When to sow pelargonium for seedlings
Pelargonium is a favorite of many. We will grow geranium from a small seed, which will then turn into a magnificent and amazing plant with charming flowers.
Pelargonium or as the people call it "geranium" is a plant that grows on everyone's windowsill in the house. The homeland of the beautiful plant is South Africa, it was brought to Europe in the 17th century and since then, the plant has pleased many flower growers. The plant's advantages are that it multiplies easily, blooms for a long time, and most importantly, it is easy and simple to care for it. It was these qualities that conquered gardeners.
When to sow pelargonium seeds for seedlings?
Many people know that pelargonium propagates by cuttings, but now the seeds of the plant have appeared on sale. Therefore, propagating geraniums at home has become even easier.
The advantages of seeds are that they germinate quickly and well, the plant has a compact shape and constantly blooms. Young shoots of the plant bloom by 5 months.
You can sow geraniums for a whole year, but you will need to take care of good lighting. Therefore, the most optimal season for growing a plant is spring and summer.
What do pelargonium seeds look like and what should be done with them before planting in the ground?
The seeds of the plant are hard, large and have an oblong brown color. To plant seeds, you need to prepare the soil, it must be loose.
The composition of the earth should be something like this: 2 parts of turf and one part of sand and peat... To prevent the plant from fattening, the substrate should not be rich in nutrients.
Before planting, it is imperative to disinfect the soil (steam it, heat it or water it with a solution).
In order for the seeds to sprout faster, you need to do scarification. This procedure is the processing of seeds with fine sandpaper. We take each seed and carefully three hard shells. After this procedure, the seeds will begin to sprout quickly.
For sowing seeds, you need to prepare a shallow container. Spread the seeds over the surface at a distance of two centimeters from each other. Cover the seed with soil, about 1 centimeter. Be sure to keep the container with the seeds warm. The soil should not dry out, so moisten it with warm, settled water.
Also, in order for the seedlings of pelargonium to sprout faster, you can cover it with a film, but be sure to make holes in it for airing. As soon as shoots appear, remove the film immediately. Seedlings should be kept in a well-lit place. The soil should be moderately moist, should not dry out and not flood. Avoid direct sunlight.
Care of pelargonium seedlings
It is a pleasure to grow pelargonium seedlings. This process is very interesting and exciting not only for an adult, but also for a child. Seedlings will appear in about a week. It is so pleasant to watch how velvet leaves emerge from each seed. Everything is fine, of course, but you need to transplant pelargonium seedlings into separate pots. Therefore, we do the following procedures:
- As soon as four leaves appear on the plant, then it is time to transplant them into a pot. You will need a container about 8 centimeters in diameter.
- The plant must be dived. This means that each plant must be transplanted from a common soil (container) into a pot.
- Use a small spatula to remove each plant with a small clod of earth, so as not to damage or disturb the roots.
- Plant pelargonium in your pot.
- Potted soil should not be rich in nutrients. Therefore, if you use a commercial mixture, and it is mainly peat, it must be diluted with garden soil and compost.
- After planting, you can now observe the growth rate of the plant. If you adhere to all the rules, then geranium grows by leaps and bounds.
Now all that remains is to wait for flowering. Of course, many people believe that a young plant will bloom in a year, do not believe the rumors. It will take about five months to wait for flowers.
You can also face such a problem as yellowing of the leaves and the appearance of brown and yellow spots. This could be due to the heat. Therefore, many gardeners and flower growers plant geraniums in the garden. The result is surprising to many. Since the plant becomes even more beautiful, it blooms constantly, there are no yellow leaves. This method can be used to save your favorite flower in the hot season.
With proper care, the plant does not get sick and is not damaged by pests. Therefore, let this amazing and unpretentious flower delight you for many months.
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