Geranium or pelargonium is from southern Africa. The genus includes almost 300 species. In the room conditions the most common are Pelargonium zonal , royal, Angels, ivy, fragrant and felted (mint), and in the garden - Balkan (large-root), marshy, lush, etc.
Since this is a southern plant, many growers are concerned with the questions: what to do with geraniums in winter and whether it blooms at this time. Let's consider this in more detail in our article.
How to care for geraniums in winter?
To keep the geranium bush in winter at home, it should be followed by proper care:
- lighting - in winter geranium will grow well only in good light, so it should be placed on the southern windowsills or organize additional artificial lighting (at a distance of 8-10 cm from the top). Under such conditions, it can even blossom;
- temperature regime - optimal for geranium in the room should be daytime + 18-20 ° C, and at night + 12-13 ° C. Do not allow drafts, overcooling of the root system and dry air from the batteries;
- watering - it is recommended to water a little every two weeks early in the morning, so that by the evening the soil had time to dry up
- top dressing - is applied once a month, diluting the usual dose of fertilizers with water in the proportion 1: 4.
Pruning geraniums for the winter
In the middle of autumn it is recommended to carry out a thorough pruning of the geranium bush, leaving half of the height of the whole plant. This is necessary for good air exchange within the plant, allowing the lower row of geranium leaves to receive sufficient light and reduce the likelihood of fungal infections during wintering.
In winter, only need to monitor the condition of the slices: when they are blackened, shoots should be shortened.
Transplant geranium for the winter
Transplant geranium, grown at home, you can spend almost any time of year (except winter). In the mandatory transplant for the period of winter only garden geraniums need, so they do not tolerate minus temperature.
How to keep garden geranium in winter?
To save the garden geranium, three methods are used:
- dry storage - for this the plants are taken out of the pot, the ground is shaken off, a few bushes are tied in a bundle and suspended in a room with a temperature of +2.5 to 7.5 ° C and a humidity of over 80%. Periodically
The roots of geranium must be lowered into the water. Before planting (in spring), plants should be shortened by a third; - canning - the plant cuts the roots, the stems shorten depending on the variety (royal, unique, Angels, fragrant in half, zonal by 2/3), planted so that near the roots there was no emptiness and watered. Pots with such shrubs should be stored in a cool place in the twilight, regularly checking that they do not rot and the land is not dry;
- cuttings - at the end of August the cuttings are cut from the main bush and take root in separate small pots.
If you follow the rules of caring for geraniums in winter, you will save your time on growing a new bush in the spring.