Сегодня речь пойдет о комнатном растении, familiar and familiar eye of the majority of compatriots. Its bright inflorescences - white, soft pink, bright red - invariably cheer up decorating the interiors of a huge number of Russian dwellings. Learned?
What is this plant - royal pelargonium?Looking in the specialized literature, the reader will find that this beautiful flower is known under other names. It is called pelargonium large-flowered or royal geranium.
The scientific name of the plant is Pelargonium grandiflorum or Regal Pelargonium. Take pelargonium to the family Geraniaceae. It grows, as a rule, not more than 25-50 cm.
This plant has gained wide popularity inAs the ubiquitous indoor home flower. This is explained by the presence of a long period of flowering and inherent in maintenance unpretentiousness. To breed royal pelargonium to amateur growers is possible quite easily and effectively due to the use of cuttings.
Europe got acquainted with geraniums in aboutthe middle of the XVIII century. The first samples and seeds of the royal pelargonium were brought to the inhabitants of the European continent from South Africa. On the basis of their subsequently were derived a variety of new varieties. Breeders of the time, among other species, created a large-flowered royal pelargonium, the main decoration and distinctive feature of which were beautiful large flowers.
This plant looks, as a rule, in the forma small compact bush, which is inherently a hybrid. If you grow a bush at home, it comes out small, thick and has several branching brittle stems.
The leaves of the royal Pelargonium can bedifferent shape and size, depending on its class. The length of the petioles of the geranium is approximately equal to the length of the leaf blades. A number of varieties of pelargonium have rounded leaves, the edges of which have a slightly lobate shape.
Цветок герани вырастает на тонком длинном стебле, covered with a spherical shape of umbrellas. Sometimes one can observe a single large flower of bright color. The color of pelargonium (again, depending on its class) can be white or one of the many shades of red or pink.
If cultivated pelargonium royal inat home, it usually turns out to be rather short. Leaves in their upper part - coarse texture, having dentate outlines. The shape of their edges is wavy.
Most of those grown in indoorconditions of plant varieties there are cone-shaped flowers in the amount of about 10 pieces. They appear on the tips of young branches or from stems. The inner area of the petals is more often of a darker shade. The outer part is often decorated with dark lines.
If the owner of the plant will ensure proper care for the royal pelargonium, he can rightly enjoy its flowering from the earliest spring to the end of the summer.
Normal development of the plant at homeIt is impossible without the creation of conditions favorable for him. The flower will feel most comfortable when placed in a space full of fresh air. Some owners grow geraniums not only indoors (room). This flower can be planted on the balcony, in the garden or on a terrace that is closed from the rain and wind.
Если же вы поместите горшки с растением на sill, take care of the presence of ventilation for it. This is due to the fact that the plant needs not only an optimal temperature regime, but also a certain humidity of the air.
With regard to the level of illumination, the requirements for gerany their owners, the following:
Having proper and regular watering -necessary condition for the normal growth and existence of the plant. In the summer, watering is carried out twice during the day. The first time - at about 10 am, the second - in the evenings, after sunset. In winter, the plant will be enough for a single watering daily.
If we are talking about care for a hybrid royalpelargonium, should take into account a number of features. These plants are focused on a slightly higher temperature and a little more water flow. When irrigating adult bushes, you should follow a certain pattern: you should not pour more than 50 ml of water at a time.
Грунт должен быть слегка промочен, но избытка moisture should be avoided as the likelihood of rot and infection increases. It is here that most often lies the answer to the question why royal pelargonium does not bloom at home.
Optimum temperature for growingPelargonium - 18-25 degrees Celsius. Exceed it is not recommended. The plant can be seriously affected by drafts. In order to avoid all the above troubles, it is recommended for flower growers to acquire the necessary equipment: a thermometer and a hygrometer, and sometimes a weather station.
From October to March royal pelargoniumis at rest. The main thing at this time is to prevent the earthen room from being overdried. Particularly difficult care at this time of the year is practically not necessary. In advance, before moving to the resting stage, weak leaves should be torn off. The remaining flowers and shoots are cut to a third in length.
These measures are designed to provide a floweruse maximum opportunities for future growth and oxygen production. Another undoubted advantage of pruning is improving resistance to pests and diseases. Pelargonium should be watered at this time only when the situation requires it. The temperature during the winter "hibernation" should be maintained at about 10-14 degrees Celsius.
Sometimes individual flower growers do not have timeor a suitable place for normal care of the plant in the winter. In this case, we can recommend the following measure: remove all plants from the pots, shorten their leading shoots, clean the root ball of each plant from dirt and slightly trim the roots.
Then all the plants are individually wrapped in a newspaper.and wrapped on top of the film, after which they are tied and hung in the basement. In this case, you will be spared the need to care for the flower throughout the long winter.
In March, pelargonium should be removed from the packages and dropped back into the pots.
Throughout the period whenvegetation, soil for the flower needs the introduction of liquid fertilizers. The frequency of this procedure is once a couple of weeks. It is not necessary to feed in the winter (October-February), when the plant is in a dormant stage.
We mention again that small compactThe bushes of this plant bloom most abundantly in comparison with those that have grown. Sometimes old woody shoots form new branches. If your plant has been grown for a number of years already, it should be cut no more than once a year. In this case, the time of the procedure is not critical.
Если вы хотите в домашних условиях получить новый bush of this beautiful plant, you should know the reproduction features of royal pelargonium. The process technology is about the same for all its varieties. Knowledgeable growers do not recommend using for this the seeds of royal pelargonium. The method of cutting is much more reliable.
Как это делается?Cuttings harvested in the fall or in the first weeks of summer. They are cut at a 45 degree angle below the internodes. Shoots belonging to dwarf varieties are separated at a distance of about 5 cm. For larger varieties, this value is 10 cm.
Having received the ready cuttings, they tear off the flowers andbottom leaves. The soil should not have high humidity, otherwise the plant may rot. That is why the cuttings should be handled fairly carefully. A few days before disembarking from their placement in the aquatic environment should be discarded. Sometimes a good effect is the drying of each cutting for about two hours. Before this, the cut sites are treated with charcoal.
To get home a new geranium bush,stock up on a suitable pot of a not very large diameter. Lay a drain on the bottom - as it serves clay shards, filling the pot in its lower part. A soil mixture consisting of an equal amount of sand and peat is placed on top, then everything is carefully watered.
After that planted in advance cooked.cuttings of royal pelargonium. Do not plant them in too wet or, on the contrary, very dry soil. Immediately after the landing procedure, watering should be carried out only at the edges of the pot.
As a rule, all the shoots prepared in advance,planted in a pot, quickly rooted in it. This explains the popularity of the method of breeding royal geranium grafting. Normally, the first shoots can be expected after 3-4 weeks. Having found them, it is necessary to slightly increase the degree of watering. But this should be done as carefully as possible to avoid disintegration of the substrate.
Спустя еще один четырехнедельный промежуток should begin hardening in the sun young royal pelargonium bushes. Further care for them practically does not differ from that which is produced in relation to adult specimens of the plant. When the root system is formed well enough, the geranium can be transplanted into soil prepared from compost.
Royal geranium is compact enoughplant even with a large number of leaves and flowers. Sprawling root processes can fill and even completely clog drainage holes. Sometimes this is the reason for the lack of flowering of pelargonium in room conditions.
Replace geranium should not more than oncein 2 years. In this case, the ground substrate must be replaced with fresh. The rhizome is cleared of soil, slightly shaking it, then about half of it is removed by trimming thick long roots and excess shoots. After that, the plant is returned to the old pot, pre-filled with fresh soil.
It is best to conduct a transplant in the spring time. But if you missed it, do not worry - if necessary, you can do it in other periods related to the vegetation of the plant.
The most dangerous and most common diseaseRoyal Geranium is called the black leg. A sign of it - painted on the ground level in the black color of the stalks of the plant. You should carefully observe the flower, because the disease is able to spread rapidly and infect the whole plant.
The reason for it is often too high humidity.or marshy soil. To prevent this trouble, you should take care of optimal conditions for the development of royal pelargonium, including relative dryness of the air.
Another problem of geraniums is rust.The affected leaves turn yellow and subsequently die off. In addition to leaves, flowers with shoots are susceptible to this disease. That is why, after finding signs of rust on the leaves of a plant, you should immediately cut off those that were affected. This measure serves as an effective prevention against the spread of this unpleasant disease.
Well, now all our readers know that underthis luxurious name hides many of us familiar indoor geranium. Familiar to all the plant can effectively decorate not only the window sill of the apartment, but also an open balcony or garden area.
If you take care of creating favorableconditions for the growth of pelargonium, you will be rewarded for the effort. Otherwise, wait for the flowering of this unpretentious beauty will be problematic.
