Pelargonium from seeds at home grows quite quickly. The plant can be planted in open ground or left in the apartment. Its specific aroma helps reduce nervous tension, helps get rid of insomnia and eliminate headaches. Bright and juicy shades of buds always lift your spirits and fill you with vigor.
- 2 Optimal timing is better than planting
2.1 In different regions - 2.2 Best sowing dates according to the lunar calendar 2022
- 3.1 Is it worth planting pelargonium seeds by ordering them from Aliexpress?
Planting seeds is the best way to propagate pelargonium
Pelargonium is a perennial plant. The versatility of the flower is that, in addition to growing in protected soil conditions, it can become a wonderful decoration for a garden plot. The leaves of the plant are used in the production of essential oils and as a medicine in folk medicine.
Pelargonium seeds are elongated, large, brown in color
Planting pelargonium seeds is considered one of the best methods, because such seedlings are unpretentious, resistant to diseases and are always characterized by abundant flowering. In addition, the seeds germinate quickly even with a lack of sun. When cuttings, problems arise due to improper watering and unsuitable soil.
What kind of seeds should there be?
One way to grow geranium indoors is by planting seeds. They should be brown, dense, oblong in shape. It is better to purchase seed material in specialized gardening stores. Only in this case can we expect that the flower will grow in the desired shade, be beautiful and durable.
When purchasing seeds, you should pay attention to the plant variety, since this determines how to care for the flower, the frequency of watering, the required microclimate, as well as the color and size of the plant.
There are more than 250 varieties of this crop, so it’s quite easy to choose the one you like. Pelargonium comes in two types: flowering and fragrant. For growing indoors, white, red and fragrant geraniums are often chosen. How to properly grow pelargonium from seeds? This will be discussed further.
Optimal timing is better than planting
Pelargonium begins to bloom 3–4 months after planting the seeds. Experts recommend taking these terms into account to obtain flowering in a given period.
For those who want to please themselves with hanging varieties for the design of a summer terrace, it is better to have the seedlings ready in April. This means that pelargonium seeds should be planted in February - March.
The Early Generalist variety, sown in early March, will delight you with bright and abundant flowering in early May. Pelargonium Black Velvet should be planted 2-3 weeks earlier for these purposes.
When growing indoors, you can plant seeds all year round.
In different regions
- In the conditions of the northern region, where there is little sun and light, it is better to sow seeds at the end of April - May.
- In mid-latitudes, the optimal time for obtaining mature seedlings for planting in open ground is February - March.
- In the south, plants are brought to the terraces at the end of March, so the seeds need to be sown in December. By the beginning of spring, they will already be actively blooming and delighting with their beauty.
Best sowing dates according to the lunar calendar 2022
Pelargonium cannot be planted on the full and waning moon. The seedlings will be uneven, and the plants themselves will be weak, with a poorly developing root system. When picking seedlings or transplanting them into the ground, low survival rate is noted.
The most favorable dates in March are: 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 23, 24, 28, 29. And it is better to dive seedlings on the 1st, 2nd, 15th, 16th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 28th, 29th.
In April, it is recommended to sow pelargonium seeds: 7, 8, 11, 12, 18, 20, 21, 29, 30. You need to seat: 2, 3, 7, 8, 11, 12, 16,17.
Pre-planting treatment of seed material
As already mentioned, geranium seeds have a dense shell, which makes their germination difficult. Sometimes you have to wait quite a long time for germination, but the seeds still do not germinate. The reason for failure is improper seed treatment before planting or lack thereof.
Before planting, geranium seeds must undergo scarification - a procedure to remove the dense film. It is not difficult to carry out this procedure yourself. To do this you will need fine sandpaper. With its help, only the top dense layer is removed from the seeds, and no deep tears remain.
You need to process each seed separately, rubbing it on sandpaper several times.
The most popular varieties with photos
The most popular types of pelargonium are zonal, ivy-leaved and fragrant. The plants are not particularly demanding on the composition of the soil, grow quickly, are unpretentious in fertilizing and are characterized by a long flowering period. Each species has the most popular varieties, which are presented in the photo below.
The Early Universal variety is the most common among amateur flower growers. The period from planting seeds to flowering is more than 2 months
Zonal species of pelargonium propagate well both by seeds and cuttings. They can be grown in containers, flower pots, and flowerpots. They are recommended for open and closed ground. The colors of the buds are rich and varied.
Colorama belongs to the zonal species of pelargonium. The bushes are low, with large flowers. The leaves have a characteristic dark horseshoe-shaped pattern.
It is preferable to grow colorama in pots, since with a compact root system, the green ground part is very fluffy and voluminous. In summer, it can be planted in open ground.
The variety Summer Rain belongs to the group of ivy-leaved or ampelous
Thin but strong shoots of pelargonium Summer Rain fall up to 100 cm. The leaves are smooth, dark green, and flowering is abundant. There are different shades. Indispensable for decorating balconies, gazebos, terraces.
The leaves of the Black Velvet variety differ from other varieties in their chocolate, almost black color. The inflorescences are bright, velvety
Young shoots and leaves are always light green, but after a few weeks they begin to darken. Most of the flowers on sale are red in color.
The Cabaret variety can be identified by its lush green leaves with wavy, ribbed edges. It does not exceed 30 cm in height. The yellow core is clearly visible at the base of each flower.
Pelargonium Cabaret has spherical flowers 10–12 cm in size. It is susceptible to direct sunlight and does not tolerate dry soil. It comes in colors from dark burgundy to snow-white.
The Orange Ice variety is characterized by a juicy red-orange color of the inflorescences and a pale yellow-green tint of foliage
During the flowering period, the Orange Ice bush reaches up to 35 cm in diameter. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor decor. It is unpretentious, grows quickly, and differs from other types in its early flowering.
The Violet Chandelier is a unique look with rich purple or blue buds
The Chandelier Violet variety is distinguished not only by its abundant, but also long flowering - from May to October. The leaves are small, with pointed edges, almost invisible under the buds.
Victoria is a tulip-shaped pelargonium variety from the latest series of selection. Popular due to the unusual structure of the buds
All tulip-shaped types of pelargonium are characterized by small but numerous inflorescences (up to 50 pieces), located on tall, strong stems. They grow up to 70 cm in height. They are easy to propagate, have a pronounced aroma, and bloom for 3–4 months in a row.
Is it worth planting pelargonium seeds by ordering them from Aliexpress?
Most customer reviews about purchasing pelargonium seeds from Aliexpress are negative. Only a few confirm that the seeds really germinate well and the flower grows as stated in the description on the pack.
More than 80% of sellers send seeds of the wrong variety or of poor quality with almost zero germination. Therefore, to prevent such risks, it is still worth abandoning Chinese seeds and spending a little more money on a quality product from a domestic manufacturer.
Advice from flower growers
It is easy to care for pelargonium in the garden and at home if you carry out the indicated steps for sowing and replanting. And yet there are some nuances to care. Experienced gardeners recommend being aware of pests.
Most insects do not like the smell of geraniums, but spider mites love to settle on pelargonium foliage. You can get rid of the insect with soapy water and insecticides.
Depending on the climate, geranium may lose its protective qualities. Prevention of diseases (powdery mildew, gray rot, brown spot) is carried out in advance.
Standard means will help with this: fungicides, Bordeaux mixture. How good pelargonium will look in the front garden depends only on the desire of the gardener to provide quality care.
Landing instructions
The ideal soil for planting pelargonium is a soil that contains 2 parts each of river sand and peat and two parts turf soil. You can purchase ready-made soil specifically for pelargonium. It is not recommended to add fertilizer - the flower does not like it. The most suitable containers are peat or plastic cups.
Step by step instructions:
- The cups are filled with earth.
- Then it is watered with warm water.
- Seeds are placed in 2–3 pieces. into each container.
- They can be sprinkled with 1 cm of soil or lightly pressed into the soil.
- Cover with cling film, not forgetting the holes.
Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 20–22°C after 2–3 weeks. In rare cases, a month passes before the first shoots appear.
Subtleties of sowing seeds for seedlings
When deciding to get seedlings from seeds at home, the gardener should prepare the necessary material for caring for and planting geraniums. In addition to this, preparatory work is carried out:
- sorting and stratification of seed material;
- instead of hardening the seed, you can carry out scarification (removal of the outer shell);
- prepare soil mixture and fertilizer mixtures on a natural basis;
- find containers and study the properties of disinfectants.
Preparation of planting material
Working with seeds is a fascinating activity, although labor-intensive. If you propagate geranium from cuttings, then all the preparatory work consists of cultivating the soil and container. The roots are disinfected in special means or a weak manganese solution.
But let's return to the seed material. Before sowing:
- sort the seeds. Small, damaged ones are removed. Ripe, full grains can be identified by their size and elongated shape. There should be no stains on them;
- scarification is carried out, but very carefully so as not to damage the core of the seed. It is better to do the procedure with a nail file;
- Place in disinfectant for swelling. 2-3 hours are enough to eliminate fungal spores and revive the grains.
How to care for seedlings
When two or three leaves appear on the seedlings, the film cover is removed and the seedlings are transferred to lighted windowsills. It is necessary to regularly loosen the soil and water, avoiding moisture getting on the leaves. Seedlings are picked when 4–5 branches form on the main stem.
After the plants have taken root and the 6th–7th leaf appears, it needs to be pinched. This way a branched, lush bush will grow and it will bloom profusely.
If germination is poor, the plant can be fed with a special liquid fertilizer for flower seedlings or a growth stimulator. The containers can be placed under the phytolamp. It is important to avoid direct sunlight on the plants - this will help prevent burns on already grown seedlings.
