Fragrant geranium: description, varieties, planting and care

As you know, there is confusion between the names pelargonium and geranium to this day. Initially, the genus of pelargonium was separate from the genus of geranium. Carl Linnaeus, a botanist from Sweden, strongly disagreed with this. The reasons for this discontent remained unknown to anyone. In his work, published in the middle of the 18th century, he combined two genera of plants called pelargonium. There were other representatives of science who strongly opposed this idea, but it was impossible to break the established stereotype of society. Therefore, today pelargonium is often called geranium in the common people.

Pelargonium (fragrant geranium) - Geraniev family, perennial plant. The name means "crane" when translated from Greek. After the leaves of the peduncle fall, its fruits resemble a long crane beak. The homeland of beautiful flowers is South America. Nowadays, this flower is very popular for home cultivation and decorative decoration of flower beds. Due to the bright varied color of flowers and unpretentious care, fragrant geranium remains one of the favorite plants of flower growers. Its distinctive features are aroma and medicinal properties. The variety of scents of this flower amazes the imagination: among the aromas there are scents of rose and orange, lime, nutmeg, cedar, pineapple and even chocolate.

There are many varieties of geraniums and each of them has a distinctive feature even in smell. A non-flowering type of geranium is also known, but it is not so common in the collection of florists.

• Lemon geranium is a common and beloved one. This is the largest representative, because the height of the plant, under favorable conditions, reaches one and a half meters in height. The leaves of this geranium have a lemon scent. In leaving, lemon geranium, like most relatives, is unpretentious. Suitable for outdoor use. Its leaves are very beautiful, visually divided into sectors, like snowflakes, have a rich green color, the growth vector is directed downward. Such geranium does not tolerate heat sources well.

• Geranium Candy Dancer - another representative of this genus, the aroma of which is associated with the scent of lemon. But many growers will say that the leaves exude the smell of an oriental delicacy - Turkish delight. At the slightest touch of the leaf, the scent will fill the entire room. No wonder the translation of the name of this plant is “sweet dancer”. This geranium blooms with pink flowers with dark blotches.

• Geranium variety - "Chocolate" striking in its personality. The foliage of this plant has a varying color from chocolate brown to mint green towards the edges. Flowers, as a rule, are of light shades, collected in inflorescences with a cap of up to 10 cm. Today this type of flowers is actively used to decorate buildings, suspended flower beds and balconies.

• Geranium Ardwick Cinnamon - a very compact bush. The scent of the leaves is reminiscent of the scent of cinnamon. Due to the constant flowering of white small inflorescences, this variety is very loved by flower growers. The downward slope of the leaves gives them a silvery color with a raspberry tint.

• Geranium Charity differs in its aroma, reminiscent of a mixture of scent of orange and rose. This is a very uncomplicated flower with small pink bud petals interspersed with the color of Marsala. As a rule, the leaves are light green with a white border.

• Gemstone is a type of geranium with simple large pinkish flowers. The inflorescences of this species are distinguished by lush flowering. The leaves have a strong citrus scent. Plant height over 50 cm.

Many growers agree that geranium is a rather unpretentious plant and does not require any special care. For abundant flowering and healthy growth of geraniums, appropriate conditions are needed. The soil for planting should be acidic or neutral, and the general composition should be loose, airy, with the addition of peat and sand. In this composition, the plant will feel most comfortable. You can fertilize the plant with a mineral composition. Abundant watering of geraniums is contraindicated, but the plant can withstand drought.

Geranium loves a temperature of + 15C, but it is almost impossible to create such a temperature regime, for example, at home. It is logical that geranium does not tolerate open sunlight well and requires shading. The best option for the location of the plant would be the non-sunny side. The principle of planting geraniums, like all plants, is similar and does not require any special adaptations. For garden planting, cuttings are rooted in peat or sand, and at home you can use perlite.

Geraniums are very often grown in apartments. There are a lot of types of indoor geranium today. At home, the flower is very unpretentious to care for, but in order to achieve abundant healthy flowering of the plant, it is necessary to create acceptable conditions of detention. Moreover, each plant variety has certain requirements. There are basic rules of maintenance, subject to which the flower will feel comfortable: optimal light conditions, sufficient humidity, correct air temperature and fertile soil composition.

• Geranium loves lighted rooms, but direct sunlight should be avoided. If the foliage of the flower turns pale green, then the plant is experiencing a lack of light.
• Like any houseplant, geranium does not like drafts and cold air. The optimum air temperature when kept at home is + 20C.
• Geranium is completely undemanding to moisture, but it should be remembered that the soil in the pot should not dry out.
• The dormant period for geraniums in winter. At this time, some varieties throw off all flower stalks. In March-April, the flowering period resumes and continues, subject to comfortable conditions of detention, until August.
• The soil for the plant can be purchased as a ready-made substrate, which already contains sand, earth and peat. It is desirable that it be airy in its consistency. When planting on the bottom of the pot, it is necessary to lay out expanded clay - this will avoid stagnation of water.

Geranium multiplies in several available ways: by dividing the bush, by seeds and by dividing into cuttings. The optimal period for breeding pelargonium is spring. Cutting is the easiest and most affordable way to breed geraniums, even an amateur can handle it. To do this, you need to cut off a piece from the stem of an adult plant, dry it a little and strengthen it in the prepared soil. Frequent watering and spraying is not required.

As a rule, the cutting takes root very quickly. It is prepared by cutting off the plant's shoot, while it is necessary to follow the rules of circumcision: the top is cut above the bud, the bottom is cut under it. The top of the cut is done horizontally, the bottom is at an acute angle. Experienced growers advise to prepare cuttings in advance. To do this, deep cuts are made on an adult plant, in the place of which, after a while, the rudiments of future roots will appear. In this case, the process of rooting the cuttings will be much faster.

Propagating geraniums by seeds is a very laborious process and often, unfortunately, does not give any results. Seeds are best sown in the spring when there is enough sunlight.For seed germination, the soil is disinfected to avoid diseases, laid out in small containers. The seeds are laid out on top of the soil and sprinkled a little. To maintain optimal humidity, you can cover the planting with plastic and place the container in a warm place. As the seedlings appear, the film is removed, and when leaves appear, the plant can be planted in a large pot.

It often happens that the seed starts to rot. To avoid this, you must carefully monitor the moisture content of the soil. It is very important not to miss the time of replanting sprouts in pots. Otherwise, they can simply intertwine with each other. 2 weeks after transplanting the sprout, the soil is fertilized with mineral compounds. Geranium will give full leaves only 5-6 months after transplantation.

Geranium can also be propagated by shoots if the adult plant is large. The flower should be shed in advance. The plant must be carefully removed from the pot, divided into parts along with the root system and planted in pots with a substrate. The soil must be prepared for rooting. The best option would be to mix sand, earth and peat. We must not forget about drainage.

For all the unpretentiousness of geranium, there are diseases and pests that can harm the plant, up to its death. If you follow simple rules, then geranium will delight you with its flowering. There are main signs that signal the onset of a disease:

• The appearance of spots on the leaves of a plant is an indicator that it is affected by a fungus or viruses. In order to avoid further reproduction of the disease, the leaves must be removed and the stems must be treated with a special preparation.
• Abundant fall of foliage is a sign of plant damage by a fungus.
• Stem blackening is caused by bacteria. The treatment in this case is similar to the previous one - it is necessary to spray the plant with a suitable preparation.
• Plaque indicates a lesion with gray rot. It often appears in damp and cold rooms. In this case, it is necessary to provide good ventilation.
• A common parasite that destroys the roots and leads to the death of the plant is the nematode. In the event of such a disease, the geranium will simply have to be thrown away, since the treatment will most likely be ineffective.
• When one gets the impression that the foliage of a flower has influxes, then this is also a sign of a disease. High humidity and lack of light are the reasons for the development of this situation. To do this, you need to dry the soil or simply replace it. When transplanting, it is important to add drainage.

The most common geranium pests are caterpillars, aphids, termites.

• If the leaves of the plant curl and the shoots stop growing, become covered with scabs, then most likely the plant is affected by ticks. Heat and high humidity are optimal conditions for their appearance and reproduction. To combat insects, it is necessary to treat the leaves of the plant with soapy water or preparations. Also, the defeat of the plant by ticks is characterized by the appearance of yellow blotches and dry islands on the leaves.
• Rot at the base of the stem is a sign of the appearance of mosquito larvae. Sown plants and cuttings are most often infected with them. Immediately after the appearance of such a parasite, the plant must be treated with specialized preparations.
• Leaf deformations, plaque, the appearance of brown spots indicate the defeat of geraniums by thrips or aphids. Caterpillars, when the plant is damaged, leave areas of gouge on the leaves or on the stems. Whitefly can be spotted with the naked eye. It is an insect with white wings. It leaves an unpleasant sticky bloom on the plant.

For information on how to properly care for fragrant geraniums, see the next video.