Pelargonium is the same geranium known to everyone. That is why some people breed pelargonium at home, not even knowing what it really is. From Greek, the name of the flower is translated as "crane". It became popular in England in the 19th century and has since spread to other parts of the world. Geranium is graceful and beautiful, and caring for it is as simple as possible even for inexperienced flower growers. Another of its features is a pronounced smell due to the high content of essential oils. For the same reason, pelargonium is often used in folk medicine. In the country, she allows you to get rid of some garden pests with her mere presence.
General characteristics
Pelargonium is a perennial herbaceous plant that belongs to the Geranium family. Sometimes there are semi-shrub varieties. Due to the diversity of species, it is almost impossible to single out common features characteristic of all representatives. The stems can be creeping, straight or branched, the leaves - simple, dissected or palmate, flowers in umbrella inflorescences - of any size, shape and shade.
Pelargonium comes from South Africa, so it breeds well in greenhouses, loves the sun and copes with the lack of moisture. For the same reason, it will not survive the cold winter outdoors. For propagation, cuttings and seeds are used.
Geranium essential oil is made from the leaves of pelargonium. The root extract is used for the manufacture of medicines, in particular, for the treatment of infectious diseases. Some varieties are toxic to pollinating insects due to the presence of quisgalic acid in the composition.
Pelargonium is a universal plant that is planted on the site, in flower beds and in the house.
Types of pelargonium
In nature, there are many types of pelargonium, which makes it impossible to create a single and universal classification. Most often, six main categories are distinguished: zonal, ivy, fragrant, royal, unique and angelic pelargoniums. They differ in appearance, habitat and living conditions.
Zonal pelargoniums
This is the most common species, which has tens of thousands of varieties. It owes its name to a certain leaf color: in the center there is an area painted in a different color. Sometimes this zone disappears with a lack of lighting, and in the spring it reappears.
Zonal pelargonium is a straight dense bush with pubescent fragrant leaves. In culture, it has been grown for more than three centuries. All varieties are divided into 5-petal non-double, 6-8-petal semi-double and 8-petal terry.
The most famous and largest subgroups are rosaceous, tulip-shaped, clove-shaped, star-shaped, cacti-shaped and "deacons".
Ivy Pelargoniums
They are distinguished by creeping or hanging long shoots up to a meter. Such varieties are used to cover the soil, when decorating balconies and loggias. Flowers are of any shape and shade, but the leaves are smooth and reminiscent of ivy, mostly dense and hard.
Fragrant Pelargoniums
This is a group of varieties known for their aromas. Most often they are rather inconspicuous in appearance, with small pink or white flowers and uneven palmately lobed leaves. Bushes are loose and branched. Such geraniums are grown not for decoration, but for smell. The leaves can smell like fruits, berries, other herbs, and even complex perfumes.
Royal Pelargoniums
These are powerful bushes up to 50 cm tall. Their feature is large flowers with corrugated or fringed edges. Coloring is heterogeneous due to veins and spotting. The leaves are broad and serrated, resembling maple leaves. Unlike the zonal, which can bloom all year round, the flowering of royal pelargoniums is limited to 3-4 months.
unique
This is one of the oldest groups, which has been cultivated since the middle of the 18th century. It was bred by crossing royal and brilliant geraniums. Flowers resemble royal ones, but they are smaller in diameter. Dissected leaves have a pronounced smell. "Uniques" were especially popular in flower gardens during the Victorian era.
An unusual variety was brought out by the English florist Langley Smith, who crossed the royal and curly pelargoniums. New species subsequently appeared due to crosses within the group itself.
"Angels" are distinguished by small flowers, leaves and ampelous bushes. Such varieties are less demanding than royal geraniums, but they need more light.
Pelargonium is one of the most unpretentious ornamental plants. But in order for it to bloom beautifully and brightly, you still have to take care of proper care.
In the house, geraniums are placed on a sunny windowsill. Ideally - with a midday shadow so that it does not fade. She loves the light and the south side, but disgustingly endures the wind and drafts. The first signal of a lack of lighting is the gradual exposure of the stem.
The optimum temperature is above + 12C, otherwise the flower will not bloom. If the plant is too cold, the edges of the leaves change color. Most often this occurs in winter. Then it is better to remove the flowerpot from the window.
Watering is moderate. Due to excess moisture, pelargonium withers and rots, its root system is damaged. It is almost impossible to save such a plant, except to propagate the remaining healthy branches.
In order for the geranium to bush well, in the fall it is cut off and a squat crown is formed. You can do this in early spring, but then cut off only the tips of the longest shoots.
For the summer, geraniums can be planted in open ground. Then propagate the plant in the pre-winter, and in the spring just transplant it into the soil. With the onset of frost, geraniums need to be transplanted back into pots to save.
Transplantation and propagation of pelargonium
The beautiful appearance of pelargonium and its regular flowering depends not only on watering and top dressing, but also on regular pruning. At the same time, a new plant can be grown from the resulting cuttings.
It is recommended to carry out cuttings no more than once every two years, so that the geranium has time to grow and develop. If the bush is small and weak - then once every three years. Cuttings are cut at any time, including winter. If you do this in early spring, you can already see the first flowers in summer.
Spring is ideal for reproduction also because at this time all processes of growth and development are especially intense, which means that the cutting takes root faster and stronger. But this is only a recommendation, not a mandatory rule. Pelargonium tolerates cuttings well in any season. Unless you can admire the first results next year.
For propagation of pelargonium by cuttings, the following nuances must be taken into account:
- For dwarf varieties, the length of the handle is up to 2.5 cm, for ordinary varieties - 5 cm;
- You can root shoots in water or in the ground. For reliability, use special tools to improve rooting, which are used to process sections, but this is not necessary;
- For planting, you will need pots with pallets, suitable soil mixture and sand;
- Choose a top with three or more leaves;
- It is better not to cut branches with buds that have started. If there are buds, it is advisable to remove them so that they do not pull resources onto themselves. A young plant will still not allow them to open;
- Cut the layering only with a sharply sharpened knife at a right angle. Cut cuttings need to be dried for several hours so that the cut is tightened with a film. In the future, this will protect against decay;
- Cuttings are planted in drained pots with holes. About a third of the sand is added to the soil;
- To disinfect the soil, it is enough to treat it with boiling water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
- The cuttings go deep into the ground by several centimeters. The earth needs to be slightly compacted so that the shoots do not fall;
- Keep the pots in the shade for the first few days, but by the end of the week they can be moved to the sun and watered abundantly. Pour water not into the ground, but into the pan;
- Try not to wet the leaves of the pelargonium. Because of this, they can become stained or even rot;
- The average duration of the rooting process of shoots is 2-6 weeks, depending on the geranium variety;
- If you chose to root the cuttings in water, put them in pre-settled water. You can transplant the stems when the roots grow more than 2.5 cm. Plant the pelargonium as delicately as possible so as not to damage the rhizome.
Pest and disease control
The most common disease of pelargonium is root collar rot. This can only be prevented by careful control of watering and soil moisture.
If a grayish mold appears on the leaves, you can still save the plant. Stop watering, remove damaged fragments and dry the soil. Treat the geranium with an anti-fungal agent and leave it in the sun.
Pelargonium (geranium) - photo
We have selected for you the best selection of photos to understand what pelargonium looks like and what are its features. See, compare and choose new favorites for your home green space or garden seedlings!
In every house today, geraniums flaunt on the windowsill. And she won trust and reverence not only because of the colorful inflorescences and peculiar carved leaves. All types of geraniums are very unpretentious and do not require a kind of thorough care, which in our time of hustle and bustle is the most important criterion, unless, of course, you have a royal castle with servants who would take care of the flower garden for a fee.
plant description
In most cases, the types of indoor geraniums that decorate and complement the interior decoration are hybrid. These are the fruits of the labors of generations of breeders. Initially, the varieties taken for crossing were relatively inconspicuous and resembled bushy plants of small stature (up to 40 cm) with inflorescences consisting of one or several dozen small nondescript flowers. Some field herbaceous species even bloom with individual flowers.
The bred varieties in their structure - branching of the bush, size, unpretentiousness and other characteristics are not far from their wild ancestors and differ, most often, only in the splendor of the inflorescences and the flowers themselves, which have become much more attractive.
For all varieties of geraniums:
- The stems are straight, with untimely pruning - creeping, branching.
- The leaves are simple, are palmate or palmately dissected.
- The inflorescences are lush, spherical, consisting of many small flowers of various colors and shades. But there are varieties with inflorescences consisting of only a few flowers (usually larger and brighter).
- The fruits in all cases are identical and are a box, which eventually opens and breaks up into several seeds, easily moving through the air with the help of their “fluffy, akin to a dandelion seed, hair”.
Varieties with names
Currently, breeders have bred a huge number of hybrid varieties of geraniums, which, in turn, are part of the main species. Next, we will dwell on the most common of them.
Zonal pelargonium
If you take all varieties of geraniums for 100%, then in 50% of cases it is zonal varieties of geraniums that appear on your windowsills. Regardless of the name and colors, they are all the most unpretentious of their family. They are picky about changing conditions, endure the transplant and quickly move away from it.
Despite the huge number of varieties of zonal pelargoniums bred, they all have similar distinctive features. Their leaves are round, slightly wavy along the edges, their edge often gives off a dark red tint. Inflorescences are round, spherical, but not always converging downwards. They consist, in most cases, of their flowers with five petals. Although the flowers of semi-double and double varieties have 6, 8 or more petals.
If all conditions are created for the plant, a well-lit place with partial shading is chosen, timely feeding and pruning is performed, it can bloom all year round. There are no restrictions on the colors of zonal varieties of pelargoniums. They can be either plain, or speckled, and stroked, and darkened towards the center or outer edges of the petals.
Tulip geranium
This variety is also included in the category of zonal. The name of the geranium was chosen based on the fact that the flowers from which the pelargonium inflorescences are formed look very much like not fully opened tulip flowers, only in much smaller proportions. In terms of the structure of the bush, leaves and sizes from 20 to 40 cm, they are similar to the rest of the zonal pelargoniums. The most popular varieties are Patricia Andrea, which blooms with deep pink inflorescences and is distinguished by fine green foliage, Red Pandora, whose inflorescences are red, and the foliage has reddish veins.
garden geranium
Another representative of pelargonium, excellent for outdoor cultivation. It cannot boast of a special abundance of flowering, but with the correct formation of the crown, bushes that are quite brilliant in aesthetics grow out of it. Garden geranium has a large number of varieties. Its most famous varieties are meadow, blood red and magnificent. Some varieties can grow up to 60-70 cm.
Geranium meadow
One of the natural species common in temperate forest zones. The inflorescences of such geraniums are rare, the flowers are five-petalled, mostly blue or purple. Leaves are carved. It is almost never used for landscaping or decorative purposes. The second name is the crane.
blood red geranium
If someone thought that this variety owes its name to red flowers, he is mistaken. With the advent of autumn, its foliage turns red, and this was the reason for such a name. Five-petal, often double, flowers can be of any color. On the bush during the flowering period (July - August), they are relatively rare, they do not gather in inflorescences, but in general, at the height of flowering, the bush looks very photogenic. It grows well in the wild, often used to decorate landscapes.
Geranium is magnificent
Another representative of garden varieties. This one is more prolific for flowers. During the flowering period in the second half of summer, the bushes are completely covered with blue five-petal flowers. It also differs in that in autumn the foliage acquires an orange tint. The bush, with proper care, reaches half a meter in height. With the correct formation of the bush, due to the juicy and dense foliage, such a geranium will look great both before and after the flowering period.
Ivy geranium
The leaves of this variety have a sharp five-pointed shape, like that of ivy. These varieties feel great both at home on the windowsill and in the backyard. Popular varieties of this variety, in most cases, bloom with double flowers, collected in small spherical inflorescences.
Geranium rosebud
Varieties of this variety are distinguished precisely by magnificent flowers collected in a spherical inflorescence. Each flower resembles an open rosebud in appearance (hence the name), and the inflorescence as a whole resembles a whole bunch of miniature roses. The bush has foliage of a rich bright green color. It is indoor and is great for growing on trunks. On a long stem-stem, a bouquet of geranium roses looks most impressive.
Pelargonium angel
Despite the fact that the relatively large flowers of angel pelargonium do not gather into pronounced heaped inflorescences, due to their size and truly angelic two-tone coloring, the plant looks very delicious. Most often there are varieties with purple flowers, but there are also white, red, purple angelic pelargoniums. The trick of the variety is that the darker colors in the color of the flower itself smoothly and gently turn into lighter ones. The plant is low, only 25-30 cm, provides for indoor breeding.
Pelargonium unique
This variety is distinguished by a truly unique flower structure, in which its five petals are disproportionate in everything - both in size, in structure, and in color. Non-standard-looking flowers are collected in small spherical inflorescences and, in general, the plant looks very impressive during the flowering period. As a rule, a pair of upper petals of each unique pelargonium flower is always longer than the lower three. And those, in turn, in some varieties are divided into several more each. Thus, the flower turns out to be so extravagant and unlike ordinary geraniums that it deserved such a forest name - "Unicum". You can't call it otherwise.
fragrant geranium
A distinctive feature of this type of pelargonium is not peculiar flowers, but the ability of the plant to exude aroma. Since the first fragrant pelargonium was brought to Europe in the last century, breeders have bred a lot of all kinds of varieties. In the process of painstaking work, they achieved that geraniums acquired the ability to emit the smells of apple, cinnamon, lemon, rose, nutmeg and even pine needles.
lemon pelargonium
It belongs to the fragrant varieties and is the ancestor of the "fragrant" selection. It blooms in inconspicuous rare inflorescences of small pink-purple flowers. The basis of its decorativeness and attractiveness is foliage smelling of lemon, which itself, with good care, grows into a lush bush of carved fluffy, deeply dissected lobed leaves.
royal geranium
The title doesn't disappoint. This is the most spectacular variety of pelargonium. Relatively large for geraniums, multi-colored (two-color) flowers of this variety are collected in lush inflorescences, although not numerous, but from the large size of the flowers. The size of the flowers of some royal varieties reaches 10 cm. It is one of the picky varieties to care for. At the slightest non-compliance with the temperature regime, lighting or watering regime, it can immediately reset the color.
Conclusion
This is far from even a hundredth of all varieties bred by craftsmen-breeders. Considering that there are more than 400 natural varieties of pelargonium alone, what can we say about hybrids? There are thousands of them. But if you decide to propagate a hybrid variety, remember that this will not work with seeds. The plant will lose all its hybrid features, developing into a nondescript geranium. Therefore, it is worth breeding such plants only by dividing the bush (if the constitution of the plant allows it) or by cuttings.
And there will be geranium happiness in your apartment!
There are about 300 species. Homeland - South Africa. Indoor geranium combines all plants of the species grown at home. These include the African geranium, called Pelargonium.
Geranium room: description
All room geraniums can be divided into two groups:
- Flowering, characterized by beautiful flowers.
- Fragrant, with inconspicuous flowers and fragrant leaves.
The geranium root is often branched, in some species it is taproot. The stem can be erect or creeping (in ampelous plants). The leaves are dissected or in the form of a blade, less often pinnate, covered with small thin hairs. The coloring can be monophonic, zonal, colors - green of different intensity, with a grayish, red or blue tint. All of them have long petioles.
Flowers are collected in inflorescences of the brush, each of them consists of 5 or more rounded petals of red, pink, purple, white. In some varieties, they are marked with bright contrasting spots.
Geranium blooms almost all year round.
To do this, she needs to provide enough light and nutrients. Fruit-boxes are formed from flowers. To many, they resemble the shape of a crane's beak. The plant owes this similarity to several folk names that have taken root in different countries: “crane”, “stork nose”. Inside the fruit are quite large seeds.
The most popular and beautiful types of room geraniums:
- The most common is zonal geranium (bordered, kalachik). It has 70 thousand varieties. The leaves are entire, with dark concentric circles of varying intensity. The stem is erect, with improper formation it grows up to 1 m in height. The flowers are bright, pink or white, simple, semi-double or double in shape.
- Ivy differs from the zonal shape of the stem. Long lashes, decorated with smooth leaves, hang down. The flower is set in hanging flowerpots.
- grows up to half a meter. The leaves are plain or with stripes, dark spots. The flowers are large, simple or double in shape, monophonic, of various colors, with colored spots, veins, borders. Another name is English grandiflora.
- may have smells of lemon, pine needles, lemon balm, ginger, pineapple and other plants. The Strong-smelling variety has the aroma of a rose, the Fragrant - an apple. Some scents are not very pleasant. Flowers inconspicuous, pink or purple. The bush needs to be pinched regularly so that it has a beautiful shape. It is used to make aromatic oils.
- Geranium Angel with flowers similar to. The bush is ampelous, the lashes are shorter than those of the ivy, covered with inflorescences with a large number of flowers.
Unicum hybrids have strongly dissected, very fragrant leaves. The flowers are large and beautiful, but smaller than those of the Royal. Miniature and dwarf do not require pruning. Bloom profusely.
According to the shape of the flower, several groups of zonal geraniums can be distinguished:
- Rosaceous with rose-like flowers.
- Cactus-shaped with petals twisted in the shape of a cone.
- Star-shaped with pointed petals.
- A group of carnations stands out with petals serrated along the edges.
- Succulents are a special kind of geranium. The stems of plants are intricately curved. Some varieties have thorns.
reproduction
Indoor geranium is propagated:
- Seeds, but this method does not always guarantee the repetition of the maternal properties of hybrids.
- cuttings.
Seeds are sown in soil prepared from equal parts of peat, sand and a double portion of soddy soil. The main part of the soil mixture is placed in a bowl, at the bottom of which there is a layer of drainage. The seeds are sown on the surface at a distance of 2 cm from each other, then the remaining earth is covered with a thin layer. Moisturize with a spray bottle.
Cover the dishes with glass or film, set in heat (temperature about 20 ° C). Every day they ventilate, removing the glass and shaking off the drops from it. When the first seeds germinate, remove the shelter, lower the temperature (can be installed on the windowsill, where it is lower than in the rest of the room).
The next 2 months, the seedlings are watered, waiting until it has 2 true leaves. The plants are planted in separate pots of small diameter. To get a beautifully shaped plant, pinch the top after 6 leaves. When sowing seeds collected with one's own hand, they are first scarified. To do this, you can grind them with sandpaper.
They take a stalk, keep it in the air for several hours to graft. Planted in a container with loose earth or coarse sand. They don't cover. When the cutting takes root, it can be transplanted into another pot.
More often, cuttings are rooted in a different way. Cut off the lower leaves, place the cutting in a glass of water and wait until the roots form. Then planted in a pot.
Landing
The soil for growing room geraniums is not very fertile. Otherwise, the plant will have many leaves, but few flowers. A geranium pot should have enough holes to drain excess moisture. A layer of drainage is laid on the bottom of the dishes: expanded clay, pebbles, polystyrene.
Water as the soil dries out. In winter, they spend a couple of times a month in a cool room. If the plant is in a warm room, moisten more often. Plants that were planted in open ground are hidden in the house at the beginning of autumn. They don't take transplant well. unable to hold a large amount of soil, so the roots are exposed.
To make the geranium easier to transplant, the branches are cut, limiting their height.
Cut tops can be used for propagation. For the winter, a stem is left on which no more than 7 leaves grow. Remove shoots growing from the leaf axils. Leave those that grow from the root. Break off the shoots after every 5 leaves. Geraniums are not pruned in December and early January. Anti-aging pruning is carried out, leaving 5 buds per shoot.
Growing conditions
- unpretentious plant. But often she dies due to care errors. Usually this:
- Too low temperature. Optimum from 15 to 20 degrees. If it is below 10°C, the plant disappears.
- Excess moisture and poor drainage in the pot. This is manifested by yellowing and wilting of the leaves. The root system rots and the plant dies.
- The lack of moisture is manifested by the fact that the leaves turn yellow and dry around the edges.
- With insufficient light, the leaves grow small, with long petioles, some of them fall off. The plant stretches up, has a pale appearance. It is better to install a flower on the southern windows. Cover from the sun only on very hot days.
- Geranium needs constant bush formation. In order for it to be branchy, pinch the shoots. If you do not plan to collect geranium seeds, brushes are removed after flowering. This will improve the appearance of the plant and allow other buds to develop faster.
- The size of the pot matters. If the dishes are too wide, the plant will bloom poorly.
- Geraniums are transplanted when the roots of the plant begin to break through the drainage holes. If not transplanted in time, the leaves will begin to turn yellow and fall off.
houseplant care
Heroine Care Tips:
- The main thing for caring for geraniums is not to fill it with water. It tolerates excess moisture much worse than drought. Room geranium leaves are not sprayed with water. Drops of moisture can remain between the villi, creating conditions for the development of fungal diseases.
- Geranium easily tolerates high temperatures.
- Sometimes, with insufficient lighting in the room, geraniums are illuminated with fluorescent garden lamps. This leads to the active formation of buds.
- Fertilizers are applied throughout the growing season. A good result is the use of liquid top dressing. Geranium reacts positively to iodine. A drop of iodine is dissolved in a liter of water. Mix thoroughly and water the plant. This must be done so that the solution does not get on the roots. Therefore, pour it on the walls of the dishes. The plant after such top dressing will actively bloom. You can use any with phosphorus. Organic do not contribute.
- The dried soil is periodically loosened to provide air access to the roots. Use an old fork or wooden stick for this.
- Geranium care includes pest control. and ticks are destroyed by treating the lower part of the leaves with an infusion of tobacco with laundry soap. Wash off with clean water after a few hours. Fighting the whitefly is more difficult. It is more expedient to immediately start using insecticides such as "Confidor".
- If brown spots form on geranium leaves, this is a sign of a fungal disease - rust. To combat it, they spray it with Fitosporin. Increased soil moisture causes damage to root rot, the ingress of water drops during irrigation - gray rot.
used for landscaping. But in the spring, when the threat of return frosts has passed, it is better to plant it in a flower bed. All summer it will delight with lush flowering.
Geranium leaves are used in salads or for baking. Used as a condiment. This largely depends on the variety of geranium and the personal preferences of the owner. Geranium leaves are used to scent clothes in wardrobes.
Application in medicine:
- Phytoncides secreted by the leaves are able to kill microorganisms that lead to various diseases. Therefore, an infusion of leaves and a decoction of roots are used to treat purulent wounds, diseases of the throat, and the gastrointestinal tract. Some types of geraniums have additional healing properties.
- The smell of geranium has a tonic and calming effect on the human nervous system. It helps to relieve tension after a working day, improves sleep. Therefore, oils with various aromas are made from the leaves.
- Geranium is especially useful for patients with cardiovascular diseases. Its aroma improves the condition of patients with sinus arrhythmia, ischemic disease, and normalizes blood circulation in the vessels.
More information can be found in the video:
Which grow all over the world, including in tropical countries. If you translate the word "geranium" from Greek, it will mean "crane". This is due to the shape of the fruits of the plant, which are remotely similar to the beak of a crane.
The flower was brought to Europe from the African continent in the 17th century. European aristocrats especially liked the bright and lush plant. Subsequently, geranium spread to other classes. This plant was brought to Russia only in the 18th century.
What is this flower and its difference from garden
The difference between these geraniums lies, for example, in flowering. Home flower has a more lush and varied flowering than than .
Indoor geranium, unlike garden geranium, hardly adapts to the cold, so it is very important to warm the flower in winter. For the summer, the flower can be taken out into the street and even transplanted into a flower bed, but with the onset of cold weather, the plant is transferred to the room.
Popular species and varieties: their name and photo
There are many varieties of indoor geraniums, let's look at how the plants look in the photo and give a brief description of each name.
undersized
It is also called dwarf, or bush, for small size. The stem grows up to 60 cm. The inflorescences are located on the tops of the shoots in the form of umbrellas.
This variety blooms profusely from early spring to mid-winter. The color of the flowers is different: yellow, red, pink, white, etc.
Therapeutic
It is not as beautiful as other ornamental varieties of this plant. And the purpose of growing medicinal geraniums is different. Therefore, the main emphasis is on building up the green mass of the shrub.
Blue
The flower pleases with its bluish tint. The most popular varieties of this species include "Johnson's Blue" and "Himalayan".
The photo shows a variety of geranium "Johnson's Blue": 
Below is the Himalayan geranium:
Zonal
This species blooms with lush flowers and is the most popular among flower growers. Almost all varieties of this species have a main stem from which refrain leaves emerge. The leaves themselves have a small fluff on their surface and thin out a peculiar smell.
Subspecies are divided according to the leaf part. So, they are terry, semi-double and ordinary. The shape of the flowers are divided as follows:
- Tulip. In the form of closed tulips.
- Rosebuds, geranium flowers resemble the buds of unopened roses.
- Cactus, their petals are twisted, like a chrysanthemum.
- Star-shaped, shaped like a star.
Fragrant
Fragrant geranium spreads a pleasant peculiar smell throughout the room. This species was popular in the last century, when it was not beautiful flowers that were valued, but the attractive aroma of plants. They performed the role of deodorizing the room. And today, this kind of hybrids and varieties are popular.
Fragrant geranium does not stand out for its beautiful blooms or attractive appearance. Many grow it specifically for flavoring rooms and as an additive to dishes. Some housewives put the leaves of this flower in closets with clothes, bedding, etc.
Reference. The scents of fruits, roses, mint, pine needles and carrots come from fragrant geranium leaves.
Read about the features of growing fragrant geranium, and its medicinal properties, use and contraindications are described.
Royal
The royal variety was bred by breeders in the process of interspecific hybridization. The flowers of the plant are large, reach 7 cm in volume. But not only the sizes of semi-double corollas differ from other varieties.
Its feature is also the variety of colors. Its petals have spots of contrasting color, which appear as specks or veins.
Reference. Royal geranium can be capricious in care. It blooms much less than other geraniums - about 4 months. It will be possible to admire flowers only 2 years after planting the plant.
Where and how to plant?
- For a flower, too fertile land is not required. Otherwise, the plant will produce many leaves and few flowers.
- A container intended for geraniums must have a sufficient number of holes so that air can circulate freely there and excess moisture can be drained.
- A layer of drainage is laid at the bottom. It consists of expanded clay, pebbles and foam.
- Watering is carried out as the soil dries. In winter, it is generally required only twice a month.
- The pot is installed on a lighted window sill, otherwise the plant will quickly die or stretch out and take on an ugly shape due to a lack of light. Therefore, usually a pot with a plant is placed on the south side. Only on too hot days shading may be needed.
Lighting and location
If there is enough lighting, then the flowering of the geranium will be plentiful. You need to choose the south side to install the pot. Only in this case the plant will bloom for a long time.
Soil Requirements
For top dressing, you can use a solution with the addition of iodine. To do this, a drop of iodine dissolves in one liter of water. Then the plant should be watered. But at the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the solution does not get on the roots, so watering is carried out along the walls of the pot. Experienced gardeners say that after such feeding, the flower blooms well.
Important! Useful will be complex mineral fertilizers, which include phosphorus. Organic fertilizers for geraniums are not used.
How to ensure proper care?
When caring for indoor geraniums, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Geraniums should not be flooded, since the plant tolerates excess moisture much worse than drought. Indoor geranium is not sprayed with water. Drops of moisture, falling on the leaves, get stuck between their villi, and a favorable environment is created for the reproduction of bacteria.
- No need to worry about the flower in the hot season, the plant easily tolerates high temperatures.
- If there is not enough lighting, then artificial daylight lamps should be used, so the buds will form more actively.
- Dried soil is regularly loosened to ensure the flow of moisture and oxygen to the root system. You can use an old fork or wooden stick.
Common diseases and pests
It is also necessary to inspect the plant for pests. If aphids or mites are found, it is necessary to treat the lower part of the flower with tobacco mixed with a soap solution.
Wash off with warm water after a few hours. But the whitefly is not so easy to destroy, you immediately need to use insecticides, like "Confidor".
Of the most common geranium diseases, a fungus or virus is the most common.
Fungal diseases include:
- blackleg;
- rot;
- leaf rust.
They are treated with various solutions, which include fungicides. Sometimes you can notice that the leaves of the flower began to turn yellow, after which they dry out and fall off.
Often the reason lies in improper care, namely:
- if the edges of the foliage turn yellow, this indicates a lack of water;
- on the contrary, the falling and wilting of the leaves speaks of a bay of geraniums;
- the fall of the lower part of the foliage signals insufficient lighting.
Another frequently asked question: why does geranium not bloom?
The answer may lie in the wrong feeding of the flower. If there is a lot of nitrogen in the added fertilizers, then the green base of the plant is well formed, but flowering is scarce or absent at all.
Reproduction features
Geranium propagates in two main ways:
- Seminal.
The negative point of this method of reproduction is that future plants will not always repeat the maternal properties of the hybrid.
- Cuttings.
This method can be used all year round.
seeds
- Seeds are sown in specially prepared soil. To do this, peat, sand, and a double size of soddy land are taken in equal parts.
- The bottom of the dish drains.
- Seeds are placed at a distance of 2 cm from each other, sprinkled with earth on top and watered with a spray bottle.
- After that, you need to cover the seeds with a film or dishes and create a temperature of +20 degrees. Every day, the shelter is removed and the soil is ventilated.
- As soon as the seeds germinate, the shelter is removed altogether and the air temperature decreases.
cuttings
This is done all year round, but in spring, roots on cuttings form faster.
- After cutting the cutting, it is left for 2 hours in the air so that the cut site dries up.
- Planting is carried out in a container with loose soil or coarse sand.
- You don't need to cover it.
After rooting the cutting, it can be transplanted into another container.
Geranium is an incredibly fragrant and beautiful flower that can often be seen in flower beds and balconies. The abundance of this plant is amazing. In a number of separate articles on our website, you can learn about interesting geraniums, variety hybrids, perennials and annuals that bloom all summer, read how to grow geraniums, what is good about gorgeous, how to properly care for fragrant.
Many gardeners are advised to start breeding houseplants with geraniums. They are unpretentious and will always delight with long and abundant flowering with proper care.
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Undemanding to care, blooming for several months and such bright pelargoniums are often called geraniums because of their similarity. But still, this is a separate numerous genus, and photos of the species and varieties of indoor geraniums will help you understand the existing diversity of these amazing plants from South Africa.
Such different indoor geraniums
Indoor geraniums growing on window sills, loggias and balconies, as in the photo, may look like herbaceous or semi-shrub plants with erect or falling stems. All geraniums are highly decorative. Attention is attracted not only by simple or double flowers of all shapes and colors, but also by the unique leaves of the plant.
They can be wide, almost round, figuratively indented, palmate, smooth corrugated, green and variegated.
The long-standing popularity of indoor geraniums as spectacular and unpretentious plants has led to the fact that the last hundred years:
- a great variety of varietal forms of pelargoniums was obtained;
- wild-growing species have been discovered and cultivated;
- interspecific hybrids appeared.
Therefore, the modern classification of the genus presents plant lovers with about 250 independent species, and the gradation of varieties of indoor plants, adopted in the international community of flower growers, suggests using their designations based on external signs, like in a photo, varieties and types of indoor geraniums:
- Stellar - star-shaped indoor geraniums, their varieties and hybrids;
- Tulip - tulip-shaped pelargoniums;
- Unique - indoor geraniums are unique;
- Zonal - zonal or fringed home varieties of pelargonium.
- Angel - indoor angel geraniums;
- Colored Foliage - variegated varieties;
- Cactus - cactus-like pelargoniums;
- Ivy-leaved - ivy-leaved geraniums, which can be standard sizes, as well as dwarfs and miniatures;
- Miniature and Dwarf - miniature and dwarf plants of indoor pelargoniums;
- Regal - royal geraniums;
- Scented-leaved - scented geraniums.
Pelargonium zonal or bordered (Pelargonium zonale)
All kinds of hybrids and varieties of this type of room geranium, as in the photo, grow well in the house, on balconies and even in city flower beds. This is the undoubted leader in popularity and the number of cultivated varieties, of which today there are about 75 thousand.
Among other domestic perennial geraniums, zonal plants are easily recognizable by their characteristic foliage coloration. Against a bright green background, darker areas are clearly visible, which gave the name to the whole kind of indoor geraniums, as in the photo. Zonal pelargonium flowers can be either simple or double.
When describing geranium varieties, in the photo, and in the names of plants, the following gradation is used according to the number of petals in the corolla:
- non-double flowers consist of five petals - Single;
- semi-double flowers include from 6 to 9 petals and are designated Semi-Double;
- terry geranium flowers consist of 8 or more petals - Double.
Terry varieties are sometimes referred to as peony geraniums, which is somewhat incorrect. There is no such group of plants in the classification recognized by the international community.
Zonal geranium flowers differ not only in splendor and size. Long gone are the days when only red geraniums flaunted on the windows.
Depending on the variety and variety, pelargonium pleases the eye with umbrella inflorescences of all shades of pink, cream, burgundy or raspberry. It is not uncommon for plants with white, multicolor and even yellow corollas, as in the photo of a geranium variety called First Yellow Improved.
But these are not all the strengths of indoor geraniums. Florists pay special attention to varieties with an uncharacteristic flower shape.
Rosaceae (Rose-bud Zonal pelargoniums)
An example is a pink geranium, as in the photo, with double showy flowers, reminiscent of miniature English roses in structure and appearance.
This variety of room geranium, its name and photo of flowers have been known in the world since the century before last. The first information about plants was published in the Gazette of the Horticultural Society of Britain in 1876. But in our country, rosaceous varieties have not yet become widespread and are found only in the collections of the most enthusiastic flower growers.
Tulip-shaped indoor geraniums (Tulipe-bud pelargonium)
A century later, flower growers received homemade geranium plants with flowers that, even at the time of full bloom, do not open, remaining in the bud stage.
As a result, this indoor geranium, shown in the photo, was called tulip-shaped. The beginning of the variety was given by a spontaneous mutation, and the few varieties and hybrids of tulip geranium that exist today, when grown or propagated, sometimes try to return to their natural form.
Star Potted Geraniums (Stellar Zonal Pelargonium)
In the middle of the last century, Australian flower growers managed to get indoor geraniums with an original corolla shape, not similar to the varieties that existed before.
Because of the sharp-angled narrowed petals, the indoor geranium, in the photo, was called star-shaped.
Currently, varieties and hybrids are at the disposal of flower growers, not only with simple and double flowers of all shades, but also star-shaped pelargoniums with bright multi-color foliage.
Cactus-like house geraniums (Cactus Pelargonium)
Cactus-like geraniums obtained at the turn of the 20th century are extremely rare today. A characteristic feature of these plants is large flowers with narrowed, sometimes needle-shaped petals, giving the corolla a sloppy, disheveled look.
Carnation Pelargoniums (Carnation Pelargonium)
Indoor geraniums, in the photo, amaze with a variety of flowers, colors and species. One of the most unusual is the carnation variety of zonal pelargonium with serrated petals, giving a resemblance to carnation flowers.
Pelargonium ivy (Ivy-leaved Pelargonium)
Most ampelous varieties of room geraniums, as in the photo, belong to an extensive group of pelargoniums and leaves that resemble dense green ivy foliage. Because of this similarity, numerous varieties with simple and large double flowers are called ivy.
Ampel geranium, as in the photo, these are plants with creeping or falling stems, reaching a meter in length. In culture, such varieties are indispensable for vertical gardening and for decorating hanging baskets. Indoor pelargoniums are also used as ground cover plants.
The leaves of the ampelous geranium are dense, leathery, in contrast to the zonal variety, completely smooth.
Variegated forms of ivy geranium are very interesting, as in the photo. 
Royal Pelargoniums (Regal Pelargonium)
Many indoor geraniums have been obtained as a result of selection work and hybridization between species. Thanks to such efforts, royal pelargoniums appeared with flowers up to 7 cm in diameter.
The peculiarity of these varieties and hybrids is not only in the size of simple and semi-double corollas, but also in their multicolor color. On the petals there are necessarily spots, veins or specks of contrasting tones.
Pelargonium Angels (Angel Pelargonium)
Pelargonium Angels in appearance resemble plants of the "royal" variety. But the flowers here are somewhat smaller, and the existing varieties were obtained by crossing curly pelargonium with large-flowered.
Angels are mostly ampelous geraniums, as in the photo, forming a lush crown of shoots with medium-sized solid foliage.
Pelargonium Unicum (Unique Pelargonium)
Hybrid plants obtained from royal and brilliant pelargonium began to be called unique. This group belongs to the oldest varieties, although it is not so easy to find plants in the collections of flower growers.
Although the flowers of this variety, as in the photo of room geraniums, are similar to the flowers of royal plants, they are much smaller. But the foliage is often dissected, corrugated, and also has a pleasant smell.
For example, the green of the geranium variety shown in the photo called Paton's Unique has a sweet fruity aroma.
Scented-leaved Pelargonium
It was the smell of crushed geranium leaves that attracted the attention of a person to this plant. Until the century before last, the main attention in the selection of indoor geraniums was paid not to the beauty of the flowers, but to the aroma, because the plants served as "live deodorants".
Similar varieties and hybrids of fragrant geraniums are still popular today. They will not amaze with bright flowering or the shape of inflorescences, but they are also used to flavor culinary dishes, and for household fragrances when storing bed linen or outerwear.
Depending on the type and variety, as in the photo, room geranium leaves can smell like all kinds of fruits, mint and roses, nutmeg, carrots or pine needles.
