How to plant geraniums at home correctly: when and why is this procedure needed, instructions, and how to share cuttings

Introduction There are many beautiful flowers in the world. They attract the eye.

You can not pass by and not admire the charm of thermophilic geraniums. With proper care, it pleases with an abundance of buds in the garden in the summer and on the windowsill in the winter. There are two common ways of propagating it: dividing the bush and cuttings. Beginner flower growers also cope with reproduction, but the result will depend on whether the unspoken rules of planting follow or not.

In this article, we will consider in detail how and where to plant geraniums and many interesting things.

What is this plant?

Already in the 19th century, pelargonium was a popular plant. She was decorated with windows in the mansions of influential gentlemen and ordinary houses of peasants. Today she is the favorite of mothers and grandmothers, a real retro flower. They fell in love with her because she blossoms brightly and magnificent.

If you do not put the pot with it on the windowsill and keep it in the shade in the garden, the geranium will bloom with bright buds and protect gardeners from nasty mosquitoes and other insect pests, as they thin the nasty smell. Many flower growers propagate the plant by cuttings or by dividing the bush, so that there are more "protectors" from insects. The type and variety of geraniums affects the transplant procedure.

Important! Zone geranium gives roots in a glass of water, and royal does not.

When and why is a procedure required?

Pelargonium is a beautiful plant that does not require specific care. You can transplant it at any time of the year, without fear that the seedlings will not take. Florists with experience believe that it is still better to transplant it in the spring months (March, April, May).

In the winter months, geraniums are at rest (how to care for home geraniums in winter and whether it is possible to transfer a garden flower to the basement can be found here). Transplanting it, they do not count on rapid growth, since all processes will slow down.
In summer, they do not transplant it at all, since it blooms, and all the forces go to the emergence of new wooded buds.

If you bought geranium in a store in the spring, transplant it immediately. Transportation store soil will destroy it, and even if there were flowers, they will quickly fade and crumble. In this case, a geranium transplant is required, as the new culture will still adapt to temperature changes, changing lighting. Adaptation to new living conditions takes from 2 weeks to a month.

If pelargonium was presented in the winter, do not touch it until spring. Otherwise, she may not endure the "test" and die.

Detailed step-by-step instructions for the process at home

How to plant geraniums at home? Before planting geraniums, prepare the necessary tools and equipment.

Watering can with warm water.
Expanded clay soil.
Ceramic pot.
Scissors.

If you decide to use not a new pot, but an old one, soak it in bleach for a day to disinfect. Immediately prior to transplantation, it is advisable to boil it, rinse with running water and dry. Only then can one proceed with direct seating.

Carefully prepare the pot for planting (on how to pick up and which pot you need for geraniums, read here). They pierce it if it is new. Only after that they put a crumb of brick, expanded clay or pieces of polystyrene on the bottom. Crushed stone, fragments of broken dishes, and gravel are also suitable for drainage. The optimal drainage thickness is 10-20 mm.
If the plant is simply transplanted, water it, and then wait until the water is absorbed. Pre-watering simplifies the process of removing roots with an earthen lump. Just turn the pot upside down, holding the geranium by the trunk at the base. Hold the container with the other hand, and pelargonium is gradually pulled out of it. Sometimes they tap the bottom of the palm of the hand to facilitate removal.
Without inspection of the root system, the flower cannot be transferred to a new pot. The root is often rotted or damaged when removed. If you notice traces of rot, carefully cut off damaged areas with scissors, having previously sanitized them.
Put the rhizome in a new pot, and the voids are filled with new soil, slightly compacting it. The soil is not laid to the edge, leaving 2-3 cm to it, so that the water does not overflow when watering.
After watering, geraniums are cleaned in partial shade for 7 daysand then put the pot on the windowsill.

Professional flower growers do not propagate geranium seed way. They just know that the bush grown in this way will be significantly different from the parent. They use this method when it is necessary to obtain new varieties during breeding work.

When seed propagation take into account:

Seeding time.
Germination time depends on t soil.
The quality of the substrate.
Care.
Pick

Seeds are sown in sifted and light soil, formed from a mixture of sand, peat, turf (1: 1: 2). Before placing them in it, the substrate is disinfected. The optimal distance between seedlings is 50 mm, and they are deepened by no more than 5 mm. After sowing, the pot is covered with cellophane or glass and cleaned in a dark place.

Only after the first seedlings appear, the glass is removed and the container is put on the balcony, where it is cool. Due to the abundance of heat emanating from the sun's rays, a black leg will develop, which can be disposed of by irrigation with potassium permanganate. After 2 weeks, the plant is dived, and after 1.5 months, transplanted to a permanent place.

Bush division

The division of the bush is a method of reproduction, which is recommended for cases when the geranium is already large. It is complex, and preparations for it begin in advance. A day before the transplant, a plentiful policy is provided, so that subsequently it is easy to take out shoots with roots and divide them into the desired number of parts. They do everything carefully so that the root system does not suffer. Separation is carried out a couple of hours after watering, and the next day shoots are placed in new pots.

Attention! The soil that is poured into the pot when transplanting geraniums must be nutritious. It is recommended to use a mixture of peat, sand, land from the garden garden. Good drainage is a way to reduce the risk of root decay.

Read more about how the soil composition for room geranium should be and whether universal soil is suitable, read in our material.

Cherenkov method

Cuttings are another way of plant propagation. Some gardeners are sure that the best time to transplant in this way is spring, when the geranium woke up from hibernation and all life processes were activated.

Others recommend replanting it in the fall - end of August - beginning of September. They believe that only at this time will the cuttings be strong and good. It is better to act as the second flower growers advise. Otherwise, the flowering period will shift due to transplantation.

Choose healthy and strong cuttings. The length of the shoot depends on the size of the mother plant. The optimal stem length is 70-150 cm.
Cut the shoot just below the knot using a knife or blade.
Cut the bottom leaves, leaving 2-3 on top. Large leaves are cut in half to prevent problems with the formation of a new root system.
Immerse the cuttings in a solution of phytohormones or in a stimulator of root formation.
Make a recess in a pot of soil and plant a shoot in it.

Sometimes immediately after cutting the cuttings do not plant them in a pot. The appearance of the roots is expected after being placed in a glass of water. To speed up this process and protect the escape from disease, crushed coal is added to the water. Only after the roots appear do they move the stalk into a pot of soil. This is by no means the case when propagating the royal pelargonium.

After transplanting a flower into a pot, do not forget about watering. It should be timely. Otherwise, when the cells lose moisture, the roots will stop developing and the geranium dies. Professionals prevent moisture loss by transplanting pelargonium into cellophane with light soil.

Watch the video "How to plant geranium cuttings":

Transplanted Flower Care

If you transplant geranium into a nutrient mixture, there is no need to feed with organic substances for 2-3 months (about what is better to feed and when to use fertilizers for geraniums, read here, and from this material you will learn how to use iodine correctly with hydrogen peroxide to feed the plant). Why? Because everything she needs for normal growth she will receive during transplantation. The flower grower should only water the bush in a timely manner so that the plant does not suffer from drying out of the soil.

Reference! Also monitor the lighting and temperature readings. As soon as new leaves appear, and the stalk grows a little, pinch it.

Read more about how to pinch geranium correctly so that it is healthy and blooms beautifully, read here, and from this article you will learn about why the plant needs to be cut and how to do it correctly.

Conclusion

Why is transplanted and propagated geranium? The younger the bush, the more attractive it looks, blooms better and takes up less space on the windowsill. If the pelargonium is old, it will rejuvenate reproduction by cuttings or dividing the bush. During the procedure, it is enough to leave a few buds on the old stems. If you transplant the stalk in the fall, they will enjoy plentiful flowering next summer.