Fragrant beauty - fragrant geranium
Among the variety of geranium varieties, it is worth highlighting fragrant pelargonium, which differs from the rest in its appearance and not only. The flower came to us from the hot African climate, and in warm countries it grows mainly in the open field. Naturally, in the cold Russian winter, the heat-loving plant simply will not survive, so it has firmly established itself on the windowsills in the house.
What is special about scented geranium?
Fragrant pelargonium can be distinguished from its relatives by smell, and it is not flowers that emit it, but leaves. However, all types of geraniums have a specific aroma, but only this variety has a special, mainly fruity, smell.
Scented geranium has many types with different smells: some emit a tart rose scent, others a delicate apple scent or fresh pineapple notes. In indoor conditions, lemongrass is most often grown - as the people call pelargonium, the leaves of which smell like lemon.
The main decoration of the fragrant "kalachik" is its leaves, in contrast to other varieties, which are planted for the sake of lush and abundant flowering. The leaf plate of such a plant is very beautiful, it is quite large, with carved edges. But pinkish flowers are almost always small, collected in a disheveled umbrella, however, you can not see them often, since the perennial blooms very rarely. But fragrant geranium grows by leaps and bounds. Apparently, this property was initially preserved for the flower, because in natural conditions the bush can reach more than 1 m in height.
The essential oil of scented pelargonium has medicinal properties and is widely used both in medicine and in cosmetology.
Care features
It is a pleasure to grow fragrant geraniums, since it is absolutely not demanding to care for. It is enough to provide her with comfortable conditions, namely:
- Loose nutrient soil... Do not get carried away with the peat substrate. The flower grows best in a regular mixture of garden soil, humus and sand (in the same amount).
- Suitable pot... A large flowerpot is needed only for a powerful, adult plant. Young bushes in such a vessel can start to hurt.
- Good lighting... In a shaded place, geraniums begin to stretch, the shoots become thin, and the leaves are not so lush.
- Moderate watering... The flower tolerates a short-term lack of watering better than excess moisture, in which the root system begins to rot.
- Regular pruning. If you do not pinch the plant in a timely manner, it will grow tall and thin, with a small number of lateral shoots.
As for the dressing, the fragrant pelargonium grows quite actively without them. If desired, you can sometimes add a little to the water when watering nitrogen fertilizers.