Open the door 

Sowing geraniums in peat tablets. We grow pelargonium from seeds - photos, step-by-step instructions, care tips. Seed sowing technology

Growing pelargonium from seeds at home It's not that hard if you follow all the instructions and step by step instructions presented in this article. Pelargonium, which is also called geranium, is quite unpretentious. Plant care is simple, but it gives joy to many gardeners. Geranium decorates the windows in the house, balconies and terraces.

The plant belongs to the Geranium family, and its large inflorescences have a whole range of colors. Pelargonium is the most popular flower grown for home decoration. And all this is due to such qualities as unpretentiousness, good smell, delicate and beautiful flowers, as well as the ability to maintain a normal microclimate in the room. You can buy a ready-made flower in a vase in the store, but it will be expensive. Therefore, it is better to get pelargonium yourself from seeds. Next, we will tell technology growing pelargonium from seeds.

Description

Home geranium is a low plant. But there are also semi-shrubs in which the roots are highly branched. But in mountain plants - a root in the form of a rod.

At different types geranium leaf shape and color vary. They can be not only green, but also blue, grayish, reddish. Leaves come with solid edges, with small or deep cuts. Some specimens have leaves with hairs.

Pelargonium flowers can be very large, collected in inflorescences, looking like brushes. The color range is extensive: red, white, purple, blue and many other shades. In August-September, fruits appear in the form of a box, inside which seeds ripen.

Benefits of Growing Pelargonium from Seeds

  • A more practical way to grow a flower.
  • With the help of seeds, you can grow many seedlings, from which the highest quality ones are chosen.
  • The plant is able to bloom for a long time, while it forms more lush flowers.
  • Seedlings grown from seeds renew the quality of the varietal crop.
  • Thanks to new pollination, they get the best varieties with new beautiful shades and shapes of flowers, graceful lines of leaves, and other properties.

When to plant

At home, geraniums can be grown at any time of the year. The main thing is that the plant has enough light throughout the day. The best period for sowing pelargonium seeds is the end of February - the beginning of March. If the flower is planted later, then the shoots will stretch strongly upwards, and flowers may appear in 9-10 months.

Watch the video! When and how to sow pelargonium(geranium) seeds

Growing features

Only zonal pelargonium is grown from seeds. The rest of the flower species are propagated by cuttings.

To grow healthy and beautiful plant, it is necessary to take seriously the selection planting material.

Seed selection

When buying geranium seeds for planting, you should know the following nuances:

  • high-quality seeds have a rich brown color, a slight shade and a slight haze are possible;
  • fully formed seeds are oblong in appearance, and there are small depressions on the sides;
  • they are quite large;
  • have a thick leathery coat.

Tare selection

Planting material can be planted in small cups or special plastic containers. The dishes must be disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate or another available method. Holes are made in the bottom and drainage is created in order to prevent waterlogging of the soil and rotting of the root. The container is filled with a prepared substrate, watered with water or an aqueous solution of Kornevin. Seeds are sown every other day.

Soil selection

Home geranium loves light and nutritious soil so that air and water can easily pass to the roots. Ready-made soil from the store is suitable for growing pelargonium seeds. But you can prepare the soil mixture yourself according to several recipes:

  • Sand, peat, compost and humus are combined in equal quantities.
  • Mix garden soil with peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1.
  • Mix peat with perlite for plants (1:1).

Experienced flower growers recommend, if possible, preparing a mixture for planting geranium seeds on their own. Shop soil does not give such good results: seeds germinate much later, seedlings are not as healthy, thin stems form and few flowers.

The finished mixture for sowing seeds should also be disinfected by calcining it in the oven. Thus, the plant will be further protected from infection with various diseases.

Advice! Disinfection of the soil can also be carried out by treating it with a solution of potassium permanganate or ready-made fungicides, steamed in a water bath, calcined in the oven (150 degrees). After the procedures, planting seeds should be carried out every other day.

Seed preparation

Due to the fact that pelargonium seeds are endowed with a dense skin, they are difficult to germinate, and may not sprout at all. Therefore, before planting seeds in the soil, they must undergo scarification - a special procedure for removing a dense shell.

Such processing of planting material can be carried out independently at home. It is not difficult to do, but carefully with fine sandpaper. She cleans the upper thick layer of each seed separately.

Landing

To grow a quality plant at home, you need to use a mini-greenhouse. For this, you can use any dishes that are covered with plastic wrap or a transparent lid. Also crops can be covered plastic bottle. For air to enter, small holes are made in the cap, bottle or film.

  • To prevent infection of the plant with diseases, the seeds must be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Further process with a growth stimulator , or Appin. Then the seeds are washed well and soaked for 3 hours in warm water.
  • The dishes for planting the planting material are filled with the prepared mixture.
  • Seeds are spread on the soil, while the distance between them should be at least 5 centimeters. Sprinkle the crops with earth and cover with film or glass.
  • For irrigation use settled water at room temperature. The soil must be constantly sprayed with a spray gun and make sure that it does not dry out.
  • Subject to all planting conditions, sprouts will appear in 14 days.

Watch the video! Proper sowing of geranium seeds

Growing in peat tablets

There is such convenient way growing geraniums from seeds in peat tablets. It is better to buy tablets of medium size. They are placed in a deep container and poured with warm water. When the peat nest increases almost 6 times, a recess is made in it, the seed is lowered there and sprinkled with peat from a tablet. The dishes are covered with polyethylene and placed in a warm place. After 14-17 days, the first shoots will appear.

picking

After the appearance of 2-4 leaves, the seedlings are seated in separate cups. For picking a plant, you can take the same soil that was used when sowing seeds. Young shoots are exposed to the southern windows from the sunny side.

seedling care

It is very important to monitor the correct watering of seedlings after picking. At first, they are watered with very small doses of water, the soil was moderately moist, but not wet. Watering is carried out under the root with settled water with a temperature not lower than +18 .. + 20 ° С. Do not allow moisture to get on the leaves.

If moisture gets on the leaves, the development of such a disease as a black leg is possible. If signs of a fungus appear, Fitosporin solution or other biological products are introduced into the ground in compliance with the instructions. From the phase of mass shoots, the air temperature is reduced by 2-3 °C. In the future, it is set at the level of +18..+20°C.

For feeding seedlings, you can use a purchased composition with trace elements. Fertilizer is introduced into the soil 2 times a month. In order not to damage the young shoots of pelargonium, the dose recommended by the manufacturer for feeding flowers is diluted 2-3 times.

When the plant reaches a height of about 8-10 cm, it can be transplanted to a permanent place in a spacious pot. To preserve the integrity of the root system, geraniums are transplanted by transshipment. The flower is placed on the windowsills, where sunlight illuminates the plants from morning until 11 o'clock or after 15 o'clock in the afternoon. In this case, direct sunlight will not damage the plant.

Geranium will look beautiful if it is properly cared for. Bushes require regular watering, timely fertilization, cutting dry leaves and inflorescences. It is important to pinch the plant so that it does not grow in height, but has a beautiful crown shape.

Geranium is pinched when it reaches a height of 10 cm. It is recommended to turn the flower container with the other side to sunlight once every 5-6 days. In this case, the main stem will not bend.

Diseases and pests

Due to the specific smell of geranium leaves, pests practically do not bother this plant. But spider mite this smell is not afraid, so it can do harm. You can fight it with a simple soap solution or an insecticide. Pelargonium is sick most often when it is grown in cold and damp rooms.

The most common diseases:

  • powdery mildew. The disease can be identified by the appearance of a white coating on the leaves, which begin to dry out, and after a while the flower dies. At the first sign of the disease, all affected parts are removed, and the plant is treated.
  • Gray rot. Pelargonium leaves are covered with brown spots, which become larger over time. As a result, the leaves curl and begin to fall off. In this case, the diseased part is removed to prevent infection of the plant.
  • Brown spotting. The lower part of the leaves is covered with spots light tone. Then they become yellow or brown. For the treatment of plants, the fungicide Alirin-B is used.

Choosing a variety of garden geraniums

Garden geranium is valued for being unpretentious. It adapts well and grows both in the shade and in the sun. We offer the most popular varieties of garden zonal geraniums that can be grown from seeds.

Varieties and hybrids of pelargonium for home cultivation

There are many types of geraniums that can be grown at home: White Butterfly, Scarlet Chandelier, Dwarf Nano Violet, Colorama, Paul's Pelargonium f1, Pink, Southern Night, Moulin Rouge, Bicolor Chandelier, etc.

The most popular among flower growers are varieties of Pelargonium Royal. The plant has large flowers, which are collected in inflorescences. They look very nice and create comfort in the house. These are Mandarin, Sally Munro, Mona Lisa, Candy Flowers Bright Red, Black Prince, etc.

They are not cheap. In addition, they are grown from cuttings taken from mother plants, sometimes of middle age, and can carry a bouquet of sores. And from the package, with the right agricultural technology, you can grow several young pelargoniums at once, clean from diseases, promising, with extraordinary colors.


Seedlings grown from seeds are able to start abundant flowering after 5-6 months from germination. Such seedlings, as a rule, are distinguished by their evenness, energy and endurance.



When is the best time to start sowing?


Pelargonium seeds can be sown throughout the calendar year. But experienced growers to get strong plants by June, sowing seeds is carried out in November. Beginners should take into account important points, as a backlight, respect for humidity and temperature when sowing in the dark winter months (January and early February).


Sowing pelargonium seeds


Pelargonium seeds are medium in size and easy to sow.
For better germination, the seeds are immersed in a solution of epin or zircon (2-3 drops per 50 ml of warm water) for several hours. Sowing is more convenient in a small food container with a lid. For ventilation, it is necessary to make several holes in the lid with a size of 2 ... 3 mm. Loose nutritious soil is poured in a small layer, moistened. It is convenient to sow seeds in peat tablets.


Another thing is important: the soil should be disinfected in advance from fungal infections, especially from the "black leg". Potassium permanganate, phytosporin, alirin or hamair tablets are suitable. You should not use several of these drugs at the same time.


Pelargonium seeds germinate in the light room temperature. They are simply laid out on the surface of the earth and slightly pressed, without sprinkling on top. The soil must not be both waterlogged and dry. The seeds may die.


The first sprouts "jump out" for 3-7 days. Now they need good lighting. In order to avoid steaming the container and airing, if necessary, the greenhouse is slightly opened. When pulling the seedlings, pour the soil under the cotyledon leaves. As the seedlings grow, they are accustomed to room conditions, opening the container more and more.


When the third true leaf appears, the seedlings dive into separate small pots and begin to feed with liquid fertilizers for seedlings in low doses.
For better compactness and bushiness, pelargonium seedlings are removed (pinched) at the top after 5-6 leaves.

How long does it take from sowing pelargonium seeds to flowering? As you know, flowering pelargonium plants grown from seeds usually bloom six months after sowing - more precisely, five to six months pass on average.

Easy and simple to create a collection of geraniums! If you sow pelargonium in February and keep it under the lamps for the first time, then put it in a well-lit place, then flowering will come in June. When the active growth of seedlings begins, daylight hours will already increase sufficiently.

If sown in the summer, then geranium flowers can only be seen the next year - 10 months after planting. However, you can sow geranium seeds at any time of the year, but it should be borne in mind that in autumn the daylight hours decrease and the seedlings will need to be illuminated with lamps.

Growing pelargonium from seeds of different varieties.

Flower shops sell a lot of seeds of hybrid pelargoniums of various colors and varieties ...

Very interesting zonal varieties Agrosuccess company:

  • "Stella F1" with beautiful deep pink flowers (with a white spot in the center) and dark velvety leaves with a green border around the edge,
  • "Jacqueline F1" with the same leaves and bright red inflorescences;
  • "Rosita F1" - bright red flowers,
  • "Diana F1" - flowers of bright salmon color,
  • "Snezhana F1" - with snow-white inflorescences, etc.

There are only 4 large seeds in a bag, covered with a dense leathery shell. For pelargonium, this is a normal number, there are 5-6, rarely 10 seeds in a package.

Pelargonium seeds are sown in the second half of February or in March according to all the rules to a depth of 1 cm, moisten and cover with glass. Keep at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. All seeds germinated (at 5-7 days) with an interval of 2-3 days. After germination, you need to rearrange to a cooler and well-lit place.

When sowing pelargonium in peat tablets, the task is greatly simplified!

Flat peat tablets are placed in a tray where it is poured warm water, after which they increase several times, turning into small barrels. The seeds are laid out on the surface of wet peat, slightly pressed into a small depression, for better contact with it ... No need to bury. Cover the top of the tray with polyethylene. They germinate much better when exposed to light.

There were no big problems with them, although they made me worry at first, the geranium seedlings developed together. After the appearance of the second leaves, transplant the pelargonium seedlings into pots. Growing plants directly in peat tablets are planted in individual containers, having previously removed the mesh.

After 2 months, geraniums already look like small strong bushes. At a height of 8-10 cm, the seedlings are pinched. It remains to wait for flowering, which should occur in June. Leaf color usually shows up later.

I also bought geranium (pelargonium) seeds from Aelita's "Palette of Colors" mixture. One bag contains 10 seeds. Pretty good growth!

Sowed pelargonium in a small bowl to a depth of 1 cm, moistened and covered with food film. Sprouts began to appear on the 3rd-5th day, the rest with an interval of 2 days, almost all sprouted. When 2 true leaves appeared, I planted each sprout in small pots.

In care, grown from pelargonium seeds, they are unpretentious, light and moisture-loving, they love top dressing - this makes them bloom better.

In summer, pelargonium feels good in the open field, pleases with large inflorescences, especially if you feed it, we cut it before frost and plant it in pots. Cuttings bloom in 2.5-3 months.

Important points in the care and maintenance of pelargoniums (geraniums) ...

Growing geraniums, as practice shows, is not difficult at all. With certain care at home, pelargonium can bloom almost all year round large flower inflorescences. And if you take it out into the garden in the summer or plant it on the site, then awesome big, juicy, long-flowering and beautifully flowering plants grow.

If the flower grows in the shade of other plants, it will inevitably lead to a lack of flowering. Place it in the brightest spot, out of direct sunlight. Don't forget to pinch the top before the buds appear, for more lush flowering.

Domestic geranium loves to be fed with potash fertilizers - once every 2 weeks, but it does not tolerate organic top dressing, it does not tolerate excess water.

You should also know that geranium blooms better in small pots - a diameter of 8-9 cm. Do not use pots "for growth", they are easy to fill, there is a high risk of weak roots rotting, besides, the seedling will be lost in a larger container.

AT winter period if indoor plant resting, then it should be kept in a cool room with a temperature not higher than 16-18 degrees, for ampelous species, reduce the temperature to 12 degrees, but this will require lighting for about five hours a day, watering very moderately.

Pruning may be needed - an old geranium bush is pruned in early spring and leave only one or two shoots with eyes - this will also stimulate its flowering. Well, we must remember that young geraniums bloom better, so you need to update the plant from time to time.

If pelargonium bushes have been growing all summer on a balcony or garden, bring it back into the house for the winter - just process the flower first and transplant it into a new soil. You can update the plant by cuttings and in winter, with additional lighting, get flowering geraniums in pots.

Pelargonium is a perennial plant that belongs to the Geranium family, which is why it has another common name "geranium". Plant breeding contributed to the emergence of hybrids and varieties with double and single flowers of two-color or one-color color. The shade of pelargonium foliage can be monophonic, variegated and zonal. In the latter case, a brown zone repeating the outline of the leaf is clearly distinguished against the green background of the leaf plate, which gave the common name to this plant variety.

Geranium is now regaining its former popularity, as it is able to bloom profusely for a long period, while maintaining drought and direct sunlight. But as you know, a plant grown from seeds is characterized by increased immunity to external conditions, since it has time to fully adapt to them throughout the entire growth period, and geranium is no exception.

    Show all

    Popular varieties

    There are several of the most popular varieties that have significant differences among themselves. To understand the difference between them, you need to understand what plants from different species groups look like.

    There are six main groups of pelargoniums:

    • zonal;
    • royal;
    • ivy or ampelous;
    • unique;
    • angels;
    • fragrant.

    Zonal pelargoniums

    It is considered the most popular species, which contains about 75 thousand varieties. It is a densely leafy shrub. It is the prototype of a wild culture. New varieties are distinguished by their short stature and compactness, but require timely pinching to give the shape of a bush. It has a long flowering period from June to the end of October, and in the presence of illumination it can bloom all year round.

    Zonal geraniums are divided into three main groups:

    • non-double varieties, the flowers of which consist of 5 petals;
    • semi-double varieties - 6–8 petals;
    • terry varieties - over 8 petals.

    Each of these groups is subdivided into a mass of subgroups with their own characteristics and differences. The most popular of them are:

    • Rosy geraniums. A variety of zonal pelargoniums, the flowers of which resemble roses in shape.
    • Tulip Pelargoniums. The flowers of the plant look like a bud of tulips, which are collected in lush inflorescences. The first mention of the species was at the beginning of the 19th century.
    • Carnation geraniums. The petals of this subgroup are distinguished by a characteristic carved edge resembling a carnation.

    rosaceous geraniums

    Tulip Pelargoniums

    carnation geraniums

    royal geraniums

    They form lush bushes, the diameter of flowers reaches 4–7 cm. They differ in two-tone contrasting shades. Sheet plates have a pointed carved edge. This variety is more demanding for care and requires increased attention from the grower.

    The duration of flowering is 3 months. For the formation of buds, a cool content in winter is required within 10-12 degrees.

    Ivy or ampelous

    This type of leaf shape resembles ivy. The length of the stems, depending on the variety, can vary from 25 to 100 cm. It is used for hanging baskets. Can be grown both outdoors and indoors.

    The leaves have a smooth, shiny surface, which helps them reflect the sun's rays and not overheat. The shape of flowers can be simple, terry and rosebud. It has a long flowering period, the same as the zonal series.

    unique

    It is considered an ancient type of pelargonium, created by crossing royal and brilliant geraniums. The shape of the flowers resembles the royal variety. The leaves are dissected, some varieties have a pleasant smell. Used to decorate the garden.

    The unique bushes form large and spread out, for successful flowering, the length of the stems should not be less than 40–50 cm. They require pinching of the shoots to form the correct shape of the plant.

    Angels

    Obtained by crossing royal and curly geraniums. They form ampelous bushes with falling shoots. Flowers resemble royal varieties, but have a smaller diameter of 1–2 cm.

    They are fast growing but need good light. Angels are more hardy than royal geraniums.

    Fragrant

    Plants of this species are able to exude a pleasant fragrant aroma. The flowers are not particularly decorative, and the leaves are palmately lobed with angular edges. Fragrant pelargoniums form a large loose bush, the length of the shoots of which reaches a meter.

    This type of geranium is grown purely because of the pleasant smell. Depending on the variety, it changes and resembles grapefruit, pineapple, peach, apple, rose, oriental spices, needles and mint.

    Features of growing from seeds

    The seed method of growing pelargoniums makes it possible to obtain plants that will differ in abundant and long flowering. In addition, they will be much more enduring than purchased specimens in the store, as they get used to home conditions as they develop.

    Geranium seeds can be collected independently after flowering or purchased at a specialized store, which guarantees the preservation of the specific qualities of the selected variety.

    Seed preparation

    Geranium seeds are quite large in size, which allows you to initially select high-quality specimens. Their color should be brown with a matte finish. The shape of geranium seeds is oblong, with small longitudinal depressions, the shell is leathery and dense.

    All the small, deformed and flattened geranium seeds that are knocked out of total weight, must be discarded immediately, since their landing will not lead to a positive result.

    Some types of pelargonium, especially ivy, have a long seed germination period, so special treatment is necessary to reduce the waiting time. In this case, experts recommend scarification, which means removing the outer shell of the seed, which will improve the access of nutrients.

    To do this, the seeds must be rubbed with sandpaper or a nail file. 2 hours before sowing, they must be soaked in a solution of "Epin" at the rate of 3 drops per 1 liter of water, which stimulates growth processes and strengthens the immunity of seedlings in the future.

    You can plant geraniums at home all year round, but in order for the bushes to bloom this year, it is necessary to sow in early or mid-January. But for the full development and growth of plants, it will be necessary to carry out illumination in the evening.

    Substrate preparation

    Pelargonium is not very demanding on the soil, so for growing seedlings, you can buy a substrate for seedlings in a specialized store. And you can also prepare it yourself by mixing the components in the following proportion:

    • 1 part sod land;
    • 1 part leafy soil or peat;
    • 1 part river sand;
    • 1 part coconut substrate;
    • 1 part perlite.

    A week before sowing geranium seeds, it is necessary to disinfect the substrate by spilling it with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate (0.2 mg per 1 liter of water). This procedure will help prevent the development of root rot.

    landing tanks

    For planting geraniums, you can use various containers. Which ones to take, each grower chooses based on his preferences.

    When sowing in a common container in the phase of 2-3 true leaves, further transplantation into separate pots will be required. Planting containers should be no more than 5-6 cm deep and have drainage holes to remove excess water.

    But you can use peat tablets for breeding geraniums, which are compressed soil placed in a special mesh. This method helps to develop a strong root system of seedlings and carry out transplantation in the future without any difficulties with minimal stress for the pelargonium.

    Landing algorithm

    Sowing seeds must be carried out in accordance with the rules and step by step performing all the necessary steps. Ignoring the recommendations can lead to the absence of seedlings at all or the death of geranium seedlings in the future. Before planting, the soil must be heated to 21-22 degrees.

    Action algorithm:

    1. 1. Lay drainage on the bottom of the planting tank with a layer of 1 cm.
    2. 2. Fill the containers with the prepared substrate, compact the soil surface from above and pour abundantly with water.
    3. 3. When planting in peat tablets, they must be soaked for 10 minutes in water for nourishment.
    4. 4. Spread the geranium seeds at a distance of 1.5–2 cm from each other and cover with a 0.5 cm layer of substrate.
    5. 5. In peat tablets, the seeds are laid out one at a time, with their deepening by 0.5 cm into the soil.
    6. 6. Moisten the surface of the substrate with a spray bottle.
    7. 7. Cover the containers with a transparent lid, which will create a microclimate inside and improve seed germination.
    8. 8. Remove the containers in a dark place with a temperature of 25 degrees until friendly shoots appear.

    During the entire period of seed germination, it is sometimes necessary to ventilate the containers and remove the collected condensate from the lid. Geranium shoots should appear within 7-14 days, depending on how well the scarification was carried out. When friendly shoots appear, the containers must be rearranged on the windowsill and the temperature of the content should be lowered to 20-22 degrees.

    In the first 2–3 days, daylight hours should be 12–14 hours, so in the evening it is necessary to turn on the backlight. In the future, the duration of illumination can be reduced to 10 hours per day.

    A week after seed germination, it is necessary to adapt them to the external environment. To do this, it is recommended to remove the lid on the first day for 40 minutes, and with each subsequent day - to increase the interval by another 40 minutes. After 7 days of the procedure, the seedlings can be fully opened.

    Picking seedlings

    At the age of 2–3 true leaves, plants need to be transplanted into separate pots with a diameter of 8–9 cm. For planting, it is recommended to use a substrate for flowering plants which is sold in the store.

    At the bottom of the pots, it is necessary to put a layer of drainage of 1 cm, and then pour the substrate and make a recess in it according to the size of the root system of the plant. If the seedlings were originally planted in peat tablets, then they are transplanted along with them, and later the retaining mesh will dissolve itself in the soil. After planting, it is necessary to sprinkle the seedlings with earth at the base and compact the surface, which will eliminate the presence of voids between the roots. Water the plants and put in partial shade for 2 days to recuperate.

    Further care

    As soon as the seedlings have their fifth true leaf, they should be pinched back to help stimulate the growth of side shoots and form a compact bush.

    Geranium will not cause much trouble if you follow all the requirements for care.

    The plant calmly withstands direct sunlight, so east and southeast windows are suitable for it. It is necessary to water as the earthen clod dries, avoiding overflows. Geranium does not need high humidity air, so foliage spraying is not worth it.

    The optimum content temperature is 18–22 degrees in the warm season, and in winter time- 10-15 degrees. During the growing season from February to April, it is necessary to fertilize with fertilizers with a high nitrogen content once every 2 weeks, which stimulates the growth of green mass and side shoots of the bush.

    From the beginning of May to the end of July, the plant needs top dressing with a high content of potassium, which contributes to lush and long flowering.

    As soon as the threat of late spring frosts has passed and the air warms up to 20 degrees, geraniums can be transferred to the street or to the balcony, and also landed in open ground.

    Possible problems

    Pelargonium is a non-capricious plant, but in case of violation of the conditions of its maintenance, some difficulties may arise that will cause the death of the flower. To avoid them, you need to familiarize yourself with them in advance:

    1. 1. Black leg. Attacks geranium seedlings initial stage growth, can completely destroy all shoots. It appears due to excessive soil moisture against the background of cold content, and the cause of the development of the disease is often the thickening of seedlings and excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers. Do not neglect the procedure for disinfecting the soil before planting seeds and, if necessary, remove excess seedlings in a timely manner. For treatment at the first signs of the disease, use the drug "Maxim".
    2. 2. Gray mold. Develops with high humidity. It is necessary to ventilate the room more often and adjust the watering. To combat the disease, spray the plant with Fitosporin.
    3. 3. Elongated bare stems. This symptom indicates a lack of light. It is necessary to rearrange the plant to a well-lit place.
    4. 4. The lower leaves turn yellow and fall off. This indicates a lack of moisture, so the plant sheds foliage to develop the top. Irrigation needs to be adjusted.
    5. 5. Whitefly and aphids. These pests can cause significant harm to pelargonium, so it is necessary to spray the foliage with Actellik or Fitoverm in a timely manner.

    Breeding geraniums from seeds is a fun activity that helps you grow flowers that are fully adapted to the conditions in which they will have to develop in the future.

Pelargonium or geranium perennial, which is usually grown as indoor flower and which is not particularly annoying self-care. Previously, geraniums could be found in almost every house on the windowsill. Now the planting of pelargonium in open ground has become very popular, because on fresh air you can create much more lush flower beds that will look very beautiful and rich. How to grow pelargonium for seedlings, successfully care for it at home, as well as when and how to plant it in open ground, will be discussed in our article.

Naturally, the most common way to propagate pelargonium is to grow it from cuttings.

For details and visual information on how to propagate geraniums with cuttings, see the next video.

Video: propagation of geraniums by cuttings

Now on sale you can find truly a huge number of varieties and hybrids geranium seeds, variety of colors and sizes which can satisfy any desires and needs.

By the way! If you are going to grow geraniums in open ground, then it is better to buy special varieties that have medium-sized, strong and hard leaves, and these are zonal, ivy, etc. geraniums.

When to sow pelargonium seeds for seedlings

Theoretically, you can sow geranium seedlings all year round, but it is more practical to sow pelargonium seeds in the second half of winter, since daylight hours will increase as your seedlings grow.

Thus, the optimal time for sowing pelargonium seeds for seedlings is January-February (maximum - in March), because. it will begin to bloom only after 5-6 months, just in time for summer.

It's worth understanding! For growing in room conditions, if you have the opportunity to illuminate, then, of course, you can sow pelargonium with seeds at any time. But, if you plan to land in open ground, then - in winter or maximum in - early spring.

In principle, you can sow even in November-December, then it will bloom in the spring - in April-May.

Important! If you sow in winter or early spring, then seedlings are a must. illuminate, because She needs 12 hours of daylight.

Video: when and how to sow pelargonium (geranium) seeds

How to sow pelargonium seeds

In order for the growth and development of pelargonium seedlings to go in the right direction, it is necessary to choose the appropriate container, suitable soil and properly prepare the seeds for planting.

Landing capacity selection

Planting containers are selected based on your capabilities and needs, as well as the number of seeds for future seedlings.

If you plan to pick, then you can sow in common containers, for example, in the same plastic containers (5-6 cm high).

If it is more convenient for you to grow without picking, then pelargonium seeds can be immediately sown in individual and relatively deep containers, for example, pots or cups (8-10 cm high). Naturally, they must have drainage holes for draining. excess fluid so that the water does not stagnate.

Important! If you take shallow cassettes, then you will still need to transfer seedlings from them.

If you want your pelargonium to bloom in a pot, then it must be at least 1 liter in volume.

Suitable soil

The soil for growing pelargonium seedlings should be loose and nutritious, as well as neutral in acidity. Therefore, any universal soil for growing flowers is perfect for you, but in general, it is ideal to take a special soil for geraniums.

It is very good if you prepare the substrate yourself, which will consist of soddy soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. Instead of sand, you can use perlite or vermiculite.

Advice! To make the soil loose and soft before sowing, it can be passed through a sieve.

Seed preparation

Many flower growers quite successfully sow their seeds without any treatments, just dry in moist soil. But, in order to increase germination, they should be scarified or soaked.

Pelargonium seeds can be scarified with sandpaper, in other words, slightly damage the shell so that the sprouts can be easily beaten. However, this must be done very carefully, otherwise you will easily spoil your seeds.

And you can just soak in cotton pads in a solution (some are soaked in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution) for 20-30 minutes, besides, it will also disinfect them.

Interesting! Pelargonium seeds are of 3 types - already scarified (i.e., peeled from the hard shell), coated and ordinary. Naturally, the first 2 species do not need to be prepared in any way, they can be sown immediately.

direct sowing

Step-by-step instructions for sowing geranium seeds for seedlings:

  • Fill containers with soil.
  • Make grooves (at a distance of 3-4 cm) or shallow holes (0.5-1 cm).
  • Moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
  • Spread the seeds at a distance of 2-3 centimeters from each other.

Advice! Seeds are easy to spread with a toothpick.

  • Sprinkle grooves or holes with soil.

And you can fall asleep with river sand.

  • Moisten with water from a spray bottle.
  • In order for the seeds to begin to actively germinate, you need to create greenhouse conditions, in other words, achieve a greenhouse effect, which means you should cover the container with cling film or a transparent lid (if you have a food container).
  • Put in a dark and warm place (above +20 degrees, according to some sources - +24-28 degrees).

Video: correct sowing geraniums for seedlings

By the way! There is quite interesting way sowing, which gives earlier and higher germination: after you spread or sprinkle the seeds, they will need to be spilled with boiling water. It's that simple!

And geraniums can be sown in peat tablets.

Video: sowing pelargonium in peat tablets

Geranium seedling care at home

As soon as friendly seedlings appear (scarified seeds germinate already for 3-4 days, like soaked ones, but on average, it is the majority that sprouts after 7-14 days), the shelter must be quickly removed and the planting container rearranged in a well-lit place, but where the temperature is already lower - about + 18-22 degrees during the day and + 16-18 at night.

Further care consists of exceptionally moderate watering when the topsoil dries up using slightly warm settled or filtered water.

Remember! Pelargonium does not like abundant watering and too wet land.

picking

The first picking of geranium seedlings is carried out when it has 2 true leaves. The procedure is quite standard. To do this, you will need individual containers (0.2 cups) filled with peat-based soil mixture (or, again, ready-made soil for pelargoniums), a spoon or other tool that will be convenient for you to carry out the picking procedure - get the seedling from the total container.

Note! When picking pelargonium, it is very important to carefully take a seedling, and always with a clod of earth, so as not to damage the roots of a young plant, in other words, use the transshipment method rather than picks (when the roots are exposed).

Video: picking pelargonium seedlings

In the future, most likely, you will need another transplant into a larger pot (0.5-1 liter), this time exclusively by transshipment.

Important! The day before transshipment, do not forget to shed your seedlings well so that the earthen ball does not crumble when it is moved.

Video: transshipment of geraniums a month and a half after sowing

top dressing

Advice! After picking or transshipment of seedlings, it is advisable to immediately shed the transplanted plants with some special fertilizer for better rooting, for example, you can use "Rooter" or "Kornevin" so that the root system of seedlings takes root better in a new place.

In the initial period of growth, pelargonium seedlings can be fed with nitrogen fertilizers, for example, ammonium nitrate or urea, and then (when the plants already have more than 5-6 true leaves), complex mineral fertilizers such as nitroammophoska can already be used. Also at this time, you can begin to perform foliar feeding (by leaf) with calcium and / or magnesium nitrate.

Pinching

It is not necessary to pinch pelargonium, because many varieties are genetically laid down in such a way that they themselves form beautiful branched bushes.

Advice! However, if you see that the plant is reluctant to branch, then for a more powerful tillering, you can pinch the geranium. over 5-6 true leaf.

When and how to plant geraniums in open ground in a flower bed

Certainly! Everyone is used to the fact that geranium is a home potted crop, but this does not mean that it cannot be grown outdoors.

As for the timing of planting geraniums in open ground, the first thing to do is to monitor the weather - it should already be warm enough during the day, naturally, return spring frosts should pass, which means that pelargoniums should be transplanted into the garden from the second half of May.

Planting pelargonium in open ground is more than just:

  • selected and prepared a place;
  • dug a planting hole more sizes pot;
  • they pulled a seedling out of the pot (and they didn’t forget to shed it before) and put it in a new place of residence;
  • sprinkled with fertile soil on the sides, compacted around the seedling;
  • poured abundantly with water.

As for the place to plant, the plant should not be planted in a place that is too open, otherwise the sun will burn the leaves and the plant will look ugly and feel unwell.

For geraniums, it is optimal to find place in light shade.

However! Pelargonium will bloom most abundantly in a sunnier area.

You also need to plant in those places in the garden where there is no stagnation of groundwater or rainwater.

Video: planting pelargonium in open ground - when, where and how to plant

Outdoor geranium care

Pelargonium tolerates drought well - remains long time green and does not fade, but it also reacts normally to high humidity(rainy weather). However, this does not mean that it does not need to be watered at all. But do it in moderation!

Note! Royal pelargoniums are not very suitable for open ground, because. their flowers deteriorate badly when it rains.

If you want the pelargonium to stand beautiful and bloom continuously, then be sure to get rid of faded flower stalks so that the plant does not waste its strength on seed ripening.

Advice! And for the winter, you can transplant geraniums into pots and bring them home.

Video: transplanting geraniums in the fall from the garden and further care

In order for positivity to be observed in the growth and development of pelargonium seedlings, it is required from the very beginning to choose the right planting capacity, suitable soil, correctly prepare and sow the seeds and take care of them responsibly at home. Seriously approaching the planting of flower seedlings in open ground, you are guaranteed to achieve its beautiful flowering.

In contact with