How to grow pelargonium (geranium) from seeds at home: planting and care in the open field
Pelargonium or geranium is a perennial plant that is usually grown as an indoor flower and is not particularly annoying to take care of. Previously, geraniums could be found in almost every house on the windowsill. Now the planting of pelargonium in open ground has become very popular, because in the fresh air you can create much more lush flower beds that will look very beautiful and rich. How to grow pelargonium for seedlings, successfully care for it at home, as well as when and how to plant it in open ground, will be discussed in our article.
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Breeding methods for pelargonium
Naturally, the most common way of breeding pelargonium is to grow it from cuttings.
For a detailed and visual explanation of how to propagate geranium by cuttings, see the next video.
Video: propagation of geranium by cuttings
Now on sale you can find truly a huge number of varieties and hybrids geranium seeds, variety of colors and sizes which can satisfy any wishes and needs.
By the way! If you are going to grow geranium in the open field, then it is better to buy special varieties that have medium-sized, strong and tough leaves, and this is zonal geranium, ivy, etc.
When to sow pelargonium seeds for seedlings
In theory, you can sow geranium seedlings all year round, but it is more practical to sow pelargonium seeds in the second half of winter, since daylight hours will increase as your seedlings grow.
Thus, the optimal time for sowing pelargonium seeds for seedlings is January-February (maximum - in March), because it will begin to bloom only after 5-6 months, just in time for summer.
It is worth understanding! For indoor cultivation, if you have the possibility of additional lighting, then, of course, you can sow pelargonium with seeds at any time. But if you plan to land in open ground, then - in winter or at most in early spring.
In principle, you can sow even in November-December, then it will bloom in the spring - in April-May.
Important! If you sow in winter or early spring, then seedlings are a must illuminatesince she needs 12 hours of daylight.
Video: when and how to sow pelargonium (geranium) seeds
How to sow pelargonium seeds correctly
In order for the growth and development of pelargonium seedlings to go in the right direction, it is necessary to choose the appropriate container, suitable soil and properly prepare the seeds for planting.
The choice of planting capacity
The planting container is selected based on your capabilities and needs, as well as the number of seeds for future seedlings.
If you plan to carry out a pick, then you can sow in common containers, for example, in the same plastic containers (5-6 cm high).
If it is more convenient for you to grow without picking, then pelargonium seeds can be sown immediately in individual and relatively deep containers, for example, pots or cups (8-10 cm high). Naturally, they should have drainage holes to drain excess liquid so that the water does not stagnate.
Important! If you take shallow cassettes, then you will still need to transfer seedlings from them.
If you want pelargonium to bloom in your pot, then it must be at least 1 liter in volume.
Suitable soil
The soil for growing pelargonium seedlings should be loose and nutritious, as well as neutral in acidity. Therefore, any universal soil for growing flowers is perfect for you, but in general, it is ideal to take a special soil for geraniums.
It is very good if you prepare your own substrate, which will consist of turf, peat and sand in a 2: 1: 1 ratio. You can use perlite or vermiculite instead of sand.
Advice! To make the soil loose and soft before sowing, it can be passed through a sieve.
And also very desirable disinfect the soilby steaming in the oven or microwave, or spilling with a solution of potassium permanganate or even better Fitosporin.
Seed preparation
Many growers quite successfully sow their seeds without any treatments, just dry in wet soil. But in order to increase germination, they should be scarified or soaked.
Pelargonium seeds can be scarified with sandpaper, in other words, slightly damage the shell so that the sprouts can easily be nailed down. However, this must be done very carefully, otherwise you will easily spoil your seeds.
Or you can just soak it in cotton pads in a solution Fitosporin (some are soaked in 3% hydrogen peroxide solution) for 20-30 minutes, moreover, this will also disinfect them.
Interesting! Pelargonium seeds are of 3 types - already scarified (i.e., peeled from a hard shell), pelleted and ordinary. Naturally, the first 2 species do not need to be cooked in any way, they can be sown immediately.
Direct sowing
Step-by-step instructions for sowing geranium seeds for seedlings:
- Fill containers with soil.
- Make grooves (3-4 cm apart) or shallow holes (0.5-1 cm).
- Moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
- Spread the seeds 2-3 centimeters apart.
Advice! It is convenient to spread the seeds with a toothpick.
- Cover grooves or holes with soil.
And you can fall asleep with river sand.
- Moisten with water from a spray bottle.
- In order for the seeds to begin to actively germinate, you need to create greenhouse conditions, in other words, to achieve a greenhouse effect, which means that you should cover the container with cling film or a transparent lid (if you have a food container).
- Put in a dark and warm place (above +20 degrees, according to some sources - + 24-28 degrees).
Video: correct sowing of geranium seedlings
By the way! There is a rather interesting method of sowing, which gives an earlier and higher germination rate: after you spread or sprinkle the seeds, they will need to be spilled with boiling water. It's that simple!
You can also sow geraniums in peat tablets.
Video: sowing pelargonium in peat tablets
Home care for geranium seedlings
As soon as friendly shoots appear (scarified seeds germinate already for 3-4 days, like soaked ones, but on average, it is most of them that emerge in 7-14 days), the shelter must be promptly removed and the planting container must be rearranged to a well-lit place, but where the temperature is already lower - about + 18-22 degrees during the day and + 16-18 at night.
Further care consists of exceptionally moderate watering when the topsoil dries out using slightly warm, settled or filtered water.
Remember! Pelargonium does not like abundant watering and too wet soil.
Picking
The first picking of geranium seedlings is carried out when 2 true leaves appear in it. The procedure is quite standard. To do this, you will need individual containers (0.2 cups) filled with a soil mixture based on peat (or, again, ready-made soil for pelargonium), a spoon or another tool that will be convenient for you to carry out the picking procedure - get the seedling out of the general container.
Note! When picking pelargonium, it is very important to carefully take the seedling, and always with a lump of earth, so as not to damage the roots of the young plant, in other words, use the transshipment method rather than picking (when the roots are bare).
Video: picking seedlings of pelargonium
In the future, most likely, you will need another transplant into a larger pot (0.5-1 liter), this time exclusively by the transshipment method.
Important! Remember to spill your seedlings well the day before the transfer, so that the clod does not crumble when you move it.
Video: transshipment of geranium a month and a half after sowing
Top dressing
Advice! After picking or transshipment of seedlings, it is advisable to immediately shed the transplanted plants with some special fertilizer for better rooting, for example, you can use Root or Kornevin, so that the root system of the seedlings takes root better in a new place.
In the initial period of growth, seedlings of pelargonium can be fed with nitrogen fertilizers, for example, ammonium nitrate or urea, and then (when the plants already have more than 5-6 true leaves), complex mineral fertilizers such as nitroammofoska can be used. Also at this time, you can begin to carry out foliar feeding (on the sheet) with calcium and / or magnesium nitrate.
Pinching
It is not necessary to pinch pelargonium, because many varieties are genetically so laid down that they themselves form beautiful branched bushes.
Advice! However, if you see that the plant is reluctant to branch, then for more powerful tillering, you can pinch the geranium over 5-6 real leaves.
When and how to plant geraniums in open ground on a flower bed
Of course! Everyone is accustomed to the fact that geranium is a home potted crop, but this does not mean that it cannot be grown outdoors.
As for the timing of planting geraniums in open ground, first of all, you should monitor the weather - during the day it should already be warm enough, of course, return spring frosts should bypass, which means that pelargoniums should be transplanted into the garden from the second half of May.
Planting pelargonium in open ground is more than simple:
- chose and prepared a place;
- dug a landing hole slightly larger than the size of the pot;
- they pulled a seedling out of the pot (and did not forget to spill it before) and put it in a new place of residence;
- sprinkled with fertile soil on the sides, compacted around the seedling;
- spilled abundantly with water.
As for the planting site, the plant should not be planted in a too open place, otherwise the leaves will be burned by the sun and the plant will look ugly and feel unwell.
For geraniums, it is optimal to find place in light partial shade.
However! Pelargonium will bloom most abundantly in a sunnier area.
You also need to plant in those places in the garden where there is no stagnation of groundwater or rainwater.
Video: planting pelargonium in open ground - when, where and how to plant
Outdoor geranium care
Pelargonium perfectly tolerates drought - it remains green for a long time and does not fade, and it also reacts normally to high humidity (rainy weather). However, this does not mean at all that it does not need to be watered at all. But this should be done in moderation!
Note! Royal Pelargoniums are not very suitable for outdoor use, because their flowers greatly deteriorate in the rain.
If you want pelargonium to stand beautiful and bloom continuously, then be sure to get rid of faded peduncles so that the plant does not waste its energy on ripening seeds.
Advice! And for the winter, you can transplant geraniums into pots and bring them home.
Video: transplanting geraniums from the garden in the fall and further care
In order for positivity to be observed in the growth and development of pelargonium seedlings, it is required from the very beginning to choose the right planting capacity, suitable soil, competently prepare and sow seeds and responsibly care for them at home. Taking a serious approach to planting flower seedlings in open ground, you are guaranteed to achieve its beautiful flowering.