Pelargonium flower often grows on the windowsills and balconies of many people, but most of them believe that it cares for geraniums. These plants are similar to many, they differ in rather unpretentious care, and therefore are popular. Royal geranium among them is quite rare, although it is one of the most beautiful varieties with lush flowering, but it also differs in its whimsicality.
Royal geranium - what kind of flower
South Africa is home to a flower such as geranium, while pelargonium comes from England, where many breeders crossed it. The plant is distinguished by a lush bush, whose short stems are completely dotted with green leaves. Lush flowering does not rise above the greenery, but is on a par with it.
King geranium
The stalk is thin, upright, leaves on separate petioles, covered with small hairs, move away from it to the sides. The plant has a pleasant aroma. After pollination, flower petals take the form of a crane or stork beak, hence the popular name geranium - the crane.
Royal Pelargonium has English roots. One well-known Dutch professor of botany found a hood version in the 17th century on the slopes of Table Mountain, located near Cape Town, from where it was subsequently transferred to the botanical garden in England. A century later, large-flowered pelargonium was taken from England to Europe, where they began to work on it further. The current royal pelargonium was brought out in the 19th century by the French breeder James Odier.
Geranium and Pelargonium
Few people know that on their window sills they grow pelargonium, not geranium. These flowers are very similar to each other, so it is not surprising that they can be confused. From a scientific point of view, these plants are different, but in everyday life few know what the difference is between geranium and pelargonium.
The main differences:
- Growth environment: geraniums are most often settled on plots, and pelargonium is used to decorate an apartment.
- Pelargonium has larger inflorescences, and geranium looks like a wildflower.
- Plants have different frost resistance: pelargonium comes from southern countries, so Russian cold can be dangerous to it. Geranium is a more unpretentious plant, so it grows even in adverse conditions.
- The structure of flowers: 5-8 petals of geraniums have perfect symmetry, but in the pelargonium they are symmetrical in only one axis.
Attention! Pelargonium requires more careful care, and therefore this is another main criterion for choosing between colors that are similar in appearance.
A kind of royal geranium with white and purple flowers
Varieties of indoor plants with names that look like
Depending on the variety, pelargonium of various colors can be obtained. Each variety is particularly admired by flower growers, and therefore, despite the difficult nature of the flowers, many lovers want to buy a royal in their home.
"Mandarin"
The fiery red or orange flowers of the royal pelargonium of the Mandarin variety in diameter often exceed 6 cm. In the middle, the color fades noticeably to a creamy white color. From the core to the edges of the petals are thin strips of purple. The flower is half-double with wavy edges.
Mandarin
"Mona Lisa"
A variety of early flowering. Large flowers of white color have spots in the crimson core. The edges of the petals are wavy. Blooms for a long time, compared with other varieties. Inflorescences reach a diameter of 5 cm.
Mona Lisa
Morvena
The plant is quite compact with large burgundy-black inflorescences that look beautiful against a background of bright green foliage. The plant blooms for a long time, grows well, while maintaining decorative properties.
Morvena
"Elegance Janet"
Another early variety of the royal species of pelargonium is grandiflora. Elegance Janet has large flowers, they are lilac-pink with darker spots. The variety is quite compact, green leaves, blooms in the cold season for 1.5 months.
Elegance Jeanette
Clerion Bright Red
The variety belongs to the variety of royal pelargonium multiflora. The flowers are medium sized, curly, cherry red with a black spot at the base of the petals.
The variety blooms profusely and for a long time, while it does not require cool maintenance in winter, since it blooms in the summer.
Clerion Bright Red
Royal Geranium Home Care for Beginners
Caring for royal geraniums at home justifies its name - it is quite heavy, despite the fact that the plant will be less pleased with its flowering than other species. But even the capriciousness of a flower does not stop many gardeners.
Proper cultivation involves observing certain rules for flower care. With their help, growing a beautiful royal pelargonium will not be difficult even for a beginner grower. However, you will have to try to make the landing and care justified.
Illumination and temperature
Geranium is a light-loving plant, so it is recommended to grow it closer to the window. However, direct sunlight can leave burns on the leaves and flowers, and therefore the light should be scattered. Contents in a dark room will contribute to the extension and thinning of the stems. In winter, this will lead to the fact that the plant will not bloom at all.
Attention! The optimal place for the content of pelargonium is shaded western and eastern windows.
Caring for the royal pelargonium implies a constant game with a temperature regime. The plant loves warmth, therefore, in the summer, the conditions of the middle band are absolutely suitable for it. The most optimal should be considered air temperature in the range of 22-27 degrees. In winter, it is worth keeping the plant at 10-15 degrees, and therefore it is better to make it on a heated loggia or balcony.
Watering rules and humidity
Watering is adjusted depending on the air temperature. Hot weather forces the grower to water the plant twice a day - until 10 and after 18 hours. If the flower is indoors, then this number can be reduced to 2 times a week.
However, in the cold season, it is worth reducing this amount by half. Overmoistening of the soil contributes to rotting of the roots and the appearance of powdery mildew. Watering should be done with boiled, settled or rain water at room temperature in a pan, so as not to compact the soil.
Royal Pelargonium on the street
Important! Between watering, the top layer of the substrate should dry. Before watering, you need to make sure of this. Excess can damage the root system. Overdrying should also not be allowed - this can adversely affect subsequent flowering.
If the room has dry air, it is allowed to spray air next to the flower pot. However, do not allow moisture to get on the leaves and flowers of geraniums, since it is difficult to tolerate.
Top dressing and soil quality
Before choosing fertilizing for a flower, it is recommended to look at its description - perhaps it will require a certain kind of fertilizer. If there is no such mark, it is recommended to introduce nitrogenous substances into the substrate in spring, which will help the flower wake up and begin to grow.
When flowering, it is recommended to help fertilizer in the formation of new buds with phosphoric fertilizers. In winter, it is not recommended to introduce any top dressing, since this can harm the formation of flowers.
Flower Tank Size
Grandiflora Pelargonium adores cramped pots. Therefore, for several years you can not worry about transplanting the plant, because it will feel normal if you make top dressing on time and in high quality. Each transplant involves increasing the size of the pot by a couple of cm in diameter.
Pruning and transplanting
Pruning should be done annually during dormancy. The plant needs to be cut to 1/3 or 2/3. This will subsequently allow a more magnificent flowering, to preserve the decorative appearance of the flower. It also normalizes the circulation of air inside the bush, protects it from the appearance of insects and diseases.
In autumn, this procedure is required for all varieties and types of plants, and in spring - each grower must decide for himself whether it is necessary or not.
Important! At least 3 internodes should remain on the shoots. You can leave only a large trunk and remove the remaining lower branches. In this case, it is recommended to build a support to support the fragile stem.
Autumn pruning geraniums
Frequent transplantation is not required for the plant, as this harms the health of the flower. It is recommended to carry out the procedure if the pot is completely filled with roots. The optimal time for this should be considered the period from February to April. The newly acquired plant should be quarantined for 2 weeks, wait until it fades and then transplanted.
Features winter care
Varieties of the Angels group do not need wintering; they can be kept at room temperature at any time of the year.
For other varieties at this time, the air temperature drops to 10-15 degrees, and the amount of watering is also reduced. It is necessary to stop the introduction of fertilizing.
Features of flowering plants
Depending on the variety of geranium or pelargonium, flowering occurs at different times of the year. But if for ordinary geraniums this period lasts about 5-6 months, then the royal pelargonium is stingy, so you can admire its colors for 3-4 months.
With the right content, you can achieve year-round flowering of pelargonium, but in this case the inflorescences will be smaller than they could be. To make them normal, you need to give the flower a rest. After a dormant period, the abundance of flowering will increase.
Types and shape of flowers
Breeders bred a large number of hybrids and varieties, the shape, color and leaves of which have distinctive features. The room view is divided into several groups.
- Ivy
The ivy pelargonium is an ampelous species of herbaceous plants. Fragile flowing shoots can reach a length of 1 m.
The group began to be called for a reason - its leaves resemble ivy. Terry and semi-double flowers can reach a size of 5 cm. The color changes from pure white to true black.
Upholstered geranium
- Angel
Externally, the inflorescences of this type of pelargonium resemble pansies. Plant height can reach 35 cm.
Geranium Angel is unpretentious in care, blooms throughout the summer. Flowers can be white, pinkish, purple, lilac.
- Unique
This type of plant is one of the oldest. It was bred by crossing royal and brilliant varieties. It has a light spicy smell.
The flowers are smaller in size than the royal geraniums, have a white or red color.
Propagation of the flower by cuttings
The fastest way to propagate geraniums is cuttings. It is available at any time of the year. The stock of cuttings should be done during spring pruning; they take root better than others. Twigs should be cut at least 5 cm in length, on which there are about 3 leaves and 3 internodes. If there are inflorescences, they should be cut.
The cut should be treated with activated carbon, leave to dry at room temperature for a while. Planting cuttings is recommended in separate small pots. In their quality, you can use plastic cups with cut through drainage holes. Drainage should be placed at the bottom, and sand should be added to the ground.
It is desirable to disinfect the soil by pouring it with boiling water or a solution of manganese. It is necessary to give the substrate a day to cool. Before planting, it is worth processing the planting material with the help of a root formation accelerator.
In the substrate, the stalk should be deepened by a couple of centimeters, take out containers with planting in a dimly lit room for 5 days. After this time, you can put it on the windowsill and continue to care for it like an ordinary plant.
Additional Information!If the cuttings do not cope and begin to turn yellow, they are recommended to be placed in a greenhouse, covered with glass or plastic wrap.
Cuttings of Royal Geranium
Growing problems, diseases and pests
Of the diseases most common:
- Black leg, characterized by softening of tissues. It is impossible to save the flower, so it is better to destroy it. Appears due to abundant moisture.
- Rust. It is characterized by the appearance of brown spots on the leaves, which entail drying and falling of the leaves.
Whiteflies become the most common pest on geraniums. The insect resembles a white butterfly of a reduced size (about 2 mm). When it appears on the leaves, yellow spots appear.
How to deal with them
It is quite difficult to deal with insects - you need to remove the plant in an environment with more humid air, water it with “Aktara” 3 times with a frequency of a week. To save the flower from rust, it is necessary to treat it with fungicides such as "Topaz" and "Fitosporin". But you should first cut off the infected areas.
Step-by-step compliance with care recommendations will help to grow a healthy and beautiful royal pelargonium. She is capricious enough, but she will definitely please the lover of indoor plants with abundant and bright flowering.
