Features of care for ampelous geraniums - how to achieve magnificent flowering at home?

Geraniums blooming in small home pots no longer surprise anyone, but this does not apply to the ampel species of this plant.

It is enough to place ampelous geranium (pelargonium) in a cache-pot and any home corner will be instantly transformed thanks to its magnificent curly stems.

So, is it difficult to grow this type of geranium at home? How to achieve abundant flowering? And also, about the features of planting and transplantation of ivy pelargonium.

Features of pelargonium

Ampelian geranium or as it is also called ivy pelargonium - a plant designed to decorate a hanging garden or use as a home decoration in a cache-pot, etc. It has very flexible shoots that twist quite strongly and can reach a length of as much as 1.5 m.

The leaves of ampelous geraniums are quite large, with a smooth surface, bright green or variegated, in diameter reach from 3 to 6 cm. Peduncles are long, hold umbellate inflorescences represented by several cactus-shaped / star-shaped flowers. Inflorescences are both terry and simple, of numerous shades: white, lilac, purple, two-tone and even spotty.

Pelargonium is very fond of sunlight, and, moreover, tolerates exposure to direct sunlight.

Besides, the plant needs enough fresh air, therefore, when growing at home, you should either often ventilate the room in which the geranium lives, or sometimes take it outside.

As for the temperature regime, in the summer period it should be provided with optimal conditions: temperature indicators should not be above +25 degrees.

At home, it is quite difficult to achieve this, which means that you have to rearrange the pot with the plant on the veranda or cold balcony.

Important! In winter, the temperature should be much cooler: in a room with geraniums, the air should not be warmed above 15 degrees.

Since pelargonium needs a lot of light, it is best to place a pot with a plant in a house on the southern windowsill. If not, a western window will do.

Photo

Below you can find a photo of ampelous geranium.

The intricacies of planting and transplanting at home

Pelargonium planting can be carried out by seed method or by cuttings. True, even experienced gardeners prefer only the second option, since it is much more simple and convenient.

So, when planting cuttings, the material should be preliminarily prepared: cuttings of the cuttings should dry within 24 hours. After that, they are planted in disinfected soil in compliance with the distance between the individual specimens within 2 cm (it is preferable to dip the cuttings with coal into a powder in advance).

A transplant is not necessary every year: It is enough to transplant the geranium into a new pot once every 2 years.

On a note. Moreover, if the plant feels comfortable in a pot, the transplant can not be done. It is enough to update the top layer of the earth.

When transplanting geranium, its root system should be located right next to the walls of the pot.

How to care for lush flowering?

In order for the plant to feel comfortable at home, it is necessary to provide it with proper and regular care.

We detailed the rules for the care and cultivation of ampelous or ivy geraniums here, and from this article you will learn how to propagate a flower.

How to water and how to feed?

Geranium loves moisture, so the soil in the flower pot must always be moist, but not excessive, otherwise it will be fraught with mold. To speed up the process of water passage in the soil, drainage must be selected accordingly. In winter, the frequency of watering should be reduced to 2-3 times a month.

In no case should you spray the plant, since the contact of its leaves with moisture is harmful to them: water can contribute to the appearance of rot.

Feeding is an important part of caring for pelargonium. Fertilizers should be applied regularly (weekly) during the flowering period (from March to August) of the plant.

Mineral fertilizers of a small concentration are best suited. The optimum should be the ratio of two minerals - potassium and nitrogen with a predominance of the first.

Step-by-step on the procedure for pruning a plant

For ampel varieties, pruning is not a mandatory procedure. Nevertheless, to give the plant a decorative look, it can be periodically carried out. The first step is to remove all yellowing, old and fading leaves, as well as weak dry branches.

Schematically, the process of trimming geranium can be represented as follows:

1. All branches growing inward are cut off from the plant.
2. Then shoots located above the leaf bundles are removed.
3. Be sure to pinch young shoots, tending to the side.
4. All bare branches are cut.
5. All young “living” branches should be carefully pinched to form a lush crown in future seasons.

Ampelic geranium. Pruning process:

Diseases, pests and other possible difficulties

With proper care, ivy pelargonium is rarely ill, which is why it is so important to timely fertilize the soil, water the plant and monitor the light in the room where it grows.

Reference. To prevent the appearance of fungal diseases and protect the plant from possible rotting, it is enough to regulate the density of the geranium bushes so that it has enough space for ventilation.

In some cases Pelargonium can get gray mold or a black leg. When gray mold, which is a fungus, appears, it is necessary to remove all the leaves affected by the disease and treat the plant with some fungicide. In this case, it is desirable to reduce watering, and the room is well ventilated.

The appearance of a “black leg” (darkening of the stem) is a bad sign. The plant is destroyed immediately. All others should be watered less generously, and the soil must be sterilized before planting geraniums.

In addition to disease, other geranium problems may occur:

• Yellowing of the leaves, followed by their decline, indicates a lack of incoming moisture. In this case, it is enough to only increase the amount of water used for irrigation.
• Redness of the leaves. This situation is characteristic of a plant that is supercooled. Be sure to check that the temperature in the room where the geranium grows is suitable. Also, the pot should not be too cold (which happens when there are drafts in the house).

Why doesn’t bloom?

If the ampelous geranium looks healthy, but flowering does not occur at all, we can say with confidence that the temperature regime is above normal: place the plant in a cooler room.

That's all the nuances that you should know for the successful cultivation of ampelous geraniums at home. Good luck