragrant, ampelous, royal, white and red. They are the most common. Care Requirements:

sunlight and daily watering;
it is better to prepare the soil for the plant yourself by mixing humus, turf soil and sand (you can find out what soil composition should be for indoor geranium and whether universal soil is suitable here).

Lemon

Fans of lemon geraniums often encounter such a problem that the lower leaves of the plant turn yellow, acquire a slightly brownish tint, or even completely stop blooming. To avoid such problems, it is worth observing some care rules:

keep the plant in a dry room;
regularly pinch the shoots of geraniums;
maintain the necessary level of soil acidity - not lower than 5.5 pH, that is, it should be slightly acidic;
Do not use too large a pot when planting;
feed the flower with a solution of iodine (how to use iodine with hydrogen peroxide for nutrition, you can find here).

Curly

Curly is called ampelous geranium, the descending shoots of which can reach 90 cm. It can be either a houseplant or a garden crop (for how to care for geraniums in open ground, read here). Care Conditions:

You need to plant a flower in a hanging planter (so geraniums look best).
Keep in a well-lit room.
Can be grown on the balcony, but not exposed to wind.
Add some clay to the soil for planting, as well as: peat, turf and sand (in equal parts).
Drain the soil with expanded clay.
Use a small container for landing.
Water only when a dry crust appears on the soil.
In winter, do not feed the flower with fertilizers.

Terry

This variety is the most unpretentious and drought tolerant. Caring for it is quite simple:

Provide a light source (sun or lamp).
Water once a day in the summer, in the winter - as the soil dries.
To feed in the spring-summer period with mineral fertilizers.

Dwarf

Plants of this group are very popular among flower growers. This is due to the fact that the flower is compact and convenient to place, and also blooms profusely and does not need to be pruned. Care Conditions:

use breathable soil in which you can add a little sand;
the capacity for landing should not be more than 9 cm in diameter;
water every day, or as needed.

Decorative

Decorative geranium (also indoor) does not require compliance with special conditions of detention, except those listed above - for the care of other varieties of plants.

Royal

Royal geranium (or royal) differs in appearance from other varieties. It has bright and large inflorescences, and, unlike other species of this family, is rather capricious. Therefore, you need to know certain flower care nuances:

In no case do not allow the soil to dry out, as well as high humidity.
Geranium should be in a place well-lit by the sun, but without direct sunlight. It is best to put the pot on the east or west window. If the plant is located on the south window and there is no additional shading, geranium flowers can get burned and quickly fade.
Carry out a plant transplant only if the capacity of the pot becomes excessively small (for how to transplant geraniums at home, read our material).IMPORTANT! Tsarist geranium begins to bloom earlier than its closely related varieties, so transplanting or pruning should be done in February, there are no flowers in the tree.
Use complex fertilizers in the spring-summer period (twice a month).

Gourmet

This type of geranium actively releases phytoncides and essential substances, which, spreading in the air, destroy many different bacteria, and also have a beneficial effect on the human nervous system. Essential oil is made from a plant. A non-standard approach to flower care does not require, except for those necessary conditions that are given above for other varieties.

Since almost all types of geraniums are unpretentious in maintenance, one should not forget about elementary requirements, and avoid accumulation of excessive moisture in the soil. Given these factors, you can create a comfortable environment for the plant, and for a long time enjoy the blossoming colorful buds.