Most growers are very familiar with pelargonium. Otherwise it is called geranium or kalachik. The flower is extremely unpretentious, with beautiful double-leafed fragrant leaves and a lush inflorescence of lovely flowers. Geranium brings a lot of benefit by killing germs, neutralizing poisons, removing the headache by only finding one in the room.
The popularity of the flower is justified - it is easy to take care of, in return it perfectly decorates the room. But how to get it at home, and whether it is possible to grow pelargonium seeds - these issues may be interested in people who have little experience in breeding geraniums.
How to grow pelargonium from seeds?
Cultivating pelargonium from seeds at home is a pleasure. She has fairly large seeds, which makes the cultivation process simple. The seeds germinate fairly quickly - the first shoots appear after 5-7 days.
The most suitable varieties for growing seeds are red, white, ampel and fragrant geranium. If you buy ready-made seeds, the first preparatory stage has already been completed for you. But if you take seeds from your flower, then you first need to treat them with nazhdachkoy to remove the upper hard layer. This will accelerate the process of germination.
There are no specific dates when it is necessary to sow seeds of pelargonium on seedlings. However, experienced flower growers are advised to do this during the period from November to April. The most optimal month is December.
As a substrate for sprouting seeds of geranium, it is possible to take such mixtures:
- turf, peat, sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1;
- sand, peat 1: 1;
- perlite , peat 1: 1.
Before planting, the seeds should be soaked for 3 hours in water at room temperature, pretreated with epine or zircon. In the soil, the seeds do not need to be deeply deepened. Lay them at a distance of 5 cm from each other and sprinkle a half-centimeter layer of soil. Sprinkle with room temperature water and cover with film or glass.
The optimum temperature is around + 20 ° C. Place the box with the seeds sown in a bright place, but without direct sunlight. The first shoots will appear pretty soon. It is recommended to make the picking after 2 weeks. The geranium will begin to bloom 3-4 months after planting the seeds.
Pikkirovka seedlings Pelargonium, grown from seeds, it is necessary to produce with the advent of 2-4 leaflets. For this, you need to have separate pots with a diameter of 10 cm for each sprout. Carefully divide the roots and transfer the plant into a pot with prepared soil. When 6-7 leaflets appear on the pelargonium, it should be pinched to stop the growth upwards.
Conditions for care of room Pelargonium
It is quite easy to look after a geranium. It is necessary to observe some simple recommendations:
- provide it with sufficient lighting, for which it is necessary to place the pot on the solar window sill;
- abundantly watered, infrequently, but qualitatively - as the soil dries up, in winter the watering should be more moderate;
- observe the temperature regime: the optimum temperature for geranium is in the range of + 15-20 ° C;
- to organize a drainage layer in pots, so that the water does not stagnate and does not lead to decay, as the drainage is suitable for expanded clay;
- to feed 2 times a month with complex fertilizers;
- remove the faded inflorescence so that the geranium continues to bloom.
If these conditions are met, pelargonium will bloom for a long time. And to gather new seeds from your faded geranium, you need to catch the moment when the seed boxes become yellowish-brown. Do not allow the seeds to fall into the ground, as they begin to germinate, which will complicate the process of storing them.