How to cultivate geraniums

Geranium, also known as hydrangea, eight red. The flowering period is quite long, from October of that year to June of the following year, and from April to May. The colors are red, peach red, nine red, flesh red, white and so on. Other cultivated species include large flower geranium, shield leaf geranium, incense leaf geranium, musk geranium, horseshoe geranium and so on.

Geranium is a perennial herb originally grown in the Cape of good Hope in South Africa. Because of its tolerance to drought and light, no choice of soil, strong adaptability to the environment and extensive cultivation, it has only been introduced into our country for nearly a hundred years, but the cultivation is very common. China can grow almost from the north to the northeast and south to Guangdong. It enters the flowering stage earlier, and it can blossom after only four months of seed propagation abroad; its flowering period is particularly long.

Geranium likes the ecological environment of warm winter and cool summer, warm, dry and sunny. It is disadvantageous to its growth when the summer temperature is more than 24 ℃, and the plant will enter a semi-dormant state; the growth of the plant will obviously weaken when the winter temperature drops below 10 ℃, and the plant basically stops blooming and growing when it falls below 3 ℃. If it is kept in a low temperature environment below 0 ℃ for a long time, it is possible to suffer frost injury.

I. Cuttage propagation of geranium

Pelargonium should be propagated by cutting. The cutting season can be carried out except that the plants are dormant from July to August and the cuttings are easy to rot and are not suitable for reproduction in hot weather, especially from January to February in the greenhouse pot or box, and the cuttings can blossom in the winter of the same year. For example, cutting in open field or cold bed is the most suitable in spring and autumn from September to October or from April to May.

Cuttings should choose annual shoots with terminal buds, about 10 cm in length, remove 2 to 3 basal leaves, dry the wound in a cool place for several hours, then insert it into a basin or box containing clean sand, and then place it in a semi-shady place, pay attention to ventilation and maintain proper humidity. Do not water too much, otherwise the cuttings are easy to rot. It can take root in about 15 days under the condition of 15 ℃ to 20 ℃ in greenhouse.

According to experience, when the axillary buds in leaf axils grow to 8 to 9 centimeters long, they are broken off by hand to make cuttings, which has a high survival rate because of its small wound and easy healing. The strong cuttings come from the strong mother. The mother plants that choose the cuttings should be properly watered, given sufficient light and enhanced ventilation to promote the branches to be strong.

2. Potted geraniums

Most of the geraniums are potted. When potted, the cultivated soil is made of 3 parts of sandy loam, 1 part of rotten leaf soil and 1 part of river sand, and a small amount of calcium superphosphate should be added as base fertilizer. When the height of the seedling is about 10 cm, the heart is removed to promote its branching. After the flower fades, cut off the flower stem to encourage it to grow new leaves and draw new flowers from the axils of the leaves. Don't water too much, just keep it moist. Pour out the stagnant water in the basin in time on cloudy and rainy days. Too wet will cause yellow leaves, fallen leaves and overgrowth. The human and animal feces and urine with 5 times water were applied every 20 days, and the flowering was more prosperous when topdressing phosphate fertilizer. Winter can be transferred to indoor or shady shed to survive the winter. The basin change was carried out in March, proper pruning to remove some old and weak branches, and replacement of the new configuration of culture soil.

3. Pruning and plastic surgery

Geraniums grow rapidly and are trimmed and reshaped every year. If not pruned, the branches and leaves are cluttered and crowded, the plant shape is ugly, and the flowers are getting smaller and smaller, reducing the ornamental value. When the seedlings grow to 12 to 15 cm high, coring is carried out to promote their germination and branching. After the flowering season (mostly after the Beginning of Autumn), the overdense, delicate, diseased and overgrown branches were cut off from the base, leaving 3 to 5 well-distributed main branches, and then the main branches and lateral branches were cut short, leaving only 3 lateral buds in each side branch, so that the branches of the whole plant were evenly distributed and compact, and the plant shape was plump and sturdy. After coring, topdressing should be applied in time to promote the growth of new branches, but do not pour water in a short period of time to prevent root rot.